Apple’s HTTP Live Streaming (HLS) continues to be the preferred streaming format around the globe, with 82% of video developers worldwide currently using the format, up 4% from 2017, according to Bitmovin’s latest annual Video Developer Report (PDF).
Usage of the format is particularly high in Latin America, where 95% of video developers have adopted the format. (The adoption rate in North America is 77%.)
Adoption of MPEG-DASH is also increasing, up 5% worldwide to 61% of developers worldwide, according to Bitmovin.
Meanwhile, in terms of video codecs, H.264/AVC is used by 92% of developers worldwide, down 3% from Bitmovin’s 2017 report. Usage of H.265/HEVC, however, has grown to 42% of video developers from 28% last year. Over a third of respondents (36%) plan to deploy H.265/HEVC in the next 12 months.
In terms of platform support, HTML5 in browser was reported to be the top supported platform, with 92% of respondents indicating support. Among consumer OTT devices, Google’s Chromecast is supported by 42% of developers vs. 36% for Apple TV, 34% for Android TV and 23% for Roku.
Surveying 456 video developers at broadcasters, publishers, OTT streaming services, online video platforms and social media platforms in 67 countries, Bitmovin found that latency remains the top complaint among developers.
Around 55% of developers reported latency with their platform—a problem when trying to perform tasks such as streaming live sports.
