Crave Talk: Channel 4's 4oD hamstrung by UK ISPs
Tags: broadband, demand, connection, downloading
Channel 4's new video on-demand service -- 4oD -- is a breakthrough service for the UK that allows you to freely catch up on the station's TV programming from the comfort of your desk or armchair. But it's being severly restricted by the UK's Internet service providers -- the companies who provide your broadband.
The service runs on VeriSign's Kontiki Broadband Delivery Service -- a peer-to-peer (P2P) technology identical to that which powers services such as BitTorrent and Limewire. ISPs are wise to how many people use P2P services and they're also aware that the vast majority of people use them to illegally download content such as music and movies.
In an attempt to restrict how much illegal sharing can be done on their network, ISPs use a technique called 'packet shaping'. Packet shaping examines what you're downloading -- or more specifically, how you're downloading -- and restricts your download speed to about 12kbps, which is little over what was possible on an old dial-up connection.
What does this mean for the millions of people who don't use BitTorrent? Basically, they're treated as criminals. BT, for example -- but it's not the only one -- will tell you that it uses packet shaping in order for it to benefit users who are not abusing its network. That sounds reasonable, but Channel 4's 4oD service uses peer-to-peer technology to distribute vast quantities of data over your broadband connection completely legally. This means that any user trying to download legal TV content is treated like a pirate and has their service stripped down to pitiful speeds.
So, if you're planning on using Channel 4's 4oD service to download your favourite shows while you travel home from work, make sure you're not on an ISP that treats you like dirty rotten thieving scum. Video on-demand is the way of the future, so it's important that legitimate, efficient technology can make it happen. Thought network neutrality was something dull for the Americans to worry over? This is what it's about.
Now, when we get better communications infrastructure here in the UK, packet shaping should cease to be necessary. Indeed, BT says that when its so-called 21st Century Network upgrade is complete, it can be network neutral. But 21CN is years away, due to be complete in 2011. In the meantime, make sure you choose a provider who isn't taking control of what you can do with the connection you pay for. -Nate Lanxon
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AnonymousTue 22 May, 2007 6:47pm
ISPs throttle to save money - it's nothing to do with content being legal. For them I think its more about capacity/congestion rather than bandwidth costs (they save on infrastructure costs - ultimately it's all the same thing.
What's unreasonable about this is they can market these products as unlimited, subject to fair use - when something's marketed as unlimited how can any use be considered unfair?
JoeTue 22 May, 2007 7:52pm
Unfortunately until we have a network that can cope with modern Internet usage some sort of traffic shaping will become more and more necessary. I doubt the ISP's are specifically targeting 4OD but at times of heavy usage everyone deserves a fair share of the bandwidth available. Hogging bandwidth for legal or illegal usage effects us all, we all pay for our connections therefore we all deserve a fair share. There is no benefit to the ISP to hamstring new and novel services as they are its life blood.
AnonymousTue 22 May, 2007 11:31pm
What is this crap about "hogging" the bandwidth? You as a subscriber to an ISP pay X amount of money for your bandwidth. It's the job of the ISP to provide you with that bandwidth. If they are not providing you with what you paid for then it's their problem and they need to upgrade their networks or not provide you with that plan for that bandwidth in the first place. What you use and how you use your allotted bandwidth for is NONE of their god damn business.
AnonymousWed 23 May, 2007 8:40am
If you're struggling with hamstrung downloads, you need to move to a better ISP.
You get what you pay for - the shaping that takes place on Tiscali, one of the UKs cheapest, makes the service unusable if you want to download through P2P, legitimate or otherwise. They will also threaten to restrict your download speed further if you download too much! (Hint: Keep downloading loads and they'll let you out of your contract).
Try a good, fast, small internet provider such as Fast Internet. Its more expensive, but you get what you pay for. They even answer their phones quickly, answer emails quickly and bend over backwards to keep you happy. Remember customer service?
Nate LanxonWed 23 May, 2007 9:28am
Streaming services are different, at least using 4oD: the sream comes, I believe, from a server, not via P2P. Only downloads are distributed using P2P technology.
JeffWed 23 May, 2007 9:33pm
Nate - Your post is factually inaccurate with respect to the P2P platform being used by Ch4. There is a SIGNIFICANT difference between the P2P platforms (BitTorrent, Limewire, etc.) utilized by illegal filesharing sites and secure, managed P2P platforms like VeriSign's Kontiki - including the fact that Kontiki is specifically designed to be "ISP friendly." I'd encourage you to go to VeriSign's web site and download the white paper on the subject (http://www.verisign.com/products-services/content-messaging/). It provides detailed comparisons that should be helpful as you write further on this subject.
AnonymousMon 28 May, 2007 3:17pm
What does "by up to 500 per cent" mean. A 100 percent reduction would mean 0 bits per second. So 500 percent must mean that they start taking bits from you? If you mean that they cut your bandwith to 1/5 of what it was, then that is an 80 percent reduction.
AlanMon 28 May, 2007 6:08pm
"and restricts your download speed by up to 500 per cent,"
What gibberish is this? If you're down to zero that's a 100% restriction. More than that is meanigless. Ask a 10-year-old to explain if you don't get this.
Nate LanxonTue 29 May, 2007 10:29am
Thanks, Alan. Your comment was wonderfully enlightening. "about 500 per cent" should have read "about 500 times", which comes to about 12kbps. Thanks to your observation we've altered this piece of the article.
AnonymousMon 18 February, 2008 11:53pm
My isp is decent, i download at 270kb/sec, internet pages load up instantly, never a problem with my gaming ping, my system is fine, but i download 4OD, register, and for some reason, it takes 10 minutes to load up the screen i want, i havant even started downloading skins s02e01 yet and its pi$in me off :l
AnonymousTue 15 April, 2008 12:22am
"You as a subscriber to an ISP pay X amount of money for your bandwidth. It's the job of the ISP to provide you with that bandwidth"
check your isp service terms you will probably find they could have contenion ratios of 50:1 on a adsl line meaning your adsl could be shared with 50 of your neighbours you pay for this shared service not the full bandwidth.
basic isp principle is that not everyone will be using all the bandwidth all of the time. P2P filesharing breaks this hence the traffic shaping. We may not like it but its a necessity to be fair to other users.
AnonymousSat 21 June, 2008 3:39pm
Just passing. Nate, I admire your tolerance in the face of ignorance :-). Alan, you were correct, but you were offensive. There's no need for that dear.. I take it you are 10 years old.
AnonymousThu 10 July, 2008 10:28pm
Virgn ADSL current fair usage 3gb in peak time over 7 days 7mb connection stripped down to 80kbs (actual 56kbps) for the following week monday to sunday through peak time. thats 4pm untill 12pm although u get normal email access WOOPEEDOO !!!
how to use 3gb in 7 days peak time
Windows update as install Vista ultimate ( i know ive gone back to XP )
over 1gb patch from AOC mmo After installing
Driver updates for no OP syste one being over 700mb for sound card plus related software
plus normal surfing
reason why i did this between 4pm and 12pm because i work meaning i use the internet at home when im not at work after 6pm
hoggin bandwidth 24/7 is unfair but come on down to 56kbps for 3GB in 7 days what about people who have home networks with 2 maybe 3 people using the net absolute TRIPE service
Yes i have requested a mac code and im moving ISP
sorry for the wall of text but hey needed to get it off me chest
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AnonymousTue 22 May, 2007 5:16pm
Ok, first point, protocols used by Lime Wire, Bit Torrent and Kontiki (as used in 4oD, Sky's IPTV service, and the BBC iPlayer) are different, not identical. Operators can also choose to throttle different data packets differently. For example, I presently subscriber to UK ISP Freedom2Surf. While they have been alleged to shape BitTorrent traffic (and testing it, this certainly seems to be the case) I have absolutely no problem using Kontiki-based streaming video services, such as 4oD over the service.
I'm morally against bandwidth shaping to the extent that it is employed by certain ISPs, but to claim that if an ISP employs any bandwidth shaping at all then they are killing all valid peer-to-peer video distribution services is simply an ill-informed knee-jerk reaction.