Streaming
1.You watch and listen to streaming video and music as it comes to your computer or network media player.
2.A website that streams video will often have a "buffer." Several seconds of video is streamed to your computer or network media player in order to keep the video playing in the event of an interruption of the internet connection.
3.You must have a fast connection so there aren't pauses or hiccups in the video playback. Higher quality video -- high definition video with digital surround sound -- requires a faster connection.
Within your home network, a router must be able to pass on the video stream to your network media player. Audio Video ("AV") Routers or Gigabit routers may be needed to stream high definition videos to more than one TV or player.
You must have a fast internet connection to stream high definition videos from the internet without interruption. Many video websites will determine the quality of the video streamed to your device based on their estimation of your internet speed. Typically, it is best to have an internet connection of at least 2 megabits per second (Mbps). HD video may require over 3 Mbps so the video doesn't not have to pause as it buffers.
4.A streamed file plays from other sources. The source of the media must be connected and turned on, or the streaming stops.
5.When streaming from the internet, it is not only the speed of your connection that guarantees a smooth viewing experience. Factors such as the amount of traffic on the website -- that is, the number of people watching videos at the same time -- and the speed of the website's server connection can influence how well the the media is streamed to you.
6.A streaming file is never saved on your device. Streaming media is either free, as it is on ABC, CBS and NBC; or you are charged a monthly subscription to access the media, such as with Netflix and Rhapsody; or you rent the video for a certain length of time, after which it is no longer available without renting it again. You can only play music on a subscription website if you are an active, paying subscriber. Once you stop paying, the media is no longer available.
Downloading
1.Your device connects to the source of the file, then copies and saves it to your hard drive.
2.Usually, you must wait until the download is complete before you can watch the media. Some services, like iTunes and Vudu, allow you to watch while a movie downloads after a sufficient amount of time.
3.You can copy the file or move it to other hard drives unless it is a copyright-protected file.
4.You can copy or move the file and save it to play on other devices unless it is a copyright-protected file.
5.The downloaded file can be streamed to other devices once it has been saved.
6.A downloaded file is available whenever you want to play it.
7.TV shows and movies that are downloaded are “bought” versus rented and are available without time limit. That is, you “own” the movie or music file.
Source
