What is mABR also known as multicast ABR ?
Multicast Adaptive Bitrate Streaming (mABR) is a technology used in video streaming that combines the principles of multicast streaming and adaptive bitrate streaming. Here's a more detailed breakdown:
Multicast Streaming: This is a method of transmitting data, especially video content, over a network in a way that it can be received by multiple users simultaneously. In multicast streaming, the server sends a single copy of the data to a group of recipients. This approach is efficient in terms of bandwidth usage, especially for live events or broadcasts where many people are watching the same content at the same time.
Adaptive Bitrate Streaming (ABR): ABR is a technique used in streaming multimedia over computer networks. Here, the source content is encoded at multiple bitrates, and the server dynamically adjusts the quality of the video stream based on the user's network conditions. This ensures a smooth viewing experience with minimal buffering, as the stream adapts to changing bandwidth and processing power.
Combining these two technologies, mABR enables efficient and scalable video streaming. It uses multicast to efficiently distribute streams to a large audience while employing adaptive bitrate techniques to optimize the viewing experience for each user, based on their individual network conditions. This hybrid approach is particularly useful for ISPs and network operators looking to deliver high-quality video content to a large number of subscribers with varying bandwidth capabilities.
