First BitTorrent chip launched

IAdea presented a new BitTorrent chip today. I believe this could be used in home theater devices to directly download and play BitTorrent content like movies.

IAdea Corporation, the Taiwan-based licensee of BitTorrent technology, and Star Semiconductor Corporation, an affiliate of the semiconductor giant UMC Group, jointly announces the availability of STR9810/20, the world's first BitTorrent-optimized microprocessor chip.

BitTorrent is a peer-assisted, digital content delivery platform that provides the fastest, most efficient means of distributing, discovering and consuming high-quality files on the Web. With an install base of over 135 million worldwide, the protocol is the leading platform used to facilitate the distribution of video, music, games, and software. BitTorrent has signed content license agreements with over 20 leading entertainment companies, including 20th Century Fox, MTV Networks, Paramount Pictures and Warner Bros. Home Entertainment. By adopting the technology, content providers will be able to deliver large media files to millions of viewers simultaneously without investing heavily in server hardware and bandwidth.

"BitTorrent is going to fundamentally advance the Web to its next stage. New digital appliances utilizing our chip work cooperatively to deliver large media files. This new service architecture is infinitely scalable, delivers faster as more users join, and can be built at a fraction of the cost of a traditional server farm," says John C. Wang, CEO of IAdea Corporation, the developer of the technology inside the new chip. "We see this trend emerging as 'Web 3.0' where each consumer becomes part of a universal content storage and delivery system. Our new chip plays part in the new paradigm by making BitTorrent available efficiently and economically. You should not be surprised if you find your next car or cellphone enabled with our technology."