Nullsoft Streaming Video

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Nullsoft Streaming Video (NSV) is a media container designed for streaming video content over the internet. NSV was developed by Nullsoft, the makers of Winamp.

The NSV format is another example of streaming video formats, offered by various companies and media players. Windows Media, QuickTime video, RealAudio and RealVideo streams are just a few examples of these, and each have their benefits and shortcomings.

One of the shortfalls of most streaming formats often comes from the difficulty in finding streams, or at least some form of directory service; and in some cases, none are readily available to the public at all.

With Nullsoft's SHOUTcast service, a media streaming and directory system, the NSV format has become very popular, along with SHOUTcast's enormous listings of Streaming Audio, which reach well into the thousands.

With Winamp version 5, came the convenient "Media Library", which offers integrated listings of both audio and video streams, returned directly from the SHOUTcast service. There was also a Library in Winamp 2.9x and 3, but came under a different name, "Library".

NSV streaming started in early 2003, but the real explosion came with the introduction of Winamp 5. Also, NSV is no longer proprietary, but instead an open format,

[edit] History

NSV was created in late 2002/early 2003 by Justin Frankel while working at Nullsoft. Originally designed as a demonstration of the potential that newly developed streaming technology Ultravox could offer, it has since become an accepted format for AOL streaming media, with many promotional videos available on both Winamp.com and the AOL website.