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Wikimedia Trying P2P Video Distribution
bigmammoth writes "One potential problem with campaigns and programs to increase video on Wikimedia sites is that video is many times more costly to distribute than text and images. The P2P-Next consortium has created an HTML5 streaming BitTorrent browser add-on to try and help experiment with ways to reduce the costs of video distribution. As described in a Wikimedia tech blog post, once the SwarmPlayer add-on is installed, and when using the multimedia beta, video on the site will be streamed via the hybrid HTTP / BitTorrent SwarmPlayer. For smooth playback the Swarmplayer downloads high priority pieces over HTTP while getting low priority bits from the BitTorrent swarm. The same technology is available for experimentation with any site via the standalone version of the Kaltura HTML5 Media library."
This is good news. It'll:
a) make it a lot easier to compete with the likes of youtube.
b) be very easy to take advantage of, once integrated into CMS's.
c) make it a lot harder to argue that P2P is only something that pirates use, rather than simply modern technology.
"It is unfortunately not available for your browser"
1) less intrusive ads
2) you would be relying on a commercial third-party, which is bad. What if Youtube suddenly decides to go pay-per-view? What if it closes?
3) you, and not Google, should get to decide what is "fair use"
My first program:
Hell Segmentation fault
Not being at the whims of a private company that can do what they please with the videos, including censoring?
It's not about Wikimedia having control, it's about not giving control to some company. Bittorrent puts us all in control.
Dilbert RSS feed
Didn't you read that this is a hybrid system? If there are no seeders, everything will come over HTTP.
Jeez, people really aren't even bothering to read even the summaries now.
PLEASE SEED!!