onlinevideos

Online videos are digital video content transmitted over the internet and accessed via web browsers, apps, or dedicated clients. They can be consumed on demand or in real time, and may be hosted on platforms or embedded on third-party sites. Common formats include MP4 and WebM, often delivered with adaptive bitrate streaming.

Delivery relies on encoding and compression to reduce bandwidth. Adaptive streaming uses multiple quality levels and adjusts to network conditions. Content is typically hosted on content delivery networks and may be protected by digital rights management.

Platforms range from user-generated content sites to professional streaming services. Revenue models include advertising, subscriptions, pay-per-view, or licensing to distributors. Metadata, search, and recommendation algorithms shape discoverability.

History: Online video grew with broadband expansion and platforms like YouTube founded in 2005; mobile devices and social networks expanded reach by the 2010s. Live streaming and short-form formats have become common.

Legal and ethical issues: copyright, licensing, and fair use govern online video. Accessibility is addressed through captions and transcripts. Privacy and data collection by platforms are ongoing concerns.

Impact and applications: online video supports entertainment, education, news, marketing, and communications. Quality and latency have improved, enabling live events and streaming of high-resolution content.

Future trends: higher resolutions, HDR, live and interactive streams, AI-assisted production and content moderation, and new viewing experiences such as virtual and augmented reality.