Over the last couple months, we’ve continued to innovate on Vuze to make it even better. Here are a few enhancements we’re sure you’ll like.
We hope you like these changes. Tell us what you think and give us your suggestions for new features and functionality by emailing us at feedback@vuze.com.
Happy Viewing!
Gilles
Business Week interview with Vuze CEO, Gilles BianRosa can be found here.
Mounting Peer-to-Peer Pressure for Comcast
Comcast's traffic-filtering efforts are the subject of FCC complaints and a lawsuit. At issue: ISPs right
to control the flow of data over their networks
by Peter Burrows | November 19, 2007
Comcast (CMCSA) is overstepping its bounds when it comes to controlling the flow of certain kinds of traffic over its high-speed Internet system. That's the assertion made by a growing number of consumers and advocacy groups fighting practices they consider illegal via the courts, regulators, and some controversial, behind-the-scenes methods for masking Internet content.
The brouhaha followed an Associated Press report that Comcast has been interfering with particular sorts of bandwidth-hogging traffic. Within days of the Oct. 19 story, consumer advocacy groups lodged a complaint with the Federal Communications Commission to force Comcast to stop. And on Nov. 13, San Francisco Comcast subscriber Jon Hart filed a class action claiming a litany of charges, from breach of contract to computer fraud. The suit demands that Comcast end the practice and pay damages to subscribers who got less than the "mind-blowing speeds" Comcast advertised.
At issue is how Comcast, under Chief Executive Brian Roberts, treats peer-to-peer traffic, so named because it is passed among millions of PCs owned by people who agree to share their bandwidth rather than by way of a company's servers. Comcast denies it has blocked any traffic outright, but admits to using "network management" techniques to handle the rising tide of peer-to-peer traffic, and thereby maintain service for all of its other customers. "What we're doing is pro-consumer, because we're protecting the many users whose experience is degraded by heavy peer-to-peer congestion," says Comcast spokesman Charlie Douglas.
Legitimacy of Content Flow
The Comcast controversy strikes at the heart of some of the biggest debates engulfing technology, including how much control network operators should have over the flow of information and entertainment over their systems and how aggressively they ought to monitor content and adjust delivery speeds. Comcast's moves reflect a basic assumption that peer-to-peer networks are primarily used to send pirated material, including songs, TV shows, and full-length movies. Specifically, charges have focused on Comcast's throttling of files sent using a peer-to-peer standard called BitTorrent that by some measures is as popular for sending video today as Napster (NAPS) was for sending music in the late 1990s.
But reaching conclusions over the fairness of Comcast's moves and the legitimacy of peer-to-peer content won't be easy, since not all peer-to-peer traffic is made up of ripped-off tunes and flicks. Companies such as Joost, Vuze, and even BitTorrent – whose founder, Bram Cohen, created the original peer-to-peer protocol – have struck deals to use peer-to-peer technology to distribute programming by dozens of mainline content owners such as CBS (CBS), PBS, and Viacom's (VIA) Showtime. These content owners see peer-to-peer techniques as a promising means to go from today's grainy YouTube-quality content to deliver full high-definition resolution to consumers via the Internet.
What's more, many experts contend that Comcast and other network owners will never succeed in accurately filtering out peer-to-peer traffic, and certainly not just the illegal stuff. Files can be easily disguised to avoid detection with a few programming tricks – say, adding some descriptive bits to make a movie clip look like an e-mail.
Blocked by Encryption?
Some players go further still. When it began to see increased filtering by Internet service providers (ISPs) such as Comcast a year ago, Vuze started including encryption code in its software that essentially makes it impossible for any network – or potentially a movie studio or even law enforcement – to know the nature of what's traveling over the Internet, says CEO Gilles BianRosa. Today, Vuze uses only a thin layer of encryption, enough to throw off Comcast's bit-sniffing technologies. Think of it as the software equivalent of Groucho Marx glasses, rather than, say, plastic surgery and admission into a witness protection program.
However thin the disguise, the inclusion of encryption in a technology used by millions could make peer-to-peer networks an even greater haven for the distribution of pirated or other illegal content, especially if peer-to-peer companies were to move to more industrial-strength versions as ISPs take countermeasures.
Net-Neutralizing Efforts
All of this is creating fodder for Net neutrality advocates, who argue that Comcast's methods show how big network owners can use their pipes unfairly. "Vuze provides a very concrete example of the kind of harm [throttling by ISPs] can create," says Fred van Lohmann, a staff attorney for the Electronic Frontier Foundation, which has also criticized Comcast's actions. "Too many people have relegated this to piracy, when even more it's about the future of innovation. If you're trying to build a video service that might compete with Comcast, it's very difficult to do that when they're altering the network and not telling you how they're doing it."
Even BianRosa thinks there's a better way. "We think the game of cat and mouse is the wrong way to go about things," he says. That's why Vuze filed its own petition to the FCC on Nov. 14. The goal is twofold. First, it wants the FCC to set rules about what ISPs can and can't do to manage, filter, or shape traffic over their pipes. This includes a requirement that ISPs disclose their policies and tactics publicly. He also hopes the petition for rulemaking will spark increased conversation between ISPs and the peer-to-peer crowd, whose technologies suck up as much as 50% of all U.S. bandwidth, by some accounts. "This isn't just a regulatory approach," he says. "We intend to have a constructive dialogue with the ISPs. It's a case of, 'Help us help you.'"
BianRosa believes it's time for ISPs to embrace – rather than demonize – the leading peer-to-peer players. As peer-to-peer traffic grows apace, ISPs will increasingly be forced to throttle delivery speeds or consider video fingerprinting techniques that anger consumers, lead to lawsuits, and create PR imbroglios. Privacy advocates already are crying foul over news that AT&T (T) is considering use of one such fingerprinting system (BusinessWeek.com, 11/7/07).
Addressing Network Strain
No doubt, the peer-to-peer crowd is working hard to become more legitimate, so as to find profitable business models that let them make the most of their innovations. Case in point: Vuze. It was founded by the engineers who created Azureus, a BitTorrent program that is the most popular tool for sending video files – many of them pirated – over peer-to-peer networks. This January, the company launched the Vuze site, for the express purpose of using the Azureus tool to distribute content licensed from content owners.
So far, some 13 million people (more than 2 million in October alone) have downloaded the Vuze player, and the pace is accelerating. The site offers mostly obscure fare to appeal to the college crowd, such as sci-fi fantasies and outdoorsy reality shows featuring babes in bikinis. But the deals with Showtime and PBS show that mainstream media is catching on.
BianRosa says there are plenty of ways for the Vuzes and Comcasts of the world to work together. "There are techniques we can implement with them to address the strain on their network," he says. An ISP like Comcast could use the same software tools Vuze uses to find the quickest route between all those PCs. That could help an ISP minimize the strain on its own pipes, right down to shifting prime-time traffic onto peer-to-peer networks to make sure delivery of Comcast's own exclusive content isn't degraded at all.
But that's going to be a hard sell to network operators that also sell TV services, and could be threatened by anything that aids in the delivery of free video services over the Internet. The Comcast controversy is unlikely to be settled amicably any time soon.
Vuze CEO, Gilles BianRosa, was recently interviewed by Wired and you can check out the link at the Wired Blog.
WiredBlog Q&A: Azureus's CEO on Growing P2P Video's Audience
By Terrence Russell | October 04, 2007
It seems like we can hardly throw a stick without hitting a P2P video site that seemingly sprouted up from nowhere. But with the Baby Boomers tied to their televisions and Tivos, who's driving all this growth? To answer this, we chatted with Azureus CEO Gilles BianRosa about the BitTorrent client's new P2P platform Vuze, and some of the trends the market is seeing in viewership.
Wired News: What's the skinny on Vuze?
Gilles BianRosa: We like to think of it as an open entertainment platform allowing users to download, stream, and soon upload DVD-quality high-res content. Both our streaming and download experiences are supported by our P2P network which saves us a great deal on the bandwidth side, so we're able to show that properly licensed, high-res content does have a place on the web. From a product stand point, we're very horizontal, like eBay, in that you can find anything from a helicopter to an iPod, on the site. We work with media companies to ensure that our platform is scalable in the same way, but with high-res content.
WN: From your experience, what type of viewer is the most responsive to P2P sites like Vuze?
GB: We've attracted the typical P2P user base consisting mostly of 18-34 year old males, and a notable amount of women. From a content standpoint, we've tried to provide what the user base is looking for, and so far that has been in the action and sci-fi genres. But you have to provide everything. The boom in user-generated content has made it so that people are looking for both mainstream and lesser known content.
But for us, like most sites, the idea is to provide as much mainstream content as we can. By having a lot of room within our horizontal platform we want to create an environment where users can upload and be exposed to new things too. For instance, we've seen great success with featuring the exclusive Sci-Fi Network series Sanctuary, which attracts a viral audience that wants to see similar shows in high-def. It's a perfect fit for that demographic in many ways, but we try to avoid limiting ourselves as well.
WN: Why do you think 18-34 year olds are the 'sweet spot' for P2P video?
GB: We obviously want to grow beyond that as a site, but I think it's the best place to start. They are a demographic of evangelists who are very vocal and very connected through social networking. Even if you think back to Tivo or Netflix, a lot of the new ways to take in media have been proven from this user base. First off, it's a very large group, and they consume tons of media. Second, they make a great user base for advertisers. And finally, they're willing to experiment with new interfaces and models. It also helps that they're more forgiving of early barriers and willing to give feedback on small mistakes.
WN: So, what's the best way to capitalize on the age group's viewing habits?
GB: It's going to take a long time for it to emerge fully, but the trend we're seeing is that these are people who are either in, or have recently finished college and are laptop users. So they're comfortable with that 2 ft. UI you get from a PC, and with watching content in unconventional environments like dorm rooms. That makes them receptive to P2P services like ours, but there's still a big problem in bridging the PC to TV gap. Gaming consoles have really changed the game for the industry, which is why we view them as the best way to get the most seamless experience. Having the ability to download content from Vuze and then stream it to the big screen through an Xbox360 has definitely helped us bridge that gap. Plus, consoles are already entrenched in that demographic.
WN: Since your target group is comfortable with both laptop and TV viewing, in your experience, what is the best way for P2P content to scale between the two?
GB: You have to think about what users are willing to do with a given UI. Just because they want to use a 10 ft. UI, doesn't mean they want the search and discovery aspect of PC viewing. The only thing you're really doing with a 10ft UI is watching. For that type of viewing you need a device that is able to stream content coming from the PC or download it from the internet. We've been seeing this with set top boxes and on-demand programming from cable, but we expect to see a lot of experimentation with new devices. It takes a lot of effort to embed a service into a platform, which is why we make our content compatible with gaming consoles – the age group is familiar with them and they already have a large footprint within the demographic.
– The Vuze Team
Here at Azureus, we've been busy this summer making improvements to Vuze, the world's most popular hi-res entertainment platform. After months of programming and testing, we're excited to announce that our latest product enhancements are ready. We hope you'll enjoy the following new features:
While you're checking out the new Vuze experience, be sure to fill out your user profile so we can alert you to what's coming next as we continue to enhance and improve the Vuze experience. Just log in to your Vuze account in the client, click on "My Account" and then "My Profile." As always, we're interested in hearing what you think about Vuze, so drop us a note with any ideas, comments, questions, or concerns at feedback@vuze.com.
Thanks for being a part of the Vuze community!
– The Vuze Team
In case you're tired of all the iPhone coverage – or not, read on about our latest Vuze features and news:
As a practice, we don't typically email our users about features, etc. In the future, we will include an opt-in feature to receive emails about new Vuze features and news. Be sure to check out Vuze News regularly to find out how and when this will be available, as well as for the latest features, news, etc.
If you have any questions or comments, please email us at feedback@vuze.com.
Stay tuned and thanks for watching!
– The Vuze Team
Dear User,
It has been quite busy for us recently since our Vuze launch, as we have continued to make improvements to our platform. We are working to provide you with additional features to enhance your robust entertainment experience at Vuze, and we are excited to announce that progressive download is now available in beta.
What does this mean to you? No more waiting until the end of the download to watch your video.
Here's how it works:
Once you have initiated your download, go to your Home tab in the client and you will see a "Stream" button of the far right of the content bar. If you wish to enable progressive download for that video, simply press "Stream" and you will see a message under the progress bar that will indicate when the video will be viewable ("playable in 2m, 11secs"). Once that video is ready to be viewed, you will see a red PLAY button. Just click on the PLAY button and start watching!
Just a few things to keep in mind: This feature is still in beta, so it is only available for certain videos at this time. All of the content in our xStream channel has progressive download and we will be adding more videos continually over the next few weeks. Second, the feature utilizes a data buffer, which is affected by your network speed – so not all videos will respond identically in all network environments. Last, you can only have one piece of content enabled to use the progressive download feature at a time. You can't watch more than one piece of content at a time, so is the nature of the feature!
We encourage you to try out the progressive download feature, and send us feedback about your experience at beta@vuze.com Let us know if it works (or doesn't), how you like the feature, if you run into any buffer issues, or have any additional comments. Be sure to visit our support center if you have any technical issues with the feature.
This continues to be an exciting time for us and our user community, so please come back to this page for updates about new content and features.
Stay tuned and thanks for watching!
– The Vuze Team
Dear User,
Welcome to VUZE!
Codename Zudeo just got its final name: VUZE. We are very excited to unveil the new version of our little project. On the menu, there are new features, new partner content, but still the same spirit that is at the foundation of Azureus: Innovative technology, great features, open platform, and a strong community spirit.
The new features include better navigation, with channel grouping and categories, previews and screenshots, among others.
We are also adding content (TV shows, Anime, Movies) from great media companies from around the world offered for free, or for rent/purchase at a very low price. We hope that you will enjoy the experience. All the content is encoded with a high video quality, because we know that's what you want. Several shows are available in High Definition.
This type of content is an addition to the great movies, videos, documentaries, and music that are posted to the platform everyday by our growing community of publishers. VUZE is an open platform where EVERYONE can publish, expose, and distribute their creation, in its original length and quality, for free.
As always, feedback is more than welcome.
Enjoy VUZE, stay tuned, and thank you for watching.
– The Vuze Team
Dear User,
As we move forward with improvements on our Vuze platform, we will continue to introduce new features and content to our online community. We are excited to announce our "Limited Edition" Beta Channel, which showcases a small sample of our premium content. This content will only be available for a limited time, and offered for just a penny. Yes, you read that correctly: a penny. We encourage you to visit the Beta Channel and explore; try out the payment process, download the content, then lean back and enjoy. All we ask in return is you let us know about your experience – good or bad.
This is an exciting time for us and our user community, so please come back to this page for updates and more information. We welcome your feedback at feedback@vuze.com. If you have any further questions, please visit our support center for additional help.
Stay tuned and thanks for watching!
– The Vuze Team
Dear User,
Over the next several weeks we will be introducing many new features to Azureus 3 (currently code-named Zudeo). All these new features and improvements will be packaged into Azureus in the coming weeks. We'll also be announcing the final name of the project at that time. More on this later.
In the meantime, please pardon our dust as we are beta testing these new features, and fixing potential issues.
Here are some of the features that you should be able to play with in the upcoming days and weeks:
- Enhanced user interface and navigation
- New category structure
- New channel structure
- Completely revamped search engine
- and more!
Come back to this page for more information; we'll update it as we rollout new features. We welcome your feedback at feedback@vuze.com. If you have any further questions, please visit our support center for additional help.
Stay tuned and thanks for watching!
– The Vuze Team
