WebTorrent
This article may be too technical for most readers to understand.(November 2018) |
distributed file system, content delivery network | |
License | MIT[1] |
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Website | WebTorrent.io |
Part of a series on |
File sharing |
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WebTorrent is a
History
Before creating WebTorrent, the developers first created PeerCDN, a peer-to-peer content delivery network which was bought by Yahoo! in 2013.
The idea behind WebTorrent is to make a BitTorrent-like protocol that works on the web browser, maintaining as much compatibility with BitTorrent as possible.[2] Any web browser should be able to connect to a peer-to-peer swarm, fetch content, verify that it is correct, and display it to the user – all as much as possible without centralized servers relying on a network entirely of people's browsers.[3] WebTorrent uses the same protocol as BitTorrent but uses a different transport layer. WebTorrent primarily relies on WebRTC connections, while BitTorrent uses TCP connections and UDP datagrams directly.[3]
WebTorrent Desktop
The WebTorrent Desktop bridges the two networks of WebRTC-based WebTorrent and TCP/UDP-based BitTorrent simultaneously. The BitTorrent client
Functionality
Online video is the core focus as that is where WebTorrent is most useful. It is less suited for smaller files or data sets but is ideal for larger files.[3]
File availability, as with BitTorrents, is dependent on torrent
The client prioritizes downloading pieces chronologically, so that the file is able to be streamed uninterrupted even before the download is complete.[4]
Adoption
WebTorrent uses widely supported open web standards like WebRTC and therefore works in any modern browser, including
BitChute
Launched in 2017,
Brave
Brave web browser bundles WebTorrent into the native executables and integrates WebTorrent into its UI.[11]
See also
- BitChute, formerly used WebTorrent[10]
- PeerTube, uses WebTorrent
- libtorrent, implements WebTorrent[4]
- Comparison of BitTorrent clients
- InterPlanetary File System
- List of video hosting services
- YouTube Instant
References
- ^ "Webtorrent/Webtorrent". GitHub. 2 June 2021.
- ^ Ernesto (2018-01-04). "WebTorrent Desktop Hits a Million Downloads". TorrentFreak.com. TorrentFreak. Retrieved 2018-11-03.
- ^ a b c d e Heavybit (2017-07-06). "Demuxed - Ep. #5, WebTorrent: Bringing BitTorrent to the Web". YouTube. Heavybit. Retrieved 2018-11-03. @4:35+
- ^ a b "WebTorrent support - arvidn/libtorrent". GitHub. 2020-07-01.
- ^ "WebTorrent FAQ". webtorrent.io. Retrieved 2022-03-12.
- ^ S2CID 220434725.
- ^ "BitChute is a BitTorrent-Powered YouTube Alternative". TorrentFreak. 2017-01-29. Retrieved 2017-12-10.
- ^ Beer, Doron. "iTWire - BitChute: the first serious YouTube competitor?". www.itwire.com. Retrieved 2017-12-10.
- ^ "Bitchute claims to be a decentralized platform—that's not true". The Daily Dot. 2019-11-27. Retrieved 2020-12-19.
- ^ a b Chant, Tim De (29 April 2021). "Conspiracy theorist said death threats were "jokes"—but jury didn't buy it". Ars Technica. Retrieved 18 May 2021.
- ^ "What extensions are built into Brave?". Brave Help Center. Retrieved 2023-07-27.
External links
- Official website
- Instant.io for WebTorrent magnets.