Have you ever wondered why Netflix or Teradiskplayer can play a movie instantly, while a raw MP4 file download takes forever to start? The answer is HLS (HTTP Live Streaming).
Developed by Apple, HLS breaks a video file into tiny chunks (usually 10 seconds long). Instead of downloading the whole 2GB movie, your browser downloads just the first 10 seconds.
HLS also creates multiple versions of the video (480p, 720p, 1080p). If your internet slows down, the player seamlessly switches to 480p to prevent buffering. This is the core technology we use at Teradiskplayer to ensure playback on mobile networks.