Peer-to-Peer Technology to Watch TV
With the emergence of streaming sites and applications that provides live TV, more and more people are turning away from traditional broadcasts. The internet has a lot more to offer when it comes to news, music, movies, and even TV shows. But, if you don’t want to restrict yourself from single-purpose applications, then you can try SopCast. It is a simple streaming software that allows you to watch free online TV channels. It uses peer-to-peer technology to facilitate the online streaming of any TV channel in the world, as long as it gets a valid server address. If you want to access a channel that is otherwise blocked in your area, this app can also help.
Stream and Broadcast via P2P
As mentioned, SopCast uses peer-to-peer or P2P technology to let you access various TV channels on your computer. The beauty of P2P is that you don’t have to use huge bandwidth or servers when streaming. More, it also enables the users to broadcast their own media content over the internet. You only need to fill out some technical information in the dedicated dialogs, including the source of the stream, encapsulation mode, program name, channel ID, server address, and the account name. With this, you can pretty much share anything to anyone, provided they’re online.
The application’s interface is comprehensive and takes only less than a quarter of your screen. It is multi-tabbed, giving you enough tools that you can use to have a good streaming experience. However, the quality of your streams depends on your internet connection. The software integrates with Windows Media Player enabling you to enter full-screen mode and adjust the parameters of the plater. You can pause and resume streaming, record or pre-record a program, and even zoom in and out the screen. You can play your content by simply double-clicking on a channel.
Speaking of channels, the app lists down all the available channels in the Live Channels tab and organizes them according to categories. More so, users are allowed to create a list of their favorite channels for quicker access. You can even record the video for later viewing. You only need to specify the output directory, file name, and format.
Login and Installation
SopCast is a free application. However, it is ad-supported, which means that it integrates third-party components into the installer. You need to pay attention when you are installing the app as it offers to make some browser changes. To make a clean setup, you need to cancel the offer. It is not necessary to deselect the two checkboxes, but you need to ensure to go through the installation process very carefully.
At the startup, SopCast will offer two methods of logging in. You can create an account for free, or you can use the app anonymously. Logging in with an account will give you more advantages than the anonymous login. Some channels are also restricted to anonymous users.
Evaluation
Taking things into account, SopCast offers a fast and effective solution when you want to watch TV using your computer. Not only that, but it can also be used for recording and broadcasting channels. It is easy to use and is even configurable to suit your preferences. However, you should be careful when installing the app as you might download something that could alter your browser setup. More, several channels offered are not in English.
