this post was submitted on 20 Jan 2025
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I'll mention it here, since nobody did for some reason, but torrenting is sustainable so long as people keep the files and reseed. So keeping a copy is not the end-goal of people using torrenting technology, but a necessary part of the process.
The goal, functionally, is still streaming. (So much so I used to set the torrent to download the file progressively and run the incomplete file in VLC, watching it while it was getting completed).
What keeps me away from streaming site is that I'm confused about how they sustain themselves. Aren't the costs giganormous to constantly be streaming stuff around?
I think they're just doing it the same way you do TBH, they just force sequential download of a torrent and allow their users to watch as it downloads as a normal torrent, but then auto-deletes content as it goes as well. That way they don't need to have a massive back end to handle the streaming since it's done like regular P2P torrenting and handled entirely in the client side.
That's what steaming is (temporarily downloading), but if I'm not seeding, and neither are my fellow consumers, there's no "peer-to-peer" to speak of.
Yes it is 100% leeching on the people that do download and store files, I never said it wasn't, I merely explained how they managed without massive OPEX. Yes these services only work as long as some people keep files and seed, that's also why they suck for things than are >1 year old.
I'm not sure I understand.
The users go to a streaming site, they look for a movie, they click the clicks, they watch the movie, they close the browser, the temporary files are deleted.
What downloads? What stored files?
It uses a torrent file to download parts (temporarily) just like you use the same torrent to permanently download and seed. Only difference is they (the client/user) never keep the files for seeding, no different than if you downloaded, watched, and then deleted the file and torrent from your client.
Oh I see what you mean now. That would be seed-and-run.
That's unethical as far as pirating goes...
Yes, but that doesn't mean much to most people using public trackers to permanently download either so...