Which protocol is preferred for streaming media due to its speed, despite not ensuring delivery?

The preferred protocol for streaming media is UDP, primarily due to its speed and efficiency in handling real-time data transmission. Unlike TCP, which establishes a reliable connection and ensures that packets are delivered in order and without errors, UDP sends packets without the overhead of connection management and error-checking features. This lack of delivery guarantee is advantageous for streaming applications, as they require minimal latency and can tolerate some loss of data.

In applications like video or audio streaming, real-time performance is crucial; a slight delay could result in choppy playback. UDP allows for faster transmission by sending packets directly to the destination without waiting for acknowledgments, making it ideal for scenarios where speed is prioritized over complete accuracy—like live broadcasts or online gaming.

This efficiency is not found in TCP, which, although reliable, introduces delays from its error-checking and retransmission practices. The other protocols mentioned, such as IP and ICMP, serve different purposes—IP is fundamentally a layer that transmits packets across networks, while ICMP is used for diagnostic and error-reporting tasks, making them unsuitable for the direct streaming needs of media content.