Video Podcasting
A video podcast
is the term used for the use of video online,
which can be seen as and when the viewer wants
to watch it. This is a natural progression
from Podcasting which is the use of audio
files, more specifically MP3 files. When using
a video podcast, the viewers can subscribe
to the channels they are watching to receive
regular updates using their personal computer,
portable media device or media centre.
A video podcast is produced and moved around
via a file or what is commonly known as a
stream of digital media. Both of these ways
of transferring the media have both their
advantages and disadvantages. If you download
the media content can be watched over and
over again and also brilliantly gives the
user the ability to watch what they have downloaded
via whichever form they want to. For example,
they could watch what they have downloaded
on a portable device such as a media player
provided it is compatible to the file. With
it only being downloaded once and watched
from a save file from the computer, it frees
up a substantial amount of bandwidth costs
for the dedicated server. When using the streaming
method it can take a longer amount of time
to watch the file as it uses bandwidth to
play the file.
When using a podcast, the person using it
may use a different type of player such as
iTunes which uses a web feed aggregator in
a media player rather than the other way around.
A podcast aggregator is a program that is
permanently turned on. It starts when the
personal computer is booted up and runs quietly
in the background while you continue with
your current project. The aggregator checks
the feed at regular periods and if the data
from the feed has changed at all from when
it was last checked. The aggregator checks
where the feed is coming from and automatically
downloads it for you to watch.
You can then continue to play the new episodes
that have just been downloaded and watch them
as many or as few times as you want to. You
could then transfer the files form your personal
computer to your portable media device such
as an iPod or other forms of media players
via a USB cable and watch on the go instead.
There are thus many ways a video podcasts
can be prepared and used.
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