Whats the difference between SureStream and Single Rate encoding?
These terms apply to RealNetworks’ technology only, however, Windows Media has similar capabilities. Single rate encoding is when the digital media file that you are making can be played back at one speed only. This is typically used if you will be streaming from a web server rather than from a media server. This type of encoding has drawbacks. For instance, if you encode the file at a high speed, and the user is connected to the Internet at 56k, the media file will not ‘stream’ to the users computer. Playback, if at all, will have long delays while the video frames are downloaded to the users computer. As soon as enough frames are downloaded to show a smooth picture, the file is played. SureStream technology enables you to encode your material in multiple speeds within one file. This is the best method to use if you want to provide the highest quality video to your users. When a user clicks on the link to play the video, RealServer G2 will automatically negotiate the connection speed
