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UMW Libraries
Simpson Library | Special Collections

Streaming Video

A guide to streaming videos available to the UMW community

About this Guide

This LibGuide provides access to streaming video resources available at the University of Mary Washington.  Use the tabs on the left to access content from different video providers and video sources openly available on the web.  

  • Films on Demand
  • Academic Video Onine (AVON)
  • Theatre Performance and Design
  • Sage Video
  • DocuSeek
  • Kanopy
  • ​American History in Video
  • Open Videos

What is Streaming Video?

Streaming video is a means of delivering video content to computer and personal devices via an Internet connection without requiring any additional equipment for decoding or downloading.  Streaming video differs from downloads in that no copy of the file is stored on the end-user's device, so files remain relatively secure.

Because of the large file sizes associated with video, streaming video are "compressed."  This compression can impact image quality when played full-screen or projected.  A high speed internet connection is essential for the best possible video quality.  Dial-up connections generally are too slow to adequately deliver streaming videos without experiencing problems while watching the content..