IIS_Smooth_Streaming_Technical_Overview.pdf

IIS Smooth Streaming Technical Overview Author: Alex Zambelli , Media Technology Evangelist Microsoft Corporation – March 2009 Smooth Streaming Technical Overview Page 2 Contents Introduction 3 A Brief History of Multiple Bit Rate Streaming 3 Windows Media Stream Thinning, MBR and Intelligent Streaming 3 The Shift to HTTP-Based Delivery 4 Content Delivery Techniques 5 Traditional Streaming 5 Progressive Download 6 HTTP-Based Adaptive Streaming 7 Introducing IIS Smooth Streaming 9 Smooth Streaming Playback with Silverlight 10 Smooth Streaming Architecture 11 Introducing the Smooth Streaming Format 11 Smooth Streaming Disk File Format 11 Smooth Streaming Wire File Format 12 Smooth Streaming Media Assets 13 Smooth Streaming Manifest Files 14 Smooth Streaming Playback 15 Summary 16 For More Information 16 Legal Notice 17 Smooth Streaming Technical Overview Page 3 Introduction In October 2008, Microsoft announced that Internet Information Services (IIS) 7.0 would feature a new HTTP-based adaptive streaming extension: Smooth Streaming. To promote the new technology, Microsoft also announced an initiative with Akamai and launched a showcase Web site— SmoothHD.com. Other content delivery networks (CDNs) are expected to announce support for Smooth Streaming in the future. Smooth Streaming dynamically detects local bandwidth and CPU conditions and seamlessly switches, in near real time, the video quality of a media file that a player receives. Consumers with high-bandwidth connections can experience high definition (HD) quality streaming while others with lower bandwidth speeds receive the appropriate stream for their connectivity, allowing consumers across the board to enjoy a compelling, uninterrupted streaming experience and alleviating the need for media companies to cater to the lowest common denominator quality level within their audience base. This enables companies to boost b