Streaming Architecture: Latency, Transcoding, and CDN
Streaming Architecture: Latency, Transcoding, and CDN Streaming architecture is built around three linked ideas: latency, transcoding, and delivery. Each part shapes how quickly viewers experience video, how many quality levels exist, and how reliably the stream reaches devices. Small changes in one area can ripple through the system, so teams design with the user in mind and with clear metrics for startup time, rebuffer rate, and error handling. Latency matters most for live events and interactive streams. To reduce it, favor fast-start codecs, shorter segment lengths, and modern transport like HTTP/3. Also optimize the client with prefetch and preconnect hints. Even with good networks, peak times create jitter, so edge caching and proximity help keep latency steady. ...