4oD

Rubez · #1 (**permalink**) Top 11-03-2008, 01:03 AM

Why aint it working

Does anyone else use it?
I am trying to watch skins episode 5 I click it and it comes up as a box that just says 'null' and I have to click ok then when I click play again nothing happens ;[

Then I try watch more of BBUSA and a red error box comes up asking if I wanna debug

!!!

Jake · #2 (**permalink**) Top 11-03-2008, 01:09 AM

What is 40d?

Dave · #3 (**permalink**) Top 11-03-2008, 01:10 AM

4OD is shit, thats why.
Episode 5 will be up on alluc etc. tomorrow

Rubez · #4 (**permalink**) Top 11-03-2008, 01:11 AM

NO 4OD IS GOD!

I looooove it :]

It's 4 on demand Jake you can watch like looooads of shit for free thats been on channel 4 :]

Jake · #5 (**permalink**) Top 11-03-2008, 01:12 AM

I don't watch television. NO TV!

Dave · #6 (**permalink**) Top 11-03-2008, 01:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ruby

NO 4OD IS GOD!

I looooove it :]

It's 4 on demand Jake you can watch like looooads of shit for free thats been on channel 4 :]

.....

Quote:

Kontiki Delivery Manager on iPlayer, 4oD and Sky Anytime
Wednesday, 9 January 2008

If you have come here looking information on the Kontiki delivery Manager, or to remove this horrid piece of software, please read on!
I've mentioned a couple of times on this blog about installing the BBC iPlayer, Channel 4's 4oD and Sky's, Sky Anytime.
What I have failed to mention in these posts, is that the above software installs a Content Delivery Manager called Kontiki. It was a slip on my part, as I came across this software over a year ago when trialling the Sky Anytime service, at this time I manually had to uninstall the software, using the then limited information that there was on the software.
Kontiki, is a service that was founded in 2000, and later acquired by VeriSign in March 2006.
It works using P2P technology, however what the BBC, Channel 4, and Sky fail to tell users is that this piece of software is a processor heavy, and bandwidth intensive service, which remains running even after you have closed the program you are running (I.e. 4oD).
What I find even worse with this piece of software is that even after the removal of your software (I.e. 4oD) the Kontiki software remains on your hard drive, and remains operational. I was more shocked, by how much use the Kontiki service was actually making on my network connections.
Not long ago, I started using a service called OpenDNS, which also logs all my network requests. I started using the OpenDNS service in January of this year (2008). I installed, and uninstalled the Sky Anytime service on my computer in December, due to issues I have mentioned previously you are only able to run either the BBC iPlayer, 4oD or the Sky Anytime service at anyone time, and have only one service installed at any onetime.
What shocked me, was that when reviewing my usage logs, and network connections the highest volume of network connections were being made, via the Kontiki service to Sky's, Sky Anytime (see screen shot below)

As you will see the service has made over 1000 requests to the Sky service, this is more requests than I have made on any other website, even sites such as Google where all my mail, blogging tools, RSS reader, search etc are conducted, so it is not light on the network.
Now this wouldn't be as much of an issue, if it wasn't for the fact that there is no button or switch to turn this software off, and that is comes with no "uninstall" file, and removal of it doesn't happen automatically, as mentioned before with the removal of your service (I.e. 4oD). To remove the software successfully, you either need to remove it manually, which is the method I employed last time I installed in, or being able to find a piece of software called Kclean.exe which you can not find on either Sky's website, nor Channel 4's or for that matter the Kontiki website, or under the Verisign knowledge base.
The link I have provided above, is a download from the BBC website, which I am happy to say is still hosting the file, if you find this link dead or un-usable I have uploaded the software and you are welcome to download from here (however as with any download, especially a blog, please ensure you run a virus check and or spyware check), I feel the need on this occasion to keep an additional download link, as Kontiki and the service providers do not seem all too willing to hand over the uninstall / clean up file.
I sent an email into Channel 4 last night, I am not going to bother with Sky as their customer service is appalling at the best of times, let alone on a technical issue such as this (I once called Sky to ask about uninstalling the Sky Anytime service, and the Indian Lady on the telephone had no idea what the software was! Ooops, lost track there, anyway's, I have emailed into Channel 4, asking for their reasons for using the horrid piece of what I would class as spyware, given the limited options available to it, and its aggressive use of bandwidth. I don't expect a response, however should I get one I will post it up here!
If you have further questions on the Kontiki service, I am happy for you to post them in the comments, and I will assist as much as I can by updating this post etc.
On a positive note to this post, I would like to commend the BBC, as their iPlayer does come with an option to turn off the Kontiki service when you close the BBC iPlayer, and they also supply the KClean.exe file, which is more than the other companies, however given that I pay for the BBC through my licence fee, I think they bloody well should!
In finishing this post, I'll add that I have now removed all software that used the Kontiki software such as the BBC iPlayer, Channel 4's 4oD and Sky Anytime (which was not even worth the effort of downloading!). In replacement, I shall be viewing content online only using the embedded video options.

Rubez · #7 (**permalink**) Top 11-03-2008, 02:00 AM

Jake, you don't need a TV with 4oD :]

Dave, I read that I have no idea what it means

Dave · #8 (**permalink**) Top 11-03-2008, 02:02 AM

It basically means it fucks with your computer and uses your internet connection constantly, even when you're not using 4OD.

Bliss · #9 (**permalink**) Top 11-03-2008, 02:20 AM

But so many people have it and this is the first I've heard of it messing with your computer since it came out, it can only be so bad.

Rubez · #10 (**permalink**) Top 11-03-2008, 02:29 AM

Ohh well that doesn't really affect me lol, I won't notice

Anyway when I'm on my laptop I'm always online :]

Dave · #11 (**permalink**) Top 11-03-2008, 02:30 AM

It's one of the reasons BT/Tiscali/Orange/Virgin slow people's internet connections down because it uses such a vast amount of bandwidth. (If you ever read the small print you'll notice just about all the major providers have a FUP)

General Joe is unfortunately fooled into this because who honestly reads all the terms and conditions and those with 'basic' broadband packages maybe with 2GB bandwidth each month and just want to check their emails, maybe watch a show on Sky By Broadband, iPlayer, 4OD etc. are going to end up being billed because it sits in the background choking your internet connection uploading the same bits of files to all the other people who use this junk.

Quote:

This extra bandwidth used could make UK ISPs put up their prices or use technical measures such as blocking or traffic shaping to deal with iPlayer traffic. It is estimated that an hour of iPlayer downloads at peak time would cost them 67 pence at BT wholesale prices.[6]

kservice.exe, Channel 4 and the stolen bandwith… | mou.me.uk

Bliss · #12 (**permalink**) Top 11-03-2008, 02:35 AM

Hmm I'm confused, so technically you do actually pay to watch the shows?

Rubez · #13 (**permalink**) Top 11-03-2008, 02:42 AM

Ye but don't I pay like a monthly fixed bill? Well not me but my mom?

Dave · #14 (**permalink**) Top 11-03-2008, 02:43 AM

One way or another, yes.
It depends on your Broadband package, if you've got something like my sister which has 2GB monthly transfer limit from Orange (uploads and downloads) and you use the internet not very often for a bit of browsing - installing this means it's possible you're going to get your connection slowed down to dial up speeds or charged extra because of the amount of data it's throwing back up your phone line to other users of the service.

You pay your TV license each year, right? So the BBC sends the TV content to you. But in this case Sky, Channel 4 and BBC decided that you should become part of a huge network of file sharing. Which means you're constantly uploading bits of TV shows you've already watched on 4OD, iPlayer and Sky Anytime to other people and this is a bit shit if say you wanted to put a video on YT when it's doing this because it'll crawl if it's in the middle of something until it's finished the chunk of uploading it's doing at that minute.

One guy on the link I posted said that it uploaded 800MB worth of content from his PC in one day, how long do you think it would be before someone on these limited broadband packages get hit for uploading all that content? I'd give it 3 days before Orange would have taken action and slowed it down to an absolute crawl or started charging for each GB.

Those that pay for the top broadband packages will be fine, but it's still effectively using what you pay for each month to transfer content for these companies so they can save a few quid.

Rubez · #15 (**permalink**) Top 11-03-2008, 02:47 AM

I think I pay for my TV license well my mom. I'm not on orange I'm on virgin media I think, like cable, internet and phone all in one?

Bliss · #16 (**permalink**) Top 11-03-2008, 02:50 AM

I'm on the same as Ruby, am I buggered or should it not affect the bill with that package?

Dave · #17 (**permalink**) Top 11-03-2008, 02:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ruby

I think I pay for my TV license well my mom. I'm not on orange I'm on virgin media I think, like cable, internet and phone all in one?

They have this as well, Orange was an example

In this case, Virgin Media will effectively slow your internet down to a crawl if you upload/download too much.
Traffic management

Quote:

Broadband Size: M
During peak times, if you download more than 300MB and/or upload more than 150MB our traffic management will come into effect.

Any users hitting this amount during peak times (4pm till 9pm) will have their broadband speed temporarily traffic managed – their download speed will be set to 1Mb, with their upload speed set to 128Kb. This will last for 5 hours from when the traffic management policy is applied.
Even if a Broadband Size: M user has their speed temporarily traffic managed, they can still download over 2,500 music files per day.
Broadband Size: L
During peak times, if you download more than 800MB and/or upload more than 325MB our traffic management will come into effect.
Any users hitting this amount during peak times (4pm till 9pm) will have their broadband speed temporarily traffic managed – their download speed will be set to 1Mb, with their upload speed set to 128Kb. This will last for 5 hours from when the traffic management policy is applied.
Even if a Broadband: Size L user has their speed temporarily traffic managed, they can still download over 5,500 music files per day.
Broadband Size: XL
During peak times, if you download more than 3GB and/or upload more than 1250MB our traffic management will come into effect.
Any users hitting this amount during peak times (4pm till 9pm) will have their broadband speed temporarily traffic managed - their download speed will be set to 5Mb, with their upload speed set to 192Kb. This will last for 5 hours from when the traffic management policy is applied.
Even if a Broadband Size: XL user has their speed temporarily traffic managed, they can still download over 25,000 music files per day.

Rubez · #18 (**permalink**) Top 11-03-2008, 02:56 AM

How do I find out how much I am uploading then? I don't actually download any of the programs I just watch them lol? I downloaded one episode of skins just because it wouldn't play but thats it?

Dave · #19 (**permalink**) Top 11-03-2008, 03:01 AM

lol that would be too complicated to explain, but by watching them you're saving the program to your pc and the software in the background is taking chunks of the program as other people want to watch it and uploading it back to them.

There is a way around this of course, if you're prepared to use a different bit of software to stop iPlayer, 4OD etc. completely when you're done watching stuff through them.

the Technophile: Do you use iPlayer or 4oD to download TV programs?

Rubez · #20 (**permalink**) Top 11-03-2008, 03:08 AM

Haha I will look at that link tomoz 'cus I am about to go watch about 7 hours worth of 4oD lmao :D

Bliss · #21 (**permalink**) Top 11-03-2008, 03:13 AM

Surely you're safer just sticking with 4OD as it is than installing a programme a random guy has made himself..?