LearningAPI has moved to a new blog!

The learningapi blog has moved to a new URL. These posts will remain here, but all new content has moved to learningAPI.com: Digital Media, Streaming Video & Educational Technology. You may also subscrdibe to the RSS feed for the new learningAPI.com blog.

May 01, 2007

Is Amazon's S3 the cheapest streaming video hosting out there?


[EDIT Feb 26, 2010] There's a new how-to article on this topic. How to Get Started with Cloudfront Streaming is the example page for the article How to Get Started with Cloudfront Streaming[/EDIT]

While researching CDNs for storage and delivery of digital video, I found that at least one major user-generated video website provider is using Amazon's S3 service for delivery of Flash video over HTTP. For http delivery of lots of clips on-demand, S3 is apparently doing the job.  The costs are astonishingly low:
  • $0.15/GB stored per month
  • $0.18/GB delivered (or less)
A look at Dan Rayburn's recent blog post listing streaming CDN vendors shows some of the streaming heavyweights, with broad networks of origin and edge servers optimized for real-time media delivery.  Akamai, for example, pre-caches media content close to the network's edges, making videos load quicker. For a site that's advertising-funded, fast loading pages can lead to more page views, which equals more revenue. 

But, S3 is an option I hadn't thought of for online video.  There's no support for the RTMP or RTSP streaming protocols, but many sites are just fine with HTTP download delivery these days. (Streaming vs. Downloading - What's the Difference?)  While it may not be optimized around realtime delivery, it certainly offers unlimited scalability at rock-bottom prices.  And options like its rich developer API and BitTorrent integration could be an asset to a comprehensive media delivery strategy.  It's certainly an option worth looking at.    

TrackBack URL for this entry:
http://www.learningapi.com/cgi-bin/mt-tb.cgi/115

Listed below are links to weblogs that reference 'Is Amazon's S3 the cheapest streaming video hosting out there?' from learningAPI.com: Media and Learning Technology - Larry Bouthillier.

Comments

How useful is Amazon's service for people that don't know a whole heck of a lot about developing programs? I just sent to the AWS page on Amazon and I'm not sure I understand how I can use the service.

Is there any website that actually uses S3 foe video streaming?

I'll be using S3 very soon for streaming videos :)

I want blogroll link on your site learningapi.com

I have found your site during googleing and I like your blog learningapi.com

I want advertise my site as blogroll, friends site or sponsored links.

Site introduction

Vmukti is video streaming and conference Software Company from India and we are also providing live broadcasting.

My link information as under.

Title: Video Streaming

URL: http://www.vmukti.com

We will provide backlink to you.

If you want to go ahead let me know.

Regards,

Mitushi M

www.vmukti.com

Post a comment