Why Are CDNs Sunsetting Streaming Protocols?

Posted in RTMP, SRT, Streaming, Technology on Jun 21, 2022

Akamai no longer supports RTMP ingest according to a customer letter released by Dacast, and Limelight is sunsetting some of their low latency streaming protocols. With this large change affecting several media companies, StreamGuys asks, why are CDNs turning away from solutions that customers still use?

Several reasons could exist for this, including:

  • Lack of bandwidth to support the technology
  • The desire to push new standards
  • Focus on larger customers who spend more
  • They are stopping support for legacy technology in favor of building their protocols and standards on the cutting edge
  • Pushing customers to use in-house developed protocols

Legacy Protocols Used by Media Customers Just Don’t Take Precedence

Major companies are dictating the new standards as streaming protocols continue to be developed, such as focusing on the HTTP push as an ingest to AWS Media Services Live. People are specializing in their technologies to make solutions sticky. Still, they’re missing the mark of how true innovation requires collaboration to best support the end-users. As we all endeavor to create a better internet for everyone, we must come together to create collaborative solutions across our infrastructures.

As innovations surface, those customers who are still using protocols like RTMP ingest are left behind when they’re not given a suitable alternative solution. Latency is still a major concern for streamers using RTMP, and the new big tool, HLS, doesn’t always offer the same sub-second speeds that RTMP can.

What’s more, upgrading to a newer system can be both expensive and challenging for customers. That’s not something the major distributors seem to be concerned about. In many cases, there can be a conflict of interest as their primary customers are large corporations who benefit as independent voices are silenced by lack of technology access.

StreamGuys Supports RTMP & Innovation

StreamGuys is an independent CDN in control of its decisions. We’re in the business of solving problems for our clients rather than creating them. We want to make their job easier. We aren’t turning off the technology our clients rely on because we want to innovate new solutions on the cutting edge. We’re not leaving anyone behind.

A better, faster internet benefits everyone, from distribution companies like StreamGuys to the content providers down to end-users. 5G is here. 8K is here. The demand for bandwidth is at an all-time high. The world is more connected than it has ever been. But what makes that connection genuine? Instantaneous communication globally brings us together to build a better world.

Ultimately, companies ahead of the curve will discover new technologies and protocols on a near-daily basis. We work with them to innovate and deploy new, cutting-edge tech. But that doesn’t mean you have to throw out the baby with the bathtub water. There are sound strategies to transition from legacy formats to the formats of the future, all the while taking good care of your audience, how they want their media, their way.

We believe everyone deserves to benefit from digital media advances, at their own pace. Independent media companies deserve solutions that allow them to be heard in the digital world. We don’t limit the size and reach of your voice by gatekeeping which protocols you use. Instead, we offer customized and private solutions that are purpose-built for you.

Offering a Bit of Everything

While SRT offers a drop-in replacement for RTMP, at StreamGuys, we offer both as well as several other ingest options (RTSP, RIST, NDI, MPEG-TS, Icecast/Shoutcast) for streamers of all sizes. SRT is a modern video transport protocol that still offers low latency, encryption, and dependability on unpredictable networks. What’s more, SRT development is ongoing through an active community of developers.

For businesses wishing to switch to the newest in streaming technology, we’ve got you covered there as well. SGplayer supports HLS for both audio and video and several other options in one player. It makes things easier for our clients, whether streaming to hundreds or millions. It also provides social media integration, ad insertion, and much more.

If you want to grow and take the multi-CDN route for the best delivery possible, we’re partnered with CDNs like CacheFly to make multi-CDN easy. You’ll automatically send your traffic to the option with the shortest route, top performance, and lowest price. For whatever technology is best for you, we’ll make sure that your lag times are minimal to non-existent because we understand that people leave your site when they aren’t getting the experience they want.

Competing as a Small Fish in a Big Pond

How can mid-market companies compete against media giants? By partnering with private CDNs architected for media, like StreamGuys! We can spin up a fully private, custom CDN, put you on a global network, or customize our routes to give you the best value.

Whether you seek value or performance, we can offer solutions for budgets from thousands to millions. Not every business is the same. Your business deserves a solution that’s right for you, not the lowest common denominator. That’s where we can help. Get a consultation today by booking a call with our streaming experts.

Staying Independent

All voices deserve to be heard, whether we personally agree or not. Since our founding, StreamGuys has remained independent of big media investments and umbrella corporations that could dictate our roadmap. We build our solutions to meet the needs of our customers, and to innovate against the problems of tomorrow. The digital landscape is ever-changing, and companies relying on dated distribution technology may need to make changes in the coming months and years. However, we’re here to help guide you through it all without deprecating technology and leaving you scrambling.


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