4. Streaming Media
As the media in general and cable systems in particular make the transition from analog to digital, increasing amounts of content will reach our homes via data networks (using the Internet Protocol, or IP). With the blurring of distinctions between broadcasting and online technologies, it behooves community programmers and producers to prepare for an "everything-over-IP" (PDF) world, in which all network traffic--data, video, and voice alike--will be transmitted digitally. Tech Soup, the online information center run by CompuMentor, has prepared a number of informative articles on making the leap into online distribution of multimedia content, including "Webcasting and Web Streaming" and "Sound World," while Deliver Your Media and the California Virtual Campus Streaming Video Primer offer tips on getting started in online content distribution.