When live broadcasting, a lot happens behind the scenes. The final product viewers perceive when they watch your material results from many technologies working together. Delivering the footage from the camera to the encoder, then to the video host, and lastly to the viewers is one technological component of this process. HLS vs DASH streaming formats are two of the most popular streaming protocols used by professional broadcasters.
For content delivery systems, developers, and companies looking to offer seamless streaming experiences, choosing among the standards is essential since each one has distinct benefits and drawbacks.
Why someone would select one protocol over another might stay on your mind. Your use case will determine the response. In all honesty, they serve their purposes effectively and are rather comparable. If you’re thinking about utilizing only one in your company’s video application rather than DASH vs HLS, there are a few differences to keep in mind.
Keep reading and exploring to learn the differences between DASH vs HLS, and which is the better protocol is better in 2025.
Table of Contents
HLS vs DASH: What Are They?
We’d love to discuss the concepts of both HLS vs DASH streaming before getting into a direct comparison. This will make you better understand, even if you are a beginner and eager to learn about how these streaming protocols work.
Understanding HLS
HTTP Live Streaming is a short form for HLS. It is a system that allows live video to be streamed online. HLS was first created by Apple to enable live streaming on the iPhone. Although the HLS format was initially only compatible with iPhones, it is now a proprietary format that is supported by nearly all devices.
HLS uses normal HTTP web servers to distribute content, as the name suggests. This implies that delivering HLS material doesn’t require any extra infrastructure. Any CDN or normal web server will function. Another benefit of this protocol is that it makes it less probable for firewalls to reject material.
HLS can play the Video encrypted with the HEVC/H.265 or H.264.
HLS operates by breaking up a video into manageable chunks, each of which may have many variations encoded at varying quality levels for a specific resolution. This enables client-side video to dynamically transition between several quality settings based on several variables, including internet connection and the capabilities of the device in use, while maintaining a consistent resolution, giving the viewer the greatest possible experience.
Now, let’s discuss about DASH adaptive streaming protocol before getting into the HLS vs DASH comparison.
Understanding DASH
The next streaming protocol we’ll look at in this DASH vs HLS comparison is the DASH adaptive streaming extension. An emerging rival to the HLS format, which has become increasingly popular in recent years, is the DASH video format extension, a more modern standard.
The fragmentation of the video streaming business prompted the creation of this protocol. Several alternative video streaming protocols competed with Apple’s HLS at the time. Standards groups created a DASH video format server as a substitute, unified streaming protocol because the conclusion was unclear. To make sure there was a standard that everyone could utilize, DASH streaming was created.
Different bit rates serve to encode each block. No matter the state of the network, playback will always be seamless. This method differs from HLS in that it uses a manifest file called MPD (Media Presentation Description). For convenience, this file lists the locations and arrangements of the audio and video portions. DASH streaming protocol is popular for its secure private streaming and adjustable bitrate.
Similar to another streaming technology, HLS, MPEG-DASH divides films into smaller segments and encodes those segments at varying quality levels. Streaming videos at multiple quality levels and switching between them amid a video are made feasible by this.
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DASH vs HLS: What Are The Key Differences?
Now it is time we discuss the HLS vs DASH key differences so that you can better understand which live streaming protocol is better in 2025.
Support
The streaming market that was in contention a few years ago was supposed to be replaced by MPEG-DASH. Since HLS is now the most employable protocol and HDS and Smooth Streaming have become less significant, the situation has changed.
HLS video format must become compatible with all current devices, including different Android versions, iOS, Windows, Mac, Linux, Chrome OS, and others. This covers set-top boxes, game consoles, and smart TVs.
Nevertheless, the mobile Safari browser does not support the MPEG-DASH player. This is a significant drawback for HLS vs DASH because the majority of users of iPhones, iPads, and Apple TVs utilize the inherent Safari browser.
Compatibility of Platforms
With its smooth integration with gadgets like iPhones, iPads, and Apple TVs, HLS is a technology that mostly flourishes within Apple’s ecosystems. Its adaptability has increased, though, since it is currently being used more and more on a variety of other platforms.
DASH adaptive streaming, on the other hand, is designed with global compatibility in mind. Since VLC works well on many kinds of operating systems, including Windows PCs, Android phones, and various smart TVs, this makes it a more flexible option for video streaming across platforms.
Top-Quality Streaming
High-grade DASH streaming is vital as the foundation of a good viewing experience. High-quality HD streaming is a top issue for broadcasters since viewers can become quite irritated by poor-quality feeds. The brief answer to the question of whether HLS vs DASH can provide higher quality is straightforward: the two are not that different.
In the past, MPEG-DASH was superior. However, this is no longer the case. DASH video format might provide higher quality at lower bitrates because it is codec-neutral. Nevertheless, HLS now supports HEVC/H.265. This effectively removes this difference by providing quality that is nearly equal to that of other leading codecs or containers.
What about resolve, then? Similarly, MPEG-DASH was once utilized to handle video with a higher quality than HLS. But in late 2017, HLS began to support 4K video quality. This enhancement removed another distinction between DASH vs HLS.
HDR (High Dynamic Range), which can provide a greater color range and improved tone rendering, is likewise supported by both protocols. Regarding overall streaming video quality, both MPEG-DASH and HLS are capable of producing high-quality video. Both win in this regard when comparing HLS vs DASH.
Playback Support
All of Apple’s products and a great many Android mobile devices have native HLS support. Conversely, there is no natural support for MPEG-DASH on any gadget. Instead, it depends on external agents. This shows that HLS is more generally appropriate than MPEG-DASH.
MPEG-DASH streams come with a variety of protocols—including HTTP, HTTPS, and RTSP (Real-Time Streaming Protocol)—whereas HLS streams usually arrive over HTTP or HTTPS. Another major difference between HLS vs DASH is this. This shows that MPEG-DASH streams call for a player with special protocol support. Still, you can play HLS streams effortlessly in a browser without any need for additional software.
Latency
Mainly due to the use of bigger segment sizes, HTTP Live Streaming (HLS) has always suffered from higher latency rates. Particularly difficult for live shows where real-time interaction is vital for video search engines, media playback could quite clearly lag as a result.
Nevertheless, these latency issues have been greatly reduced with the advent of low-latency HLS (LL-HLS). Media can be delivered more quickly because of LL-HLS’s use of lower segment sizes and improved management of evergreen material.
Dynamic Adaptive Streaming across HTTP (DASH), on the other hand, offers streaming apps that naturally reduce latency since it is built to solve latency concerns from the start. Because of this built-in benefit, DASH streaming protocol is a better choice between DASH vs HLS for live-streaming situations where audience participation in real-time and fast reaction times are crucial.
ABR Segmentation
HLS segments are in the MPEG-2 Transport Stream or MPEG-4 Part 14 format. Moreover, the video streams have a set segment duration of 6 seconds with a 3-segment buffer.
On the other hand, between HLS vs DASH, MPEG-DASH offers a smoother and faster streaming experience with a shorter latency and more frequent segment updates. It does this by using the MPEG-4 Part 30 (ISO Base Media File Format) for its segments, which have a variable segment length (a range of 2-10 seconds, with no buffer demands) that can be changed depending on network conditions.
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Support For DRM And Data Encryption
HLS (HTTP Live Streaming) is especially well-suited for situations that revolve around Apple devices since it uses FairPlay for data protection and Digital Rights Management (DRM).
On the other hand, DASH (Dynamic Adaptive Streaming over HTTP) offers more versatility and adaptation across many platforms because it is compatible with several DRM schemes, such as Widevine and PlayReady. Therefore, DASH is a clear winner in the DASH vs HLS vs smooth streaming. Now, let’s talk about which is a better choice after the head-to-head HLS vs DASH comparison.
HLS vs DASH: Which One to Choose in 2025?
There is significant feature equivalency between HLS vs DASH, as this blog emphasizes. Both protocols are strong and dependable for internet video delivery. However, we believe that the compatibility issue is what leads to balances in favor of the HLS video format. Quite simply, DASH adaptive streaming is not as widely compatible as HLS. With over a billion iOS users worldwide, the majority of them are unable to play DASH video streams unless they utilize third-party browsers.
An audience that enormous is too big to ignore. In light of this, we have determined that HLS is the most suitable protocol for live streaming back in 2022 and the years to come. Due to its restricted audience reach, the DASH streaming technology is currently a subpar one.
The functionality and compatibility you require are provided by the HLS format. Updates to MPEG-DASH that enable mobile Safari would undoubtedly alter this result. Several variables, such as your target audience, compatible devices, Android apps, and latency needs, will influence your decision between DASH vs HLS.
Pick HLS if:
- The majority of your audience uses Apple products.
- You require a protocol with strong encryption options and ease of implementation.
- Latency is not a major issue.
Pick MPEG-DASH if
- You require a more general solution because you are streaming to a variety of devices.
- For your application (such as live auctions or sports), low latency is crucial.
- You desire better streaming quality and flexibility when choosing a codec.
MPEGTS vs HLS: Which is a Better Streaming Protocol?
Both MPEGTS vs HLS have benefits and drawbacks. You should always take into account the needs of any streaming service. You should ascertain your audience and streaming goal before selecting a video streaming protocol.
Compared to HLS, MPEGTS provides better audio and visual quality. However, compared to the HLS, it needs more bandwidth and storage space. MPEG TS files also take longer to download or store before playback since they are bigger than HLS files. Due to the possibility of delays while waiting for their content development to begin playing, this might interfere with streaming services that have big user bases. Now, the final decision is up to you whether you must choose MPEGTS or HLS streaming protocol.
Conclusion
HLS vs DASH each offer advantages, and the best option for you will depend on your unique streaming needs. For Apple-centered surroundings and user friendliness, HLS is an excellent option. For critical concerns of open-source flexibility and low latency, MPEG-DASH is a better alternative. Still, both DASH vs HLS deployments are complex processes for which developers will need huge amounts of time and effort. In essence, there are notable differences between HLS and DASH that could affect your choice depending on your specific needs, even if both offer efficient methods of distributing video content online.
While DASH provides more flexibility and is favored for low-latency use cases, HLS is more appropriate for delivering content to Apple devices and has a wider range of compatibility. Comment below if you have any kind of queries about the HLS vs DASH comparison. Our professional team will surely assist you accordingly.
FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)
Does YouTube Use HLS Or DASH?
Dynamic Adaptive Streaming over HTTP, or DASH streaming protocol, is the main method YouTube has used to stream video content. DASH is the standard for YouTube’s adaptive streaming features, even though HLS (HTTP Live Streaming) is also a protocol.
Does YouTube Still Use DASH?
Yes, in addition to other protocols like HLS, YouTube still supports Dynamic Adaptive Streaming over HTTP (DASH), especially for better quality broadcasts and in HTML5 players.
Is HLS Good For Streaming?
Both live and pre-recorded video and audio may be delivered over the internet using the HLS streaming protocol, which stands for HTTP Live Streaming. HLS-enabled video streams offer the highest quality available when paired with HTML5 video players. Both viewers and broadcasters will benefit from this.
Does Netflix Use HLS?
Indeed, Netflix delivers video content via HTTP Live Streaming (HLS), which guarantees adaptive bitrate streaming and consistent viewing quality across a range of devices and network circumstances.