The Pendulum Swings to Streaming
P2P has epitomized the swinging pendulum of media technology. Streaming vs. downloading is cyclical as consumer expectations and choices are shaped by available media, bandwidth, and business externalities.
For the past several years downloads were ascendant, driven by iPods, iTunes, and P2P. Low-res MP3s were good enough and portable.
Video is changing the equation. YouTube streaming positioned it as a legal service. HD files are too large for typical downloads and DSL and cable bandwidth. P2PTV has matured to bring distributed economies of scale to streaming media.
Robert X. Cringely's article "Swimming with the Fishes: What's good for tournament fishing may be good for the Department of Defense" shows that adobe flash was in the right place at the right time. The product's next release will keep it there with better video and audio codecs and HD quality.
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