Microsoft and Akamai are testing streaming HD video via Silverlight

Microsoft and Akamai Technologies will collaborate to develop services and products for streaming HD content. The first beta release will appear in the first weeks of 2009.

The new HD service will use a new technology for IIS 7.0 called Smooth Streaming, which in turn relies on Silverlight. This technology takes care of it according to Microsoft recommends that videos start immediately and that the buffering of the video stream is adjusted to the quality and speed of the network connection. Whether this means that internet users will experience a drop in quality in the event of a sudden loss of bandwidth, or that the technology also works the other way around, for example by additional buffering of an unstable connection, is still unknown.

On the server side, Smooth Streaming offers the advantage of improved scalability by using distributed HTTP web servers, the Redmond-based company said. This functionality is not limited to streaming media; other files that are offered via the web server can also be accessed with this, because this functionality will be included in the Expression Encoder 2 update for IIS 7.0.

Based on the Smooth Streaming technology, Akamai has now developed AdaptiveEdge Streaming for Microsoft Silverlight, which can be used to stream a variety of HD video content. A first beta version will be made available to Akamai customers in early 2009. According to Tim Napoleon, chief strategist for digital media at the network company, the demand for high-performance software to distribute HD images over the Internet has increased sharply in recent months. A technology preview of the technique is on the website www.smoothhd.com to find.