BBC iPlayer a bandwidth killer? - bit-tech.net Forums

CardJoe · 16th Aug 2007, 10:50

http://www.bit-tech.net/news/2007/08...idth_killer_/1

The BBC iPlayer which offers on-demand online TV has come under fire for being a massive bandwidth hog. Also, pictures of Bindi!

Looks at Bindi -

Wolfman_UK · 16th Aug 2007, 11:02

The way I see it, ISP customers pay for their internet usage and if they see fit to use iPlayer then they can!

ISPs shoudln't complain that their networks are getting used and expect the BBC to pay! Its like saying that manufacturers of electricity hungry 1000watt+ PC's should pay for the electricity their machines use in peoples homes! Mind you, wouldn't be a bad idea! Nicely subsidised electricity bill!

-wolfman

yodasarmpit · 16th Aug 2007, 11:05

I've only tried iplayer for a couple of days and even when downloads were paused or the player switched off, my bandwidth was being used to the point of crippling my 8meg connection.

DXR_13KE · 16th Aug 2007, 11:06

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wolfman_UK

The way I see it, ISP customers pay for their internet usage and if they see fit to use iPlayer then they can!

ISPs shoudln't complain that their networks are getting used and expect the BBC to pay! Its like saying that manufacturers of electricity hungry 1000watt+ PC's should pay for the electricity their machines use in peoples homes! Mind you, wouldn't be a bad idea! Nicely subsidised electricity bill!

-wolfman

and car makers should start paying because of road congestions and the repairing of these.....

edit:
doesn't it have some kind of user controlled bandwidth limiter?

Dr. Strangelove · 16th Aug 2007, 11:07

Quote:

He was completely unaware that the iPlayer is based on peer-to-peer technology .....

hmm I thought this was a tech site and the people who worked there would check/know these things

Anyway I completely agree with Wolfman. You can't have a company being payed for supplying a service and then complain if their users use the service. The problem is really that their hardware can't handle the number of costumers they have if they all use their connection fully.

Bindibadgi · 16th Aug 2007, 11:07

I actually used the iPlayer as an excuse to cover my porn downloading

In my defence, it's not listed as "iPlayer" in netlimiter, instead it's a service and has no indication that its actually uploading in the program.

CardJoe · 16th Aug 2007, 11:13

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bindibadgi

I actually used the iPlayer as an excuse to cover my porn downloading

NO WANKING IN THE OFFICE!

Hustler · 16th Aug 2007, 11:18

Of course, if our Internet infrastructure was even half way decent there wouldn't be this problem would there....

Freedom · 16th Aug 2007, 11:19

I didnt realise that Iplayer is based opon PToP tech either doh must pay more attention but it is a great litlle service thou espically as i dont currently have a working tv

Fr4nk · 16th Aug 2007, 11:35

Signed up for the beta, though seems I'm too late :/ I can see my peak (4pm to midnight) 3gb limit being an issue here... even with 20mb...

-Fr4nk

failsaif1924 · 16th Aug 2007, 11:58

in netlimiter it should be Kontiki, Kservice or Khost its also wise to kill these process after using iPlayer library.

Regarding the BBC having to pay the ISP that is utter nonsense, I think ISP's need to upgrade their infrastructure and get upto date with the needs of broadband internet users of today.

I agree with statements above, this would be like Microsoft charging games developers for making their precious Xbox 360 overheat :P

kosch · 16th Aug 2007, 12:10

To be fair we should start charging athletes for the amount of oxygen they consume as its obvious they use more than the rest of us chair dwelling folk!

Salazaar · 16th Aug 2007, 12:13

I don't see what all the fuss is about, iplayer barely uses any bandwidth on my system. Then again, it does cause it to BSOD every time I try to start it up!

samkiller42 · 16th Aug 2007, 12:13

Tiscali dont like you using the internet, or allowing your Modem/Router to connect, as that can cause a slight amount of Bandwidth. As long as you pay each month, they dont mind. I got fed up with Tiscali after they sent me an email, saying I was a heavy user, after playing xbox live for about 3 hours.

Sam

[USRF]Obiwan · 16th Aug 2007, 12:41

Quote:

Originally Posted by samkiller42

Tiscali saying I was a heavy user, after playing xbox live for about 3 hours.

Sam

Maybe they ment it literary...

mikeuk2004 · 16th Aug 2007, 12:46

Tut tut Bindi. Get back to work, stop skiving and keep it in your trousers.

Mother-Goose · 16th Aug 2007, 13:04

So the video being streamed is kind of a *******ised torrent in a sense? I never realised that!

Bindibadgi · 16th Aug 2007, 13:32

Quote:

Originally Posted by failsaif1924

in netlimiter it should be Kontiki, Kservice or Khost its also wise to kill these process after using iPlayer library.

Oh my god! I killed it this morning after queuing some stuff for later and have just checked it again and it was whoring 30kb upload all morning! That's ****ing disgusting.

ralph.pickering · 16th Aug 2007, 13:45

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wolfman_UK

The way I see it, ISP customers pay for their internet usage and if they see fit to use iPlayer then they can!

True, but ISPs charge based on average use, and if average use suddenly doubles because of something like the iPlayer, then they're going to have to look at making somebody foot the bill. They know that internet users aren't going to pony up another £30 a month for internet usage, so rightly or wrongly they are looking to the BBC to subsidise the cost. The way I see it is either the BBC foots the bill or part thereof, or you'll see the end of unlimited broadband fairly soon.

steveo_mcg · 16th Aug 2007, 13:48

I was a little annoyed that there wasn't going to be a linux player for this. Now i'm much less annoyed.

16th Aug 2007, 10:50	#1
CardJoe Player Character bit-tech Staff Join Date: Apr 2007 Posts: 7,940	BBC iPlayer a bandwidth killer? http://www.bit-tech.net/news/2007/08...idth_killer_/1 The BBC iPlayer which offers on-demand online TV has come under fire for being a massive bandwidth hog. Also, pictures of Bindi! Looks at Bindi - __________________ this is joe's non-bit-tech blog

16th Aug 2007, 11:02	#2
Wolfman_UK What's a Dremel? Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: UK Posts: 17	The way I see it, ISP customers pay for their internet usage and if they see fit to use iPlayer then they can! ISPs shoudln't complain that their networks are getting used and expect the BBC to pay! Its like saying that manufacturers of electricity hungry 1000watt+ PC's should pay for the electricity their machines use in peoples homes! Mind you, wouldn't be a bad idea! Nicely subsidised electricity bill! -wolfman __________________ Physics tells us that for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. They hate us, we hate them, they hate us back. And so, here we are, victims of mathematics!

16th Aug 2007, 11:05	#3
yodasarmpit The other Brett. Moderator Join Date: May 2002 Location: West Lothian , Scotland Posts: 9,664	I've only tried iplayer for a couple of days and even when downloads were paused or the player switched off, my bandwidth was being used to the point of crippling my 8meg connection. __________________ The Rt. Hon. Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson - "Ping Pong is coming home" www.yodasarmpit.com clickr my flickr

16th Aug 2007, 11:07	#6
Bindibadgi Richard Swinburne bit-tech Staff Join Date: Mar 2001 Location: Omnipwntent Posts: 28,226	I actually used the iPlayer as an excuse to cover my porn downloading In my defence, it's not listed as "iPlayer" in netlimiter, instead it's a service and has no indication that its actually uploading in the program. __________________ Made you look, made you stare, made you clicked this in your underwear! Den of Geek! Last edited by Bindibadgi; 16th Aug 2007 at 11:13.

16th Aug 2007, 11:35	#10
Fr4nk Tyrannosaurus Alan ! Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Uk, Essex Posts: 2,367	Signed up for the beta, though seems I'm too late :/ I can see my peak (4pm to midnight) 3gb limit being an issue here... even with 20mb... -Fr4nk __________________ {Macbook Pro + Dell 2407 WFP - Canon 3000V + Canon 350D + BG-E3 + Sigma 10-20mm + 50mm f1.8 + kit 28-90mm EF - Rolleiflex 2.8 TLR} *Flickr ~Flickriver ^ My Behance Art Folio

16th Aug 2007, 11:18	#8
Hustler Multimodder Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: The Dark Side Posts: 115	Of course, if our Internet infrastructure was even half way decent there wouldn't be this problem would there....

16th Aug 2007, 11:19	#9
Freedom Hypermodder Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Manchester England Posts: 603	I didnt realise that Iplayer is based opon PToP tech either doh must pay more attention but it is a great litlle service thou espically as i dont currently have a working tv

16th Aug 2007, 11:58	#11
failsaif1924 Minimodder Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 30	in netlimiter it should be Kontiki, Kservice or Khost its also wise to kill these process after using iPlayer library. Regarding the BBC having to pay the ISP that is utter nonsense, I think ISP's need to upgrade their infrastructure and get upto date with the needs of broadband internet users of today. I agree with statements above, this would be like Microsoft charging games developers for making their precious Xbox 360 overheat :P

16th Aug 2007, 12:10	#12
kosch Trango in the Mango Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Cambridge, UK Posts: 191	To be fair we should start charging athletes for the amount of oxygen they consume as its obvious they use more than the rest of us chair dwelling folk! __________________ [b]Really needs updating! - http://www.kosch.co.uk/

16th Aug 2007, 12:13	#13
Salazaar Minimodder Join Date: May 2004 Location: Oxford, UK Posts: 43	I don't see what all the fuss is about, iplayer barely uses any bandwidth on my system. Then again, it does cause it to BSOD every time I try to start it up!

16th Aug 2007, 12:13	#14
samkiller42 KEEP IT CLEAN! Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Havant, Hampshire, England Posts: 3,181	Tiscali dont like you using the internet, or allowing your Modem/Router to connect, as that can cause a slight amount of Bandwidth. As long as you pay each month, they dont mind. I got fed up with Tiscali after they sent me an email, saying I was a heavy user, after playing xbox live for about 3 hours. Sam __________________ The Rig: i7 920 D0, Gigabyte EX58-UD5, 12GB DDR3 1600mhz, BFG GTX295, Samsung 64gb SSD, WD 640gb Black, Samsung F2 Eco 1TB, Dell 3007WFP, Windows 7 RC. The Netbook: Samsung NC10 Black, Intel Atom, 2gb DDR2 Xbox Live: samkiller42¦PSN: samkiller42¦Bungie: samkiller42

16th Aug 2007, 12:46	#16
mikeuk2004 What you Looking at Fool! Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Sheffield, UK Posts: 3,045	Tut tut Bindi. Get back to work, stop skiving and keep it in your trousers. __________________ -\|- Xfire - Mikeuk2005 -\|- Xbox Live - Mike UK 2006 -\|- Playstation Network - Mikeuk2004 -\|-

16th Aug 2007, 13:04	#17
Mother-Goose Tories ftw! Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: England - Surrey Posts: 3,750	So the video being streamed is kind of a *******ised torrent in a sense? I never realised that! __________________ Goose Q6600, Striker Extreme, 4GB 6400C4 Dominator DHX, Raptor X, 2x400GB spinpoints, BFG 8800GTX OC, Stacker 830 Evo, HX620, Nova T 500, Freezer 7 Pro

16th Aug 2007, 13:48	#20
steveo_mcg What owl? Join Date: May 2005 Location: Edinburgh Posts: 3,975	I was a little annoyed that there wasn't going to be a linux player for this. Now i'm much less annoyed. __________________ No boom today, boom tomorrow... there's always a boom tomorrow.