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PeerCast
PeerCast is a peer-to-peer audio and video streaming application, enabling decentralized broadcasting over the internet without relying on centralized hosting servers..
Overview:
PeerCast is an open-source, decentralized P2P streaming tool designed to facilitate live audio and video broadcasts. Unlike traditional streaming methods relying on centralized servers, PeerCast creates a mesh network of peers who relay streams among each other, enhancing scalability and fault tolerance. The broadcast initiator sends the media stream to a few peers, which then share it onward, distributing bandwidth usage across nodes.
Protocols and Functionality:
PeerCast commonly uses proprietary protocols layered atop TCP to manage peer discovery, stream negotiation, relay forwarding, and data verification. Its architecture supports live multicast-style streaming with potential for user-generated channels. NAT traversal techniques may be utilized to improve connectivity in complex network environments.
Network Operations:
Peers communicate on port 7145 by default, handling both control messages and data delivery. The protocol includes mechanisms for peer list exchange, stream synchronization, and flow control to optimize delivery with minimal latency. Its decentralized nature reduces single points of failure and allows users to join or leave without disrupting active broadcasts.