Peer-to-peer (P2P) may no longer be a dirty word among content distributors, but executives at Streaming Media West say it still has a long way to go before it's considered a go-to technology for video distribution.

"Peer-to-peer has gotten a bad rap along the way, but it's just a different way of approaching things," says Doug Pasko, senior technologist at Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE: VZ). "It's a useful tool. It's not the be-all, end-all. It's not a silver bullet. But it definitely has a prominent role to play in the online video market."

But so far, P2P technology companies have had a difficult time getting traction in the media space. While companies like Kontiki and Pando Networks Inc. have managed to grab some commercial video distribution deals, the vast majority of video on the Internet is delivered by progressive downloaded or streamed Flash files.

Read on at Contentinople.

— Ryan Lawler, Contentinople