In recent years, there has been tremendous improvement in digital video streaming, processing, and communication technologies. These technological advancements have made it possible to stream high-quality, real-time video streaming over diverse networks.
While streaming content is better than downloading content, streaming requires a massive volume of data. This is one of the major con of streaming. If you consume too much bandwidth, you internet service provider will resort to throttling your connection.
Speaking of cons, another issue with streaming services is that they’re regionally blocked. In the case of HBO Max, it is only available in the USA.
But with problems, there are always solutions.
For example, if you wish to stream HBO Max in Canada, you can use a VPN that offers servers in the United States. No matter where you are, you’ll just need to connect to a US server.
Getting back to the topic, HBO Max has moved a step forward to ensure it gives its users a good video streaming experience by utilizing the latest technology.
In this blog, we’ll discuss how HBO Max is improving the streaming experience of its viewers.
What Exactly is Video Streaming?
The continuous transmission of video data from a server to a client is referred to as video streaming.
Video streaming allows people to see videos without having to download them. Movies, TV programs, YouTube videos, and live-streamed material are examples of streaming video content.
HBO Max Improving the Video Streaming Experience
Like practically everything else on the internet, streaming services are governed by recommendation algorithms. These algorithms are supposed to predict what people want before they ask for it.
Streaming was formerly seen to be a cheaper alternative to expensive and complicated cable bundles. Still, the growth of multiple streaming services, such as HBO Max, Disney Plus, and Peacock, is pushing users to evaluate which subscriptions they want to maintain in the long run.
HBO Max is the newest entry in a crowded sector of on-demand video streaming services, combining the prestige programming of the HBO cable channel with a massive library of movies and episodes from Warner Media.
Streaming Services’ Technology Stacks
There are many approaches through which recognized brands improve their streaming apps. Here are some of the methods used by the most successful streaming service, such as HBO Max:
- CAD (Content Distribution Network) The goal of a content distribution network is to get material as near to the consumers as feasible. The most notable advantages of CDN are its speed and dependability.
- CDNs from third parties. Some streaming providers launch their CDNs, but only if their video inventory is small enough. Third-party CDNs enable them to have a worldwide reach by using existing systems rapidly. The streaming Services have more time to focus on higher priority tasks by outsourcing their distribution networks.
- Open Connect. When compared to other third-party distribution networks, Open Connect is less costly. It gave them complete control over the video route.
The Advantages of a video streaming
Streaming video has altered how we view videos online by eliminating the need to wait for a whole video file to download before beginning playing.
More and more individuals are gaining access to broadband, which is required for the technology to function correctly.
Below are some advantages of video streaming.
- Streaming videos, users may watch videos without downloading them.
- High resolutions for playback. Some providers offer up to 4K resolution, which is greater than the norm for over-the-air TV resolution.
- Price. Some video streaming sites, such as YouTube and Twitch, are free to use, although others depend on subscription structures that may be less expensive than the typical cable subscription.
- Platform preference. Users may stream videos from a variety of platforms. Typically, TV and movie streaming providers compete with one another by creating exclusive content. Users may watch the live-streamed video as it occurs, as well as on-demand content (pre recorded media) anytime they want.
- Variation in content Individuals may stream TV episodes, movies, user-generated material from websites such as YouTube, or Livestream anything online since the notion of video streaming is so vast.
Difficulties with Video Streaming
Streaming content has its own set of issues. Here are some examples:
- Inadequate bandwidth. The better the quality of the video, the more bandwidth is required to sustain the data streaming. If numerous devices use a large quantity of data simultaneously, there may not be enough bandwidth to stream 4K or other high-quality material.
- Client devices with lesser performance. Video streams may begin to slow down or drop out if a device is outdated, slowed down due to apps not optimized for it, or has too many processes operating at once.
- Copyright. Users of video streaming material, particularly live-streamed content, must be mindful of copyrighted content limitations, such as music appearing in their broadcast. It is a massive problem for sites that host user-generated videos, such as YouTube and Twitch.
- Latency in the network. The location of clients and servers on the web might have an impact on latency. The greater the distance between the client and server, the longer the data must travel.
The Future of Video Streaming
Streaming video brings customization of the viewer’s experience to the next level—Applying algorithms to quantify the correlation and causation of viewers’ viewing patterns. In addition, with data acquired and analyzed on what people watch and what they don’t watch.
HBO Max’s primary design aims to serve as an easy-to-use streaming platform that provides high discoverability and wastes as little time as possible for users between launching the app and pressing play. You just needed a VPN to access HBO Max in geo-restricted regions.
