RTC's Holiday 2017 Communicator

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HOLIDAY 2017 5
Look Forward to More Options
and Improved Quality
Given that live streaming just hit its stride in 2016 with the release of
Facebook Live, the medium will only keep growing. Watch for these
likely trends in the coming months and years:
More video.
Streaming video (including outlets such as
YouTube and Netflix) currently accounts
for roughly two-thirds of internet usage.
The increase in live streaming will boost
that amount to 82 percent by 2021,
according to Cisco’s 12th annual Visual
Networking Index Forecast.1
More OTT broadcasting.
Over the Top (OTT) broadcasting refers
to media companies sharing content via
internet channels “over the top” of
traditional broadcasting channels. For
example, HBO broadcasts its program-
ming on demand via the internet as well
as through its existing cable channel.
Twitter has successfully used this method
to live stream NFL games.
Virtual reality video.
Likely to be primarily within the live
gaming arena at first, virtual reality (VR)
functionality will be added to video with
increasing frequency. VR devices such
as the Oculus Rift enable users to feel as
though they’re a part of the action being
depicted through the video.
Next-generation formats.
New video formats, such as H.265 and
AV1, will start to become more common,
joining the current H.264 standard. The
next-generation technology will improve
video performance, making them faster
and more efficient.
Expanded opportunities.
As consumers, we’ll be seeing a lot more
live streaming from companies wanting
to connect with us in a new way. At the
same time, we’ll incorporate live stream-
ing into our standard communication
toolbox and find new ways to express
ourselves through this medium.
1Cisco, “VNI Global Fixed and Mobile Internet Traffic Forecasts,”
service-provider/visual-networking-index-vni/index.html?stickynav=1, accessed July 21, 2017.
Source: org/
2010/10/13/video-calling-and-video-chat/
of internet users
aged 18-29 have
participated in video calls or
chats or teleconferences.
29%
What Parents Need
to KnowAbout Social
Video Chats
Social video chatting is another form of
streaming video that’s popular among
teens and tweens. In addition to using
this capability on Facebook, Instagram,
and Snapchat, kids can download apps
such as Houseparty, AirTime, and Peri-
scope to use for this purpose.
Such apps are great for satisfying the
need to spend plenty of time with
friends, but they come with risks: kids
may spend too much time video chat-
ting and not enough doing important
activities like homework. They may
feel pressured into oversharing or be
exposed to mature content they’re not
ready to handle. There is also the ever-
present risk of adult predators trying to
take advantage of these apps.
Parents need to be aware of which
apps their kids are using and talk with
them about reasonable use. To learn
more, visit Common Sense Media at
and
search for “Latest app craze.”You’ll be
directed to a thorough description
of many of today’s popular apps and
get sound advice for helping your
children use them safely.