According to Statista, by 2027, the revenue in the VOD segment is expected to have an annual growth rate (CAGR 2022-2027) of 10.72%, resulting in a projected market volume of US$157.90bn.

What is VOD or Video on Demand platform?

It’s not that VOD is a new era term; it has been around for many years, but it has only become widely available in recent years. This is attributed to the advancements in broadband technology. In the early days of VOD, users had to wait for the entire video to download before they could watch it. Depending on the file size and the user’s connection speed, this could take minutes or even hours. Now, with broadband speeds much faster than they used to be earlier, users can start watching a video immediately after selecting it. This has become possible through adaptive streaming, which allows the video to be played back at a quality matched to the user’s internet connection speed.

Due to advancements in network speed, bandwidth availability and video compression standards and accelerating user demand, video streaming over the Internet (Video On Demand) has quickly risen to become a mainstream reality application over the past two decades. The markets where once “traditional” (free-to-air, cable, satellite) television was dominating, i.e. linear audiovisual media services, nowadays see strong growth of various video-on-demand (VoD) services, i.e. nonlinear audiovisual media services, including both Paid-for VoD like Netflix/Amazon Prime and Advertised-financed VoD like YouTube.

Note: Linear audiovisual media services are Television broadcasts delivered by a media service provider at a scheduled time and watched simultaneously by viewers. On the other side, nonlinear audiovisual media services include users’ selected catalogue offered by the media service providers to watch at their convenience.

Types of VOD Streaming Services

There are three types of VOD Streaming Services, namely, by subscription system, also known as subscription video-on-demand (SVOD); by the per-watch system, or transactional video-on-demand (TVOD), and advertisement-based system, or commonly mentioned as ad-based video-on-demand (AVOD).

Subscription On Demand (SVOD) – For a recurring daily, weekly, or monthly rate., subscribers may have unlimited streaming to a licensed catalogue of content for the duration of their active subscription term. The subscription period may be as short as one month or as long as one year. SVOD is somewhat similar to traditional television packages. The users are free to consume any content they wish at the same monthly price. They also do not have any obligation to prolong the subscription. Netflix and Amazon Prime are some SVOD platforms.

Transactional video on demand (TVOD) – TVOD is just the reverse of SVOD, also known as the Pay-Per-View (PPV) model and offers two options in its pay-per-view scheme. Firstly, the audience can purchase the package to have permanent access to the content, known as Electronic Sell Through (EST). Secondly, the users can pay the fee and download the content for a limited time; download to Rent (DTR).

Advertising-based Video On Demand(AVOD) – AVOD is nearly free, but the users need to consume the advertisements as the cost of production fees and hosting. Businesses pay to have their ad played before a video is watched. This is a way for companies to generate revenue from advertising by reaching a large audience with their message and potentially generating leads or sales from viewers interested in what they have to offer. Examples are YouTube and Hulu.

In 2021, the Video Streaming (SVoD) segment in the Video-on-Demand market worldwide generated the highest number of users at a value of approximately 1.1 billion users. According to the Statista Digital Market Outlook estimates, the Video Downloads (EST) segment generated the least number of users at 705.9 million.

The need for security as VOD Streaming Services

Video streaming is currently ruling traditional multimedia through services like Netflix, Amazon Prime and Hulu, providing millions of users worldwide with paid subscriptions to watch VOD content. Also, we have seen a rise in the number of services illegally sharing premium video content on the web for free. This has given ground for the market of illegal downloads and content distribution regardless of ethical or legal involvements.

When people choose to watch pirated shows and movies rather than a VOD platform, the platform ultimately loses revenue, affecting the content creators and their production processes. According to Statista, the global online T.V. and movie industry expects to witness a 51.6 billion U.S. dollars loss due to video piracy in 2022. The same market sector suffered a revenue loss of nearly 37 billion U.S. dollars in 2018.

Video Piracy even leads to security threats. Pirated content may contain malware, trojans, and viruses. Here, piracy harms content creators and owners and risks the consumers benefitting from it. The various reasons contributing to video piracy are credentials sharing, using tools for content downloading, simulcasting, trial fraud and more.

Securing VOD platforms against piracy in the near future seems challenging owing to the widespread reach of pirated content and difficulty detecting video pirates. Despite this, using certain measures and adopting new technologies and strategies can discourage, prevent and minimize piracy.

Use of DRM encryption service for VOD platforms

Digital Rights Management (DRM) is used by content creators and distributors to restrict the way in which their content is used, transferred, and stored by users. DRM workflow begins with content encryption. When a user clicks play, the video player sends a key access request to the license server. The server determines whether the video player and device are authorized before giving a response containing a decryption key. After completing the authentication process, the player decrypts the video and starts video playback. This all happens instantaneously.

The main DRM technology systems used are Google Widevine and Apple Fairplay to support the most popular browsers.

Apple FairPlay – Apple’s FairPlay DRM system protects music and other content purchased from the iTunes Store. FairPlay combines digital rights management (DRM) and encryption to prevent unauthorized copying and playback of iTunes Store content. FairPlay is built into the iTunes software and is used by the iTunes Store to encode music, videos, and other content.

When you purchase music, movies, or other content from the iTunes Store, the content is encoded using FairPlay. This encoded content is played on authorized devices like your iPad, Apple Watch, Apple T.V. and personal computers. To play FairPlay-protected content on your iPod, you must first authorize your iPod with your iTunes Store account. Once your iPod is authorized, you can sync your FairPlay-protected content to it.

Google Widevine DRM – Google’s Widevine DRM is a leading platform for delivering protected premium video content at best possible quality to the most number of devices and browsers. It has two versions to secure video media: Widevine Modular and Classic.

• Widevine Classic – The earlier version of Widevine to support old Android versions (up to Android 5.1), supporting .wmv format.
• Widevine Modular – The latest current version of Widevine with support for MPEG-DASH, CMAF, HLS, and ABR video formats, including Common Encryption (CENC).

Other Security features apart from DRM used by VOD

Dynamic Watermarking – Similar to watermarking, viewer-based dynamic watermarks contain user information like user_id and I.P. When visible, it has been found to be a deterrent factor in video piracy. Such watermarks also act as a unique identifier for accessing users. They are also helpful in preventing screen capture or screen camera recording. Examples include visible string with text and numbers that keeps floating over the screen during Live sports telecast. VdoCipher provides a viewer-based dynamic visible form of a watermark.

Domain Restriction/Authentication – Many a time, VODs don’t want their videos to be played on other specific domain names. For the same, they need to restrict any incoming request to your videos from that domain. VOD Streaming Services providers usually do provide mechanisms to restrict single or multiple domains.

Offline Encrypted Downloads – There are needs when VODs need to provide a way to download videos. This often happens on mobile devices like Android having a low bandwidth supply. Thus to provide a continuous and bandwidth-saving experience to the user, offline downloads are a viable option. However, this also brings the risk of illegal and unauthorized distribution of the video content. To prevent this, Vdocipher uses Encryption and time-expiration techniques. You can specify the time duration of validity for which the offline download license would be available for playback. Beyond the duration, the license would expire, and the downloaded file would be no longer accessible.

Geo Restriction – Geo restriction is another kind of restriction for video security. These restrictions are used to restrict playback on a particular set of I.P.s or Geo locations. Geo restriction ensures that all requests coming from a defined set are blocked.

How can VOD prevent Screen Recording?

If you are a VOD platform user, you may have encountered a situation when you try taking a screenshot or screen recording, and all you get is a black screen. You may still be able to see captions but not the content. Here, the screen capture prevention mechanism depends on the DRM security level for various devices and machines.

Platforms like Hulu and Netflix employ multiple DRM systems because users access video content through the app and many different browsers and operating systems. VOD platforms use DRM to prevent content piracy. Without these restrictions, there are chances of some users creating copies of copyrighted content for unauthorized redistribution, selling or pirating through other platforms.

VdoCipher secure video DRM encryption is similar to that of Netflix and protects your premium content from online piracy. For screen capture, the web browser communicates with the video players with EME invoking DRM. When a screenshot command is passed, it’s overridden through DRM secure playback. It results in black recordings or screenshots. The capabilities of EME using HTML5 player invokes the underlying DRM encryption for secure video streaming.

How can a VOD platform implement Video DRM with ease?

Different video content is distributed over the OTT platforms, such as movies, T.V. series, anime, original content, etc. Distributing different audiovisual contents over VOD and other platforms is subject to copyright and related rights. The majority of OTT content is not at all encrypted. DRM enables content owners and creators to manage usage rights over their content. The usage rights are a set of privileges the consumers can practice on digital content. Examples include a copy permit, pay-per-view, a one-month rental, etc. Like VOD, e-learning platforms require their content to be distributed only among the authorized consumer. This is easily possible with a DRM encryption layer provided by DRM platforms like VdoCipher for secure video hosting.

VdoCipher offers Hollywood Grade DRM Encrypted video streaming and a secure hosting platform to protect premium video content for OTT and VOD platforms, Elearning platforms and more. VdoCipher also provides a whole set of features like,

• Illegal Download Prevention and Screen Capture Blocking through multi-DRM support.
• IP and Geo-based whitelisting and blacklisting with Widevine DRM
• AWS Infrastructure for scalability and the best uptime
• CDN for fast and across the globe delivery
• Backend Licensing & Authentication
• Multiple Quality Bitrates
• Analytics & Usage Reports
• CMS Plugins for WordPress etc
• API and SDKs

FAQs

Who launched the first Video on Demand service?

Kingston Communications, in 1998, became the first UK company to launch a fully commercial VOD Streaming Services and integrate broadcast TV and Internet access via a single set-top box using IP delivery over ADSL.

What is ADSL (Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line)?

It is a digital subscriber line technology for fast data transmission on existing copper wire telephone lines to homes and businesses at a high bandwidth. Unlike regular dial-up copper telephone line service, ADSL provides continuously available, always-on broadband connections. ADSL is asymmetric as it uses most channels to transmit downstream to the user and only a tiny part for uploading information from the user.

What are the benefits of using VOD Streaming Services?

VOD Streaming Services offer a convenient way to watch videos on demand. They also provide a variety of content that can be accessed from a variety of devices.

What are the benefits of SVOD?

SVOD services offer a convenient way to watch your favourite shows and movies without buying or renting individual titles. They also often include a wide variety of content, from classic films and T.V. shows to new releases and original programming.

Vishal Sharma

My expertise focuses on DRM encryption, CDN technologies, and streamlining marketing campaigns to drive engagement and growth. At VdoCipher, I’ve significantly enhanced digital experiences and contributed to in-depth technical discussions in the eLearning, Media, and Security sectors, showcasing a commitment to innovation and excellence in the digital landscape.

The post VOD Streaming Services Provider with secure Video on Demand Solutions appeared first on VdoCipher Blog.

Note: There is a difference between how video bandwidth consumption is represented in cloud-based architecture pricing and majorly followed generic Internet terminology. In this piece, we will focus on actual Bandwidth supported by generic Internet terminology and discuss the video-hosting bandwidth calculations in the last.

In 2017, videos accounted for two-thirds of global consumer internet traffic and continuing since then. The effect of videos on bandwidth is more pronounced because of Ultra-High-Definition (UHD), or 4K, video streaming. The bit rate for a 4K video is about 15 to 18 Mbps, more than double the HD video bitrate and nine times more than the SD video bit rate.

What is Video Bandwidth & its composition

In the context of video streaming, the amount of information or data per unit of time that a transmission medium like an internet connection can handle is Video Bandwidth. In simple words, Bandwidth is the maximum data-carrying capacity of a transmission medium and measured in bits per second(bps), Megabits per second(Mbps) or Gigabits per second(Gbps). So, for example, if the bandwidth is 50 Mbps, a maximum of 50 Mb data can be transferred per second on the channel.

High bandwidth capabilities mean you will be able to achieve higher data transfer speed, download and upload files faster and stream HD content. In addition, having a higher bandwidth has several advantages like allowing more simultaneous visitors to your website, faster application performance and support for multiple concurrent sessions.

Bandwidth capabilities largely depend on the plans and provider you have and how you access the Internet. Also, video bandwidth requirement varies with the type of activity undertaken. For example, uploading small text files and sending emails requires low bandwidth, while streaming HD video needs a bit more to run smoothly. Nevertheless, certain metrics are essential in understanding the importance of video bandwidth.

Important Metrics related to Bandwidth

Bitrate – It is the amount of data transmitted over a network during a given period of time. If the bandwidth is 50 Mbps, but the bitrate is 20 Mbps, a maximum of 50 Mb data can be transferred, but the channel is transmitting only 20 Mb per second. Bitrate corresponds to the video quality and file size. Streaming at higher bitrates yields higher quality streams but at the same time consumes a large chunk of bandwidth.

Frame Rate – The frequency at which consecutive images are projected to give the illusion of motion in a video. High-speed streaming, especially sports, require shooting video at a higher frame rate. Video bandwidth and frame are directly related. The higher the frame rate, the more bandwidth consumption.

Video Resolution – Video resolution is the measurement of a video’s width by height in pixels. The more pixels, the higher the video quality. High-resolution videos have large file sizes, which means they require more bandwidth.

Compression – Uncompressed videos take up a lot of space. An uncompressed HD video footage nearly takes up 10 GB of space per minute of video and maybe varied with the frame rate. Video compression converts large raw video streams into smaller video files to reduce the size of the file. As a result, compressed videos require lower transmission bandwidth.

Video Bandwidth Vs Internet Speed

It’s very easy to get confused between Internet speed and bandwidth. The internet speed number, say, 5 Mbps your Internet Service Provider (ISP) gives, is not always related to how fast your Internet works. Bandwidth is the amount of data that can be download or uploaded from your computer, while Internet speed is how fast that data can be uploaded or downloaded. Many ISP’s allow different bandwidth limits for uploading and downloading. Usually, the upload bandwidth is lower than the download bandwidth.

There are often situations when your internet connection works too slow, even when you have higher bandwidth. Your internet speed could be less than or even match the bandwidth based on various factors. For instance, you have 30 Mbps broadband, but due to the incapacity of the router or copper lines, you usually get 20 Mbps. In addition, factors like infrastructure capacity, the number of subscribers connected to the ISP, router, crappy DNS servers can slow down the ultimate throughput of the connection at your end.

Bandwidth Vs Latency

Latency is often referred to as ping rate or delays or buffering. Latency measures the amount of time between the moment a data packet is sent and the moment it gets received and processed. On the other hand, Bandwidth is the amount of information transmitted per second. Higher bandwidth connections have increased download speed, and hence latency becomes much more noticeable. For example, a file may only take 5 milliseconds to download, but latency may cause the user to wait for nearly 100 milliseconds to receive the first byte of the data from the download request. Bandwidth is a significant factor in both video and audio streaming. If the bandwidth remains low, driving down latency may not deliver improved performance. On the other hand, if the network suffers from high latency connections, no bandwidth will help in data transfer.

Bandwidth Vs Throughput

Throughput measures how much information or data actually gets delivered in a certain amount of time, taking latency, packet loss, jitter, network speed and other factors into account. So, bandwidth is the maximum data transfer capacity of a network, and throughput is how much data makes it to its destination successfully. To have high-performance of the network, data packets must reach their destination successfully. Otherwise, there will be service delays even with a substantial amount of bandwidth available.

How much bandwidth does streaming use?

Streaming, gaming and other online activities on multiple devices simultaneously require more bandwidth to keep up. Therefore, the more bandwidth your internet provider delivers, the faster is the online experience. The FCC provides Mbps requirements based on digital activities, and the below table includes recommended bandwidth requirements for watching videos, video conferencing, gaming, and more.

Minimum Bandwidth required for HD, FHD (Full HD) and UHD (Ultra HD) video streaming

Data Usage required for HD (720p), FHD (1080p) and UHD (2160p) video streaming

The data usage required for HD, FHD (Full HD), and UHD (Ultra HD) video content streaming depends on various factors. It includes codec (e.g., H.264, H.265, VP9), bitrate, frame rate, and compression efficiency. However, the below figures are often cited for video streaming services.

Note: The above figures can vary. For example, H.265 (HEVC) is more efficient than H.264. It can deliver similar video quality at about half the bitrate. Moreover, the actual bitrate can change dynamically based on your network conditions if you use adaptive bitrate streaming.

1080p Streaming required Bandwidth & Internet Speed

1080p streaming videos are at a display resolution of 1920X1080, and it offers full HD video content on the Internet. These videos have more clarity and resolution than an HD video at 720p. Also, 1080p video consumes more amounts of data compared to SD and HD streaming. As stated in the above table and with the H264 codec, the recommended bandwidth is 6 Mbps, and with the H265 codec, it usually requires up to 3 Mbps.

4K and 8K Streaming Bandwidth requirement / Internet Speed

4K videos with a display resolution of 4096p x 2160p offer the most life-like video content on the Internet. These high definition videos have more visual information than ever about the texture, colour, shapes than an HD video. Unfortunately, 4k consumes enormous amounts of data compared to SD, HD & FHD streaming. With the H264 codec, the recommended bandwidth is 32 Mbps, and with the H265 codec, it could be up to 15 Mbps. To stream 4K HDR content, one needs a 4K UHD TV with HEVC decoder and HDR support. You can read more about SD vs HD in this blog.

Even with an 8K streaming service, most people wouldn’t be able to use it. Platforms like Netflix specifies a 25 Mbps stream for 4K content. This requirement seems to quadruple as there is no H.266 standard alongside 8K to reduce the file size. Netflix consumes 3.1GB/hour at 1080p for 60fps video and even 7GB/hour at 4K. If we assume that the transition from 4K to 8K consumes an equivalent amount of bandwidth to 1080p – 4K transition, the per hour bandwidth requirement to stream 8K content would be nearly 6.44GB – 19.2GB/hour for 23.976fps content. This is still a high bandwidth rate to burn out.

Netflix & YouTube Video Bandwidth requirements

The bandwidth required to stream Netflix depends on the video quality. The recommended download bandwidth for movies and TV shows on Netflix is 1.5 Mbps, 0.5 Mbps being the minimum threshold. 0.5 Mbps is just enough to start a video stream, but anything below 1.5 Mbps leads to poor video quality. As recommended by Netflix, Standard definition (SD) requires 3 Mbps, High definition (HD) 5 Mbps and 4K/Ultra HD at least 25 Mbps. You can set video quality settings to ‘Medium’ or ‘Low’ to manage Netflix bandwidth usage to use less data while streaming. According to real-world tests, in terms of per hour watching, Netflix’s actual bandwidth requirement at 1080p with 23.976fps video ranges from 1.9GB – 2.55GB and 3.5GB – 7GB for 4K.

While watching YouTube videos on smartphones, smart TV or laptop, the bandwidth requirement remains the same. The below table shows the approximate bandwidth required to play each video format without buffering or jitters.

Ideal Internet speed & Bandwidth required for Live Streaming

The recommended internet speed for a 480p live streaming should be at least 3 Mbps. The minimum download bandwidth varies between streaming services. A higher bandwidth may be needed when multiple devices connect to the Internet at the same time. For example, to live stream 720p or 1080p, you will need at least 5 Mbps bandwidth. For seamless 4K streaming, the minimum limit is around 25 Mbps.

Recommended bandwidth for Gaming and Online usage

According to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), gaming consoles connected to the Internet require a bandwidth of 3 Mbps. At the same time, online multiplayer games, like Call of Duty, need a bandwidth of 4 Mbps. However, as online games are evolving rapidly, FCC looks a little behind the times. Although the best gaming sessions, on average, require 3 Mbps of bandwidth speed, this varies with the number of players involved in each session. Gaming on a PC or MAC involves a minimum of 3 Mbps download speed and 1 Mbps to upload. The Xbox Series X quotes 10 Mbps as the preferred bandwidth.

Calculation of Video Bandwidth & pricing via Video Hosting Provider

Video Hosting providers take the bandwidth consumption on a data usage basis. E..g  If a 1 GB video is played 10 times a day, then bandwidth consumed would be 1*10 = 10 GB.

At Vdocipher, different plans have different bandwidth options and the pricing for bandwidth can vary from $0.08/GB to $0.20/GB based on exact plan purchased. You can browse for more bandwidth plans on our pricing page and choose the plan as per your requirements. Also, if you are looking for an enterprise solution with bulk purchase, the bandwidth pricing can be further reduced.

FAQs:

How bitrate affects video quality?

A higher bitrate means a larger amount of video data bits uploaded per second. High bitrate increases video quality and file size. Conversely, lower bitrate results in smaller file size, low video quality and fast export time.

How to reduce bandwidth usage?

Malware scanning, use hosted filtering, limit VoIP use, identify bandwidth hogs, using proxy cache are some of the ways to limit bandwidth usage.

Does Netflix consume more bandwidth than YouTube?

Netflix uses around 1GB of data per hour for SD, up to 3GB for HD and about 7GB for 4K Ultra HD video. YouTube bandwidth usage is less compared to Netflix. A 480p SD video on average consumes 563MB of data per hour.

What are the ways to reduce latency?

Latency can be reduced by using a wired connection, network reboot, firewalls disabled. Check for faulty hardware and close unnecessary bandwidth-consuming applications.

Vishal Sharma

My expertise focuses on DRM encryption, CDN technologies, and streamlining marketing campaigns to drive engagement and growth. At VdoCipher, I’ve significantly enhanced digital experiences and contributed to in-depth technical discussions in the eLearning, Media, and Security sectors, showcasing a commitment to innovation and excellence in the digital landscape.

The post What is Video Bandwidth ? 720p, 1080p, GB Transfer Explained appeared first on VdoCipher Blog.