Learning Flash Media Server 3

Chapter 2. Recording and Playing Back Streaming Audio and Video

Streaming and Broadcasting

Flash Media Server 3 can both record and play back streaming audio and video. The nature of streaming is not the same as broadcasting. In broadcasting, the sender sends out a single signal; everyone who connects to the channel sending the signal gets the same stream. It’s like dropping a pebble in the water—a concentric circle of waves sends out a “signal.” No matter where viewers or listeners are, when the wave reaches them, they get the same wave—like a TV picture or radio transmission—as everyone else.

When FMS3 sends out a stream of audio and video, it creates a separate stream for each recipient. Its “broadcasting” works more like the spokes on a wagon wheel, where everyone connected gets his or her own stream. So here the term “broadcasting,” really means a form of streamcasting—a technology where everyone gets a separate stream. If one person is listening, my application sends only a single stream; but if 20 people are listening, it generates 20 streams. Because the server automatically creates a separate stream for each user connected, you don’t have to create all those streams in your coding. However, in deciding how to set up your application, for bandwidth considerations you need to consider the number of streams it may generate.

If you’ve ever viewed online video, you’ve probably seen different kinds without really realizing it. If you click on a video and have to wait a long time, ...