Apple TV to be a Centrally Controlled P2P Network?

Rolgar writes "PBS' Bob Cringely theorizes that since the Apple TV will be an always-on device with a 40GB hard drive, Apple may move to content distribution via a P2P network. The ISPs will incur higher bandwidth locally, possibly lose some subscribers to cable TV, but have fewer costs through the Tier II Internet backbone providers. Bob also expects that Google will be involved with their fiber network and advertising expertise, and my hope is that they'll bundle in YouTube content as well. The article suspects that they won't get around to announcing the full details of this plan until they hit a half million units or more, and that this Apple and Google pairing will become the equivalent of a cable TV provider with almost none of the infrastructure costs. Eventually, he hopes, we'll see a real HD revolution from Apple and Google for this service." If Apple rolled something like this out to the service, would you bite on it? What would it take you to move to this over Tivo or MythTV?

Comments

"Bob"?

[The Bungi]

Has everybody forgotten "Cringely" just a pen name for Mark Stephens?

Re:"Bob"?

[Panaflex]

Fraud is a bit harsh - assumung your speaking of his "PhD" here which he explains in the slashdot interview: I think he misrepresented the facts... when you're a PhD candidate often people assume PhD, and he didn't correct everyone he ran into. It's his fault of course - but nevertheless it's not as if he "bought" a degree online or something of that nature.

Cringely:

Of course this is a long story, but the compressed version is that I did every bit of my PhD including the paper and the defense. Coming out of the defense, my committee, chaired by Nobel laureate Kenneth Arrow, asked for some changes to the paper. All I had to do was make those changes and I'd be finished! Well it was a busy time in my life. I was writing my first book, soon to be followed by a job or two and, before I knew it, I had missed the five-year deadline. I was stupid, of course, not only for wasting all that time but especially for not asking for an official leave-of-absence, which would have frozen the clock. How the lie got started was that first book called me a PhD on the jacket.

Re:Suddenly it doesn't seem like such a waste

[Nerdfest]

A 40 Gig disk doesn't go very far towards replacing a proper PVR, unless it's expandable.

Obviously hasn't seen Apple's presentations

[ironring2006]

The basis of the article title, wondering what the 40GB HD is doing, is easily answered if you watched the Apple keynote. The AppleTV, while has the ability to stream from any device on the network, is primarily more intended to be used like an iPod, syncing your latest tv shows/movies, etc. from your main computer that you would usually use to get your new content. Heck, the AppleTV is even listed as part of the iPod store option. Since its always on, it can do the syncing constantly and becomes more network connection agnostic. You don't have to worry about your wireless connection crapping out in the middle of a stream if you've got what you want to watch already on the HD. That along with standard buffering/cache/OS stuff, is all I see the HD being for.

If Apple really wanted to put out a p2p distribution node, an easier solution would be to just release it as an update to iTunes. Then they aren't limited to only the AppleTV nodes.

why would you want HD movies w/out surround snd?

[Anonymous Coward]

The appleTV only supports 2-channel stereo. Why would you want to watch High-Def video with just-blah audio?

No SD output.

[acwork2]

The thing that KILLS the Apple TV for me is the lack of SD output. I don't have an HDTV right now and don't plan on getting one anytime soon. I'd love to buy this but its few features aren't enough to convince me to buy an expensive TV that I have no need for otherwise. It would have been really simple to add a composite or s-vid out. Sure it wouldn't look quite as nice but it would open up their potential customer base but a large amount.

Re:No SD output.

[Anonymous Coward]

Component is HD also.

Yes, it's HD as well, in that it can do HD, but component video has been used for SD for ages. The iTV actually is limited to HD (it does 1080i, 720p, 576p, or 480p, but not 480i or 576i), but that's the iTV's fault, not the fault of component connections in general.

Re:Maybe, depends on Fees

[Anonymous Coward]

I may bite at such a service if Apple included the functionality in their monthly fee to use the device. If it was an added feature that carried a separate charge, I certainly would not be interested.

In their monthly fee? What monthly fee?

(Apple)TV does not require any subscription to use. The media supported by the device are in the form of open formats and the only DRM supported is FairPlay, which is used only by iTunes Store, which sells contents and not subscription.

Mod the parent FUD.

Re:I'm paying for distribution now, too?

[markjl]

Perhaps because a P2P distribution scheme like BitTorrent can be faster than:

- a big file server cluster at a single data center with a big pipe out to the entire internet. No matter how big the pipe and server cluster at the source, you've got network bandwidth constraints on getting to you at your ISP aside from your last mile connection.
This single source solution does not allow for efficient huge file distribution over the entire Internet unless each ISP can cache many huge files: I doubt many do although this also allows the ISP to advance the anti-Network Neutrality issue.

- the above content provider leveraging a content distribution network like Akamai or Kontiki, etc.: at least this helps minimize network congestion by removing hops to you, but they still have to pass through your ISP's network. This situation still can't beat local peers on your ISPs private network sharing data to you.

So while you do not always win the fastest downloads with P2P, there are still many situations where you can win.

Why hog your upstream bandwidth when it's not being used?

ISPs don't seem to constrain upstream as much they have concerns for downstream. Of course there are cases where they do and they meter for usage, but I'm not sure that's an issue with local peers on the network.

Those are my thoughts for answers, hope it helps.

Re:iTunes CAN do DivX

[steve_bryan]

I think you might be overlooking the fact that the QuickTime movie player in Apple's new device (let's call it iTV for convenience) won't have access to the divx codec that you install on your Mac. I think you would need to be able to install that codec on the iTV device and if it is a closed box that might not be an option. In other words the claim that iTV can play anything you can play with iTunes means it can play anything that iTunes with an unmodified system can play. I don't know this for a fact but it seems logical unless you can hack your iTV and install codecs on it. When the device ships we will get the answer to this question.

Re:Anything that is free

[iendedi]

I can download all the movies, TV, or music that I could want right now for free, including end-user created videos on youtube or tv shows, movies, or other "unapproved" content. It's all available for free right now.

Hey, I heard your neighbors car is available for free also. You can walk outside right now and take it. He left his keys in the ignition.

For that matter, you have 4 other neighbors on your street that regularly leave their doors unlocked. Lots of free stuff to be had.