This is a _very_ interesting comment.
There _must_ be a switch on the logic of the streaming.
If you want to "stream" the torrent, you will need to start with the first chunks
But i think we can do something nice about it. We need to add some transfer stats to the downloading and use it.
You have the file xyz.mp4 with 20 chunks.
First, you leech the first 4 chunks (first 20 minutes of the xyz.mp4 file)
Then you analyze aprox. transfer speed. Let's say you are downloading 2 minutes of movie per second.
If you already downloaded the first 20 minutes, you have at least 15 minutes until you need to start downloading the chunk number 5.
We should use those 15 minutes to download the last chunks (20, 19, 18...)
After 15 minutes you start downloading chunk number 5, 6, 7... and repeat the process.
I think this could work fine, YTS should do something about this.
I agree that we should try to make all chunks of a file available for the other peers, but also all files that participate in the p2p network.
I am not sure which kind of structured p2p system popcorn time sues, but if it was a DHT it should make sure that there is replication of the rarest files works too.
So that people who want to watch weird east European movies also have the opportunity, just as those who want to watch the latest blockbuster.
I hope popcorn time does not immediately delete cached chunks...what a waste.
XBMCtorrent approaches this by seeding the movie until you finish watching it. In my experience, movies start playing within the first minute and are finished downloading within the first hour (well, 10-20 minutes for popular content), meaning a large portion of the movie's running time is devoted to seeding 100% of the file.
If you want to "stream" the torrent, you will need to start with the first chunks But i think we can do something nice about it. We need to add some transfer stats to the downloading and use it.
You have the file xyz.mp4 with 20 chunks.
First, you leech the first 4 chunks (first 20 minutes of the xyz.mp4 file)
Then you analyze aprox. transfer speed. Let's say you are downloading 2 minutes of movie per second.
If you already downloaded the first 20 minutes, you have at least 15 minutes until you need to start downloading the chunk number 5.
We should use those 15 minutes to download the last chunks (20, 19, 18...)
After 15 minutes you start downloading chunk number 5, 6, 7... and repeat the process.
I think this could work fine, YTS should do something about this.