Rar for Faster downloading

05-21-2010, 05:18 PM

The downloading speed of steam is amazing! But the thing I made this thread is, can steam make a Rar version of downloads for experienced user? Because I would really love to download faster so I don't lag my family.

Thanks.

Epsilon · 05-21-2010, 06:02 PM

How would that in any way help?

Tannekr · 05-21-2010, 06:28 PM

Especially since Steam downloads are already compressed.

SD24 · 05-21-2010, 06:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tannekr

Especially since Steam downloads are already compressed.

It does? I was unaware of that. I've never seen Steam unzip anything and glancing at the files while they download, Steam just seems to download all the uncompressed files, bit by bit.

Regardless, eventually though, Steam kinda would need to use a better, perhaps proprietary compression method. I mean yes, people are getting faster Internet day-by-day but still, there's nothing you can lose by reducing the file size. Infact, you'll make it more lucrative for people that are on slower connections and/or are simply unable to upgrade it due to circumstances beyond their control.

Epsilon · 05-21-2010, 07:00 PM

Steam downloads the data compressed, and decompresses it before it's written to disk.

They have a vested interest in reducing the amount of data transferred anyway; Valve's bandwidth costs must be insane.

05-21-2010, 07:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Epsilon

How would that in any way help?

For faster downloads.

And I didn't know steam already compresses it, if the compression is really like...compressed then the file inside it must be HUGE!

Maledict21 · 05-21-2010, 09:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fried

For faster downloads.

At the expense of longer decompression times. They have to be careful about the type of compression that's used; I don't think rar would be a good choice for game data.

05-21-2010, 09:56 PM

*Fixed because I wrote something wrong*

Tannekr · 05-21-2010, 10:50 PM

Yeah, no compression method is that good.

Maledict21 · 05-21-2010, 10:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fried

It doesn't have to be Rar, but when I was downloading this file from World of warcraft beta, the file was 2GB! And the rar file was only 6mb! I was amazed

I have an extremely hard time believing this. Maybe you could pull it off if it was 2GB of very similar text, but other than that I doubt it.

amnesiasoft · 05-21-2010, 11:10 PM

Yeah, the only way that's happening is if the data is very, very redundant. And in that case, someone is being really, really inefficient.

05-21-2010, 11:25 PM

Woops! *Facepalm, of course you wouldn't believe that, I was thinking of those words in my mind and wasn't really concentrating, I accidentally wrote it in! Please forgive, I cannot believe I wrote that in!

Also this thread really is about can Steam try to reduce file sizes? Because soon I'm going to get the Orange Pack...but downloading it is going to be a pain!

Maledict21 · 05-21-2010, 11:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fried

Woops! *Facepalm, of course you wouldn't believe that, I was thinking of those words in my mind and wasn't really concentrating, I accidentally wrote it in! Please forgive, I cannot believe I wrote that in!

Yeah, we can only dream of that kind of compression for game downloads.

Quote:

Also this thread really is about can Steam try to reduce file sizes? Because soon I'm going to get the Orange Pack...but downloading it is going to be a pain!

If downloading is really that much of a hassle for you, why not just pick up a retail copy of the Orange Box?

ultradude25 · 05-22-2010, 12:08 AM

If they did use a standard compression file type, they would use 7z or Bz2. They're far superior to Rar.
Valve games already use Bz2 compression for file downloads (If the server has set it up properly, of course) so it's not like they'd have to recode it.

05-22-2010, 01:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Maledict21

If downloading is really that much of a hassle for you, why not just pick up a retail copy of the Orange Box?

Plus I'm going to get Counter Strike and Garry's mod, Lol.

05-21-2010, 05:18 PM	#1
Fried Guest Posts: n/a	Rar for Faster downloading The downloading speed of steam is amazing! But the thing I made this thread is, can steam make a Rar version of downloads for experienced user? Because I would really love to download faster so I don't lag my family. Thanks.

05-21-2010, 09:56 PM	#8
Fried Guest Posts: n/a	Fixed because I wrote something wrong Last edited by Fried: 05-21-2010 at 11:24 PM.

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05-21-2010, 06:02 PM	#2
Epsilon Join Date: Jan 2003 Reputation: 1813 Posts: 5,308	How would that in any way help?

05-21-2010, 06:28 PM	#3
Tannekr Join Date: Nov 2007 Reputation: 4495 Posts: 2,284	Especially since Steam downloads are already compressed.

05-21-2010, 07:00 PM	#5
Epsilon Join Date: Jan 2003 Reputation: 1813 Posts: 5,308	Steam downloads the data compressed, and decompresses it before it's written to disk. They have a vested interest in reducing the amount of data transferred anyway; Valve's bandwidth costs must be insane.

05-21-2010, 10:50 PM	#9
Tannekr Join Date: Nov 2007 Reputation: 4495 Posts: 2,284	Yeah, no compression method is that good.

05-21-2010, 11:10 PM	#11
amnesiasoft Join Date: Feb 2007 Reputation: 39 Posts: 703	Yeah, the only way that's happening is if the data is very, very redundant. And in that case, someone is being really, really inefficient.

05-21-2010, 11:25 PM	#12
Fried Guest Posts: n/a	Woops! *Facepalm, of course you wouldn't believe that, I was thinking of those words in my mind and wasn't really concentrating, I accidentally wrote it in! Please forgive, I cannot believe I wrote that in! Also this thread really is about can Steam try to reduce file sizes? Because soon I'm going to get the Orange Pack...but downloading it is going to be a pain!

05-22-2010, 12:08 AM	#14
ultradude25 Join Date: Feb 2008 Reputation: 321 Posts: 2,973	If they did use a standard compression file type, they would use 7z or Bz2. They're far superior to Rar. Valve games already use Bz2 compression for file downloads (If the server has set it up properly, of course) so it's not like they'd have to recode it.