HLS Protocol

HLS delivers video in small segments (typically 2-10 seconds each). The receiver downloads these segments one by one and assembles them into continuous playback.

When to use

• Receiving from CDNs or cloud streaming services
• Networks with varying quality or bandwidth
• Large-scale deployments with many viewers

Advantages

• Handles network issues better - if one segment fails, only a few seconds are affected
• Supports adaptive bitrate - automatically adjusts quality based on network conditions
• Works efficiently with CDNs for better distribution
• Standard format supported by most streaming platforms

Limitations

• Higher latency (typically 10-30 seconds) due to segment buffering
• More complex setup with playlist files
• Requires more resources for segment handling

For a detailed description of HLS, refer to RFC8216{target=“_blank”}.