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HLS and MPEG DASH Adaptive Streaming on Every Device

HLS and MPEG DASH adjust video quality in real time for fast starts, minimal buffering and reliable streaming.

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Web player playing Sunrise at Marlow Street on a laptop with its Quality menu open, beside the same title's page on a phone

Why Adaptive Streaming Matters

Every title on Vodlix is encoded into a ladder of renditions, from SD up to 4K, and delivered as an adaptive stream. The player measures each viewer's connection and moves up or down that ladder as conditions change, so playback keeps going instead of stalling. Viewers can leave quality on Auto or pick a rendition from the player's Quality menu. The result is less buffering, fewer drop offs and more engaged viewing, on mobile networks, home broadband and smart TVs alike.


The player's Quality menu listing Auto, 360p, 720p, 1080p, 1440p and 2160p, with Auto playing the 1440p rendition
Adaptive icon

Automatically adjusts video quality in real time based on network speed and device capability

Fast icon

Reduces buffering and playback interruptions, keeping viewers engaged longer

Compat icon

Optimizes bandwidth usage to deliver consistent performance for live and on-demand content at scale

HLS and MPEG-DASH adaptive streaming icon
Real time quality

Adjusts to network and device.

HLS and MPEG-DASH adaptive streaming icon
Fast starts

Minimal buffering.

HLS and MPEG-DASH adaptive streaming icon
Broad reach

iOS, Android, web and smart TVs.

A title's Add Media panel on the HLS manifest tab, with CloudFront as stream provider and an HLS URL

HLS for Broad Device Compatibility

HLS is the default delivery format on Vodlix. Uploaded titles are encoded, segmented and served as HLS through the CDN, and HLS plays natively on Apple devices and in the apps and web player everywhere else: iOS, Android, web browsers and smart TVs. If a title already streams elsewhere, point it at that manifest from Add Media instead of uploading it: choose the stream provider, paste the HLS URL and the title plays from there. Live channels take an HLS URL the same way.


Video & Playback settings, DRM tab: Enable DRM switched on with PlayReady, Widevine and FairPlay licence URLs

MPEG DASH for Flexible, Open Delivery

MPEG DASH is the open, codec agnostic standard for adaptive delivery, widely used on Android, web and connected TV devices. The Vodlix web player has a DASH engine built in and plays DASH manifests alongside HLS, and DASH can be chosen as the streaming format where your setup calls for it. HLS stays the recommended default because DASH does not play on iOS. For premium content, switch on DRM and add your PlayReady, Widevine and FairPlay licence servers once: the player uses FairPlay on Apple devices and Widevine everywhere else.


CDN Analytics showing bandwidth used, requests served, cache hit rate and errors over a week, with a daily Bandwidth Served chart

Optimised Bandwidth at Scale

Adaptive streaming uses bandwidth efficiently: each viewer receives the best rendition their connection can sustain, not the largest file, so capacity is not wasted and playback does not stall. Streams are served from the CDN's cache, which keeps delivery consistent when a premiere draws a large simultaneous audience. CDN Analytics shows the bandwidth used, requests served, cache hit rate and errors by day or by hour, so you can watch delivery hold up as your audience grows.


Frequently Asked Questions

Have questions about taking advantage of this limited-time offer? Check out the FAQ for answers.

What do HLS and MPEG DASH do on Vodlix?
HLS is the adaptive streaming format Vodlix delivers video in by default, and the Vodlix player also plays MPEG DASH. Both adjust quality in real time to each viewer's network and device, keeping playback smooth.
How does adaptive streaming help my viewers?
Adaptive streaming on Vodlix reduces buffering and drop offs by serving the best quality a connection can sustain, which keeps viewers engaged across live and on demand content.
Which devices do HLS and MPEG DASH support?
HLS plays on iOS, Android, web browsers, smart TVs and connected devices, which is why it is the Vodlix default. MPEG DASH covers Android, web and most connected TVs, but not iOS.
Do HLS and DASH work for both live and on demand video?
Yes. On demand titles and live channels both stream as adaptive HLS, and a title or channel can also point at an HLS stream you already run elsewhere.
Does adaptive streaming manage bandwidth costs?
Yes. Vodlix adaptive streaming uses bandwidth efficiently by serving each viewer only the rendition their connection can handle, which keeps delivery costs proportionate while protecting quality.
Does Vodlix pick the right stream for each viewer automatically?
The quality, yes: on Auto the player picks the rendition from the viewer’s connection, with no manual setup. The format is a platform setting, with HLS as the default because it plays everywhere, including iOS. With DRM on, the player also picks the licence system itself: FairPlay on Apple devices, Widevine elsewhere.
Can HLS and MPEG-DASH be used for live streaming?
Yes. Both protocols support live streaming as well as video-on-demand, making them ideal for events, channels, and scheduled broadcasts.
Are HLS and MPEG-DASH secure?
Both protocols support encrypted delivery. On plans that include DRM, you add your PlayReady, Widevine and FairPlay licence servers under Video & Playback settings to protect premium and monetized content.
Do these protocols support multiple video qualities?
Yes. Vodlix encodes each title into the resolutions you enable, from 240p to 2160p, and the player switches between them for the best viewing any connection allows.
Will adaptive streaming work on low-bandwidth networks?
Absolutely. HLS and MPEG-DASH are designed to perform reliably even on slower or unstable networks by automatically lowering video quality when needed.