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cloud processing for end users - when? already?

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Nod5:
Background: Most of the time I have low CPU needs. But sometimes I need more CPU power. For example when I record TV programs with my DVB-T card converting the recorded .mpeg to a smaller .mkv with handbrake takes a lot of time (several hours). I could buy better hardware. I bet many others are in a similar situation: they normally have low CPU needs but occasionally need more. We could all buy better hardware. But I also bet that many of us often have a lot of spare bandwidth.

Idea: here cloud processing would make a lot of sense! Programs like Handbrake could have an option to upload segments of the input file to a cloud of powerful CPUs who process it quickly and send data back. That could make economic sense. Instead of each of us buying an expensive new CPU that is seldom fully used we'd pay a small metered amount for cloud processing only when we need it. That would also save time as the user can rent a lot of CPU power for short periods of time.

All this leads me to some questions:
1. don't you all want this too?  :)
2. are there already any programs for end users that have cloud processing like sketched above built in?
3. are there already any fairly easy and fairly inexpensive manual ways for users to temporarily set up something like cloud processing? For example, to at a low cost rent a box with ubuntu and popular CPU intensive programs like Handbrake installed and with a lot of CPU power? I'd use VPN to upload a file, quickly process it on the cloud box, then download the output and then terminate the cloud box.
4. if there's nothing like that for end users today are there any such projects on the horizon? I think some generic cloud processing service would be most useful. A standardized module of some sort that different applications could implement. The user would then only need one single cloud processing account and would only need to log in to it and allow the specific application to use up some of the "cloud processing credits" the user has previously payed for.

Renegade:
Transcoding - jeez -- that's tough. You've got huge files to deal with to start with, so network bandwidth is a major consideration.

I think it's a ways off still. It's just hitting business now, so the trickle down hasn't happened yet.

Deozaan:
That's what computing originally was. Then we got personal computers.

Target:
I realise that this is perhaps only a small part of what you're envisioning, but in the current climate it's unlikely that any business in it's right mind would provide the ability to transcode media files

They'd be sued into extinction before you could say codec...

Renegade:
That's what computing originally was. Then we got personal computers.
-Deozaan (October 09, 2011, 08:26 PM)
--- End quote ---

Hahahah~!

That takes me back a bit. Working on terminals on big mainframes... Archie. Gopher. :)

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