Industry standard web browser-based communication method
Using WebRTC video format and via UDP
Stable broadcast quality real-time video streaming

One of the main complaints about watching live sports and other real-time events is the delay between the broadcast feed and the online stream.

In fact, traditional HTTP real-time streaming typically has a delay of 30 seconds or more compared to the broadcast feed, because the video is split into small segments or chunks before playback. The delay can be reduced by reducing the size of the chunks, but if they are made too small, viewers will experience video rebuffering and other video playback issues. While streaming latency may be acceptable for some live streaming use cases, it does not meet the requirements of real-time workflows that require sub-second latency. This can cause users to experience inconvenience in their viewing experience, and if this is publicly expressed, it can damage the company's reputation and even lead to loss of revenue.
Accordingly, Limelight Networks announced on the 20th, 'Limelight Realtime Streaming', a solution that supports streaming high-quality video to web browsers in less than 1 second to viewers anywhere in the world. Now, online viewers can also watch and enjoy videos at the same time as broadcast viewers.

Limelight Realtime Streaming is a solution that enables viewers anywhere in the world to stream high-quality video with broadcast quality in less than a second via a web browser. Realtime Streaming uses the WebRTC video format, an industry-standard web browser-based communication method, and provides stable broadcast-quality real-time video streaming via UDP (User Data Transfer Protocol). This eliminates the need to chunk and buffer the video stream before watching it, eliminating streaming delays.

WebRTC (Web Real Time Communication) is an open standard that supports SSL-secured real-time voice, video, and data communication across a wide range of web browsers and mobile applications. It is natively supported by major web browsers without the use of special plug-ins or custom applications, allowing viewers to easily watch real-time video on a variety of devices. If a company's firewall is set to block UDP traffic, making video transmission difficult, it supports video transmission via TCP transmission.

Limelight Realtime Streaming also offers two-way data sharing. Viewers watching a live sports game can get statistics on their favorite players, vote for their favorite game, or choose which camera angle they want to watch. Gamers can open chat channels integrated with the video, and stream online auctions, allowing them to bid in real time with the push of a button. These two-way features create a number of new business opportunities.

Key features of Limelight Realtime Streaming include:

▲Stream video anywhere in the world in less than a second. ▲Viewers automatically receive the highest quality possible given available bandwidth and current network conditions. ▲You can define custom bitrates and resolutions for your video streams to suit your specific needs. ▲You can watch live streams on standard web browsers such as Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Opera (MS Edge support coming soon) without any special plug-ins.

▲Limelight’s global private network connects directly to over 900 ISPs, end-user networks, and PoPs worldwide to bypass Internet congestion. ▲If video stops playing due to bandwidth drops, audio-first streaming can keep the audio playing. RTMP and HLS video fallback are available for legacy device support. ▲Multipoint ingest of video streams provides seamless failover to a backup location for improved resiliency. ▲Provides multiple ways to restrict access to video, including geoblocking based on viewer location, IP whitelist and blacklist controls, URL tokenization, and SSL encryption.

▲Easily configure, start, and stop streams with programmatic APIs and self-configuration portals for flexible scheduling. ▲Limit ingestion of live streams with CDN stream authentication. ▲Make strategic business decisions with powerful usage data. ▲The integrated data sharing function allows you to create interactive applications that provide real-time video and data to viewers, and provide real-time feedback such as voting and chat.

Limelight Realtime Streaming has won the TVBEurope Best of Show Award in the Delivery category at IBC 2018, a media, entertainment and technology trade show held in Amsterdam, the Netherlands in October, recognizing its achievements in media content creation, management and delivery.

“Online streaming of major sporting events is growing in popularity,” said Daesung Park, CEO of Limelight Networks Korea. “The 2018 Super Bowl recorded 3.1 million live streams, growing for the third consecutive year, while TV broadcast viewers decreased by 7% year-over-year.”

Also, according to Limelight's "2018 State of Online Video" report, more than 65% of viewers said they would stream more sports events if there was no delay compared to the broadcast," and explained, "If streaming latency issues are resolved, other online live video use cases will increase beyond sports events, including online gambling, eSports, and video games."

“Limelight Realtime Streaming addresses the primary viewer complaint about live online streaming by enabling broadcasters and other businesses to deliver a true real-time streaming service to viewers via a standard web browser,” said Park Dae-sung, CEO. “What’s notable about Realtime Streaming is that it provides real-time interactive data capabilities to increase viewer engagement and provide new ways for broadcasters to monetize their live streams.” “This can be used as an opportunity,” he added.