Technical Requirements for HD Online

Technology and an operational model to operate serving devices in the largest high-throughput networks around the world (servers need to be physically in the networks, as that is where the capacity lies)
Established relationships with the largest high throughput networks
Support of VC-1 and MPEG-4 video standards
Support for delivery and storage of files greater than 2 GB
Support for files with resolutions of 720p, 1080i and 1080p
To deploy and interoperate with client-side technology as appropriate
The appetite for High Definition content online is growing, driven by consumer demand, an increase in high bandwidth connectivity at the home and content owners looking to extend the reach of growing libraries of HD quality video content.

Akamai's goal is to enable the growth of HD online by continuing to refine the infrastructure required to bring the HDTV experience, to online audiences, while working closely with industry leaders in content, technology, consumer devices and broadband networks to facilitate adoption.
The Challenges with HD Online
Because of encoding technologies available today, files that are encoded in HD resolution tend to be extremely large. The typical file size for a feature length HD movie is between 5-8 gigabytes. To deliver an acceptable HD user experience content providers need a solution that that can download very large, high bitrate files extremely quickly. A critical factor to enable high bit rate delivery of very large HD files is the proximity of the end user to the server sending the file. As the user's distance from the server becomes greater, throughput dramatically decreases. Even a seemingly small distance can result in poor performance due to lower throughput, higher packet loss, and increased latency. The result? Slow downloads, download interruptions and the inability to serve HD content effectively.


BBC: earth
Five years and two hundred locations; earth is a breathtaking tour of our awe-inspiring planet. earth
(c) BBC Worldwide Ltd 2007		 Elephants Dream
The world's first open movie.
(c) copyright 2006, Blender Foundation / Netherlands Art Institute / www.elephantsdream.org		 NBA: Where HD Happens
See the world's greatest game played by the world’s best athletes in the brilliance of crystal-clear HD - online!
(c) 2007 NBA Properties, Inc.


Akamai's Unique Network Capabilities for High Definition
Because distance matters for high-quality large files, all content, whether it is frequently or rarely requested, must be served closest to the end user. Akamai’s unique technology automatically and instantly spreads popular content on-demand for better scalability.

Akamai is highly distributed for optimal throughput.
With servers distributed in over 750 cities, Akamai addresses these technology requirements with its unique edge delivery model that reduces latency to levels necessary for HD delivery.


Intelligent download capabilities speed HD downloads.
Unique technologies like Large File Download Optimization, enable Akamai to selectively retrieve and store 'pieces' of popular content in many locations for better scalability, but still serve less popular, long-tail content with optimal performance from the edge. Learn more...
The Akamai EdgePlatform is highly distributed
25,000+ Servers
1,200 PoPs
900+ Networks
650+ Cities
69 Countries
 
Typical daily traffic
170 + billion hits
100+ million streams
3,000+ terabytes delivered