--- title: "What Is Low-Latency Streaming? Definition and Examples" description: "Low-latency streaming cuts the delay between a live event and the viewer's screen to a few seconds. See where delay comes from and when it is worth reducing." url: "https://www.rentanott.com/glossary/low-latency-streaming" markdown_url: "https://www.rentanott.com/glossary/low-latency-streaming.md" category: "Live & linear" updated: "2026-10-05" --- # What is low-latency streaming? Low-latency streaming is live streaming configured so that the delay between something happening in front of the camera and appearing on the viewer's screen is a few seconds, instead of the 10 to 30 seconds typical of standard internet streaming. ## Where the delay comes from With six-second segments and a three-segment buffer, a stream is already about 18 seconds behind before any other delay is added. - Encoding and transcoding the feed - Segment length: a player cannot fetch a segment until it is complete - Player buffer: most players hold several segments before starting - CDN propagation between origin and edge ## Latency tiers - Standard: about 10 to 30 seconds, with HLS or DASH - Reduced: about 5 to 10 seconds, with shorter segments and a smaller buffer - Low: about 2 to 5 seconds, with Low-Latency HLS or low-latency DASH - Real time: under a second, with WebRTC, used for calls, auctions and betting ## When it is worth it Latency matters when viewers can compare the stream with something faster: a neighbor's broadcast television, a social media feed, a betting app or a chat. It matters little for a concert or a lecture watched alone. Lowering it has a price. A smaller buffer gives the player less protection against network hiccups, so stalls become more likely, and low-latency delivery puts more requests through the CDN. Choose the lowest latency the content needs, not the lowest possible. ## Low-latency streaming on RentAnOTT Live channels and events are included on the RentAnOTT Growth and Scale tiers and are a $119/month add-on on Launch. Tell us your latency requirement on a demo and we will confirm what your setup can deliver. [See pricing](https://www.rentanott.com/pricing). ## Related terms - [Live streaming](https://www.rentanott.com/glossary/live-streaming) — Live streaming is delivering video over the internet as it is captured, so that viewers watch an event while it is happening, with a delay of a few seconds rather than after a recording has been uploaded. - [HLS](https://www.rentanott.com/glossary/hls) — HLS (HTTP Live Streaming) is a streaming protocol created by Apple that delivers video as a series of short segments over ordinary web servers, listed in playlist files with the .m3u8 extension. It is the most widely supported way to stream both live and on-demand video. - [Live encoder](https://www.rentanott.com/glossary/live-encoder) — A live encoder is the hardware or software that takes a live video feed from a camera or production mixer, compresses it in real time and sends it over the internet to a streaming platform, most often using RTMP or SRT. - [Buffering](https://www.rentanott.com/glossary/buffering) — Buffering is the interruption that occurs when a video player runs out of downloaded video and has to pause, usually showing a spinner, until more arrives. The technical term for a pause after playback has started is rebuffering. ## Further reading - [Choosing a live streaming player](https://www.rentanott.com/blogs/live-streaming-player) - [Pay-per-view for IPTV and OTT](https://www.rentanott.com/blogs/iptv-pay-per-view) - [Features](https://www.rentanott.com/features) ## Frequently asked questions ### What counts as low latency? There is no formal definition. In streaming it generally means roughly five seconds or less from camera to screen. ### Is lower latency always better? No. Below what the content needs, you are trading stability for nothing. Sport with social chatter needs a few seconds; most events do not. ### How does streaming latency compare with broadcast TV? Broadcast television is typically around five to ten seconds behind real time, so low-latency streaming can match or beat it. All 163 terms: [Streaming and OTT glossary](https://www.rentanott.com/glossary). ## Book a demo Tell RentAnOTT what you are launching. The team walks through the platform and maps the path to go-live around your catalog, markets and revenue model. Book a demo: https://www.rentanott.com/contact ## More from RentAnOTT - [Home](https://www.rentanott.com/index.md) — What RentAnOTT is, what every plan includes, and how launch works - [Features](https://www.rentanott.com/features.md) — Every core feature and optional add-on - [Pricing](https://www.rentanott.com/pricing.md) — Platform tiers, apps, add-ons, usage rates and example bills in INR and USD - [Free tools](https://www.rentanott.com/tools.md) — OTT app builder and calculators for streaming revenue, bandwidth, bitrate and pricing - [Insights](https://www.rentanott.com/blogs.md) — All streaming business articles - [Glossary](https://www.rentanott.com/glossary.md) — Definitions of streaming and OTT terms - [Book a demo](https://www.rentanott.com/contact.md) — Talk to RentAnOTT about your launch Full site in one file: https://www.rentanott.com/llms-full.txt