August 21, 2008
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What’s Better: Streaming Video or Downloading Video?
A Case Study with Assignment: The World, First Round Results
By Joann Flick, AIT’s Broadcast/Training Specialist
Is it better to be able to view video anytime, from any computer with broadband access, or to download the segment and store the media on a local hard drive to view later? Each method has its advantages and disadvantages, and each has its costs. In an attempt to determine the best video-on-demand format for delivering a weekly instructional video to subscribers’ classrooms, AIT, WXXI (Rochester, NY), and Seattle Community College TV embarked on a year of trials and are midway through an evaluative process. The goal is to determine the most useful delivery mechanism and to contain costs so reasonable subscription fees can be maintained. The partners in this project are keenly interested in the best model to serve teachers and students. This short report presents what we’ve learned so far, and our next steps, leading to decisions that we’ll be making over the summer.
Three years ago, AIT began to offer the long-running WXXI weekly current events show for kids, Assignment: The World (ATW) via a password-protected streaming site that was operated by SCC-TV. Originally, full programs were streamed in Windows Media®. Use of the site has shown some steady growth, but the total number of users has been disappointing. An analysis by the producers and AIT determined that many schools may not have sufficient bandwidth available during classroom hours. Also, schools are accustomed to recording broadcasts of ATW onto videotape for use in classrooms and may have found the quality of the streamed video lacking or the service unnecessary.
In Fall 2005, a feature that permitted the viewer to see just a single segment from the show was added. Again, use has been increasing but has not yet attained a volume that is satisfactory.
In February-March 2006, the partners piloted a test to offer downloads as well as streamed segments and full programs. Knowing that to provide all three options would needlessly increase costs, the partners sought to find the best option.
An optional survey was promoted to viewers to get input directly from teachers who use the series. The ATW host announced the survey each week during the pilot. The survey attracted 63 responses. Of those, an overwhelming majority preferred to watch the whole program with the whole class at once (86%)—and nearly three-quarters of that group watched the program every week, and 90% watch most or all weeks.
Many teachers (in the range of 38 to 40%) reported that they submit student answers to questions posed in the show, such as the “Clues in the News” segment or the “Weekly Issue Question.” Thirty-eight percent reported that they used scripts provided online, and 40% said they used the www.atwonline.org Web site. Ten percent used email notices from the series producer; only 18% said they used online streaming. Twenty percent received the program on tape, and 21% recorded the program for viewing later.
Of those who had used the online streaming, nearly 70% were “mostly” or “very satisfied” with the service, and 11% reported being “disappointed.”
Online access to the programs is considered “essential” by 28% of the respondents, and “useful” by 40%. The weekly broadcast of the TV show was rated “essential” or “very useful” by 75% of respondents.
Windows Media® and QuickTime® were listed as the preferred formats for viewing digital video, although almost half of respondents did not know or did not state a preference.
In response to a question about the problems teachers face in accessing ATW online, teachers did not state a clear preference for downloads over streaming. However, slow connections (30%) or school policies limiting access (25%) were noted as significant problems. A lack of time available in class to use the resource was also cited by nearly one-third of the respondents. Other problems noted include that the streaming format was not reliable, that equipment to project the programs was not available, and that the teacher did not know how to use equipment or access the online programs (responses ranged from 13 to17%).
Respondents represented grades 4–7 and included one home-school mom. The survey participants hailed from Wisconsin, Minnesota, New York, Iowa, Quebec, North Dakota, Vermont, South Dakota, and New Hampshire. Windows® operating systems and networks were the most common (42%), but a good number of respondents used Novell® (9%) or Apple® (18%) networks and Macintosh® (18%) operating systems.
It appears that the most important version of Assignment: The World is the television broadcast and that there is no clear preference between downloading or streaming. We suspected that the online version of the program might, eventually, replace the broadcast, but this survey clearly shows that the time for that has not yet arrived. Other online resources, especially the weekly scripts, are very much used and appreciated by our audience.
Our next steps are to convene a focus group of teachers from across the country to revisit these questions and to speak with each broadcast licensee to get their opinions. We want to drill down behind these numbers to see if we can determine, prior to September 2006, whether to stream or to download exclusively.
For schools and teachers that may want to ring in on this issue, please contact Joann Flick at jflick@ait.net.