Center for Online Learning

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Podcasting vs. Streaming Guide

We have prepared this short guide for you to understand the differences and similarities between the two. This will help you decide how to handle media with your courses.

  Podcasting Streaming
PC / Mac compatible?
Yes
Yes
View without portable media device?
Yes
Yes
Must be downloaded to computer?
Yes
No
Can be a recording?
Yes
Yes
Is a single file?
No
Yes
Can be linked inside GeorgiaVIEW?
Yes
Yes

The essential difference between the two is that if you simply want to post a file to your computer that your students watch at their leisure on their computer, with little or no time spent downloading, then streaming is the way to go. If you would rather the students downloaded the file to a portable media device or to their computer, and you want the downloads to occur each time you post a new file, then podcasting is the way to go.