P2P used by NBA League Pass: or how to pay twice for a service.

[Santilli]

I actually decided to read the NBA's lawyerese terms of conditions on using their NBA League Pass. Fun stuff, like it automatically renews every year, unless you go to one of their websites, and cancel it. Of course it's VERY difficult to find the actual area on that page to cancel your membership, because that's pretty much what it is.

I've been using it on free trial, and it keeps asking to install this software:
"Octoshape is, by design, a Peer-to-Peer (P2P) application in that it streams parts of the video and audio to the end user's computer system via the personal computer systems of other end users of the Software.[10] Upon viewing a video on a website like CNN that is configured to utilize the Octoshape software option, a dialog box is presented to the user to install a plug-in.[11] The plug-in is optional and is only needed for "high quality" video. After the user is finished watching the video, the plug-in stays installed on the machine. This plug-in will remain running silent in the end user's computer system until a request is made for it by another web service for P2P bandwidth utilization (the user trusts this to be Octoshape).[12]

Websites like CNN are choosing this P2P option in order to share the high bandwidth processing cost of streaming video with the end users in an effort to minimize the bandwidth and processing power required on the server end."

So, you not only pay for the service, but, you get to pay extra with your bandwidth. My current gig per month is about 175 GB for the house. That's 75 GB over the 100GB
that Astound is charging me for. We'll see, but I think my local guys might have a fix for the overcharges. So far, since this charging for bandwidth is new, and much like the NBA's agreement, hidden in the fine print, they have been removing the additional 30 dollar charges for the last two months.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Octoshape

I was wondering if anyone knew how much bandwidth Octoshape actually uses?

GS

 

[Santilli]

EULA for Octoshape:
1. PERMISSION TO UTILIZE

You hereby acknowledge that you understand that the Software utilizes a grid streaming technology. With grid streaming technology, parts of the video and audio stream you watch and listen to may be delivered to your personal computer system via the personal computer systems of other end users of the Software, and the personal computer system on which you install the Software may also be used to deliver parts of the video, audio, and / or data stream to other end users of the Software.
Accordingly, you hereby grant permission for Octoshape and other end users of the Software to utilize and share the processor and bandwidth of your personal computer system for the limited purpose of delivering video and audio streams between you and other end users of the Software, including Octoshape.
You are responsible for any telecommunication or other connectivity charges incurred through the use of the Software.

 

[Mercutio]

There are plenty of mainstream applications for peer to peer data traffic. Skype is a P2P protocol, and World of Warcraft notably uses Bittorrent to handle updates.