Video Streaming China

[loftyoz]

Hi - I am creating a new Chinese social network. The site will have video upload / viewing capabilities standard to social network sites. Do you think using a Videoegg / Grouper 3rd party white label video host would be too slow - i.e. they would probably host the files in the states and i know the bandwidth issues in China. The site will be hosted in Hong Kong for speed. Do you think it would be better to host the videos myself? Are there video hosting white label solutions in China?

Thanks.

[bill]

Welcome to WebmasterWorld loftyoz.

I don't think you'll have much luck hosting outside China for a bandwidth intense application like that. Here's a thread that addresses this issue:

The importance of hosting Top Sites in China; Myth or Reality? [webmasterworld.com]

[DamonHD]

I see as much as 300ms round-trip delay getting though the Great Firewall. Never mind occasional terrible connectivity and bandwidth problems.

I am hosting in Beijing with a non-Chinese (Asian) company and it is working well, so far as I can tell from here.

Rgds

Damon

[loftyoz]

Thanks guys - Damon, which company do you use? I am thinking of hosting in Hong Kong to avoid some of the local hosting issues - what do you think? Do you know of any sites in China that give a Videoegg type white label solution?

[bill]

We can't make specific hosting recommendations in the forums, but you're welcome to contact members directly via sticky mail.

[59box]

Also keep in mind that to host social video site your site has to be properly licenced.

See for example [yahoo.cn...] the number at the bottom indicates that the site had applied and approved. The regulation isn't enforced uniformly and you can see sites that are just registered (bei) or even some not at all. For a serious site, don't miss this part of the plan.

I always believe in starting small and scale unless of course you have other people money to spend. :)

[edited by: Woz at 10:37 pm (utc) on April 16, 2007]
[edit reason] Used Generic Example [/edit]

[loftyoz]

does the licensing still apply if you locate in hong kong? how would you obtain a license and what does it cost / how long does it take etc etc?

[bill]

licensing

China to close local websites if unregistered [webmasterworld.com]

Registering your website will have no effect on the video streaming issue though. ;)

[59box]

If you read chinese here is an article about video sharing sites and licensing issues.
[tech.sina.com.cn...]

For a video site you will most likely need a transaction license which is not as easy to apply as a simple site registration. Looking at the major video sites, they are using such license.

The article also mention that regulation is going to be tighten. If you want to be in this play, you better act fast! When the laws come out you probably still can get a license but will be many magnitudes more difficult - in terms of time and money.

[jb77068]

You can also use a CDN to get decent performance into China - Yahoo uses CDNetworks - Akamai uses ChinaCache & Rackspace will be opening another datacenter in the Asia PAC region shortly.