Octoshape is a proprietary streaming media platform. It uses throughput optimization technology to both deliver HD quality streams, as well as break through congestion in the last mile to provide more resilient delivery. It has the option of using a secure grid delivery technology to minimize the bandwidth for any CDN, ISP, broadcaster, or last mile provider to stream material.
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How Octoshape works
Octoshape can be used to stream Flash, Silverlight, Windows Media, SHOUTcast or any other stream of data, over the Internet. Octoshape has the option of using grid casting, which is a system to minimize the load on bandwidth for the broadcaster, the content delivery network, the ISP, or the mobile operator. The intention is that each listener will relay either part or all of the stream they download to several other nodes in the grid. Octoshape allows video and audio to play without interruption when resources come on and off the system.[citation needed]
Design points
The design of Octoshape is intended to provide the following advantages over conventional streaming technology:
- Allow CDNs to reduce their hardware and bandwidth footprint, while delivering a higher quality stream.
- Allow (in theory) an infinite number of viewers.
- Designed to penetrate congestion at all points in the network from first mile to last mile.
- Streams resiliently through multiple distribution points so if one source fails, the video or audio is not interrupted.
Availability
Octoshape is platform agnostic and implemented with Windows Media and Adobe Flash. Full versions of Octoshape are available for Linux and Mac based systems. The Flash and SIlverlight implementations allow for cross platform deployment.
Content Distribution Networks supporting Octoshape
Events
Octoshape was a streaming provider for the following Internet events:
- Beijing Olympics 2008 [1]
- US Election 2008 [2]
- US Inauguration of President Barack Obama 1/20/09 [3]
- Mumbai Terrorist Attacks 11/26/2008 [4]
- US Airways Crash in the Hudson 1/15/2009 [5]
- Michael Jackson Memorial 7/7/09 [6]
Criticisms
Octoshape has been criticized [7] for its "ludicrous license terms". Octoshape's EULA, amongst other things, for protection against reverse engineering the Octoshape software prohibits the user utilizing the records that their firewall or anti-virus software may record .
Other points of criticism:
- Being closed source software prevents the internal functions of the software from being publicly examined for hidden functions and other security problems.
- Shifts the broadcaster's share of the cost of bandwidth to the listeners instead by running servers on the listeners' machines.
- Octoshape reserves the right to expand the scope of what its software does on listener's computers. [8]
Limitations
- Since users' machines are employed as servers, running Octoshape may impose networking costs on the user as in any other P2P technology
- Users must reflect on whether Octoshape's server features are allowed by their ISP's terms of service
See also
References
- ^ http://www.tvover.net/2008/10/30/Octoshape+Powered+2008+Olympic+HD+Coverage.aspx
- ^ http://www.streamingmedia.com/press/view.asp?id=11022
- ^ http://newteevee.com/2009/02/07/cnn-inauguration-p2p-stream-a-success-despite-backlash/
- ^ http://www.streamingmedia.com/press/view.asp?id=13625
- ^ http://www.streamingmedia.com/press/view.asp?id=13625
- ^ http://digitalproducer.digitalmedianet.com/articles/viewarticle.jsp?id=793971&afterinter=true
- ^ "Watch a live video, share your PC with CNN". http://windowssecrets.com/2009/02/05/01-Watch-a-live-video-share-your-PC-with-CNN/?n=story1. Retrieved 2009-02-05.
- ^ www.octoshape.com/play/EULA.pdf
External links
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