Here is How the Future Looks for Video Streaming- Trends, Technologies, and Predictions

The world is changing and so are the technological priorities. Amid the aspirations of a more resourceful, tech-powered future, it is the video streaming realm that is making the largest strides towards excellence. With Netflix transitioning into a verb and FaceTime becoming a communication commonplace, there is no stopping the streaming renaissance. 

That’s not it as you can have access to on-demand broadcasts with a single click, as multiple service providers are even going out of their way to be accommodative. Not just that, every IoT device has a provision for working alongside streaming technologies. Therefore, be it medical devices, GoPros, or even Drones, streaming is more of a ubiquitous reality.

Plus, the top trading US stocks, including Apple, Netflix, Amazon, Facebook, and Google, have taken different yet productive routes to take part in the exclusive streaming game. With Facebook introducing the new ‘Live’ format and Amazon working extensively on its Fire TV Stick and the Prime Video OTT platform, it seems customers have their hands full with truckloads of resourceful options. 

Furthermore, Fire Stick Tricks explains that steaming via devices like the Fire TV Stick, Cube, Chromecast, and more aren’t taking us backward but making the entire domain more inclusive in nature. With streamers in play, even non-Smart devices become capable of running Live TV, VOD snippets, and whatnot.

Over the years, streaming technology has evolved into something more than just a means for staying entertained. In 2021, streaming has made its way into wearables and smart home setups, thereby making it more than important to talk about the future and our expectations surrounding the same. 

Streaming isn’t just a service anymore but a potent technological ally that is expected to complement other innovations, going deep into 2021 and beyond.

Biggest Trends to watch out for

• Limitless Applications

Video streaming in 2021 and even beyond is expected to assume a bigger form, whilst not being restricted to content consumption. Videos have penetrated almost every realm and the most important trend to watch out for is the adoption of limitless streaming, either for connecting with customers in real-time or for launching products remotely. Therefore, in the next few years, the entire global landscape is expected to see a massive surge in the number of streaming applications.

• Data Automation

Streaming, much like any other technology, is heavily data-dependent. However, the automated usage of insights is expected to skyrocket in time as select streaming applications and versions have the ability to mine and wield data reserves to perfection.

If you are still at sea regarding the relevance of data automation in streaming, consider the fact that almost 82 percent of the cumulative internet traffic by the end of 2022 is expected to be some sort of video forecasting. With data automation on the rise, the streaming quality is expected to improve.

For instance, better data management and intelligent processing of insights over OTT platforms will allow the service provider to offer movies based on recommendations and video quality. Therefore, data automation will play a pivotal role in streamlining distribution and revolutionizing the content indexing realm. 

Therefore, it wouldn’t be wrong to consider the data-first plan as the most crucial trend, in terms of establishing streaming supremacy.

• Customer-First Approach

Every OTT platform is invested in offering the best possible customer experience. However, this is just the beginning as the rising competition and the success of a particular streaming app are expected to depend on how the customers are attended to, going into the future. Lack of commercials, zero-buffering approach, video choice based on resolution, and offline mode viewing are some of the existing features but we might be looking at an entire gamut in the next few years. 

Stats that Beckon our Attention

Streaming is anything but a one-dimensional technology or rather a resource. Starting from the development of smart cities to the gradual increase in the number of wearables in the retail arena, streaming has been paired with almost every other innovation. Be it streaming live products on eCommerce websites or streaming live to reach medical practitioners as a part of the IoMT setup, streaming technology is expected to make its presence felt in almost every arena.

However, here are some of the more crucial stats to take note of, especially if you believe that streaming will be a market mover in the next few years to come.

Global spending on smart cities is expected to escalate up to 189 billion dollars by the end of 2023.

Even in 2021, close to 30 billion IoT devices are still being used, precisely for making life better for the patients. If this isn’t convincing enough, live streaming initiated by Taobao Live, which is an Alibaba-owned company, generated sales figures worth 2.85 billion dollars within 24 hours.

These figures and stats show how important streaming, as technology would be in the next few years, especially from a B2B and B2C perspective.

Assistive Technologies

Streaming as a rewarding technology is expected to benefit immensely from three critical technologies. These include:

• 5G Connectivity

Higher bandwidth will enhance speeds and even energy consumption, which are two of the bigger streaming allies in the modern era. Faster data transmission will incentivize other streaming clients and services to venture into the existing sphere, making it even more competitive. Besides, with CISCO predicting the availability of almost 1.4 billion 5G-ready smartphones in 2023, streaming tech might just be a household name in the next few years.

• Improved Protocols

Low-latency means a lot for the streaming tech. While higher speeds, courtesy of 5G adoption, might minimize latency to a certain extent, streaming services and platforms are better off when the data packets are sent through using low-latency web protocols, including SRT, WebRTC, and more.

We shall take up these concepts in a subsequent discussion. 

• Edge Computing

From a layman’s perspective, Edge computing involves decentralized storage and intelligent computation. Better termed as a distributed IT architecture, this assistive technology is expected to drive seamless and widespread adoption of streaming, whilst facilitating improved data automation.

Predictions for the Next Few Years

With technological infusions, the latest trends, and statistics hinting towards large-scale adoption of streaming services, it is necessary to jot down our predictions for the future. Some of the more expected ones include:

• Better speeds
• Omnipresent streaming resources
• Improved interoperability owing to the IoT culture

Bottom-LineWhile the mentioned discussion keeps us upbeat for the widespread inclusion of streaming services in our lives, the success of a concerned service provider or platform depends on how the assistive technologies are used. However, streaming, as a resource, isn’t termed permeating for no reason. As shown by the streaming devices like TV Stick and more, the technology can work even in absence of any supporting allies, provided it needs to.