Customer demand 4 catch-up TV choked by Fair Usage Policies

4 on Demand, or 4oD is Channel 4′s new video on-demand service which allows viewers to catch up on the last seven days of programming on your TV or on your computer, and access archives of C4 shows such as the high-larious Peep Show, Green Wing, and Ugly Betty. Recently inked deals with third-party content providers such as the National Geographic Society and Arts Alliance Media means that an archive of additional content will also be available to viewers.

However, some ISPs have placed restrictions on the service, as it uses the same P2P software as illegal file sharing sites such as Limewire and BitTorrent. ISPs have limited user access to P2P sites in order to converse bandwidth, via traffic shaping, a procedure which severely reduces the speed of a connection – this practice is usually outlined the various fair usage policy.

The problem is that 4oD is a legal service, but as it uses the same technology as illegal file-sharing sites, service providers do not differentiate between this and an illegal P2P network, so any user trying to legally download content has their paid-for service throttled to borderline dial-up quality.

Weirdly, both BT and Virgin Media – who both broadcast 4oD’s services on their TV platforms – do not yet differentiate between 4oD’s online services and illegal sites. Users have been quick to criticise Channel 4 for using software which would be subject to restrictions, whilst others have hit out at providers who have adopted a one-size fits all approach. Video on demand is seen by many as being the future of TV, and with more ISPs providing TV alongside broadband, it seems counter-productive to restrict access to a mixed P2P/IPTV platform.

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