Videos Quick, Easy and Automatic
By Katie Dean | Also by this reporter Page 1 of 1
02:00 AM Jan. 11, 2005 PT
Locating video content on the web can be cumbersome and time-consuming, especially for the not-too-tech-savvy tinkerer. But a new application combining BitTorrent and RSS could make it easy for video fans to automatically locate files and download them to their computers.
Sajeeth Cherian, a 20-year-old communications engineering student at Carleton University in Ottawa, Canada, got the idea for Videora after watching the trouble his roommate went through to find and download anime off the internet. He thought there ought to be an easier way.
While the idea to combine BitTorrent and RSS isn't new, Cherian said his program is less complicated than others and doesn't "demand computer enthusiasts' knowledge."
"I thought I could make an easier version," Cherian said. "Something that anyone off the street could use. You don't need to know anything about BitTorrent or RSS."
BitTorrent is a peer-to-peer file-sharing application that enables fast downloads of large data files. When a person downloads a video, for instance, the data arrives in chunks from different users, resulting in a faster download. RSS, or Really Simple Syndication, is a mechanism used by sites to automatically distribute their content -- like headlines, links or video -- to subscribers' computers. RSS subscribers choose what kind of information they would like to receive.
Videora puts together an easy-to-use interface so users don't have to worry about such details. Once a person downloads the application, the program automatically installs BitTorrent and downloads the RSS feeds, Cherian said. Then, users simply type in the title or keyword for a "series" they want to record, like amateur tsunami videos, for instance. The request can be added to a "want list," and the user can download any tsunami videos located by double-clicking the file. Or, a person can add the tsunami request to "season tickets" and the program will automatically download any tsunami video.
"We extract the BitTorrent link from the RSS feed, and if the title matches what you are looking for, we start downloading the BitTorrent file from the RSS link," Cherian said.
When the search is submitted, the request goes to the open-source Videora server, which includes an index of "tracker" websites -- which point users to locations where digital music and movie files can be found -- with RSS feeds. Anyone can contribute to the database, Cherian said. Cherian developed the source code and then set it free; he has no control over the content.
The site launched at the end of December. Users can download a free trial of the Videora application or pay $23 for a version with more features.
The Motion Picture Association of America recently sued several tracker sites, like LokiTorrent and SuprNova.org. The MPAA alleges that the sites are violating copyright.
The MPAA did not return calls for comment on Videora.
"There (are) a lot of programs out there that can be used for good and bad," Cherian said. "I think it's the responsibility of the copyright provider to make sure people aren't misusing their content.... I definitely don't condone piracy."
So far, Cherian hasn't heard from the MPAA. However, he did run into trouble when TiVo objected to the use of the phrases "season passes," which was originally used to describe Videora's automatic download feature, and "wish lists." Cherian renamed the features "season tickets" and "want lists." He's also heard from a few people interested in investing in the technology, he said.
One digital rights attorney said the program appears to be on the right side of the law, according to the description on its website.
"It looks like they don't control any of the sites that offer the RSS feeds or the BitTorrent tracker sites," said Jason Schultz, an attorney with the Electronic Frontier Foundation. "They are not suggesting any particular content and they aren't supervising what people are doing on the network."
That supervision was a key part of the downfall of the original Napster. The court ruled that Napster could supervise what its users were doing, he said.
Schultz compared Videora to another file-sharing service: "Grokster doesn't tell you where to go looking for the content and it doesn't have prepackaged content for you," he said. "It's just a tool you can use to find things. It's that lack of suggestion and lack of control over what you do that keeps it on the right side of the law."
"As long as he's not operating those trackers, it shouldn't be a legal problem," said Andrew Grumet, a programmer who also developed software that combines BitTorrent and RSS. "Although it could be a problem of finding content, ultimately, if these trackers get shut down."