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Bandwidth is the rate at which data or files are being transferred between computers and servers. Small files transferred along the route from server to computer are not much of a strain on the system. But, when 100 students download large video files along the same route at the same time, the transmission speed is going to move as quickly as Dallas traffic on a Monday morning.
The next term that will give you a little more clarity is streaming video. If you have watched a video online you have probably noticed that some videos play right away while others wait for the entire file to download before being available for viewing. The video that plays right away is utilizing streaming video, the technology which allows the video file to start while it continues to download the file in the background. All video files can take advantage of the streaming video process. Sites such as YouTube, TeacherTube, or CNN use the streaming video process.
Armed with the new terms, let’s talk about video size and the best way to serve our students a large video file. The Blackboard information is not located on the TWU servers; Blackboard servers in Maryland are used. Why not load those large files and use their servers? Well, that’s where the bandwidth issue may play into the equation. The Blackboard information still runs through the TWU servers if the students or faculty members are on campus when they are accessing the files in Blackboard. All users also authenticate (are recognized by the system as a valid user) using TWU servers. Anything that passes through the campus resources impacts the rate of transmission. Blackboard also does not use streaming video to process media files; which means the student has to wait for the entire file to download before it starts to play.
If you have any questions on the process please get with your Instructional Design Specialist to help guide you in the right direction
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