Multicast

Multicast is a specific term used in computer networking. It is a group communication in which data transmissions are routed to a group of target computers at the same time. Multicast distribution can be one-to-many or many-to-many.

Applications

• Live TV and Internet radio via the Internet.
• Video conferencing and webcast
• Send other sorts of data like news, stock quotes, and even digital copies of software, via the internet. 
• Helps minimise Internet bandwidth utilisation by efficiently transmitting data to several users, regardless of the application.

Pros

• Lessens CPU load on client computers
• Highly bandwidth saving
• Lowers the amount of streaming host required

Cons

• No reliability 
• Generation of Replicas