Smooth Streaming, an IIS Media Services extension,
enables adaptive streaming of media to Silverlight and other clients over HTTP. Smooth Streaming
provides a high-quality viewing experience that scales massively on content distribution
networks, making true HD 1080p media experiences a reality.
Smooth Streaming is the productized version of technology first used by Microsoft to deliver on-demand video of the 2008 Summer Olympics for NBCOlympics.com. By dynamically monitoring both local bandwidth and video rendering performance, Smooth Streaming optimizes playback of content by switching video quality in real-time.
Viewers with high bandwidth connections and modern computers can experience full HD 1080p quality streaming, while others with lower bandwidth or older computers receive the appropriate stream for their capabilities. The end result is simple: viewers across the board enjoy a compelling, uninterrupted streaming experience, which leads to extended audience engagement and increased revenue opportunities.
Smooth Streaming uses the simple but powerful concept of delivering small content fragments (typically two seconds worth of video) and verifying that each has arrived within the appropriate time and played back at the expected quality level. If one fragment does not meet these requirements, the next fragment delivered will be at a somewhat lower quality level. Conversely, when conditions allow it, the quality of subsequent fragments will be at a higher level.
To create Smooth Streaming presentations, the same source content is encoded at several quality levels, typically with each level in its own complete file, using a compression tool such as Expression Encoder 3 or a product from one of our many partners. Content is delivered using a Smooth Streaming-enabled IIS origin server. Once the IIS origin server receives a request for media, it will dynamically create cacheable virtual fragments from the video files and deliver the best content possible to each end user. The benefit of this virtual fragment approach is that the content owner only needs to manage complete files rather than thousands of pre-segmented content files.
Smooth Streaming provides media companies with a better way to make full HD on the Web a reality. It offers code-free deployment and simplified content management for content creators and content delivery networks. For end users, the improved video viewing experience will bring the reliability and quality of HD television to their favorite video Web sites.
To see Smooth Streaming in action, check out the
Experience Smooth Streaming page,
where you can simulate different bandwidths and see how Smooth Streaming responds. To learn more,
download Smooth Streaming from the links at the top right of this page, and read the
Smooth Streaming Technical Overview or the new Smooth Streaming Deployment Guide.
