The first official implementation of BitTorrent’s peer-to-peer technology hits iOS and the Apple TV today, but not in the way you may have expected. OTT News, a small team bringing a different perspective to the election coverage, has launched an app in partnership with BitTorrent to livestream coverage of the New Hampshire primaries and beyond.
The app, which broadcasts live footage from the primaries each afternoon, makes use of BitTorrent Live. The peer-to-peer system dedicated to live video helps mitigate latency and CDN issues broadcasters usually face when live-streaming.
BitTorrent states that BitTorrent Live has been “undergoing real world tests with a number of broadcast partners and OTT News is the latest.” While OTT News is the first of it’s kind to use Live, BitTorrent encourages broadcasters to sign up to receive emails for more information of the platforms’ availability. For those looking for more information on the benefits of using BitTorrent’s Live system, take a look at the BitTorrent’s post explaining the challenges with live online broadcasting.
BitTorrent states that the protocol they’ve developed delivers very little lag, regardless of how many viewers are on and viewing the broadcast. Coupling this with the fact that most viewers have a second screen streaming data while watching live events, such as an iPhone with Twitter or Facebook open, maintaining a truly “live” experience is fundamental.
OTT News is available for free from the App Store and is compatible with iPhones, iPads, and the Apple TV.
