Live streaming terms describe different stages of getting video from a source to a viewer. Ingest sends a feed to a platform; encoding prepares it for transmission; transcoding may create other versions; and formats such as HLS or DASH deliver playback. These terms are related, but they are not interchangeable—and platforms do not all use the same workflow.
How a live stream gets from its source to a viewer
A typical workflow begins with a camera, computer, or other media source. An encoder prepares the audio and video, then sends the stream to a platform. The platform may convert it into multiple quality levels, package it for playback, and distribute it through a content delivery network (CDN). A viewer’s player requests the media and may adjust playback quality as network conditions change.
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One documented Google Cloud workflow accepts RTMP or SRT input and creates HLS or DASH output. ITU-T describes a workflow in which a source is encoded and uploaded, then transcoded and multiplexed by a platform before CDN delivery. These are examples, not a universal blueprint; the actual stages depend on the service and its configuration. Google Cloud’s Live Stream API overview and ITU-T Recommendation H.705.2 describe these workflows.
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Ingest
Ingest is the process of sending a live source signal to a streaming service for processing. It describes the contribution stage—getting the feed into the platform—not how viewers later watch it.
RTMP and SRT
RTMP and SRT are protocols that may appear as input choices in an encoder or platform. In workflows that support them, they carry a source stream to the service. Their availability depends on the destination platform; neither name guarantees that every encoder or service supports it.
Preparing and converting the media
Encoding
Encoding prepares audio or video data for transmission using a selected codec and configuration. It usually happens at the source before the feed is sent to the platform. Settings such as codec, resolution, frame rate, and bitrate affect the resulting stream, and suitable values depend on the destination’s requirements.
Codec
A codec is the method used to compress and decompress audio or video. It is distinct from a container, a transport protocol, and a delivery format. For example, a protocol may carry encoded media to a platform, while a different format is used to deliver it to viewers. Google Cloud lists protocols and supported audio and video codecs separately in its Live Stream API overview.
Transcoding
Transcoding converts an incoming encoded signal into other output forms or quality levels. A platform may use it to provide versions suited to different screens or connection speeds. Encoding and transcoding are therefore related but not the same: encoding prepares media, while transcoding transforms an already encoded input into another output.
Packaging and delivery to viewers
Packaging, segments, and manifests
For HTTP-based playback, a service can package media into segments and provide a manifest that describes the available stream media. The player uses that information to request what it needs. The details vary by format and implementation, so the terms do not imply one fixed segment length or packaging arrangement.
HLS
HLS means HTTP Live Streaming, Apple’s technology for live and on-demand media. It uses ordinary web servers and CDNs for delivery and can adapt playback to network conditions. See Apple’s HLS documentation.
DASH
DASH means Dynamic Adaptive Streaming over HTTP. It is a suite of MPEG standards for multimedia streaming over HTTP and supports both live and on-demand use. Its standardization and implementation are distinct from HLS, even though both use HTTP infrastructure. MPEG describes DASH at Standards – MPEG-DASH.
CDN
A content delivery network (CDN) is distributed infrastructure used to serve media to viewers. A CDN can help deliver stream media from locations and systems suited to audience access. It is part of delivery, not the camera, encoder, or ingest protocol. MPEG notes that DASH uses existing HTTP servers, CDNs, proxies, and caches; Google Cloud’s example also configures a CDN backend for output delivery.
Playback quality and why it can change
Bitrate
Bitrate is the rate at which encoded data is produced, delivered, or consumed, commonly expressed in bits per second. Higher bitrates generally require more bandwidth to deliver smoothly, but a single bitrate is not right for every stream. YouTube’s encoder guidance varies recommended bitrates by codec, resolution, and frame rate. Check the current requirements of the platform you use rather than treating a value from another service as universal: YouTube’s live encoder settings, bitrates, and resolutions.
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Rendition and bitrate ladder
A rendition is one version of a stream prepared at a particular quality level. A bitrate ladder is a set of such versions. When a service transcodes a live feed into multiple qualities, the player can choose among those renditions based on available bandwidth and device conditions.
ABR (adaptive bitrate streaming)
Adaptive bitrate streaming (ABR) lets playback move between available renditions as network conditions change. If a service provides multiple versions, the player can select a more suitable one when bandwidth or device conditions shift. ABR can help playback adapt; it does not promise a fixed picture quality or uninterrupted viewing. Apple describes HLS adaptation to network conditions, and Cloudflare’s live video documentation describes transcoding into multiple quality levels and player bandwidth estimates.
Buffering
Buffering is a delay or pause in playback associated with the player not having media ready to play. It can be connected to changing network conditions and the time needed to obtain media. The term does not specify a universal delay threshold or a single cause; a viewer’s connection, the service, and playback setup can all matter.
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Latency: how far playback trails the event
Latency is the delay between an event happening and a viewer seeing or hearing it. The acceptable amount depends on what the stream is for. A one-way broadcast may tolerate more delay than a live conversation in which participants need to respond promptly. There is no universal cutoff that makes every stream “low latency”: requirements vary by application and deployment.
Lower delay can involve trade-offs in the streaming workflow, and a platform’s available modes and behavior depend on its implementation. ITU-T distinguishes higher-latency non-interactive streaming from lower-latency interactive scenarios in Recommendation H.705.2. The IETF’s RFC 9317 likewise treats latency needs as application-dependent.
Live streaming and VOD are different
VOD means video on demand: previously recorded content that a viewer can play back when available. Live media is created and streamed while an event is in progress. A recording of a live event may later be offered as VOD, but the terms describe different viewing contexts. The distinction is discussed in RFC 9317.
Quick guide: which terms belong together?
| Stage | Terms | What they describe |
|---|---|---|
| Sending a source to a service | Ingest, RTMP, SRT | How a platform receives the source feed; protocol support depends on the service. |
| Preparing or changing media | Encoding, codec, transcoding | How audio and video are compressed or converted into outputs. |
| Making media available for playback | Packaging, segments, manifest, HLS, DASH, CDN | How media is organized and delivered to viewers over HTTP-based infrastructure. |
| Choosing playback quality | Bitrate, rendition, bitrate ladder, ABR, buffering | How much data a stream uses, what quality options exist, and how playback responds to conditions. |
| Describing time and viewing mode | Latency, live, VOD | How delayed playback is and whether content is live or previously recorded. |
How to interpret settings on a real platform
- Check the role of each option. An ingest protocol sends a source to a service; a playback format delivers media to viewers. HLS and DASH are not simply alternatives to RTMP and SRT.
- Use the destination’s current guidance. Supported protocols, codecs, bitrate recommendations, and latency modes vary. YouTube’s encoder recommendations, for example, depend on codec, resolution, and frame rate.
- Expect quality to depend on the full chain. Source settings, platform processing, available renditions, the viewer’s device, and network conditions can all affect what plays.
- Match latency to the use case. Interaction calls for prompt delivery; a non-interactive stream may have different priorities. The platform’s actual modes determine what is available.
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