At the end of this module you will be able to:

• Understand what “streaming” is and how it works;
• Learn about the difference between streaming and live streaming;
• Know which the main streaming platforms are and about the opportunities they offer to enjoy different cultural contents;
• Know about a special case of streaming platform delivering high quality programmes which are free of charge and come in 6 different languages;

Streaming is the method of data transmission used when someone watches video on the Internet. It is a way to deliver a video file a little bit at a time, often from a remote storage location. By transmitting a few seconds of the file at a time over the internet, client devices do not have to download the entire video before starting to play it.

Streaming  Is the process of sending or receiving data (mostly audio and video files) over computer networks among mobile devices via the Internet

The term “stream” refers to the technique of delivering and receiving media, rather than the media itself

Live Streaming Live streaming is when the streamed video is sent over the Internet in real time, without first being recorded and stored. Today, TV broadcasts, video game streams, and social media video can all be live-streamed

The Internet offers a huge range of possibilities, even free of charge, which can be of interest to the elderly.

Thanks to the many videos, audio books, TV series, documentaries or radio programs available, you can keep busy with your favourite programs and access them at any time.

Here are some entertainment channels for the elderly that can also be accessed for free:

Media libraries of public broadcasters (In Italy Rai, Mediaset, Dplay, etc.): Here you will find most of the films, series and documentaries shown on TV. The programs listed online are available at any time. If you have a Smart TV, i.e. a television that can connect to the Internet, then you can access this content directly from your TV.

YouTube and Vimeo: the online video platform: Any user connected to the Internet can upload a video to YouTube.

Here you will find, in addition to clips of television programs, also videos of private users on many topics such as sports, information or even explanatory videos (tutorials).

Radio stations and online podcasts: You can listen to a radio station online at any time.

For example, on radio.it you can filter radio stations based on a specific genre or theme or listen to radios in your region. There are also paid programs such as Spotify, Amazon Music, Apple Music or Deezer, where you can listen to music and choose from many musical genres.

Streaming platforms: Even in these streaming platforms it is possible to access and watch numerous films and series at any time, just like in the media libraries.

However, these platforms are usually subject to a subscription but also offer a lot more choice. In Europe, the ranking of the most used platforms sees Netflix in first place, and its 67 million subscribers, followed by Amazon Prime Video and Disney +.

ARTE (acronym for Association Relative à la Télévisione Européenne) is a franco-german TV channel,  created back in 1992 with the aim of promoting unity and understanding amongst Europeans

STREAMING: is the method of data transmission used when someone watches video on the Internet.

LIVE STREAMING: is the broadcast of an event over the internet as it happens.

PLATFORMS: The Internet offers a huge range of possibilities, even free of charge, which can be of interest to the elderly.

ARTE: is a franco-german TV channel,  created back in 1992 with the aim of promoting unity and understanding amongst Europeans.