Government-Owned Norwegian TV Station Launches BitTorrent Tracker
from the legitimate-uses... dept
As some entertainment industry folks continue to insist that BitTorrent tracker search engines have no redeeming value, we keep hearing more and more stories of content providers willingly and eagerly putting up their own torrent trackers, knowing that it's an incredibly efficient means of distributing their content. In the past, we've seen TV networks in Australia and Canada do this with individual shows, and now TorrentFreak is reporting that the government-owned Norwegian Broadcasting (NRK) has set up a BitTorrent tracker for distributing a bunch of its shows, noting that: "This type of distribution is reliable, cheap and popular with our audience." Indeed. Not only that, but by running its own tracker, NRK realizes: "we will get better statistics and gather important data about how this technology works." Even better, it plans to share some of that data for others to learn from as well.The shows will be DRM-free, and it's looking to employ a Creative Commons license on the content "to allow full freedom for our audience." Definitely nice to see someone not going down the same well-trodden road of self-defeat:
"It is important for us to start experimenting with new distribution methods. We don't want to do like the music industry. Running around thinking that people will keep driving down to a record store when they can have the content delivered with the push of a button at home."If only some others in the entertainment industry would recognize the same thing.
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Filed Under: bittorrent, culture, norway, sharing
Companies: norwegian broadcasting
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WTG Mike, you prove my points for me :)
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Think Once,
Think Twice,
Then act.
(You twit.)
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Yes, I'm a selfish, greedy bastard
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I don't have a problem with YOU using your bandwidth to download for yourself, but setting up a server and helping a company distribute their programming is beyond what your home internet connection was made for.
Basically, the company is shifting their cost to distribute to others off to you. You are no longer getting anything for "FREE!". That has got to suck.
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Basically, the company is shifting their cost to distribute to others off to you.
Actually, it's eliminating the cost, not shifting it.
Noone has to upload more than they download, and the protocol is actually so smart now it prefers to peer with those "closest" via the least number of route hops. So ISP's actually save bandwidth as well, cause their customers wind up sharing with each other on the cheap side of the connection, thus GREATLY reducing the bandwidth the ISP needs on the perimeter.
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And now I will analyze this as a source:
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@1
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some subtitles, too
If they're serious about growing their audience via bittorrent, allowing (even encouraging) 3rd-party subtitles is necessary. It's nice to see a network actively supporting this, instead of merely tolerating or being outright hostile to it.
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Re: some subtitles, too
I was going to ask about the subtitles.
I have said it before and I will say it again, there is tons of content out there. As time progresses more and more people will want me to see their content. I see no reason to pay for it when there is already tons of free content out there. I shall have to download some of these shows to check them out. The people who want me to pay before I even see it or hear it are insane. The stuff I really like, I buy the DVDs of or something similar.
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Link in story wrong?
As a rouge-blooded Canadian I'd like to see that story, eh?
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Re: Link in story wrong?
As a rouge-blooded Canadian I'd like to see that story, eh?
Oops. It's now fixed, but if you'd like to go directly, it's here:
http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20080321/145717615.shtml
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two: torrents are very reliable and any inefficiencies or speed problems are due to poor configuration and/or an inactive torrent (which is why you should use multiple trackers and DHT to get more seeders).
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Either your ISP is fucking with you connection 'cause they hate you, or your router is crying for mercy because it's not being adequately powered or cooled.
If you ask your isp, and they say they are not throttling BT, then its time to get a new router.
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BT is a very inefficient protocol, because it is way too dependent on too many moving parts. Sort of like Mike's opinion of the music business. Your average download might involve 20 or 30 different people, that many networks, routing, and all that stuff. Instead of a single effecient connection between you and the company's server, you have all sorts of connections to all sorts of places, most of which are not effecient for moving data.
BT is good for companies because distribution costs are NIL. It's the only reason anyone does it.
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It's a win for everyone.
Why youre railing against it for business use is just... ignorant?
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What planet is this?
Now, if the BITTORRENT IS EVIL crew would get a clue. Yes, I am helping pay their distribution costs and that makes it not free. But it is incredibly cheap. I know the cost, and if I want to shut down my torrent after I get my download I am able to do so.
Overall Bittorrent is incredibly efficient. Instead of making my packets hop through a couple of dozen routers from the far side of the world I may be getting them from just down the street.
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NRK are Pirates!
Damn, dirty Swedes!
Norwegians, whatever. Same thing.
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I hope they implement this kind of distribution in our country as ISPs charge us, not with our bandwidth usage but with a regular monthly fee.
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maxing bandwidth (at least download) is pretty much a good thing, it means you are getting the files fast. With bit torrent you are more likely to max your download speed and download as fast as your connection allows than you are with the a single connection to some random server. yes it will piss off other computer users, but it isn't an efficiency problem, the torrent program is being incredibly efficient by downloading as fast as it possibly can, usually much faster than the single server the user would normally download from. Here is a link with more info on how to properly configure your torrent client: http://torrentfreak.com/optimize-your-bittorrent-download-speed/
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