Could it be? Peer-to-peer, the same technology that made applications like Kazaa, Joost and Morpheus household names, might come to the Apple TV in the near future. Instead of using the current client-server model, Apple TV can really get a major speed bosst IF it switches to using peer-to-peer technology.

Currently, when a user rents a movie on the Apple TV, the whole movie has to be downloaded from a central server farm that stores the actual movie. With peer-to-peer, snippets of movies can be stored on multiple Apple TVs. When a user wants to rent a movie, these snippets can be transferred to the Apple TV to be assembled as one finished movie. This method will significantly boost the download speed and reduce overall network congestion.

There are drawbacks to P2P, however. Since portions of movies are stored on the local Apple TV, this will take up storage space. This can be potentially bad especially on the 40GB Apple TV. Also, your Apple TV will get less time to "sleep" since the network will keep utilizing it to distribute movies to other Apple TV.

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Comments (6)

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written by John E , March 18, 2008

you realize, of course, P2P is how Vudu already works? which is why they can deliver 1080p instead of ATV's 720p max.

the hard drive size is a constraint. probably will see this in '09 with the next generation of ATV hardware, all with much bigger drives built in, and the option - now lacking- to connect an external drive to current ATV's via USB.

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written by Luck Kanthatham , March 18, 2008

Yes, John, I am aware that VUDU already has done this.

By the way, if you are willing to hack your Apple TV, it is not that hard to add a USB hard drive to it.

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written by Jimros , March 20, 2008

It's been already reported at Palluxo!
http://www.palluxo.com/2008/03...echnology/

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written by Luck Kanthatham , March 20, 2008

I am aware of that, Jimros. My post points to that very article.

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written by Todd Sieling , March 22, 2008

Oh - I see. The linked image. Attribution should be spelled out, not disguised.

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written by iBog , April 05, 2008

I've been downloading movies from the itunes store ever since they were available.

I don't completely understand you comment "Currently, when a user rents a movie on the Apple TV, the whole movie has to be downloaded from a central server farm that stores the actual movie."

With the iTunes store I can begin to watch a movie before the download is actually complete. The download continues to proceed and completes before I actually catch up to the download. I had a 90 minute movie download in 25 minutes.

The draw back to P2P transfers is that it wont put priority on downloading the movie chronologically. That is, it downloads in a random pattern and not from beginning to end.

Apple could definitely benefit by maintaining redundant farms of content in various locations around the Internet.

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