Apparatus and method for providing streaming service in a data communication network

A client device for receiving digital media data, the client device comprising:

• a transmitter;
• a receiver configured to receive, from a server, service description information required for a streaming service of a particular content;
• and
• a controller configured to detect an initial client device of neighboring client devices based on the service description information, control the transmitter to transmits, to the initial client device, a join request message to be forwarded from the initial client device to the neighboring client devices, when a partnership request message, including information on client devices capable of providing digital media data for the particular content, is received from one of the neighboring client devices, request, to at least one target client device detected based on the information on client devices, the digital media data, and receiving, from the at least one target client device, the digital media data by controlling the receiver,
• wherein the digital media data is included in a packetized elementary stream (PES) according to a moving picture experts group (MPEG)-2 transport format, or a movie fragment according to an MPEG-4 transport format.