Enhance your video delivery with multi-bitrate streaming. Ensure smooth playback, reduce buffering, and reach every viewer—no matter their connection.
Video streaming on OTT made content consumption easy on TVs, cell phones and handy devices. Yet, one problem still hangs around in the market that needs immediate addressing. If handled incorrectly, this problem statement can create blunders in any content consumption mode.
The problem is different internet speeds and device capabilities.
Every device might not have the same internet speed, and that’s where the problem starts. A slow or fluctuating internet connection leads to buffering, poor video quality and playback interruptions, resulting in poor user experience.
To address this issue, multi-bitrate streaming is introduced in the market. Any OTT business must know in-depth about multi-bitrate streaming, its advantages, and the challenges you might face during the implementation.
Through this blog, you will get detailed information about multi-bitrate streaming and why OTTs are opting for this streaming without second doubt.
What is Multi-Bitrate Streaming?
Multi-bitrate in seconds is the technology that dynamically adjusts the video quality based on network conditions, ensuring smooth playback across various devices. To explain it further, it is a video delivery technique where multiple versions of the same video are encoded at different quality levels and bitrates.
Before the multi-bitrate streaming solution, there was single-bitrate streaming that provided only one version of video. This means that users with low bandwidth experienced buffering, while those with high speed enjoyed the best quality. Multi-bitrate streaming covers this variation by providing quality options that adjust automatically.
Adaptive bitrate streaming is the component of multi-bitrate streaming that allows the video player to detect changes in a user’s network conditions and switch between different video qualities in real time.
Multi-bitrate streaming encodes videos in different resolutions and bitrates, allowing the player to deliver the highest possible quality without excessive buffering. This adaptability offered a smooth viewing experience, irrespective of device type and network connection.
How Multi-Bitrate Streaming Works?
Multi-bitrate streaming relies on the combination of encoding, segmentation, adaptive playback and CDN delivery. Here’s a breakdown of each stage:
1. CDN delivery
Content Delivery Networks play an essential role in optimizing video delivery. By storing the video segments on multiple servers across the globe, latency on the server is reduced. It further helps ensure smooth streaming by serving content from the nearest server.
2. Adaptive playback
When a viewer starts watching the video, the player selects the best initial bitrate based on its available bandwidth. The ABR (Adaptive Bitrate Streaming) algorithm monitors the network conditions continuously and adjusts the bitrate accordingly. With slow speed, the player switches to a lower bitrate version to avoid buffering.
3. Segmentation and packing
After successful encoding, the video is broken into chunks, which go for a few seconds each. These segments are packed in streaming protocols like HLS ,DASH and MPEG-. The segmentation is done to switch smoothly between different quality levels without reloading the entire video.
4. Encoding at different bitrates
The first step in multi-bitrate streaming is encoding the video in multiple versions with different bitrates and resolutions. To specify, a video might be available in 1080p, 720p, 480p and 360p. This helps users with varying internet speeds access at an appropriate level.
Benefits of Multi-Bitrate Streaming
Multi-bitrate streaming serves as an advantage for every company. Below are the key benefits that make it the most preferred choice across the globe:
1. Better user experience
Multi-bitrate streaming ensures that playback is smooth across various devices and internet connections. Users no longer have to worry about abrupt pauses or poor video quality due to fluctuating internet connection. By automatically adjusting the video quality, multi-bitrate streaming provides the experience that the viewer deserves.
2. Reduced buffering and lag
Buffering is the undeniable frustration for every viewer. Multi-bitrate streaming makes real-time adjustments to the viewer’s internet speed, reducing buffering. If the connection weakens, the system switches it to a lower bitrate version and avoids the lag in continuous playback.
3. Better usage of bandwidth
Efficient bandwidth management is essential for users and content providers. Multi-bitrate streaming removes unnecessary data consumption by delivering optimal bitrate based on available bandwidth. This ensures that users do not use excessive data when high-quality streaming is not required. This way, data is saved.
4. Better audience reach
Not all users have access to high-speed internet. Multi-bitrate streaming helps content providers cater to a broader audience by supporting viewers with high-speed and low-speed connections. Whether someone is streaming from a high-speed fiber connection or mobile data, multi-bitrate ensures they receive the best possible video experience.
5. Improved streaming
Multi-bitrate streaming helps content providers distribute video content more efficiently. This reduces the strain on servers and optimizes data delivery. By dynamic adjustment to bitrate, platforms serve more users without the pressure of overloading its infrastructure.
6. Higher viewer engagement
It is clear that if a platform provides the highest possible viewing experience, even on a slow internet connection, the retention ratio of that particular platform will increase. Reduced buffering and consistent video quality increase the watch time and drop-off rates, thus benefiting both content creators and streaming platforms.
Multi-Bitrate Streaming vs. Other Streaming Methods
|
Point of Distinction |
Multi-bitrate streaming |
Single-bitrate streaming |
Progressive Download |
P2P Streaming |
|
Video Quality adjustment |
It dynamically adjusts video quality in real time based on network conditions. If the internet speed drops, the video switches to a lower bitrate to prevent buffering. If the speed improves, the video switches back to higher quality. |
Video is encoded at a fixed bitrate here without any adjustment based on the network conditions. If the internet speed is low, users will experience buffering. |
The video must be downloaded fully or partially before the playback starts, and the quality is fixed. Users with slower internet connections will find problems with smooth playback. |
Video quality entirely depends on the availability and speed of the peers. If enough high-speed peers are in the network, the quality can be good, but if not, the video will suffer from lag. |
|
Buffering |
Reduces buffering time significantly by automatically switching to a lower bitrate if the internet speed is slow. |
The buffering will be frequent if the user's internet speed is below the fixed bitrate. |
Buffering can be high on slow connections because the video must be downloaded before smooth playback. |
Buffering completely depends on the speed and the number of peers available. |
|
Bandwidth efficiency |
It optimizes bandwidth for each user. Furthermore, it ensures that users with slower connections don’t receive any high-bitrate stream that causes buffering. |
Can be wasteful for users with fast internet connection as they may be forced to watch lower-quality video |
Inefficient. It downloads the full file, whether the user watches the entire video. |
It can be efficient if peers are well-distributed. However, it also depends on network availability and peer engagement. |
|
Global reach |
Supports a wide range of internet speeds, making accessibility smooth for users worldwide. |
Limited because users with slower connections may struggle to stream the video. |
Limited by the user’s connection speed, as a slow download gets frustrating. |
The reach depends entirely on the number of active peers. |
|
Scalability |
It offers a higher scalable option supported by Content Delivery Networks. |
Not scalable, as the large number of users can cause bandwidth strain and affect video playback. |
Not scalable due to storage requirements and potential server load. |
It can be highly scalable as each user becomes a server helping distribute content. |
Challenges and Solutions in Multi-Bitrate Streaming
Multi-bitrate streaming is famous for offering superior video playback quality, but this comes with challenges that need strategic solutions.
Challenge 1: Latency issue
One major challenge in bitrate streaming is the latency that comes into the picture for live events. Single bitrate RTMP streams suffer from buffering, making advertising streaming essential.
Solution
The solution is to implement low-latency HLS or low-latency DASH, which significantly reduces buffer time by delivering smaller video segments.
Challenge 2: Storage costs
Maintaining multiple quality versions of a video increases storage costs. Unlike single bitrate RTMP, where only one file is stored, multi-bitrate streaming asks for multiple versions.
Solution
The solution lies in advanced compression techniques like H.265 (HEVC) and AV1. It reduces file size without affecting the quality.
Challenge 3: Compatibility across devices
Viewers use various devices and operating systems that make compatibility a challenge. Adaptive bitrate streaming works seamlessly across web browsers, smart TVs, mobile devices and gaming consoles.
Solution
The solution is to use HTML5-based players and adaptive bitrate vs multi-bitrate streaming strategies.
Conclusion
Today, viewers don’t settle for basic video streaming quality. They want the highest quality on the internet speed they have. Multi-bitrate streaming is essential in delivering this quality and buffer-free video experience. Compared to single bitrate RTMP, adaptive bitrate streaming dynamically adjusts to network conditions and improves user engagement.
As technology evolves with AI, 5G and advanced video codecs, businesses must embrace adaptive bitrate streaming. Enveu caters to the advancement by providing multi-bitrate streaming solutions. Connect with the team and know how to make your platform versatile by offering the highest video quality at viewers' desired internet speed.