MP4s with table of contents need nothing except static file serving that can handle range requests, and bandwidth. Sites like Youtube still exist because of their audience.
That's completely irrelevant. YouTube's advantage is its monopoly of user attention. If you want people to receive your message, no amount of money spent on alternative hosting infrastructure will help to get people to actually watch your video.
>That's completely irrelevant. YouTube's advantage is its monopoly of user attention.
Free hosting is not completely irrelevant because it's a huge factor in the cause-&-effect of attaining the monopoly of user attention.
Counterexample is Vimeo which actually started 3 months in 2004 before Youtube existed. Vimeo had more restrictions on uploads and also charged content creators to host their videos. Those financial penalties are hostile to unknown content creators with no money and prevents a monopoly of user attention.
Zero-cost hosting is intertwined with accumulating a global monopoly of the audience because it affects the decisions of content creators on _where_ to upload videos. More content creators in the ecosystem --> more videos --> more users ... creates a flywheel and virtuous feedback loop.
