When computer devices hook up to a network via modem and public phone system on a pay-per-time basis. Usually dial-up connections offer limited bandwidths. The alternative to a dial-up connection is a leased line that offers continuous access at a constant bandwidth to a network.

An electronic technology that generates, stores, and processes data in terms of two states: positive and non-positive. Data transmitted or stored with digital technology is expressed as a string of 0's and 1's. Each of these state digits is referred to as a bit (and a string of bits that a computer can address individually as a group is a byte). Before Digital technology evolved there was analog.

The act of transmitting a file from a server to a client computer or device. The entire file is transmitted and saved for offline viewing.

Digital Rights Management – A technology used to secure digital files, protect the interests of copyright owners, and maintain control of access to that content. This often requires a server with a back-end database to manage the rights and licenses, which can be customized based on numerous parameters depending on the license specifications. DRM often brings with it cross-platform compatibility and file management issues, so careful consideration should be made before applying these techniques.