The History of Streaming

Live streaming actually first had it roots in the 1920s with George O. Squier who was given the rights to distribute signals, which because Muzak, which was able to stream continuous music without the use of radio. 

The full development, including computers and the internet, didn't develop fully until 1990s/2000s. The increase of technology started to set things in motion. In 1993, Severe Tire Damage was the first band to broadcast live over the internet. In 1995 RealNetworks televised a live baseball game, and later that year, Paramount Theatre streamed the first symphony concert online. The first continuous streaming was Word magazine (not live), who streamed soundtracks online. The first large scale video broadcast was in 1996 with the Tibetan Freedom Concert.

"Live streaming" comes from a content source (video cameras and microphones) and is made available at the same time of recording. "On-demand streaming" (Netflix) provides content from a source, where you can watch it at will (live streaming occurs at that moment, in real time). The choice between streaming and buying hard copies of films is a major divide in viewing habits.

Live streaming is everywhere today, with the introduction of Facebook Live and Periscope and is likely to only improve and become more common in the future.

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VICENT, A. 'The History of Live Streaming'. http://www.dacast.com/blog/the-history-of-live-streaming/ (24.10.2016)

DIXON, W.W. 'Streaming: Movies, Media and Instant Access'. 2013.