PPTV

PPLive is a peer-to-peer streaming video network created in the People's Republic of China. It is part of a new generation of P2P applications, that combine P2P and IPTV, called P2PTV.

Basic operation

1. After a user selects a TV station from the list, which is accessed by right-clicking the PPLive icon in the Microsoft Windows system tray, the program will then connect to peers and buffer the stream. PPLive typically uses ports 8008 TCP and 4004 UDP to connect to peers.
2. When the buffer is reasonably full, PPLive launches your media player, either RealPlayer or Windows Media Player, pointing it to read a stream from a local port (usually 8080),
3. Closing down your Media player will not end the stream. The PPLive program will remain in the background streaming data until you close it from the tray or change the channel.

Known problems and limitations

Since PPLive video stream depends on the network connection and peer numbers, the occasional glitch such as the short pause during the viewing or re-buffer is not unusual. In some circumstances, the stream could stop completely if source video file crashes or not enough peers available to establish a smooth streaming.

A variety of contents are available through PPLive. Majority of them are categorized under Movie, Music, TV series and live TV steaming. Also available are some specialties covering from Sports, News, Game Shows etc. Most available programs are in Mandarin, Cantonese or Korean. There are also increasing amount of programs based on English language , such as Hollywood blockbuster movies and popular American TV shows. All these English-speaking shows are hard-coded with Chinese subtitles.

Compatibility

The PPLive program is installable on Asian and English language versions of Windows XP. By default, it uses Windows Media Player and RealPlayer. The media player that is opened depends on the type of stream.

Possible legal issues

Currently the souce videos or live streaming in PPLive are mostly provided by 3rd parties. Most providers don't have proper authorization from the copyright holders. It's uncertain whether PPLive software itself can be held liable for contributing copyright infringement.

External links

• PPLive Homepage