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Channel 4 Abandons P2P for 4oD
09 Jun 2009 | 10.54 Europe/London
Channel 4 is moving its Catch-Up TV service fully over to channel4.com where it will be streamed and compatible with Windows, Mac and Linux operating systems. At the end of June the channel's archive of programmes will also be available via channel4.com and the 4oD service will close.
4oD is a software application for on-demand video that uses Kontiki P2P technology to download video files and redistribute them to other users. 4oD is following the BBC's iPlayer in moving away from P2P distribution, in part because over 80% of users opted for the streaming version.
Streaming will require more bandwidth at peak times and will be more prone to buffering and other issues when compared to a download which is then streamed off your local hard disk. It may well deliver a lower quality user experience however those with no attention span or limited technical skills seem to prefer this approach.
Some C4 material that was previously for sale via 4oD is also available on the iTunes store.
4oD is a software application for on-demand video that uses Kontiki P2P technology to download video files and redistribute them to other users. 4oD is following the BBC's iPlayer in moving away from P2P distribution, in part because over 80% of users opted for the streaming version.
Streaming will require more bandwidth at peak times and will be more prone to buffering and other issues when compared to a download which is then streamed off your local hard disk. It may well deliver a lower quality user experience however those with no attention span or limited technical skills seem to prefer this approach.
Some C4 material that was previously for sale via 4oD is also available on the iTunes store.