HESP Alliance blog by BuyDRM & Scalstrm- September 2023

Introduction

In the fast-paced world of online streaming, achieving low-latency is crucial for providing real-time interactions and enhancing user experiences. Two prominent technologies that have gained traction in the quest for low-latency streams are CMAF-CTE (Common Media Application Format with Chunked Transfer Encoding) and WebRTC (Web Real-Time Communication).

But, today, it would be more precise to say that two prominent technologies that have gained traction in the question for low-latency streams were CMAF-CTE and WebRTC. However, there is a new kid on the block called High Efficiency Streaming Protocol (HESP) that has few tricks up its sleeve that make it the fastest in the family of low-latency protocols.

In this blog post, we'll take a not-so-deep delve into these technologies, exploring their features, advantages, and differences in terms of latency, scalability, and cross-platform compatibility.

CMAF-CTE (Common Media Application Format with Chunked Transfer Encoding)

Let’s start with the Common Media Application Format. Without going far back into history of how the CMAF originated and was evolved, let’s just take the latest and greatest incarnation of it – CMAF-CTE.

CMAF-CTE is a streaming technology that combines the Common Media Application Format (CMAF) with Chunked Transfer Encoding (CTE) to deliver low-latency video streams. What does it have to offer?

• Latency: CMAF-CTE aims to achieve ultra-low latency by splitting video content into small, easily deliverable chunks. This method significantly reduces latency compared to traditional streaming protocols. Latency can be as low as a few seconds, making it suitable for interactive applications like live sports betting and auctions.

• Scalability: CMAF-CTE provides good scalability as it leverages HTTP-based delivery. Content can be delivered using existing Content Delivery Networks (CDNs) and standard web infrastructure. This allows for efficient scaling to accommodate larger audiences.

• Cross-Platform Compatibility: CMAF-CTE is well-suited for cross-platform compatibility. Since it relies on HTTP and standard codecs like H.264 and H.265, it can be easily delivered to a wide range of devices and browsers, making it versatile for various streaming scenarios.

WebRTC (Web Real-Time Communication)

WebRTC is a free and open-source technology that enables real-time communication over the web. While it's often associated with video conferencing and peer-to-peer communication, it can also be used for low-latency streaming.

• Latency: WebRTC is renowned for its low-latency capabilities, particularly in peer-to-peer scenarios. In direct connections, latencies can be as low as a few milliseconds. However, when scaling to larger audiences, server-based architectures are often required, which can introduce some latency, typically in the range of 1-3 seconds.

• Scalability: WebRTC can be challenging to scale for large audiences due to its peer-to-peer nature. When using a server-based approach, a media server or a WebRTC SFU (Selective Forwarding Unit) is required. Scaling in this way can be more complex and costly compared to traditional HTTP-based CDNs.

• Cross-Platform Compatibility: WebRTC is designed for real-time communication within web browsers and mobile applications. While it has good cross-platform compatibility for these scenarios, it may require additional development effort to adapt to non-browser-based platforms.

WebRTC is a free and open-source technology that enables real-time communication over the web. While it's often associated with video conferencing and peer-to-peer communication, it can also be used for low-latency streaming.

This innovation allows customers more delivery options, as they are no longer limited to HESP-optimized content delivery providers.

Enters the High Efficiency Streaming Protocol

HESP is an emerging protocol designed specifically for low-latency streaming applications. It may work through the HTTP/1.1 with chunked transfer encoding or the HTTP/2 to deliver real-time data efficiently. HESP additionally uses byte range requests, as these allow to start at a given position in the video, which is very beneficial to reduce the start-up latency.

Creators of the protocol took the best aspects from other low-latency protocols out there and made it even better.

• Latency: HESP is designed with low-latency in mind and can achieve sub-second with instant zapping and seeking times, which no other protocol can offer.

• Scalability: Being fast means nothing if you can’t deliver to millions of end-user devices. HESP is highly scalable making it efficient for large-scale deployments. HESP ensures cost efficient delivery over existing HTTP infrastructure and CDNs which puts it on par with CMAF and makes it far more scalable than WebRTC.

• Cross-Platform Compatibility: By utilizing traditional streaming workflows, HESP is unmatched when it comes to cross platform compatibility. Since it is an HTTP-powered protocol, it will be supported by almost every client across the world alongside CMAF. The same cannot be said for WebRTC.

Convinced, but is it secured?

Yes! It allows DRM systems to be implemented through the common encryption standard. HESP has the requirement for media to be structured as ISOBMFF, hence CENC is to be used to encrypt that media.

Speaking of content protection. BuyDRM has recently partnered with Scalstrm to support DRM-protected HESP in their Next-get media platform.

In summary

HESP is a promising addition to the low-latency streaming landscape. It offers cross-platform compatibility, scalability through HTTP/1.1, HTTP/2, and low-latency capabilities superior to fastest protocols out there which makes it no brainer choice for:

• Esports and gaming

• Online education and teleconferencing

• Sports

• Auctions and online casinos