History of Video Streaming

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  • Live Streaming is one of the most popular methods available as of now for the people to enjoy visual content. There is no need to think twice before accessing live streamed content. They are known to deliver the most convenient visual experiences to anyone. While experiencing the benefits of video streaming, it is also important to take a look at the history of them. Let’s deep dive and learn more on how video streaming came out to the world and where it stands as of now. 

    When was live streaming originated? 
    Today, live streaming has outgrown its role as a cutting-edge technology and has evolved into one of the most widely used types of broadcasting. For years, top corporations such as Google, Microsoft, Nvidia, Apple, Amazon, and others have benefited from live broadcasting. Not to mention COVID-19's massive influence on our culture, which has resulted in many individuals working and learning from home.

    The history of live broadcasting is littered with interesting and unusual facts. It wasn't simple for radio to become one of the most well-known means of transmission. In fact, it only became a big success after years of drought. Therefore, let's take a look at the thrilling ups and downs of the live streaming trip, which started in the 1990s.

    Live material has always been valued over pre-recorded programming. Listening to our favorite radio stations, watching live TV programs, and attending concerts are all things we like. However, the world is evolving at a breakneck pace, and new, intriguing technologies are being developed on a daily basis.

    -    The live broadcast from the Xerox PARC
    People used to watch VHS tapes on their CRT TV sets and connect to the internet through modems when the first live streaming took place, believe it or not. Are you old enough to recall the irritating sounds it made? On June 24, 1993, a couple of computer scientists and engineers from the band Severe Tire Damage were doing their typical set when their colleagues at Xerox PARC in California decided to experiment with some new technology.

    Live streaming was developed before the "Facetube" period, and it's possible that it wouldn't have been invented at all if it weren't for music. The event was streamed through a specialty network called Mbone (multicast backbone) and could be seen as far away as Australia by the Xerox PARC crew. This was the first time audio and video were streamed live simultaneously. The band continued to live stream their gigs, but just for their own amusement.

    -    Live streaming of Baseball and RealNetworks
    RealPlayer, the first media player capable of live streaming, was created by the internet startup RealNetworks in 1995. The firm presented the first public live webcast later that year. It was a baseball game between the New York Yankees and the Seattle Mariners that was being aired. In terms of profitability, live streaming remained an experiment that needed more successful examples.

    RealNetworks released Real Video in 1997, one of the first commercially available live video streaming applications. However, this was not the right time for live streaming to take off.

    -    Webcast on "Third Way Politics in the Information Age"
    It took a few more years for live streaming to really take off. On November 8, 1999, George Washington University in Washington, DC hosted the first-ever presidential webcast. Excite@Home Network and the Democratic Leadership Council collaborated to create it. Thanks to Bill Clinton's participation, the webcast "Third Way Politics in the Information Age" was the genuine genesis of live streaming.

    The nature of the event was essentially an online conversation in which the President and participants discussed a variety of sensitive topics, including as Medicare and gun control, in response to questions submitted by over 50,000 internet users who checked in to the chat.

    When did live streaming start to get attention? 
    The live streaming sector was absolutely blown up by YouTube. In fact, until social media discovered methods to accept and use the technology in the 2010s, consumers were sleeping on live streaming. But, first and foremost, let's get this over with. There was still a long way to go in terms of live streaming.

    YouTube Live, the company's first live event, took place in 2008. It was simultaneously live broadcast from San Francisco and Tokyo and included interviews and performances by celebrities such as Katy Perry, Smosh, MythBusters, and Bo Burnham, among others. Despite the fact that the live event was a success, something was still amiss.

    YouTube did not develop into a specialist live streaming platform, with only sporadic live broadcasts. A U2 performance in 2009 and a live Q&A session with Barack Obama in 2010 were two of the most memorable. Following that, the business began developing its own live streaming system.

    Other firms were able to take advantage of YouTube's slowness in bringing their feeds to market. Twitch.tv (previously known as Justin.tv) debuted a new video game broadcasting platform in 2011. It didn't seem at the time that this plan was even somewhat lucrative. Twitch, on the other hand, had more than 45 million monthly viewers only two years later!

    Live streaming as of now 
    Twitch's rise to prominence was yet another watershed moment in the history of live broadcasting. YouTube immediately changed its stance about live streaming, and by the end of 2013, any registered user may live broadcast on the platform. Other social media platforms couldn't miss out on the fun and jumped on board the live streaming bandwagon as well. Thanks to Restream.io, content providers have been able to simultaneously broadcast their live videos on numerous platforms since 2014. Periscope, a live-streaming service, was bought by Twitter in 2015. Later in 2016, Facebook and Instagram both announced their live streaming services.

    -    Live streaming becoming popular with social media 
    Since the incorporation of live streaming technology into social media, it has been steadily increasing. By 2018, Facebook has hosted over 3.5 million live broadcasts! By the end of 2019, people had seen over 1.1 billion hours of live video from across the globe! The stats don't lie and live streaming is becoming more popular by the day.

    Live streaming has become one of the most popular methods of marketing, communication, and entertainment in recent years. And the current era necessitates modern answers. Restream.io can help you with that. Live broadcasting to numerous platforms, such as YouTube Live, Facebook Live, Twitch, Twitter, LinkedIn, and others, is possible with the service.

    In 2020, the firm developed Restream Studio, a simple but powerful live streaming application that enables users to multi-stream straight from their browsers, invite guests to broadcast, read and respond to viewer remarks from many platforms in one location, and more. In just a few clicks, anybody can produce professional live broadcasts and fully optimize their audience reach with Restream Studio.

    In the year 2020, the world was confronted with something unprecedented, something terrifying: the worldwide COVID-19 epidemic. Despite the fact that the world economy as a whole was hit hard, live streaming, on the other hand, saw fresh prospects. Many individuals were compelled to work from home as a result of the worldwide lockdowns, and as many as 52 percent of kids attended school electronically in the autumn of 2020.

    Why is live streaming so popular?
    One of the most essential aspects of live streaming, and one of the reasons for its enormous popularity, is the opportunity to interact in real time with thousands of people all over the world. Streamers may use live chat to converse with their viewers, making their broadcasts really engaging and entertaining to watch.

    Another important factor that has contributed to the popularity of live streaming is its cost-effectiveness. You do not have to pay for your live stream to be displayed, unlike television broadcasts. Furthermore, live streaming might be far less costly to produce. The possibility to quickly monetize live broadcasts draws not just individual broadcasters, but also numerous companies from all over the globe.

    Finally, in light of the current pandemic's rules, live streaming enables individuals to stay connected while remaining at home. The technology has already made a significant contribution to worldwide efforts to halt the spread of the coronavirus.

    How would the future of live streaming look like? 
    The number of hours seen on live streaming increased by 99 percent between April 2019 and April 2020. Given the ongoing lockdowns, this increase has stayed consistent. There are no obvious signs that live streaming will slow off in the near future. According to Grand View Research, the worldwide live streaming industry is estimated to reach more than $180 billion by 2027.

    LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Twitter are likely to remain the most important actors on the world stage. Smaller streaming sites such as Mixcloud will continue to acquire niche audiences, grow slowly but steadily, and expand their offerings.

    Top social media corporations have a monopoly on online communication, including live broadcasting. The internet is expanding, and live streaming is following suit. Regardless, even if all other parts fail to meet expectations, video games will keep the live streaming business afloat.

    The majority of people want to see things happen right now. Live content has always had a higher level of acrimony. And live streaming is merely the logical progression of the same technology that began with the first radio transmissions in the early 1900s. We can only speculate on how live streaming will evolve in the future, but it will undoubtedly exist.