Bitlet Launches BitTorrent Video Streaming
Written by Ernesto on May 04, 2009Bitlet, the first web-based BitTorrent client, is known for its innovative services and ease of use. Bitlet’s latest new feature allows users to stream video torrents directly in a web-browser – no additional software required.
In 2007 BitLet launched a web-based Java applet which allows users to download .torrent files without having a BitTorrent client installed. For this innovation Bitlet received a nomination for the Webware 100 Awards where the hobby project competed with companies backed by millions of dollars.
Although they didn’t win the award, the evolution of Bitlet continued steadily. After its introduction it added features such as music streaming (currently utilized by mininova) and the ‘bookmarklet‘ which allows users to inject a direct download link into torrent search engines. Today Bitlet adds video streaming to this list, another long awaited addition.
The experimental video streaming feature allows users to stream video using BitTorrent and watch the file, even as it’s still downloading. The first release only supports videos in the Ogg format, but developer Daniele Castagna told TorrentFreak that he might extend this list, depending on how much time he can spend on the project.
In order to make Bitlet work with streaming video a few modifications had to be made, but its still good old BitTorrent technology under the hood. Daniele has put up a few example videos on the site and below them are instructions on how to stream your own files using Bitlet.
There are a few important conditions to fulfill in order to achieve an optimal streaming experience. Of primary importance is the need for sufficient seeds and peers to guarantee a decent download speed. Besides this, the playback time will depend on the quality of the video – the higher the quality, the more bandwidth is needed.
The streaming feature seems to be working well, and it’s actually the first live example of BitTorrent video streaming which doesn’t require the installation of any obscure third party applications. The only thing needed is an up-to-date version of Java, which most people already have installed.
Although current bandwidth prices are dropping, most video services such as YouTube are paying millions of dollars for traditional server side streaming. Especially high quality video is costly to stream, and peer-to-peer technology can certainly make a huge difference there.
Streaming video torrents with Bitlet.
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34 Responses
I love this generation!
pretty interesting. i love to see these types of bittorrent expansions. especially ones requiring no software
“which allows users to download .torrent files without having a BitTorrent client installed”
can we also download .rar files without having WinRar installed?
or .doc wothout MSWord?
@3
You can unpack .rar with 7zip and .doc with OOo…
No, I see what you mean, they should speak of an ‘external’ BitTorrent client (outside your browser).
@4
no, i mean you can download any type of file, be it .torrent, .avi or any other, the question is will you be able to RUN it?
If this service is going to be success Youtube is really going to get a big setback.
A great potential can be seen from Bitlet’s video streaming service. Lets see if it make another revolution in the web-world?
The next step in utilising this technology would be to make a youtube style site with a player and allow people to stream the videos, then perhaps have a non-browserbased client seeding the completed videos. They could use ratios, like many private trackers to kill malignant leeches.
This is Awsome!
One small step for Man, one giant leap for Mankind!
@1:
“I love this generation!”
HEAR HEAR!!
Brilliant idea. When Xvid/mkv and other popular video codecs are added this will be a huge hit. Very good start, however it actually doesn’t work for me! Just keeps saying no incoming connection, including the music streaming player too.
/me ponders if the ps3 could be compatible, now THAT would kick tits :)
just like my name….
hahahaha…………
Sweet =]
nice app hope more suported codecs
Requires the pieces of a torrent to be downloaded in seqential order, making it the same as limewire or anything else. Also taking away some of the great things about torrenting, like the ability to complete a download with no seeders, as long as all the leachers have all the pieces. This is great, but a set back at the same time.
This is is a very interesting innovative development technology! I am looking forward to give it a try and see how I like it. Ernesto, great piece of information, Buddy. Keep up the great works!
@16 – agreed
I actually think it will hurt the torrent community rather than help it. it’s a terrible idea. There was already a player out that did it… i was called swarm player. It worked, but then i came to the same realization as #16. it’s like using initial seeding… sounds great in theory, but horrible in practice
er @15 *
With the general public capping their upload, I wonder how well this will work! And the fact that most people have very little upstream to begin with…
How will the people uploading upload? Will they have to leave their browser open? Will the Java app continue to run on the local java runtime? Or will the “seeders” have to download the torrent and run it in a torrent client? I know on youtube most people watch a video and then either A) close their browser or B) move to another video.
I don’t see how this can work as far as uploading goes, it would seem to me that webhost would also have to seed the video as well.
What happens to a video that doesn’t get watched much (ie. no seeders)?
This seems good in theory for the watchers and the host saving bandwidth.
@20
Ofcourse less popular videos are seeded by webhost. But in those highly popular videos this technology will reduce host bandwidth greatly. Think about future and HD-video content.
lol Nice one.
i can totally see this as the next generation..
Ogg? OMFG! Couldn’t be a worse choice for the only video format to support. Though, there’s still wmv for those really retarded… So far, it’s pretty much BitComet in “Preview download mode”, which is basically sequential download+MPC for preview, just even more heavily browser-based. The next thing I sense is they demanding money for their clients’ upload traffic. Though this may work, I’m not touching it, especially after this article. How much did they pay the author, I wonder?
Do they know u can watch an unfinished video with VLC.
I dont understand, how does this separate itself from conventional video streaming, as you would have to download the video in a sequential order in order to get any quality result anyway… And essentially why would you seed the streaming video? Not many people essentially keep the streaming video window open after they’ve finished viewing it… This is great technology but i’m just playing devil’s advocate here.
hmmm i wonder if this would work with my DSM-520
hope so coz this would ROK
Of all the video codecs in the world… why on earth would you showcase video streaming via torrents only with .ogg?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ogg
“The first release only supports videos in the Ogg format”
update us when a viable format is available.
@ #23: agreed.
Great implementation of the technology, however.. a model based on payment for streaming content is NEVER going to fly.
Models based on this idea are just a waste of time.
but
its java! FUNK THAT
SwarmPlayer & TriblerStreaming are both on my desktop. They did’t work.
Recently I found a hot club
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SwarmPlayer & TriblerStreaming are both on my desktop. They did’t work.
”
actually they work fine, your just to stupid to make them work, never mind understand how they work….
perhaps sisiy green can hook you up with those other brain dead “HOT tall gals and guys ” ROTFL.
sequential torrenting is easy, you send both in sequence and out of sequence data streams at the same time,so given some little time and you not being a leech with your upload rates, it can work fine.
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