WebRTC vs HLS / RTMP

For interactive live video, the transport decides the experience. HLS is built for scale and VOD-like delivery; WebRTC is built for latency.

Latency

HLS/DASH are segmented protocols: several seconds of segment duration are structurally unavoidable. WebRTC (WHIP in, WHEP out) delivers sub-second end-to-end, which is what makes live interaction possible.

Playback and security

WebRTC plays natively in the browser with no plugin or player app, and media is encrypted end to end with DTLS-SRTP. HLS relies on standard HTTP/TLS but is not end-to-end encrypted by default.

Where PPCDN fits

PPCDN deliberately uses WHIP/SRT for ingest and WHEP for playback, and does not offer HLS/FLV, because interactive use cases cannot tolerate segment delay.

FAQ

Is HLS ever the right choice?

For large-scale, non-interactive or VOD-style delivery, HLS is a good fit; for live interaction, it is not.

Can I mix both?

You could, but PPCDN intentionally standardizes on WebRTC end to end to keep latency and operations simple.

Does WebRTC scale?

Yes — PPCDN distributes over an Origin/Edge network with P2P offload to control egress cost.

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