# Streaming audio/video question

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/streaming-audio-video-question/338999>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [January 8, 2006, 9:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/streaming-audio-video-question/338999 "2006-01-08T09:25:54Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![TellMeI\_mNotCrazy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tellmei_mnotcrazy/32/3419_2.png) [@TellMeI\_mNotCrazy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TellMeI_mNotCrazy)\
**Post date:** [January 8, 2006, 9:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/streaming-audio-video-question/338999/1 "2006-01-08T09:25:54Z")

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Often when streaming a file online, I’ll notice that the buffer will “slip” a bit. It will tell me it’s 85% buffered, then suddenly drop to 66% or so. Are there separate streams that are being reported on? Something other reason?

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**Author:** ![TellMeI\_mNotCrazy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tellmei_mnotcrazy/32/3419_2.png) [@TellMeI\_mNotCrazy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TellMeI_mNotCrazy)\
**Post date:** [January 8, 2006, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/streaming-audio-video-question/338999/2 "2006-01-08T17:06:24Z")

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One quick bump.

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**Author:** ![Polerius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/d78d45/32.png) [@Polerius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polerius)\
**Post date:** [January 8, 2006, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/streaming-audio-video-question/338999/3 "2006-01-08T18:55:40Z")

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> [@TellMeI'mNotCrazy](#):
>
> Often when streaming a file online, I’ll notice that the buffer will “slip” a bit. It will tell me it’s 85% buffered, then suddenly drop to 66% or so. Are there separate streams that are being reported on? Something other reason?

I noticed this too and here is my theory:  
Based on the current download speed, the program wants to buffer, say, 30 seconds of video, and starts downloading before beginning to show you anything.

Halfway through the download, it figures that the download speed has decreased (say due to network load), and then estimates that it will have to buffer more than 30 seconds worth in order to provide you with a good quality video playback.

So, while it had downloaded 85% of 30 seconds worth, that is now only 64% of the new amount, say 40 seconds worth, it wants to buffer.

That’s my guess. I should note that I have never written an application to do streaming video or audio, so take this with a grain of salt.