Suoratoiston

Suoratoisto (genitive suoratoiston) refers to the delivery of multimedia content over a network in real time, so that playback can begin with only a portion of the content downloaded. It contrasts with progressive download or offline storage. In practice, it is used for video and audio streaming delivered via the internet, including on-demand services and live broadcasts, as well as interactive streams such as gaming streams or video conferencing.

Technical characteristics: Content is typically encoded in multiple bitrates and delivered using adaptive bitrate streaming (ABR) over HTTP-based protocols such as HLS (HTTP Live Streaming) and MPEG-DASH. Other protocols include RTSP, RTMP for certain platforms. The content is served via content delivery networks (CDNs) to minimize latency and buffering. The client negotiates the best available quality based on network conditions. Rights management and Digital Rights Management (DRM) protect protected content.

Applications and business models: Streaming enables subscription services, ad-supported models, and transactional access. It supports live events, catch-up TV, music streaming, and webcasts. Regulatory and licensing frameworks govern rights to broadcast content.

History: The term gained prominence with broadband expansion in the 2000s, growth of platforms such as YouTube, Netflix, and Spotify, and the rise of mobile access, enabling on-demand and live streaming across devices.

Finnish usage: In Finnish, suoratoisto is the generic term for streaming, with compounds like suoratoistopalvelut referring to streaming services.