P2P CDN for Low-Cost Video and File Delivery

5/

Some that we should look at are:

• DC++ Hubs
• TorrentBytes
• TBDev / Early Trackers
• TBDev codebases / PureTNA
• What.CD / PassThePopcorn
• Empornium / BroadcastheNet
• RED (Redacted) / Orpheus (OPS)
• GGn (GazelleGames) / Modern Trackers
• Cross-Seed / Autobrr / BTT

(Ignore the type of content they served)

Each of these iterated on social technologies — and created P2P CDNs.

#FediDev #CDN #ContentDeliveryNetwork #ContentDistributionNetwork

P2P CDN for Low-Cost Video and File Delivery

4/

These created technical and social technologies to create P2P CDNs.

And note that I (also) said "social technologies". The social technologies were as important as the software.

P2P CDNs can hugely reduce the cost of serving files, including videos. (There is a long history of them working.)

P2P CDNs can make serving large files on the Fediverse much more viable.

#FediDev #CDN #ContentDeliveryNetwork #ContentDistributionNetwork

P2P CDN for Low-Cost Video and File Delivery

3/

There are techniques for creating a CDN that can support a community while keeping costs down.

You can trace the history of these techniques back to at least the 1990s.

Broadly speaking, these techniques were use with:

BitTorrent, Private BitTorrent Trackers, and Direct Connect.

I think the Fediverse can and should learn from these techniques, and put them to use.

#FediDev #CDN #ContentDeliveryNetwork #ContentDistributionNetwork

P2P CDN for Low-Cost Video and File Delivery

2/

There are definitely affordable commercial choices for CDNs for smaller sites and home-labers.

But, if you are trying to build a community (with many, many users) — a CDN can become expensive. Even very expensive.

(Electronic Arts (EA) has a whole team that takes up half a floor whose job iis to negotiate pricing from the Akamai CDN company.)

#FediDev #CDN #ContentDeliveryNetwork #ContentDistributionNetwork

RE: https://mastodon.social/@reiver/116681762071911900

P2P CDN for Low-Cost Video and File Delivery

1/

A CDN is a service that stores copies of your website's files in many locations around the world so visitors can download them from a nearby server instead of one far away. This makes your website load faster and stay available even when lots of people are using it at the same time.

CDNs are not only important for Fediverse servers but they are important for the Web in general

#FediDev #CDN #ContentDeliveryNetwork #ContentDistributionNetwork

PeerTube P2P protocol + HLS

2/

I imagine P2P downloads could be made more common (than they currently are) if people were encouraged to save videos locally — because they could then serve chunks of that saved video to others.

And, if people were rewarded somehow for serving video chunks to others — that could further make P2P downloads more common.

(These incentives existed for some BitTorrent sites decades ago.)

#FediDev #PeerTube

PeerTube P2P protocol + HLS

1/

PeerTube uses a P2P protocol with HLS to distribute videos — and to reduce costs for serving videos.

(It is somewhat BitTorrent / WebTorrent like.)

I wonder how often how often P2P downloads tend to happen.

It probably depends on a number of things — but it would be interesting try to understand it better.

...

#FediDev #PeerTube

Self-Hosting an ActivityPub Video Podcast Is Surprisingly Affordable

4/

When you look at the actual storage requirements, self-hosting a video podcast on the Fediverse starts to look a lot less intimidating — and a lot more realistic.

It is affordable — especially with your own HomeLab (where you buy your own hard drives rather than rent them).

#ActivityPub #FediDev #HomeLab #SelfHost #SelfHosting

Self-Hosting an ActivityPub Video Podcast Is Surprisingly Affordable

3/

A 2 TB hard drive is often available for around $50–$60, which is enough space for five years of weekly episodes.

Need more room?

4 TB, 8 TB, 12 TB, and even 16 TB drives are widely available and far more affordable than most people expect. (Ex: 8TB is about $130 to $170.)

...

#ActivityPub #FediDev #HomeLab #SelfHost #SelfHosting

Self-Hosting an ActivityPub Video Podcast Is Surprisingly Affordable

2/

A typical 1-hour podcast episode at 1080p 60 fps is around 5.4 GB.

At one episode per week, that's about 280 GB per year.

Even after 5 years, your entire podcast archive would only use about 1.4 TB of storage.

That is it.

...

#ActivityPub #FediDev #HomeLab #SelfHost #SelfHosting