ABSTRACT
Internet video is a relatively new phenomenon in the world of video delivery. Just a few years ago, people who wanted to send video over an IP network had to build their own infrastructure, including video encoders, delivery systems, client playback hardware/software, and a management system to connect viewers with the content they desire. Plus, due to performance constraints, most delivery had to be done over private networks. Now, all or most of that groundwork has been done by a variety of online services and off-line utilities, so the costs of entering this market have dropped dramatically. In addition, millions of viewers have upgraded to broadband Internet connections and have become accustomed to searching for videos and playing them through web-browser plug-ins already downloaded and installed on their client devices.
