WebDAV
WebDAV (Web Distributed Authoring and Versioning) extends standard HTTP with methods like PROPFIND, GET ranges, and PUT, so a remote file server can be mounted as a drive. The operating system sees it as a normal folder, and applications read and write files through it without knowing the network is involved.
For video editing, WebDAV lets you stream the original files from the cloud to your NLE at export time, without downloading the full content to local disk. The NLE sees a drive letter or mount point, reads blocks on demand, and decodes them exactly as if they were local MXFs or R3Ds.
WebDAV is appealing because it needs no kernel driver: it is just HTTP, so the OS and NLE already know how to mount and read it. The catch for video is seeking. Random access inside a large file relies on HTTP Range requests (asking for bytes 500 MB to 520 MB, say), and not every WebDAV client issues them well. Windows' built-in WebClient redirector in particular tends to request whole files rather than ranges, which makes scrubbing a 40 GB original over WebDAV painful. That limitation is why a streaming workflow often prefers a real virtual-filesystem driver on Windows and keeps WebDAV where its client behaves, such as macOS.
Security matters because the mount is a live door to your media. A well-built local WebDAV server listens only on the loopback address, authenticates every request with a per-session token, and rejects requests that carry a browser Origin header, since a real NLE never sends one. The result is a drive that behaves like local storage to the editor while the actual bytes are fetched on demand from the cloud, block by block, and nothing but the editing application can reach them.
Examples
- •macOS mount_webdav presents a remote URL as /Volumes/MyShare
- •Windows net use maps a drive letter like Z: to a remote file server
- •NextCloud and ownCloud expose user storage as a mountable network drive
In Sanbila
Sanbila streams originals from cloud storage to your NLE through a virtual drive that the NLE reads as a local folder. The protocol details are abstracted from the user, so no manual mount setup is required.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between WebDAV and a virtual drive like Dokan?+
WebDAV is an HTTP-level protocol the OS mounts without any special driver, which makes it simple but dependent on how well the client handles HTTP Range requests. A virtual-filesystem driver such as Dokan on Windows (or FUSE on Linux) runs lower down and passes the application's real read(offset, length) calls through, so seeking inside a huge file works reliably. Both can present cloud media as a local drive; the driver route gives better random access.
Why can scrubbing be slow over WebDAV on Windows?+
Because smooth scrubbing needs the client to ask for just the bytes around the playhead using HTTP Range requests, and Windows' built-in WebDAV redirector tends to request whole files instead. On a 40 GB original that means pulling far more than you need for each seek. This is the specific reason a streaming workflow often uses a dedicated virtual drive on Windows and reserves WebDAV for clients that issue ranges well.
Is the WebDAV mount secure?+
A properly built local WebDAV server listens only on the loopback address, requires a unique per-session token on every request, and refuses any request carrying a browser Origin header, which a real NLE never sends. So the media is reachable by your editing application but not by a web page or another device, and the originals themselves stay in cloud storage, fetched on demand.
Related terms
Sources
- RFC 4918: HTTP Extensions for WebDAV · IETF
- Map a network drive in Windows · Microsoft
- Connect to a WebDAV server on Mac · Apple