VDOLive establishes real-time Web video as a commercial product category
approximate date
By April 1996, VDOnet's VDOLive technology was delivering full-motion video over the Internet at connection speeds ranging from dial-up links to faster institutional networks.
Historical context
Continuous Internet audio had already become practical, but video remained substantially harder because consumer bandwidth and processor performance were limited. Several companies were racing to prove that moving pictures could nevertheless be delivered through the Web without downloading complete files first.
What happened
VDOLive compressed and delivered video in real time through Web-connected computers and was already being demonstrated or used by recognizable media and information organizations. Contemporary coverage highlighted its ability to adapt to bandwidth ranging from approximately 14.4-kbps modem connections to much faster lines.
Consequences
VDOLive helped turn Internet video from a research experiment into a recognizable commercial market. Competition among VDOnet, Progressive Networks, Microsoft and others accelerated the development of codecs, media servers and streaming-video players during the following years.
Related people
Sources
- Real Video, ReallyWIRED
- DDay: Real TimeWorld Wide Web Consortium