Video-on-demand for everyone

The people behind Downhill Battle have announced a new project within their Participatory Culture Foundation allowing viewing and distribution of high quality, full screen video by anyone over the net using the BitTorrent protocol. It’s basically podcasting with video, on steroids, and with direct delivery from individual to individual.

It’s a great way for independent content producers to get their own private TV-on-demand channel out there at low cost and for people to discover new and original content that doesn’t need to meet the commercial imperatives (read: mind-numbingness) of broadcast networks.

I’m sure we’ll get a huge signal to noise ratio but the blog world seems to have survived that one. Another risk is lack of adoption in areas where broadband providers enforce transfer limits (like.. Belgium) in order to keep download addicts/movie collectors/warez hounds from hogging the pipes (the classic misdeeds of the few impeding on the many, but that’s another story). And, last but not least, if all these industry associations such as the MPAA, IFPI and RIAA get their way with the law, the whole damn thing might end up being interfered with on a protocol-level (and route around it, as always).

Meanwhile Google have opened up their video service to independents… It can only get better.