Puffer
Developer(s)Stanford University
Initial releaseOctober 6, 2017 (2017-10-06)
Repositoryhttps://github.com/StanfordSNR/puffer
Websitepuffer.stanford.edu

Puffer is a free and open-source live TV research study operated by Stanford University to improve video streaming algorithms. The study allows users across the United States to watch seven over-the-air television stations broadcasting in the San Francisco Bay Area media market for free.[1]

History

Puffer was launched on October 6, 2017. It was initially led by Francis Yan, a Stanford computer science doctoral student, with Hudson Ayers and Sadjad Fouladi from Stanford, and Chenzhi Zhu from Tsinghua University. The project's facility advisors are professors Keith Winstein and Philip Levis.[2][3] The research study uses machine learning to improve video-streaming algorithms, such as those commonly used by services like YouTube, Netflix, and Twitch. The goal is to teach a computer to design new algorithms that reduce glitches and stalls in streaming video (especially over wireless networks and those with limited capacities, such as in rural areas), improve picture quality, and predict how the capacity of an Internet connection will change over time.[1][3]

The service is limited. Only those in the U.S. can sign up, and only up to 500 users can watch Puffer at a time. In addition, the service only re-transmits free over-the-air television channels in the San Francisco Bay Area media market, specifically the following ones picked up by an antenna located on the Stanford campus: KTVU 2 (Fox), KPIX 5 (CBS), KGO 7 (ABC), KQED 9 (PBS), KNTV 11 (NBC), KQED+ 54 (PBS) (July 21, 2023 – August 1, 2023), KPYX 44 (Independent) (returned August 4, 2023), and KDTV 14 (Univision).[1][2]

Supported apps & devices

Browsers

Devices

References

  1. 1 2 3 Humphries, Matthew (January 18, 2019). "Stanford University Launches a Streaming TV Service (for Science)". PCMag. Archived from the original on April 5, 2023.
  2. 1 2 "Puffer Frequently Asked Questions". Stanford University. Retrieved April 17, 2023.
  3. 1 2 Beacham, Frank (November 5, 2021). "Getting Rid of the Glitches and Stalls in Streaming Media". TV Tech. Archived from the original on March 18, 2023.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.