Introduction
In the world of online video streaming, two common terms are often confused: Adaptive Bitrate (ABR) streaming and Multi-Bitrate (MBR) streaming. While they are related, they refer to different concepts. Understanding the difference is essential for anyone building or managing a video platform.
What Is Multi-Bitrate (MBR) Streaming?
Multi-Bitrate streaming means that a single video is encoded at multiple quality levels (bitrates and resolutions). For example, the same video might be available at 360p, 480p, 720p, and 1080p. These multiple versions are stored on the server and made available for playback.
The key point here is that MBR is about the encoding and storage side — having multiple versions of the video ready to serve.
What Is Adaptive Bitrate (ABR) Streaming?
Adaptive Bitrate streaming is the delivery mechanism that takes advantage of multi-bitrate content. ABR dynamically switches between the available quality levels during playback based on the viewer's current network conditions and device capabilities.
If a viewer's internet connection slows down, ABR automatically switches to a lower bitrate version to prevent buffering. When the connection improves, it switches back to a higher quality. This all happens seamlessly without the viewer needing to do anything.
Key Differences
MBR is the preparation — encoding your video at multiple bitrates. ABR is the intelligence — automatically selecting the right bitrate during playback. You need MBR content in order to enable ABR streaming. ABR protocols like HLS and MPEG-DASH are the technologies that implement this adaptive switching.
How Kavimo Handles This
Kavimo automatically transcodes your uploaded videos into multiple bitrates (MBR) and delivers them using adaptive streaming protocols (ABR) such as HLS. This ensures that every viewer — regardless of their internet speed or device — gets the best possible playback experience.