[LINK] The DVD is not dead!

[Jim Birch]

David Boxall wrote:

>
> What century is this?


The Internet is based on point to point communications.  There are
multicast protocols but they don't get a lot of use.  ISPs use caching
proxy applications like Squid to supply files that are sourced once
upstream to multiple end users.

It seems to me that it would be possible to improve the satellite
performance significantly via the use of a smart, distributed version of
Squid, something like this:  Satellite endpoints run "DSquid" software and
have a large local storage, I guess a few Tb would do it.  There will be a
cost/benefit trade-off.  A 2Tb disk costs about $100 and holds like 200 HD
movies.  The satellite continuously broadcasts what goes into the central
DSquid cache using some kind of smart algorithm based frequency of access
across the user base.  The endpoints continuously choose what to keep and
what to discard based on "what's trending" recommendations from the central
proxy and local usage history.  This might mean, for example, that a
popular movie, a large Windows update, or a distance education resource
might be already pre-downloaded into your local cache when decide you want
it.   The broadcast stream has zero marginal cost so could of be free to
all the satellites users.

This wouldn't solve all the deficiencies but it would make much more
efficient use of an expensive resource.  It just needs a bit of smart
design work.

Does anyone know if this kind of system is available, in use anywhere,
considered or considered too hard?

Jim