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It can be difficult to choose the most appropriate approach for integrating mobile live video into your operation. One of the many elements that need to be considered, is what type of SDKs (software development kits) you will choose to implement as part of your overall mobile live video solution. We’re here to help simplify this decision-making process. Starting with the basics:
What is an SDK?
An SDK is a set of software development tools for developers, which facilitate the creation of various applications across different systems, platforms and software frameworks.
What type of SDKs should be considered when integrating Mobile Live Video?
The two types of SDKs which are prevalent for the integration of mobile live video are; Broadcast SDKs and Player SDKs. A Broadcast SDK will facilitate the live streaming (or broadcasting) of video content from a mobile device to a cloud-based platform. The Player SDK will subsequently allow for the playback of that live video content to an alternative device.
Are SDKs absolutely necessary or are there alternative options?
In short, no, you do not need to use SDKs to achieve the end result. Should your organization have the development resources with the required skills and expertise, along with the time and money needed to build an end-to-end mobile live video platform in-house, then it can be done without the use of additional resources like pre-configured SDKs.
Some caveats to this option are that the process will take longer, be more expensive and more of a resource drain on the organization, than it would have been should the appropriate SDKs have been utilized.
Benefits to Using SDKs
Easy to integrate
SDKs can be very easy to integrate, developers should have no trouble at all integrating SDKs into the code of any web or mobile application. SDKs have pre-built functionality which makes the creation and evolution of web and mobile apps even easier and much faster than before. For example, the use of SDKs can simplify standard processes for developers, decreasing the complexity of the overall integration. As a developer, you don’t really need to know much about the content of the SDKs or even how they work, all you need to do is follow the basic steps to integrate it into your existing code and once that is complete, the new functionality and features will be available within your platform. Being easier to implement comes with additional benefits including, faster time to market due to a reduced development cycle, built-in security, and undeniable cost savings.
Well-documented
As previously mentioned, developers don’t necessarily need to be an expert on the subject matter or content of the SDKs in order to successfully integrate them into their applications, all they need to do is follow the instructions on to how to add the SDKs to their applications and orchestrate everything from their backend. The majority of SDKs will come with extensive documentation, programming tools, and sample code as standard, to ensure that developers have everything they need to successfully integrate the SDKs into their applications.
Dependability
The use of SDKs greatly reduces the chances of error or potential bugs in the code, as they have been tried and tested by developers. The stability and reliability of the software libraries have also been put to the test by other users, thus limiting the chances of anything going wrong upon your use of the tools. With SDKs, developers can worry less about any potential issues that may arise and simply focus on delivering added value to their own service or app.
Cross-platform Support for Player
When integrating ready-made components, developers can avail of all of the perks wrapped up within the tools. One of the key benefits of using such SDKs is rooted in the fact that they provide cross-platform support for applications. This means that through using software libraries, the developer apps can be utilized across multiple platforms such as Android, iOS, and both mobile and desktop browsers. To achieve this level of configuration without the use of an SDK, would require immense funding and developer resources.
Bambuser
Bambuser offers a comprehensive and end-to-end mobile live video solution, with both a Broadcast and Player SDK included as standard features. Many mobile live video service providers will offer both SDKs as part of their product offering, however, these will often be at an additional cost to customers, as they are frequently sold as additional line items to the general mobile live video platform. Along with the included SDKs, we also provide advanced APIs, and full documentation for developers to be able to get mobile live video up and running within their web and mobile applications within a matter of minutes.
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