What is VOD streaming and how it relates to OTT?

With the help of VOD streaming, YouTube brought vlogging into the limelight in the early 2000s and after one or two years Netflix revolutionized the entertainment industry forever by delivering VOD movies through its platform. Most people think VOD (video on demand) falls into the category of streaming. However, not all video content delivered online is essentially VOD. In this blog post, we will discuss what VOD streaming is and why it is important. 

Let’s get started…

VOD Streaming – The Definition 

VOD (Video on demand) is defined as the video content that is accessible without any limitation of the broadcasting schedule. It provides supreme convenience and allows viewers to choose their preferred content to watch anytime and anywhere. VOD streaming is neither a live content nor it needs a physical copy of the content being watched.

Pandemic has completely changed consumer behavior. Content consumption has increased exponentially and as a result, VOD has taken over the market’s attention. Releasing movies on VOD streaming platforms has made movie-goers avoid going to theatres. Audiences have started enjoying the liberty of watching these movies in their leisure time instead of paying a visit to the box office and watching them as per the scheduled showtimes.

We can almost say that VOD is the content that is distributed to the viewers through streaming on internet-connected devices. However, downloaded content and recorded DVR can also fall into this category. VOD is not limited to the media and entertainment industry; trainee doctors also depend upon VOD streams of several surgeries to accelerate their education and enterprises use it for everything from staff training to consumer education.

VOD vs OTT – How do they differ from each other?

If you know something about OTT, you might be thinking about: What’s the difference between VOD and OTT? OTT broadcasting means the content is delivered over the internet instead of traditional cable and satellite services and VOD means the content that starts when you push to play without the need of any physical DVD and player to initiate the process. Top players in OTT are Netflix, Disney+, Amazon Prime, Hulu and Sling. Some examples of VOD sites are Netflix, YouTube, and Facebook.

In several scenarios, VOD and OTT overlap each other, but not always. That’s because OTT means the distribution model (Video Content delivered over the internet), while VOD describes the consumption model (video content that can be played back on demand). Furthermore, OTT deals with consumer-facing media services, whereas VOD covers all industries and sectors. VOD is never live, while OTT can be.

Live Streaming + VOD: An Engaging Combination

Since VOD contents can be consumed anytime as per viewer preference, it’s never live. Rather VOD defines pre-recorded content that internet-connected users can stream by request. However, we can’t say that a live stream can’t become VOD and when it comes to recording live stream for added opportunities is critical.

We are well-known for the fact that live streaming conveys a level of urgency, authenticity, and engagement that can’t be copied. However, recorded content offers internet-connected users the capacity to stream by request.

Live to VOD 

Live to VOD service allows broadcasters to repurpose live content and increase the audience as soon as the event has ended by redistributing a recording of the initially aired content. The subsequent VOD assets put end-users in control of their viewing experience with the ability to instantly play, pause, and rewind the recording.

Benefits of Live to VOD services:

• Broadcasters can reach audiences by providing recorded content from live events for playback later.
• VOD offers viewers the power to play. Pause and rewind content at their convenience by accessing on-demand content or else using an nDVR element for instant time-shifted playback.
• Monetize on-demand content to boost ROI.  

A platform like Muvi Live can be used to stream videos live and save the files for VOD delivery. It ensures you get the most out of your content. Muvi’s video infrastructure solution provides integrated live and video-on-demand potent to provide flexibility and content longevity to several businesses. Sign up for the free trial and explore Muvi’s video streaming platform now!