Protocols.

Streaming protocols — HLS, DASH, CMAF.

May 8, 2026·8 min read·hls / segment-duration / protocols

HLS segment duration — picking the right TARGETDURATION for your use case

Practical guide to HLS segment duration selection — Apple's 6-second recommendation, GOP alignment, latency vs request overhead tradeoff, LL-HLS partial segment relationship.

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May 8, 2026·9 min read·hls / webvtt / x-timestamp-map

HLS X-TIMESTAMP-MAP — webvtt subtitle timing alignment for HLS

Practical reference on the HLS X-TIMESTAMP-MAP header — the MPEGTS:LOCAL syntax, why webvtt subtitles need it, common timing bugs, generation in pipelines.

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May 7, 2026·9 min read·cmaf / protocols / streaming

CMAF — the segment format that ended the HLS-vs-DASH duplicate-encoding problem

Practical reference on Common Media Application Format (CMAF) — fragmented MP4 structure, common encryption (CENC), unified HLS+DASH delivery, chunked CMAF for low-latency, and operational benefits.

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May 7, 2026·9 min read·dash / mpeg-dash / protocols

DASH — the standardized streaming protocol that won the spec war and lost the install base

Practical reference on MPEG-DASH — MPD manifest structure, segment formats, dash.js and Shaka Player, DASH-IF profiles, multi-period streaming, and DASH vs HLS in 2026.

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May 7, 2026·9 min read·hls / streaming / protocols

HLS — the protocol that won the streaming wars and what to know about it

Practical reference on HTTP Live Streaming — m3u8 manifests, segment formats, ABR adaptation, low-latency HLS, FairPlay DRM integration, and when HLS is the right protocol.

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