Realtime streaming from torrents in the browser • Hacker News Board

Re: Realtime streaming from torrents in the browser

#11

Post by jbk » Sat, Sep 06, 2014, 11:27 PM UTC

0x4139 wrote: post #6

malvosenior wrote: post #2

Haven't got this to work yet. I'd love to see a BT streaming solution not as a centralized service, but as a locally running app. Does such a thing exist?

the machine is a 10 dollar digital ocean droplet, it's curently at it's peak, this can be packed(and it will be) with node webkit

So, this is a server side solution?

Re: Realtime streaming from torrents in the browser

#12

Post by nimbusvid » Sat, Sep 06, 2014, 11:29 PM UTC

I created (and later closed) a similar service using mega.co.nz instead of torrents. The main problem I see with your approach is that you serve video from your server (and presumably do the torrent fetch server side). This opens you up to liability, makes you responsible for DMCA take downs and puts the workload on the server.

In contrast NimbusVid was entirely client side. The drawback was that the source data needed to be a web friendly seekable format; you couldn't play an arbitrary video file.

Re: Realtime streaming from torrents in the browser

#13

Post by nimbusvid » Sat, Sep 06, 2014, 11:29 PM UTC

malvosenior wrote: post #10

galapago wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In PopcornTime, you can drag and drop arbitrary BT files.

This doesn't seem to work in the latest version.

There are now several forks with different features.

Re: Realtime streaming from torrents in the browser

#14

Post by nimbusvid » Sat, Sep 06, 2014, 11:31 PM UTC

Can you use magnet links?

Re: Realtime streaming from torrents in the browser

#15

Post by 0x4139 » Sat, Sep 06, 2014, 11:36 PM UTC

nimbusvid wrote: post #14

Can you use magnet links?

yes, the id that you see in /details /play is the magnet link unique id

Re: Realtime streaming from torrents in the browser

#16

Post by TD-Linux » Sat, Sep 06, 2014, 11:39 PM UTC

What could possibly go wrong?

Re: Realtime streaming from torrents in the browser

#17

Post by adrusi » Sat, Sep 06, 2014, 11:40 PM UTC

malvosenior wrote: post #2

Haven't got this to work yet. I'd love to see a BT streaming solution not as a centralized service, but as a locally running app. Does such a thing exist?

Not possible currently with web technologies because browsers don't let javascript connect to arbitrary TCP servers. The webtorrent project aims to make torrent clients compatible with WebRTC, so when that gets widespread adoption it should be possible.

Re: Realtime streaming from torrents in the browser

#18

Post by jbk » Sat, Sep 06, 2014, 11:45 PM UTC

nimbusvid wrote: post #12

I created (and later closed) a similar service using mega.co.nz instead of torrents. The main problem I see with your approach is that you serve video from your server (and presumably do the torrent fetch server side). This opens you up to liability, makes you responsible for DMCA take downs and puts the workload on the server. In contrast NimbusVid was entirely client side. The drawback was that the source data need…

> The drawback was that the source data needed to be a web friendly seekable format; you couldn't play an arbitrary video file.

Maybe I should revive the VLC web plugin and the torrent input plugin :)

Re: Realtime streaming from torrents in the browser

#19

Post by 0x4139 » Sat, Sep 06, 2014, 11:47 PM UTC

jbk wrote: post #18

nimbusvid wrote: post #12

I created (and later closed) a similar service using mega.co.nz instead of torrents. The main problem I see with your approach is that you serve video from your server (and presumably do the torrent fetch server side). This opens you up to liability, makes you responsible for DMCA take downs and puts the workload on the server. In contrast NimbusVid was entirely client side. The drawback was that the source data need…

> The drawback was that the source data needed to be a web friendly seekable format; you couldn't play an arbitrary video file. Maybe I should revive the VLC web plugin and the torrent input plugin :)

i was thinking about using the vlc web plugin :) for avi/vmw

Re: Realtime streaming from torrents in the browser

#20

Post by nimbusvid » Sat, Sep 06, 2014, 11:51 PM UTC

jbk wrote: post #18

nimbusvid wrote: post #12

I created (and later closed) a similar service using mega.co.nz instead of torrents. The main problem I see with your approach is that you serve video from your server (and presumably do the torrent fetch server side). This opens you up to liability, makes you responsible for DMCA take downs and puts the workload on the server. In contrast NimbusVid was entirely client side. The drawback was that the source data need…

> The drawback was that the source data needed to be a web friendly seekable format; you couldn't play an arbitrary video file. Maybe I should revive the VLC web plugin and the torrent input plugin :)

Plugins aren't a great solution, people don't want to install them.