Gone in a Flash: a brief history of HTTP Adaptive Streaming

HTTP Adaptive Streaming (HAS) has become the dominant method for streaming media on the internet due to its ability to address key problems such as cost, scale, and reach. By using HTTP GET requests as the primary protocol for client/server interaction, HAS can take advantage of features like reusable connections, pipelining, caching, and content types. Additionally, the maturity and ubiquity of HTTP have made it a popular choice for streaming media, with support from various devices and platforms.