What fundamental communication shift characterized the breakthrough in streaming technology?
Moving from file-centric communication to session-centric communication.
The core conceptual breakthrough that separates early digital audio transfer from modern streaming lies in the change of focus regarding communication management. Early methods, like using FTP or HTTP for entire MP3 files, were file-centric: the goal was to fully acquire the static resource before any interaction could occur. Streaming, however, demanded session-centric communication. This means the connection is viewed not as a single file request but as a continuous, ongoing dialogue managed by control protocols (like RTSP). This session focus allows for dynamic, real-time management (play, pause, seek) throughout the duration of the media delivery, addressing the time-sensitive nature of the content.

#Videos
Yuriy Reznik - Streaming in 1970s. NVP & ST - YouTube