Itiva speeds HD downloads with Quantum Streaming

While we struggle to shoot high-def content via WiFi, start-up company Itiva is laughing behind our backs with their Quantum Streaming technology. Itiva demonstrated their method by pulling down a 720p movie trailer in just seconds over a 5.5 Mbps pipe; considerably smaller than the 19.39 Mbps we're using to fling movies. Even better yet, the trailer started playing as a stream instead of waiting for the full download. Itiva believes their new approach can download a 1.5 hour high-def movie in less than ten minutes, which is less time than standing in an actual movie ticket line for less res.

Itiva takes the content and breaks it down into smaller HTTP-based pieces called "Quanta" that can be cached by ISPs to speed up the perceived download rate. With some public applications of the technology coming within the next month or two, this could be just what Hollywood needs.