VOD or Streaming?

"The interesting thing is that a straight forward evolution of today’s Internet gets us to faster and faster downloads while streaming is problematical. Expensive technologies like Verizon’s FiOS are designed to support the streaming we don’t really want. Hmmm…."

Tom Evslin


VOD is one thing and streaming a different one.
Why should they stream if people like to download and watch when they want?

First: Copyright reasons.
If you stream you can hope to protect your stream, while if they download it, they create a copy and DRM or not, a copy IS a copy.

Second: Everybody would like VOD, but a cheap and if possible free VOD.
Since somebody HAS to pay, that somebody may be is willing if you spare a little time watching also what he has to sell. ( in the hope that some will buy)
Streaming is the way to oblige the consumers to consume ALSO commercials in it.

Third: Bandwidth problems. On a cable or fiber optic network, you multicast your stream and reduce the consumed bandwidth.
In the case of a video it is NOT a small detail.

Fourth. The Internet offers what TV or any other kind of broadcast cannot offer: Interactivity.
But it must be REAL TIME.
This I think is the best reason.
Why should we use the Internet to broadcast when we have means like TV, with no problem of bandwidth?
(Yes I know, there is another big chapter to open comparing TV to Internet, that is the one man broadcasting...but I am talking about the usual broadcast)