Strengths

1. Streamed media is delivered with little waiting time. While there is an initial buffering and synchronization time required, in most cases, delivery of content can begin in less than 30 seconds,.

2. You can create multiple versions of content based on connection speed.

3. Streaming media prevents a user's hard drive from being filled with the remnants of past videos. Streaming sends the content to the computer and is deleted as soon as it is played.

4. Streaming content can help control access to materials. Since content is not downloaded to a user's computer, you can remove the link to the content and ensure that no one has access to it after a certain point.

5. Copyrighted material can be controlled when content is streamed. Since content is never downloaded to a user's computer as a complete media file it is difficult to save the entire file and viewers are not able to use it in any other manner. Many streaming servers can be configured to restrict access by IP number and can require a password to view files.

6. Since streamed files reside on a streaming server, web server space will not be consumed by video clips. Currently, the DoIT Streaming server does not restrict server space for instructional usage.

Weaknesses

1. Since streamed content is delivered based on connection capacity, multiple versions for different connection speeds are recommended. If this doesn't occur, uses will experience dropped frames, and, in some situations, no audio.

2. With the creation of multiple versions comes the problem of reduced quality for slower connection speeds. It is very difficult to delivery high action video to 56K modem users because the connection capacity does not allow that much content to be delivered.

3. Streamed content has a built-in buffering and synchronization that occurs each time you view the media file. Each time you move to a different section of the video, or want to review a section, the server needs to rebuffer and synchronize to the computer.

4. Streamed files reside on another server and creation of pointer or "reference files" are recommended. This means additional steps in the workflow.

5. Streamed files are not downloaded to the user's computer, so an Internet connection is required each time a user wishes to review course materials. With downloaded materials, the user is only required to be connected once and is able to review materials at any time -- without being connected to the Internet.