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Does constantly streaming video use bandwidth with no viewers?
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Does constantly streaming video use bandwidth with no viewers?

Let's say I use VLC to constantly stream a video file 24/7

Does it use bandwidth only when someone is watching, or all the time?

Comments

  • JanevskiJanevski Member
    edited April 2019

    If a tree falls in the woods (broadcast) and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?

    Anyhow, if there are no clients thus no client requests in an unicast system, to whom is the server going to send it's response?

  • donlidonli Member

    If no one is watching where are you streaming it to (and why)?

  • hostnoobhostnoob Member
    edited April 2019

    @Janevski said:
    If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?

    Anyhow, if there are no clients thus no client requests in an unicast system, to whom is the server going to send?

    Well I was thinking more along the lines of how TV/radio work

    It's always broadcasting even if nobody is watching

    @donli said:
    If no one is watching where are you streaming it to (and why)?

    Basically it's my TV collection. I have a bunch of shows like The Simpsons, Family Guy, etc.

    Things that are easy to watch. I want to stream it 24/7 so I can just tune in at any time from any device and watch whatever's on, without using something like Plex, finding an episode, etc.

    Pretty much like a TV channel but with my videos

  • donlidonli Member
    edited April 2019

    @hostnoob said:

    Things that are easy to watch. I want to stream it 24/7 so I can just tune in at any time from any device and watch whatever's on, without using something like Plex, finding an episode, etc.

    Pretty much like a TV channel but with my videos

    Assuming the videos are on the computer doing the streaming you will only use bandwidth when you are connected and watching.

    It's a basic client/server situation. Your device (client) will connect to the server (where your videos are located) and request a connection to the stream so bandwith from the server will only be used when you are watching.

    In the case of using VLC:
    https://www.wikihow.com/Use-VLC-Media-Player-to-Stream-Multimedia-to-Another-Computer

  • JanevskiJanevski Member
    edited April 2019

    hostnoob said: @Janevski said:
    If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?

    Anyhow, if there are no clients thus no client requests in an unicast system, to whom is the server going to send?

    Well I was thinking more along the lines of how TV/radio work

    It's always broadcasting even if nobody is watching

    That's a broadcast - a tree falling in the woods.
    The sender announces whatever it wants to say to whoever wants to listen.

    The streaming you are referring to, usually is unicast, client requests, server responds, separate session for each client, each flow needs own bandwidth. ex. 5 clients x 1Mbps = 5Mbps needed total.

    Not that it has to be...

  • mrclownmrclown Member
    edited April 2019

    Publishing/Casting Live - Yes, consumed outgoing bandwidth.

    Viewing - No, If no viewer.

  • This trend is a textbook example of how someone becomes good with tech and then they assume every question that has an obvious answer is a dumb question.

    Thanked by 1MGarbis
  • @donli said:
    If no one is watching where are you streaming it to (and why)?

    ET wants to phone/stream home.

  • FHRFHR Member, Host Rep

    All public internet streaming services are unicast - which means point to point connections. Bandwidth can be roughly calculated as bitrate * number_of_viewers.

    As a side note, some internet providers offer IPTV - that's usually multicast. This saves the number of connections and bandwidth going through the network, but sadly can't work over the internet.

  • YuraYura Member

    @painfreepc said:
    This trend is a textbook example of how someone becomes good with tech and then they assume every question that has an obvious answer is a dumb question.

    What are you talking about? This thread is the most polite and helpful and no one was assuming any dumbness on the OP side. You just came in to stir the pot. Naughty.

  • Thank you all

  • @Yura said:

    @painfreepc said:
    This trend is a textbook example of how someone becomes good with tech and then they assume every question that has an obvious answer is a dumb question.

    What are you talking about? This thread is the most polite and helpful and no one was assuming any dumbness on the OP side. You just came in to stir the pot. Naughty.

    Don't forget that he's the dickhead who steals LET threads, throws it on a website, and tries to resell it as helpful advice.

    Thanked by 3Yura Janevski ntlx
  • jvnadrjvnadr Member
    edited April 2019

    There are several scenarios. If you setup a vlc on your home pc to stream to a web server and be able to get it from there, then, yes, all the time. This happens because the middleman is working as the first client and consumes incoming bandwidth.
    But if you setup a server and try to pull it from there using vlc localy, then, no, it will consume bandwidth only when you pull it. For example, if you setup vlc to stream using loop the video or rebroadcast a live streaming, using a local address on your lan with a certain port, then, you will consume outgoing bandwidth only when a client will connect to the vlc that is acting at the moment as a streaming server. This will work with rtsp or rtp, not rtmp. But this means that vlc is the server in a single pc (vps, dedi or your home pc, doesn't matter as long as there is not a restreamer).

    Thanked by 2dongne Chuck
  • If you are sending the stream into the server, that will use bandwidth. No watchers means no ADDITIONAL bandwidth is being used.

  • uptimeuptime Member
    edited April 2019

    one might also be aware of the so-called "observer effect"

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Observer_effect_(physics)#Quantum_mechanics

    see also: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belavkin_equation#Continuous_observation

    and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delayed-choice_quantum_eraser

    wherein it is written:

    The delayed-choice quantum eraser experiment investigates a paradox. If a photon manifests itself as though it had come by a single path to the detector, then "common sense" (which Wheeler and others challenge) says that it must have entered the double-slit device as a particle. If a photon manifests itself as though it had come by two indistinguishable paths, then it must have entered the double-slit device as a wave. If the experimental apparatus is changed while the photon is in mid‑flight, then the photon should reverse its original "decision" as to whether to be a wave or a particle. Wheeler pointed out that when these assumptions are applied to a device of interstellar dimensions, a last-minute decision made on Earth on how to observe a photon could alter a decision made millions or even billions of years ago.

    EDIT2:

    However ... from what I understand about this strange scenario - since some aspect of consciousness seems to be required (specifically with regard to the collapse of the wave function) ... then there should be minimal effect on bandwidth used for most video streams.

    Thanked by 1angstrom
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