diff --git a/config/development.json b/config/development.json
index 691528f2..9b0e04cf 100644
--- a/config/development.json
+++ b/config/development.json
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@
 	},
 	"Database": {
 		"MySqlConnectionUri": "none",
-		"PublishUploadPath": "C:\\lbry\\speech\\hosted_content"
+		"PublishUploadPath": "C:\\lbry\\speech\\hosted_content\\"
 	},
 	"Logging": {
 		"LogLevel": "silly",
diff --git a/routes/api-routes.js b/routes/api-routes.js
index f3e06263..67c82d95 100644
--- a/routes/api-routes.js
+++ b/routes/api-routes.js
@@ -7,7 +7,15 @@ const { createPublishParams, validateFile } = require('../helpers/libraries/publ
 const errorHandlers = require('../helpers/libraries/errorHandlers.js');
 const { postToStats, sendGoogleAnalytics } = require('../controllers/statsController.js');
 
+const config = require('config');
+const hostedContentPath = config.get('Database.PublishUploadPath');
+
 module.exports = app => {
+  // route to run a claim_list request on the daemon
+  app.get('/api/streamFile/:name', ({ params, headers }, res) => {
+    const filePath = `${hostedContentPath}${params.name}`;
+    res.status(200).sendFile(filePath);
+  });
   // route to run a claim_list request on the daemon
   app.get('/api/claim_list/:name', ({ headers, ip, originalUrl, params }, res) => {
     // google analytics
diff --git a/routes/sockets-routes.js b/routes/sockets-routes.js
index 7f3179e4..a828737c 100644
--- a/routes/sockets-routes.js
+++ b/routes/sockets-routes.js
@@ -1,5 +1,4 @@
 const logger = require('winston');
-const fs = require('fs');
 const publishController = require('../controllers/publishController.js');
 const publishHelpers = require('../helpers/libraries/publishHelpers.js');
 const errorHandlers = require('../helpers/libraries/errorHandlers.js');
@@ -57,42 +56,6 @@ module.exports = (app, siofu, hostedContentPath) => {
         // to-do: remove the file if not done automatically
       }
     });
-    // handle asset requests
-    socket.on('asset-request', filePath => {
-      logger.debug('received a request for the following file', filePath);
-      fs.readFile(filePath, (err, assetBuffer) => {
-        if (err) {
-          logger.error('fs.readFile error', err);
-          return;
-        };
-        // set the data
-        const fileExtension = filePath.substring(filePath.lastIndexOf('.'));
-        let data = {
-          type  : null,
-          buffer: assetBuffer.toString('base64'),
-        };
-        switch (fileExtension) {
-          case '.jpeg' || '.jpg':
-            data['type'] = 'image/jpeg';
-            break;
-          case '.gif':
-            data['type'] = 'image/gif';
-            break;
-          case '.png':
-            data['type'] = 'image/png';
-            break;
-          case '.mp4':
-            data['type'] = 'video/mp4';
-            break;
-          default:
-            data['type'] = 'image/jpeg';
-            logger.warn('showing file with unknown type as jpeg');
-            break;
-        }
-        // send the asset
-        socket.emit('asset-transfer', data);
-      });
-    });
     // handle disconnect
     socket.on('disconnect', () => {
       logger.silly('a user disconnected via sockets');
diff --git a/views/partials/asset.handlebars b/views/partials/asset.handlebars
index 96cdf84f..44c5a873 100644
--- a/views/partials/asset.handlebars
+++ b/views/partials/asset.handlebars
@@ -1,35 +1,13 @@
 <div class="panel">
-	<div id="asset-placeholder" data-filepath="{{{fileInfo.filePath}}}">
-		<p> loading... </p>
+	<div id="asset-placeholder" data-filename="{{{fileInfo.fileName}}}">
+		{{#ifConditional fileInfo.fileType '===' 'video/mp4'}}
+			<video class="show-asset" autoplay controls>
+				<source src="/api/streamFile/{{fileInfo.fileName}}">
+				{{!--fallback--}}
+				Your browser does not support the <code>video</code> element.
+			</video>
+		{{else}}
+			<img  class="show-asset src="/api/streamFile/{{fileInfo.fileName}}" />
+		{{/ifConditional}}
 	</div>
-</div>
-
-<script src="/socket.io/socket.io.js"></script>
-<script type="text/javascript">
-	var socket = io();
-	var filePath = document.getElementById('asset-placeholder').dataset.filepath;
-	if (filePath) {
-		// send request for the file
-		socket.emit('asset-request', filePath);
-		// update the html
-		document.getElementById('asset-placeholder').innerHTML = '<p>Loading...</p><div id="progress-bar"></div>';
-		// start a progress animation
-		createProgressBar(document.getElementById('progress-bar'), 12);
-	}
-	// wait for the file to be sent
-	socket.on('asset-transfer', function(data) {
-		switch (data.type) {
-			case 'image/jpeg':
-			case 'image/gif':
-			case 'image/png':
-				const base64Image = 'data:' + data.type + ';base64,' + data.buffer;
-				document.getElementById("asset-placeholder").innerHTML = '<img class="show-asset" src="' + base64Image + '"/>';
-				break;
-			case 'video/mp4':
-				const base64video = 'data:' + data.type + ';base64,' + data.buffer;
-				document.getElementById("asset-placeholder").innerHTML = '<video class="show-asset" preload="none" autoplay controls> <source src="' + base64video + '"></video>';
-				break;
-			default: break;
-		}
-	});
-</script>
\ No newline at end of file
+</div>
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/views/partials/assetInfo.handlebars b/views/partials/assetInfo.handlebars
index ac51be25..6aa678a4 100644
--- a/views/partials/assetInfo.handlebars
+++ b/views/partials/assetInfo.handlebars
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@
 	Embed HTML
 	<br/>
 	{{#ifConditional fileInfo.fileType '===' 'video/mp4'}}
-		<input type="text" id="embed-text" class="link" readonly="true" spellcheck="false" value='&lt;video controls>&lt;source src="https://spee.ch/{{fileInfo.name}}/{{fileInfo.claimId}}" />&lt;/video>'/>
+		<input type="text" id="embed-text" class="link" readonly="true" spellcheck="false" value='&lt;video autoplay controls>&lt;source src="https://spee.ch/{{fileInfo.name}}/{{fileInfo.claimId}}" />&lt;/video>'/>
 	{{else}}
 		<input type="text" id="embed-text" class="link" readonly="true" spellcheck="false" value='&lt;img src="https://spee.ch/{{fileInfo.name}}/{{fileInfo.claimId}}" />'/>
 	{{/ifConditional}}
diff --git a/views/showLite.handlebars b/views/showLite.handlebars
index f57a67ce..e2550ed1 100644
--- a/views/showLite.handlebars
+++ b/views/showLite.handlebars
@@ -1,33 +1,11 @@
-<div id="asset-placeholder" data-filepath="{{{fileInfo.filePath}}}">
-	<p> loading... </p>
-</div>
-
-<script src="/socket.io/socket.io.js"></script>
-<script type="text/javascript">
-	var socket = io();
-	var filePath = document.getElementById('asset-placeholder').dataset.filepath;
-	if (filePath) {
-		// send request for the file
-		socket.emit('asset-request', filePath);
-		// update the html
-		document.getElementById('asset-placeholder').innerHTML = '<p>Loading...</p><div id="progress-bar"></div>';
-		// start a progress animation
-		createProgressBar(document.getElementById('progress-bar'), 12);
-	}
-	// wait for the file to be sent
-	socket.on('asset-transfer', function(data) {
-		switch (data.type) {
-			case 'image/jpeg':
-			case 'image/gif':
-			case 'image/png':
-				const base64Image = 'data:' + data.type + ';base64,' + data.buffer;
-				document.getElementById("asset-placeholder").innerHTML = '<img class="show-asset-lite" src="' + base64Image + '"/>';
-				break;
-			case 'video/mp4':
-				const base64video = 'data:' + data.type + ';base64,' + data.buffer;
-				document.getElementById("asset-placeholder").innerHTML = '<video class="show-asset-lite" autoplay controls> <source src="' + base64video + '"></video>';
-				break;
-			default: break;
-		}
-	});
-</script>
\ No newline at end of file
+<div id="asset-placeholder" data-filename="{{{fileInfo.fileName}}}">
+	{{#ifConditional fileInfo.fileType '===' 'video/mp4'}}
+		<video class="show-asset-lite" autoplay controls>
+			<source src="/api/streamFile/{{fileInfo.fileName}}">
+			{{!--fallback--}}
+			Your browser does not support the <code>video</code> element.
+		</video>
+	{{else}}
+		<img class="show-asset-lite" src="/api/streamFile/{{fileInfo.fileName}}" />
+	{{/ifConditional}}
+</div>
\ No newline at end of file