Downloading vs streaming

[wonderboy1953]

Seems that when YouTube slows up in streaming, a different website switches from downloading to streaming a video into my smartphone. Any comments?

 

[speedyink]

....

Downloading means to save a copy to your device, whereas streaming is playing the file directly off the internet.

advantage to downloads are no internet connection needed and no connection lag.

 

[wonderboy1953]

Why would a website switch modes?

meaning previously you can download the video and now you can only watch the video through streaming (my guess is that this will change back - trying to understand what's going on).

 

[Ischinel]

You probably taken too long to buffer, and a suggestion box came out asking you to download? I am just guessing by the way.

 

[wonderboy1953]

No option given to me to download or stream

You just touch the screenshot to get it started (in fact I was surprised that it did let me download to begin with).

 

[wonderboy1953]

A few things

Downloading - When you download a file you're just making a copy of that file which is stored on your local hard disk.

Streaming - Streaming of data between 1's and 0's, that are being sent from some server to PC

I'm talking about making a copy of the files stored on some website, not from a local hard disk which I don't have (I don't own a computer yet, not counting my smarttphone).

Does anyone have an inkling as to why there would be a switch?