Streaming video around the world

Streaming services are delivered across the world by engineers who build and maintain the infrastructure behind the scenes. Software, network and systems engineers collaborate to make streaming seamless, scalable and accessible.

Amazon's streaming service, Prime Video, delivers content worldwide. It adapts to regional demands and overcomes challenges like bandwidth limitations and licensing restrictions.

How does streaming work?

Firstly, content is compressed into digital formats and encoded files. These differ in quality to match various device and internet speeds. 
Then, the content is stored onto servers, often in cloud platforms like Amazon Web Services (AWS), where a content delivery network distributes the content across global servers. When a user requests a stream, the content delivery network delivers it from the nearest server to reduce buffering. The content is broken into small chunks which are sent one after the other and played immediately. 
Once received, the system adjusts the video quality in real time based on the available internet speed and device performance.  Finally, the user's device buffers a few seconds of content and begins playback while downloading the next chunks.

What role do engineers play in streaming videos? 

A range of engineering roles are required to create, develop and test the video streaming apps. Here are some of the roles involved:

• Front-end software engineers focus on what the end user will interact with directly on screen while using the app. They develop features such as playback, search, recommendations and user interfaces.
• Back-end software engineers focus on the behind the scenes operations such as data processing and handling user requests. For example, video encoding engineers optimise video compression and ensure the data can be received across devices and networks.
• User experience (UX) designers make the front-end look good and their work impacts how customers feel when using the app.
• Machine learning engineers focus on how AI can improve the user experience when using the app.
• Test engineers, software engineers and quality assurance engineers test and monitor new updates across devices, regions and network conditions to ensure a smooth playback and bug-free experience.

How is AI used to improve video streaming services?

AI and machine learning is used for a variety of tasks, such as syncing subtitles perfectly with audio while ensuring there are no spelling mistakes.

Machine learning engineers develop models that analyse user behaviours, watch history and preferences to suggest relevant content.  Machine learning also ensures video quality is optimised across all platforms and devices. Machine learning models are monitored to ensure smooth operation and that they are doing their job correctly, if there ever is a hiccup machine learning engineers can intervene to solve any problems. 

AI is used to predict network conditions and adjust bitrate dynamically to reduce buffering and maintain resolution.  AI also helps to identify key moments, genres or themes by analysing scenes, audio, and metadata to generate insights for content marketing.

Testing video streaming apps

Any new app feature or update needs testing before the changes can go live for users. The application must be tested across multiple device types to ensure a smooth viewing experience.

Software development and test engineers write the automated tests, software engineers write the software to create the testing platform, and quality assurance engineers perform the tests.

If you're developing an app, you can use Device Farm, a free testing service to get feedback on how your app performs across different devices and platforms.