Computer Grid Aids Video Streaming

A new service is using a cluster of net-based computers to shrink movies so they can be sent at a high quality over regular broadband connections.

British service FilmOn thinks they have something a little different to offer. It’s not the idea of video on demand, streaming, movie rental, or even some free movies. It’s in the way they’re delivered.

They use a grid – a cluster of net-based computers – to shrink the films so they can be sent through basic broadband connections and still retain a high quality. Nor is FilmOn’s service restricted to computers; they also have a TV set-top box and can stream to 3G mobiles, and there are plans to expand community content.

The network that delivers the movies was designed by Digital Utilities, and the development took almost 15 years, chief scientist Richard Crosby told the BBC:

"The FilmOn Network Operation Centre makes use of the same grid and cloud technology used by CERN and government agencies."

"The processing power is spread out across the globe, rather than on a single server. We start off with a few servers in select places and as demand picks up, a fresh cluster kicks in."

"What makes us different from a traditional grid is that the CPU’s actually talk to each other across the global network. So it knows where the loads are and where projected loads will occur."