NetShow uses the term stream to refer to the data transmitted across the network and to any properties associated with the data. A NetShow program consists of a group of one or more streams. Use a program to organize the streams you want to multicast. Starting a program starts the multicast of the streams in the program. A program plays its streams one at a time in order. When you add streams to a program, you can specify how long each stream plays.
The term stream also refers to the way in which data is transmitted across the network. When data is streamed across the network, clients can render the data as they receive it. For example, the client can play an audio stream as it arrives rather than storing it in a file and playing it only after the entire file has been received.
NetShow supports the following stream types:
- Active Streaming format (ASF). ASF supports the greatest variety of data, including video, audio, images, URLs, and scripts. You can generate live ASF streams that contain audio and video using the NetShow Real-Time Encoder, or use the tools provided with NetShow or those from third parties to create and store ASF files that you can stream. An ASF stream can combine different types of data. For example, if you want to use NetShow to present a lecture that includes slides, you can stream audio while also streaming .gif files of the slides.
By using NetShow channels, ASF provides the greatest flexibility for various network situations. NetShow can multicast or unicast ASF streams. When multicasting an ASF stream, you can also configure NetShow to provide a unicast source for the stream so that clients that are unable to receive the multicast can automatically receive it as a unicast.
- RTP Live Audio. RTP Live Audio streams audio fed into the server's sound card. NetShow supports RTP Live Audio multicasts, but not unicasts. Multicasts that stream RTP Live Audio are easy to set up. However, because channels do not support RTP Live Audio streams, connection information must be coded in the embedded control that clients use to receive and render the multicast.
- RTP WAV Audio. RTP WAV Audio streams audio recorded as .wav files. NetShow supports RTP WAV Audio multicasts, but not unicasts. Multicasts that stream RTP WAV Audio are easy to set up. However, because channels do not support RTP WAV Audio streams, connection information must be coded in the embedded control that clients use to receive and render the multicast.
- File transfer. File transfer supports the streaming transfer of directories and files. NetShow supports file transfer multicasts, but not unicasts. Multicasts that stream file transfers are easy to set up. However, because channels do not support file transfer streams, connection information must be coded in the embedded control that clients use to receive and render the multicast.
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