Streaming can get sort of confusing, especially for people whose idea of streaming is flicking up through Tik Tok videos. It used to be that everything that streamed across your TV screen, computer, or smartphone was considered, well, streaming.
It’s difficult or even impossible to separate an already blurred line between what is considered streaming and what is considered video conferencing.
Both things even include all of the same technology, including video/audio encoding and decoding.
So where does Zoom fall in all of this and is it considered streaming or something else?
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Is Zoom Considered Streaming?
If you are referring to Zoom generically, then yes, it’s streaming. The only way that it truly exists outside of the term ‘streaming’ is that people can call it video conferencing and be more correct.
by definition, streaming is said to be a method of transmitting or receiving information over a computer network as a steady and continuous flow that allows playback to begin while the rest of the information is still being received.
The above sounds like it’s closely describing a Zoom video call but there are some differences between Zoom and streaming.
Zoom meetings often support ten-plus people sharing two-way video and audio, while streaming – as in watching Netflix – is sent one-way from a source to an audience that can only view and hear the video stream.
When you are streaming content from a platform like YouTube or Netflix the media file that you are playing on your device is being stored remotely, and transmitted to your device bit by bit over the Internet.
It’s like the difference between yelling and talking. Both of them come from your vocal cords. Both of them use the same voice. Both of them begin at the bottom of your diaphragm. Both of them involve the expulsion of air from your lungs.
So is a person screaming their words or just talking? It’s a silly analogy but you get the point. Both video conferencing and live streaming to an audience often involve the same things, including the technology that goes into them. Both of them require an internet connection.
Both streaming and video conferencing eat up a similar amount of data when you watch or join. If both a video conference and a live streaming event are in 4k resolution and last for 10 minutes on a still camera, the data consumption will be very close if not the same.
If you get deep enough into the technicalities of things that even appear to be identical, you will find differences that distinguish them.
The real difference between the two and the thing you can point to that actually alters the definition of each is the tools that go into them.
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Video Conferencing
Conferences are multi-way events, meaning everyone involved has their own connection point, whether it’s a smartphone, laptop, tablet, or TV. It’s as close as you can get to being in a real meeting, with everyone able to talk and participate.
One thing that sort of limits video conferencing is the number of connections that can participate at one time. Free accounts are typically limited to a small number of people in the group. Bandwidth is the all-important factor here because it determines each individual experience.
Streaming
With streaming, there is usually a singular focus, rather than a fully collaborative, contributing experience where everyone has a say. For instance, Twitch streaming is both live and recorded, with everyone connecting to watch one individual playing a game.
The capacity is broadened because most only watch, with the possible exception of messaging through a live forum that’s associated with the stream. You can see the difference and it’s pretty subtle, yet different all the same.
When looking at live streaming specifically and not just streaming, zoom meetings fall outside of the definition of live streaming. Technically, because Zoom virtual meetings can be recorded while being broadcast live at the same time, Zoom conferencing is not considered live streaming, it is considered unified communication.
Bottom Line
The waters can become pretty muddied when considering whether or not Zoom is streaming. As video conferencing and streaming platforms incorporate more of each other’s features, they are almost blending into the same technology.
No one is going to gasp with dismay if you call a video conference a ‘streaming’ event. That’s because most people think about it in the same terms. People might be a little weirded out of you referred to a twitch stream as a video conference, however.
