Apple TV to be a Centrally Controlled P2P Network? 165
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?
"Bob"? (Score:4, Informative)
Re:Suddenly it doesn't seem like such a waste (Score:3, Informative)
Obviously hasn't seen Apple's presentations (Score:5, Informative)
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? (Score:1, Informative)
No SD output. (Score:4, Informative)
Re:Maybe, depends on Fees (Score:1, Informative)
(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:"Bob"? (Score:3, Informative)
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:I'm paying for distribution now, too? (Score:2, Informative)
- 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 (Score:3, Informative)
Re:No SD output. (Score:1, Informative)
Re:Anything that is free (Score:2, Informative)
For that matter, you have 4 other neighbors on your street that regularly leave their doors unlocked. Lots of free stuff to be had.