BitTorrent for Large Multi-Editor Projects

rose4emily · Post by **rose4emily** » Thu Nov 18, 2004 1:31 am

I've been thinking about the distribution of large multi-editor projects like Instrumentality (which is coming together at about 90 min long - about 20 times the length of a typical AMV), and am wondering if a BitTorrent trackes might be the best way to handle distribution.

While it may not scale well to regular AMVs (large number of relatively small files that are intermittently downloaded), or offer much benefit for all but the most popular videos, it might be a good idea for large projects/compilations that could, at least around the time of their release, generate a very large amount of sustained traffic.

For instance, a high-quality encoding of a 90 minute film would generally contain upward of one GiB of data. That's a pretty big download for standard HTTP transfer, especially considering it's all coming from one source, and that that source is also probably uploading at least a few other videos at the same time.

Using a BitTorrent scheme - or at least offering it as an option - might help spread the load. It might also make sense to run a tracker on especially popular videos, new releases, or videos featured in cons or otherwise receiving heavy promotion - but I don't know how the usage numbers would work out for any of these special cases and whether a BT tracker would help or hurt the download speed and .org bandwidth useage associated with any o f these groups of videos.

Just a thought.

Org Profile · Post by **Otohiko** » Thu Nov 18, 2004 1:40 am

I think there was a similar discussion in reference to popular videos; last time I remember, Phade wasn't particularly keen on BitTorrent - since he thought it was unneccesary provided there's already a solid means of distribution going through the .org's storage server.

I think the usefulness of this will largely depend on how the proposed Multi-Editor Project storage will be set up. If it allows very large files, so long as they have a reasonable length/filesize relation, I don't think it will really be neccessary. If not, that may well be a good idea.

I have a sneaking suspicion it might not be needed. I for one still prefer a good FTP server for a source over any kind of BT trackers...

YouTube · Post by **derobert** » Thu Nov 18, 2004 2:32 am

Personally, I don't have any problem with the .org running a tracker for AMVs, provided:

(a) It doesn't consume insane CPU when tracking, e.g., 50,000 videos
(b) It doesn't take too much time to implement, or, alternatively someone else volunteers to do the work.
(c) It isn't a security problem.

If those requirements were met, I wouldn't have any objections running it on Nago and Kero. Any Scarywater or AnimeSuki people around?

Brsrk · Post by **Brsrk** » Thu Nov 18, 2004 12:45 pm

I can get some AnimeSuki people, maybe. Their IRC channel is crawling with BT'ers, but I don't know how many of them actually do this kind of stuff.

quadir · Post by **quadir** » Thu Nov 18, 2004 1:09 pm

The main problem is seeding. If the org server is seeding, with high bandwidth, then that's awsome.

But take the tracker for DDR 5th mix (ddr project 4). The BT was up for at most 2 weeks, because 2 weeks later I connected to it, but it was completely gone. ( I managed to grab it off a friend )

But this is a big problem with BT, is that people have to seed things. There are custom built clients out there that will look at a large number of torrents, and seed empty ones... or variations...

You don't actually have to seed when there isnt leechers as well, only when someone hops on. But really, if the multi-editor storage allows large filesize / for length (this is important) then I think this is a moot point.

bubblehead · Post by **bubblehead** » Thu Nov 18, 2004 8:05 pm

There already IS a bittorrent place for AMVs... their forum is a little... inactive and their admin doesn't work on it much... but it exists:

http://www.animemusicvideos.com

/double checks it's .com not .org

Oh, wait, they have no seeders right now for most of their torrents... they used to seed themselves...

As for me, I already d/l stuff on bittorrent, but I don't know how to set up a torrent.

YouTube · Post by **derobert** » Thu Nov 18, 2004 11:14 pm

quadir wrote:The main problem is seeding. If the org server is seeding, with high bandwidth, then that's awsome.

Yeah, for the large projects hosted on Kero, .org would seed them.

Tsunami Jones · Post by **Tsunami Jones** » Sat Nov 20, 2004 1:05 am

Wasn't there some talk awhile back about just directly hosting some of the multi-editor projects on the servers once we got the new ones?

YouTube · Post by **derobert** » Tue Nov 23, 2004 1:45 am

Tsunami Jones wrote:Wasn't there some talk awhile back about just directly hosting some of the multi-editor projects on the servers once we got the new ones?

Yes. I think it'd be a good idea to provide BitTorrent as an alternative (or maybe even primary) download method for those files because they're so big... and BitTorrent, if nothing else, resumes downloads nicely.

Org Profile · Post by **Otohiko** » Tue Nov 23, 2004 10:53 am

derobert wrote:and BitTorrent, if nothing else, resumes downloads nicely.

Now THAT's a bloody good point!

Alright, I'm convinced - I support the suggestion now

AnimeMusicVideos.org

BitTorrent for Large Multi-Editor Projects

BitTorrent for Large Multi-Editor Projects

Re: BitTorrent for Large Multi-Editor Projects