If you've ever used Limewre/Frostwire, you could understand my feature request easily.

Whenever Limewire/frostwire downlaod, it downloads the chunks sequentially from the very first chunk, thereby allowing "perfect previewing" of media (video/audio)

Whereas, G2/Torrent downloads "random/rare" chunk first. It is indeed good but will not allow Previewing data.

I wish ktorrent should be able to download data sequentially by giving highest priority to next chunk in the sequence from the first chunk; which would allow easy preview and the ability to know something is worth downloading or not.

simply put:

1. Download Sequencial Chunks with the "HIGHEST Priority"
2. Download Rare Chunks with "High Priority"

(or you may switch 1. and 2. priorities)

this way, both data availibility and previewability is available to the user.

Please consider it. Thanks

We already have a preview feature, where the first few chunks of a media file have highest priority.

George wrote:We already have a preview feature, where the first few chunks of a media file have highest priority.

quoting "over the hedge's characters words" - "enough is just not enough" likewise first few chunks are not enough. I wish for "most (if not all) of the chunks in sequence."

one can "watch" the movie/episode while downloading itself, letting the remaining parts to be downloaded in the mean time.

thanks!

Having torrents download chunks sequentially would be detrimental to the swarm. If everybody did it the swarm would finish all at the same time leaving many members unable to seed back effectively.

I agree with the above assessment. The randomness of chunk distribution is one of the key concepts that makes BitTorrent work so efficiently. To readily offer options to defeat the randomness is detrimental to swarm health, not to mention client reputation.

The protocol specifications that I have looked at, and the reasoning behind them, is exactly as previously posted, one of the rarest chunks is downloaded first so that in the event the seeder is lost the swarm (should) have all of the pieces it needs to continue. There is some issue with small swarms as they may be entirely connected and everyone will get the rarest piece, but this is why one of the rarest is downloaded instead of the rarest.

Downloading rarest first or randomly is the best way to maintain high ratio, low cost to all peers, and sustainability of the swarm.