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Open Source Streaming Alliance
• What is the Open Source
Streaming Alliance?
Open Source servers, exchanging streaming content and replicating
content. The driving idea is global networking of servers and high-bandwidth
centers in ways that avoid unnecessary multiplication of Net traffic
while delivering content as locally as possible.
The Open Source Streaming Alliance is an extension
of the networking paradigm with one crucial addition: it transcends
the current only-for-profit context, allowing experimental independent
media and arts centers to catch up with the need to stream content
creation and distribution. It thereby gives voice to diversity and
facilitates global accessibility for all.
• How does the Open Source
Streaming Alliance function?
The Open Source Streaming Alliance is a network of Open Source streaming
servers located on three continents (Australia, Europe, North America)
that relay and exchange their streaming content through multicast
channels. Multicasting and relaying are built-in features of Open
Source servers. While the Alliance is agnostic regarding the format
of audio and/or video content, the one prerequisite is that content
and delivery tools are Open Source—available for everybody with
no loss (and maybe a gain) in quality. At the moment, the servers
relaying Internet broadcast streams are Darwin streaming servers.
Darwin servers are very reliable, distributed through the Open Source
agreement and offer versatility for even most complicated streaming
networks.
• Who can be a member of
the Open Source Streaming Alliance?
Any not-for-profit organization or corporation accountable to it members
can participate in the Alliance. The founding members of the Alliance
decide through the consensus reached in an open dialog about who can
participate and on what terms. Founding members of the Alliance reserve
the right to adapt specific terms to the nature of the organization:
not-for-profits may be granted free relaying, bandwidth, and even
technical and financial support, whereas for-profits may be assessed
a membership fee. Membership in the Alliance is absolutely voluntary.
Each member must sign a Letter of Agreement, with just one obligation:
to offer streams for distribution and to redistribute streams from
other members of the Alliance.
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