FITUG e.V.
Förderverein Informationstechnik und Gesellschaft
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------- Forwarded message follows ------- Date sent: Sun, 24 Sep 2000 10:36:52 -0400 From: Drazen Pantic <drazen@location1.org> To: nettime-l@bbs.thing.net Subject: <nettime> Open Source Streaming Alliance Send reply to: Drazen Pantic <drazen@location1.org>
Open Source Streaming Alliance - Now!
Streaming on the Net has started to be almost the necessity of any Internet savvy organization -- imperative is to send, and even better stream, as much audio and video content as possible. The full agenda is to broadcast rich multimedia content and reach the global audience, delivering a message through a clear sound or crisp video, of course with the minimal cost.
Everybody and everything is either a subject or medium or a creator of the streaming content. Computer screens, clothes even skyscrapers ... any pixelized object or audio carrier is subjected - now or in the near future - to the streaming content.
Not-for-profit and independent media organizations have been faced with a very concrete problem: the development of the Internet has evolved toward multimedia and streaming, while very few of these organizations have the expertise or resources to implement high quality audio/video streaming. They often suffer from inadequate bandwidth, necessary to provide the number and quality of streams the Internet audience requires. Establishing networks and alliances and sharing resources is the the only way non corporate organizations can address this issue.
Multicast: from Distribution Protocol to Public Domain Channel
The distributed set of audio/video streaming servers world wide, exchanging streams through multicast and splitting technology could provide a public domain channel for non-for-profit and non wealthy organizations and individuals. This channel might be effective for global streaming, without interruptions and "net congestion" errors. Idea is very simple: when a user requests a content from one of the servers in the network, he/she gets redirected to the closest server relative to the Internet bandwidth topography. So, for example, a user from New York that wants to listen to radio from Belgrade gets seamlessly connected to a server in US, which on the other side requests a stream from server in Amsterdam, being provided by a stream from Belgrade. In that way, multiple users from US do not create multiple connections to the low bandwidth server behind the infra-structural terror in Serbia. Examples are numerous, but the basic idea is clear, generate as less redundant traffic protocol for streaming, and enable low bandwidth environments to rely on solidarity in streaming from the better situated sites.
Networking on the global level through multicast channels can create a diversity of content, and enable global accessibility for all voices. Advertising corporations have already realized the necessity to bring their messages simultaneously to metropoles of the market economy as well as to the distant villages in the underdeveloped counties. Hence, local delivery techniques and sites are expanding horizontally, through out the world, and vertically through the scale of wealth.
One of the most active distributed delivery networks for multimedia streaming is Real Network's Real Broadcast Network, bringing together a set of distributed RealMedia servers and major global telco providers. Implementation functions very well on the pure technical level, but...it relies on the Real Media standard, specifications and details are patented by Real Network, hence unknown to the rest of the world. In their promo text RN states "Our sophisticated network technology and management ensures high-quality and reliability, allowing you to focus on what's important-your site and its content", [1]. The meaning is that user(s) worldwide should be relieved from the boring questions letting The One And Only Broadcaster to deliver their content, regardless of the method and the cost. What brings us to the second painful point of RBN -- the cost. Without further elaboration, I will just cite the RBN's "Special Offer" page, [2], starting with: "Enjoy worry-free Webcasting from RBN for as little as $9,995." RBN example reveals the basic strategy:
- propriatery, closed standard; - free distribution of end user clients; - expansive content creation tools, servers and networking mechanism.
The alternative viable solution is establishing an Open Source Alliance of Internet centers and sites that will exchange links and streams using Open Source and/or freeware streaming solutions. The basic premises should be:
* Open Source content creation tools and delivery mechanism; * Totally voluntary and free membership in the alliance, without contacts or centralized body; * Sharing of technical and infra-structural resources and using the collective intelligence in solving local problems of each individual member of the Streaming Alliance.
Recent Examples
An example, at least in delivering audio content is available and not very difficult to conceptualize. MP3 standard has reached incredible popularity, combining the quality of sound and open source approach. Collective intelligence of code creators worldwide, has produced numerous tools: encoders, rippers, and streaming servers - mostly like freeware software, available to everybody free of charge. Moreover, open source standard has put MP3 in a perfect position of total platform independence; any machine that has a computer chip can play a MP3 file: from PalmPilots to mainframes through stand alone devices. Servers are also available, look for example [3] or [4].
Internet radio stations that use MP3 are just enumerable, and are making their networks easy, exchanging content and streams. Temporary global networks are being established every day, over various occasions. Recent attempts of the broadcast industry to contain distribution of MP3 files, resulted in the increasing popularity of the distribution networks among individual users and non for profit groups as well as with strategic planers in headquarters of the transnational telco companies.
Recent developments show that streaming of video is not much more complicated then audio. Traditional obstacles: expensive equipment and content creation tools as well as insufficient bandwidth, as about to be behind us. Very important initiative in that direction is Apple's Open Source project, [6]. Darwin streaming servers for QuickTime have proven be very stable, sophisticated and capable of a relatively simple technology for exchange of streams. On top of that Darwin servers are available for all operating systems, offering full scalability. Content creation tools are also available as open source and freeware Mbone software; see [7] and links therein. Mbone videoconferencing tools, developed in research laboratories in late nineties, offer open source tools for live encoding, sending unicast streams towards Darwin servers for further delivery. A full description of using Mbone tools for live encoding and linking with Darwin servers through split stream techniques is available on [8].
On the infra-structural side, things look also very good. The number of non for profit groups and individuals world-wide have established Internet servers with significant - or more precise with sufficient bandwidth - to create a mighty network of streaming servers. (For global distribution of the Internet bandwidth and traffic, see [5].) Multicast technology is available globally through ISPs while all major vendors offer routers and related equipment capable of supporting multicast. Providers on the other side are not yet aware of the multicast advantages, so some of them have additional charges for customers that want to use multicast. But, commercial viability will certainly force ISPs to realize that multicast in fact saves bandwidth and reduces their costs.
So, there is just one step needed: the will and awareness for creation of the flexible and global network of distributed streaming servers. The servers might just agree to exchange streams, and establish a protocol for redirection of users. All that is needed is a functioning example of sites and servers that mutually agree to exchange streams and install software and pointers towards each other. The first step is already made: an OpenStreamingNetwork mailing list, [9], and it is certain that group of centers signed in to the list will establish the network very soon. Now?
[1] http://www.realnetworks.com/rbn/about.html [2] http://www.realnetworks.com/rbn/promos.html [3] http://icecast.org [4] http://www.shoutcast.com [5] http://www.internettrafficreport.com [6] http://www.publicsource.apple.com [7] http://www.research.microsoft.com/research/BARC/mbone/MboneTools.htm [8] http://pages.nyu.edu/~dp51/qt [9] http://www.egroups.com/group/OpenStreamingNetwork
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