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a couple of people have mentioned these to me over Christmas. So I have done a quick Google and hundreds came up on amazon and ebay.
1. I don't fully understand what content I can access
2. loads of the boxes mentioned 'fully loaded' whats this mean
3. anyone recommend a box with good remote and simple user interface(if the UIs differ that is)
2. loads of the boxes mentioned 'fully loaded' whats this mean
That's probably code for "illegal."
As I understand them: they allow you to access steamed content. The legality of those streams is variable.
Like, potatoes and broccoli and things?
are potatoes illegal?
I sell em. problems, problems, problems.
Is there a better option Ton?
They basically link into Torrent sites on the internet so illegal and as far as I can see, pretty crappy quality - even the 'HD' stuff - not all HD is the same. I got it but can't be bothered watching it as the quality is painful most of the time.
As far as I've experienced they can be used legally to get loads of services in one place but I've heard they are buggy and a bit crap so people only persevere to get the illegal stuff...
Or an Amazon fire stick. I was going to post a link to a video on how easy it was to install but I could hear the ban hammer hovering outside my office door.
Is there a better option Ton?
for streaming, no
for live stuff like sky sports, yes.
quality is painful most of the time
If you try to watch films that are out in the last few months, yes. 'Most' of the time the quality is more than acceptable.
Cougar - Moderator
2. loads of the boxes mentioned 'fully loaded' whats this mean
That's probably code for "illegal."
[b]Probably [/b]being the operative word. Is there any legal basis for saying streaming via kodi is actually illegal?
I'm not aware of any, hosting and uploading, yes. Viewing streams? (Happy to be corrected there.)
But if you have a niggly feeling that all this “free” content is too good to be true, your hunch is almost certainly correct: most websites offering free, streamed programmes are illegal.
Even the way it is worded in the press is obscuring. Yes the sites are illegal. Using said sites? Not as far as i'm aware. I know of no test cases where people have been charged with [b]watching[/b] streams.
A small differentiation but an important one. Things aren't illegal just because media houses and their sponsors imply that they are.
ton - Member
I sell em. problems, problems, problems.
I install it myself. Easy, easy, easy! 😆
So Kodi is just a media player. It is legitimate software that can run on any android box or pc.
There is no content by default.
Within Kodi you add 'Add Ons' which are basically streaming sites which allow you to access content. Anything from Live Sports to all the movies and boxsets you desire.
You probably want to buy:
An Amazon firestick with Kodi side loaded and 'The Beast' installed.
The Beast UI is pretty straightforward and the Firestick remote works well.
Watching the streams currently isn't illegal, but may be in future.
but may be in future.
I'd tend to agree with this, it will change at some point. One of the reasons for the "security" hysteria going at the moment, imo. That's not particular a battle about security, it's a battle about laws pertaining to further commercializing the interweb. However they like to dress it up...
Good for films and boxsets, haven't got to grips with sports yet, I maybe don't have the best add on to allow me to sock it to Murdoch.
Sports are generally poor on it. can be ok, but hit an miss. Basically anything live streamed is iffy. Tv shows and films (outwith brand new cinema cams) are generally pretty good quality. (If you've ever torrented, it's the same story there.)
Aye, that's about my experience.
I installed it on my Fire TV stick out of curiosity. It matches my experiences of most free software... you get what you pay for.
I brought one and sold it as just did my head in , if you've got a satellite dish with leads and internet connection next to that then there are much better options
They basically just allow you to access the same stuff that you can get in your internet browser such as illegal streams of TV shows, movies and sports, packaged up into a small box that connects to the TV with convenient addons that make it easier to find said stuff
The law is trying to crack down on suppliers of set-top boxes, I can't imagine that they would try to go after anyone actually doing the streaming.
k ,thanks for the replies. we are going to get an amazon tv stick anyway and I did some more reading and you can load it onto that. so i'll try loading it on and see what its like.
I'm wondering if firestick (and similar) will get updates to try to prevent you running kodi and/or it's addons.The law is trying to crack down on suppliers of set-top boxes
We were bought a firestick at xmas, I have mixed views of it so far, but if you're already an amazon prime account holder then I'd say get one.
if you've got a satellite dish with leads and internet connection next to that then there are much better options
Agreed +1
loading it on Amazon stick? so Kodi is a software? I thought Kodi is a box thingy..
what kodi box highly recommended? i'm more interested finding rare documentary stuff (i.e. Smithsonian) that is not found in normal channels.
[quote=wolfenstein ]loading it on Amazon stick? so Kodi is a software? I thought Kodi is a box thingy..
what kodi box highly recommended? i'm more interested finding rare documentary stuff (i.e. Smithsonian) that is not found in normal channels.
kodi is media centre software. It can run plug ins, some plug ins are available which can stream dubious content. Without that it's just a normal media centre which plays the files you already have.
A 'kodi box' is some device with kodi already installed on it. Usually a cheap little android based device.
Don't get ripped of buying a "kodi box". All it is, is a piece of software sideloaded on to a device like an Amazon firestick or pi and is a 5 minute job. Problem with kodi is it needs updating all the time as the builds or plug ins go out of date and the streams stop working. Use the correct build and it works flawlessly.
You can test it out by running the software on your laptop, pc or mobile first.
They will put a stop to it before long. Kodi and/or it's plug-in providers will be bought out/paid off/closed down. ISP's and/or server providers will be hounded/threatened when small, put under pressure/do a deal when bigger.
You can just install it on an Android phone or PC/Laptop/Tablet. A video out wired connection is simple, from device streaming less so.
Unsurprisingly as with anything free/dodgy it's not 100% reliable.
I think the UI is a bit clunky and the integration with standard PC's not the best.
Kodi is free and opensource software. Good luck buying out, paying off or shutting that down.
The purveyors of the illegal plugins perhaps.
Wouldn't buy a Kodi box. I just run it on a Pi (think it was the OpenElec pre-built version).
The whole implementation of Kodi is - in my view - built on a premise that is morally wrong. It's just facilitating and normalising something - streaming pirated content - that was once upon a time the realm of a much smaller minority. In the "old days" those who used torrent sites knew they were streaming pirated content. With Kodi boxes it's not so clear (hence this thread).
It's a bit like someone selling stolen goods on Amazon. You assume, because it's on Amazon, that those goods are kosher. The law just hasn't caught up yet.
All in my humble opinion etc etc
packed full of Shiite you don't need, will never use, probably won't work if you do try and will make Kodi crash all the time.fully loaded
Absolutely no offence intended but with regard to the thread title, if you have to ask, it's probably not for you.
[quote=stilltortoise ]The whole implementation of Kodi is - in my view - built on a premise that is morally wrong. It's just facilitating and normalising something - streaming pirated content - that was once upon a time the realm of a much smaller minority. In the "old days" those who used torrent sites knew they were streaming pirated content. With Kodi boxes it's not so clear (hence this thread).
Really? I remember when pirated DVDs, hacked cable boxes, sky cards, cloned modems etc were commonly available at markets and boot sales.
Secondly, as has been mentioned a number of times, the only morally dubious part is the plugin and the stream. These are nothing whatsoever to do with kodi itself.
I looked at Kodi, to make it worth using you need to want to watch pay-for TV and Films for free, legalities and loopholes aside - it's morally bankrupt.
If you want to stream stuff in very high quality it's not hard and it's often cheaper than Premium TV - NowTv which is basically all the sky stuff is about £6 a month, bolt on films and Sports and it's more expensive, but a lot cheaper than Sky.
Netflix is awesome for TV series and okay for films, Prime well I guess it depends on how much you like TopGear, sorry 'The Grand Tour' of course the BBC puts out lots of lots of good quality content for nothing and the rest of the terrestrial channels do in some way shape or form.
I use AppleTV, it's wonderful and has saved me a fortune over Sky.
Of course, everyone already knows this, but they want to watch a film that might have cost $300m to make or a TV show that costs $10m-$20m an episode, for nowt and they'll put up with the cat and mouse game of blocked IPs and shoddy unreliable streams because they're tight and hide behind the "oh, it's sort of legal" or "Kodi is just a media player, so I can't be doing anything wrong" argument.
Man. People love not paying for content.
chestercopperpotThey will put a stop to it before long. Kodi and/or it's plug-in providers will be bought out/paid off/closed down. ISP's and/or server providers will be hounded/threatened when small, put under pressure/do a deal when bigger.
And the next piece of technology will emerge to circumvent whatever legislation is put in place. The genie is out of the bottle and it won't be put back in. More likely the way in which we access tv and films will change to be more in line with Spotify or itunes.
Rather than paying Sky or Virgin or whoever for a tv package and watching scheduled tv you'll just have a tv with internet connection and legally sourced high quality streams with fast servers will give you access to unlimited media for a small fee. Maybe.
Echo above for people looking for free content. Don't. Plenty of decent legit options. Netflix is fab quality and content is broad and interesting.
Their own content is fantastic and needs supporting as the BBC loses it's way.
Go to the cinema or get a blu-ray if you want the latest. Don't support these systems unless perhaps you are looking at it for the home cinema functions.
The whole implementation of Kodi is - in my view - built on a premise that is morally wrong. It's just facilitating and normalising something - streaming pirated content - that was once upon a time the realm of a much smaller minority.
I don't believe that that was the intention behind the project on which it was based (XBMC) and it's hard to say what proportion of the developers behind Kodi see that as its primary purpose.
I use Kodi to get to iPlayer and other "free" catch-up services because the same functionality on my "smart" TVs is unusably slow or unavailable. I don't use it to access anything illegal, although the ITV Player plugin doesn't show the ads 🙂
It also has a lot of functionality for other stuff, such as watching TV that's been received or recorded on a networked computer, giving you access to your PVR from anywhere in your house. I don't think you can write off the whole of Kodi as immoral.
Rather than paying Sky or Virgin or whoever for a tv package and watching scheduled tv you'll just have a tv with internet connection and legally sourced high quality streams with fast servers will give you access to unlimited media for a small fee. Maybe.
Already going that way-ish. My new Virgin V6 box can source content from on demand players, Netflix etc. As well as your own recordings/series links. Kinda cool and I honestly don't remember the last time, other than sporting events, I watched something at its broadcast time.
I don't believe that that was the intention behind the project on which it was based (XBMC) and it's hard to say what proportion of the developers behind Kodi see that as its primary purpose.
https://kodi.tv/the-piracy-box-sellers-and-youtube-promoters-are-killing-kodi/
I run Kodi on my iMac.
I have been watching the NFL on it this season. Quality has been alright, more than acceptable for free.
I don't believe that that was the intention behind the project on which it was based (XBMC) and it's hard to say what proportion of the developers behind Kodi see that as its primary purpose.
Very few. In fact Kodi devs are the ones cheesed off that the Kodi name is being dragged down by all the "Kodi boxes" pre-filled with loads of dodgy add-ons.
I don't think you can write off the whole of Kodi as immoral.
Or if you can, then you also have to write off the entire personal computing industry as immoral for facilitating the ability to play media on practically any PC, Laptop, etc.
Can you airplay/cast to these boxes from iPhone/android/PC?
OP download it to you computer and have a play before spending money on a dedicated box. Plenty of help online, try add ons Exodus and Phoenix.
Assuming you have a laptop you could also connect that to the tv with an hdmi or VGA and maybe a male/male jack plug wire for sound
I guess there is no hope, when those who are more than well off enough to pay for content, advocate pirate addons.
I'm still waiting to go to jail for using Napster ~2002
I guess there is no hope, when those who are more than well off enough to pay for content, advocate pirate addons.
Absolutely.
Doesn't sit well with me at all.
Cheapskates. Most of the people I know who use it earn plenty of money. I hope they do tighten things up.
We need to make it socially unacceptable. People vote with their wallets and not for quality reasons unfortunately. A British disease.
It's a bit like going down to the local car boot and seeing a fat bike, you've always really wanted a fat bike, and it's practically being given away.
But it's fine, the market was setup with completely legitimate intentions, so no harm done and the law might never catch up with you.
http://singletrackmag.com/forum/topic/stolen-fat-bike
.OP download it to you computer and have a play before spending money on a dedicated box. Plenty of help online, try add ons Exodus and Phoenix
Brilliant. Keep advocating knocking the film industry on the head.
You stand need advocating all the moral high ground with your defence of business level playing fields in other debates.
More likely the way in which we access tv and films will change to be more in line with Spotify or itunes.Rather than paying Sky or Virgin or whoever for a tv package and watching scheduled tv you'll just have a tv with internet connection and legally sourced high quality streams with fast servers will give you access to unlimited media for a small fee. Maybe.
Eh? This is exactly what is available now. Now TV, Netflix, Amazon Video, BBC iPlayer etc. All of them do this and for not much money. We've been doing this in our house for years and don't mind paying for it.
As others said above, we all know people who have more than enough money to pay for content, yet still choose to source pirated material to save a couple of quid. I don't get it. Get your money about and support the industry. If you can't afford it, you can't (and shouldn't) have it.
It's only illegal if you get caught. 😛
Each and every time someone watches a football game illegally I weep for Poor Rupert Murdoch and the losses he suffers
If there is any man alive who can lecture us on morality then i know no one better than he
I also remember when they said - it was way back with bootleg Vinyl- that illegal copies was killing music and here we are 60 years later still with music and the industry still saying piracy is killing them.
Its almost as if greedy nefarious types are still able to make money whatever folk try to do
I dont have KODI but mainly because i dont really watch tv.
...and you'd set fire to the internet trying to set it up.
Harsh I think I am more likely to break the box/tv in a tucker laden outburst
I guess there is no hope, when those who are more than well off enough to pay for content, advocate pirate addons.
Content often not available anywhere. Where content is available no sub-titles available.
We go to cinema once a week (admittedly costs us £2 each via combing 2 different offers) and rent online from Curzon. Happily paid £10 for Singletrack/British MTB movie ignoring various offers from STW and Cotic. Just saying.
Finally releasing material several months earlier in US than Europe seems to be stupid with a capital S to me.
Each and every time someone watches a football game illegally I weep for Poor Rupert Murdoch and the losses he suffers
Do you also weep for the 1000's of UK employees who's jobs rely on paying customers?
Content often not available anywhere. Where content is available no sub-titles available.
There it is.
Finally releasing material several months earlier in US than Europe seems to be stupid with a capital S to me.
If it still happened, perhaps.
[url= http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3748528/releaseinfo ]A recent major release...
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As far as I've experienced they can be used legally to get loads of services in one place but I've heard they are buggy and a bit crap so people only persevere to get the illegal stuff...
You've heard wrong. In fact you're talking utter nonsense.
Problem with kodi is it needs updating all the time as the builds or plug ins go out of date and the streams stop working. Use the correct build and it works flawlessly.
That's not a problem with Kodi, it's a problem with the 3rd party unsupported repositories you use.
They will put a stop to it before long. Kodi and/or it's plug-in providers will be bought out/paid off/closed down. ISP's and/or server providers will be hounded/threatened when small, put under pressure/do a deal when bigger.
Other than being the front end Kodi has nothing to do with illegal streaming. In fact it's used as the basis of many legitimate set top box builds. So I highly doubt anything will happen to them.
I think the UI is a bit clunky and the integration with standard PC's not the best.
Considering that's what it's primarily designed to run on these days I find that surprising. It's fine on anything I've run it on.
The whole implementation of Kodi is - in my view - built on a premise that is morally wrong. It's just facilitating and normalising something - streaming pirated content
I looked at Kodi, to make it worth using you need to want to watch pay-for TV and Films for free, legalities and loopholes aside - it's morally bankrupt.
I'll say this again for the so-called hard of thinking - KODI HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE THRID PARTY APPS THAT ARE USED FOR LEGALLY GREY STREAMING. It's a media centre, no more morally bankrupt than Winamp, Windows Media Centre or a standard modern smart TV.
@ jimjim - Yeah I reckon so. A change of middlemen is on the horizon and/or the old in new suits.
Of course the free stuff will keep evolving. They will make it incrementally more difficult though.
Winamp
To be fair, Winamp was wrong on a whole other level.
Whipping all those llama's asses 🙁
stilltortoiseEh? This is exactly what is available now. Now TV, Netflix, Amazon Video, BBC iPlayer etc. All of them do this and for not much money. We've been doing this in our house for years and don't mind paying for it.
So that's at least five accounts and five interfaces plus a broadband subscription and probably landline rental with it too. So you've missed my point. Something like "Kodi" is probably the future where you'll have a 4g tv able to pluck content from providers like those mentioned but without the clumsiness of navigating multiple interfaces.
Anyway, my point was that illegal streams will only be eradicated by much better legal streams - all access, all media at all times for a reasonable price. The fact that you're saying something like that kind of exists, albeit in a very unfriendly way just confirms my opinion.
As others said above, we all know people who have more than enough money to pay for content, yet still choose to source pirated material to save a couple of quid. I don't get it. Get your money about and support the industry.
Define "more that enough money" ? FYI I have a Virgin Tivo box and a Netflix subscription, so I'm supporting something. Or someone. I will find illegal streams for something I want to watch but am not willing to sign up for though - [i]Grand Tour[/i] was a perfect example. Rather than go through the rigmarole of creating an Amazon account to satisfy my curiosity a stream confirmed my suspicions it was dire. Glad I didn't sign up. And it's probably the same for most people ie paying for 90% but getting streams for 10%. It wasn't hard to find a stream for the Grand Tour but if I had access to it through my TV for say, 30p I would have just bought an episode.
If you can't afford it, you can't (and shouldn't) have it.
Just like all those kids taping songs off the radio who couldn't afford CDs. They shouldn't have had it and then they ruined the record industry 🙄
Just like all those kids taping songs off the radio who couldn't afford CDs. They shouldn't have had it and then they ruined the record industry
And that's where the fear comes from, the industry not the artists. A musician will make music, it's just nice that they can get it to a wider audience and make a bit of money too. But rest assured an artist will create music without all the other trappings.
I was given a reason to stream by a cinema owner who was trying to convince that streaming was wrong. He dicided to use quality as a reason. I started to wonder whether I could get my money back if I thought a film, after all the publicity telling me how great it was, turned out to be crap. I concluded I couldn't, which I think is unfair.
I seldom watch TV, so should't have to contribute to actors' salaries.
I buy cds.
I also doubt that anyone getting huffy about illegal streaming has never copied a cd, never used a photo illegally, has never done anything remotely illegal (let's bring speeding into it).
Get off your bloody horses, you'll have an accident if you fall.
started to wonder whether I could get my money back if I thought a film, after all the publicity telling me how great it was, turned out to be crap. I concluded I couldn't, which I think is unfair.
You may think that's unfair, but it doesn't give you the right to break the law. I can't get money back for a restaurant meal I didn't enjoy, a play I sat through and hated or a tourist attraction I decided I didn't like (after absorbing all the knowledge gained during the visit). You can't simply 'return' an experience for a refund.
I'm not intending to moralise on the subject of piracy, but your argument is flawed.
IMO XBMC (Kodi) was great a few years ago when streaming services were limited or simply didn't exist. Now Netflix et al are so good for a few quid a month that I feel much more comfortable paying for a reliable, high quality, easily-accessed and, lastly, legal service.
Finally releasing material several months earlier in US than Europe seems to be stupid with a capital S to me.
Of course, that won't be an issue for you soon, when we leave the EU. We'll be able to negotiate our own 'special' deal, presumably.
I'm comfortable with piracy.
AAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!
I'm not intending to moralise on the subject of piracy, but your argument is flawed.
No it's not. Other examples may not fit exactly for differing reasons, but the film example does.
You should be able to tell in the first couple of mouths full whether the food is crap, it's a bit more difficult to complain if the plate is clear of all food.
A tourist attraction has been around many years and comes supplied with many reviews.
And a play is exactly the same as a movie, just live.
One could say that one should leave the cinema within the first few minutes if it were so bad, but the marketing has told me that it'll get better.
I'm more than comfortable with my decision. And I'm sure you're content giving money to these people to produce more mind numbing rubbish.
i have an android box purely for the reason that pretty much everything i want to see, either current or previously filmed, is available to me at the press of a (few) button(s). yes the quality isnt as good in a lot of cases, but its perfectly watchable.
its a faff to locate stuff sometimes but hey, its free, i cant complain.
as far as whats morally right, we all have our own moral compass that we're happy with. i pay for a netflix sub too, its just that netflix doesnt have everything on it.
example, i was recommended to watch a comedy series called 'camping'. couldnt find it anywhere to view, (it used to be on sky atlantic apparently). the only place i could find it was on my android box through kodi. and excellent it was too, made even better knowing that i watched a sky programme without paying murdoch a bean.
i could also do without my tv licence, i rarely watch live tv, but.....i love 6 music. so even tho i dont need a licence, i think the bbc deserve my money for that alone.
i have a couple of small bands i follow. i buy everything of theirs whether i like it or not, even tho its available on deezer, just to put some money in their coffers.
in summary, i have a kodi box but i decide where my money goes and who deserves it. i sleep well at night.
I'm not intending to moralise on the subject of piracy, but your argument is flawed.
IMO XBMC (Kodi) was great a few years ago when streaming services were limited or simply didn't exist. Now Netflix et al are so good for a few quid a month that I feel much more comfortable paying for a reliable, high quality, easily-accessed and, lastly, legal service.
*facepalm*
Try reading what I said again, slowly or with a helper if need be.
KODI IS A MEDIA CENTRE
KODI =/= STREAMING
KODI IS LEGAL.
*facepalm*Try reading what I said again, slowly or with a helper if need be.
KODI IS A MEDIA CENTRE
KODI =/= STREAMING
KODI IS LEGAL.
You've been heard (several times)
Biro =/= ballpoint pen
Hoover =/= vacuum cleaner
Car =/= speeding
I could go on.
We all know what is meant when talking Kodi/streaming, so you can get back in your box now. 😛
yes the quality isnt as good in a lot of cases, but its perfectly watchable.
I don't know how people can bear to watch TV that's poor quality - I can barely stand watching SD broadcasts on Sky
Just like all those kids taping songs off the radio who couldn't afford CDs. They shouldn't have had it and then they ruined the record industry
Kids. How many well paid adults were sat by the radio with a tape recorder?
I don't know how people can bear to watch TV that's poor quality - I can barely stand watching SD broadcasts on Sky
i dont watch the poor stuff, but what i do watch is often as good as netflix say. but i dont think id ever watch planet earth on it.
I don't know how people can bear to watch TV that's poor quality
X-Factor, I used to be a celebrity and Big Brother seem to be the staple of modern TV and I agree, how can people watch TV of such dubious quality,
I'll throw in all American TV dramas, sitcoms, in fact sod it! I don't know how people can watch TV full stop, let alone spend a fortune on TVs to watch crap.
It'll be the stream that's poor quality. As before, that's not a Kodi thing.
Most of what I watch on mine is Youtube (1080p typically on a 1080p telly), Southpark (also free, direct from Comedy Central with an API), etc.
I'd do iPlayer via that too if I was in UK.
Main reason for the Kodi on Pi is that it all works thru the TV remote, and generally works better than the Smart stuff in the telly.
If you think Kodi is immoral then pay more and buy a Roku instead, and sub for £7 month to NowTV (I'd probably do that too if I was in UK). Still the Youtube, iPlayer, 4OD, ITVplayer, are all free and all the same streams that you;d get via PC, Smart TV, etc. Probably all 1080p though rather than 4K? That's enough for me, and even my audiophile brother who's always bought the best the moment it's been released.
[url= http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-38906561 ]Five arrests in 'fully loaded' Kodi streaming box raids[/url]
I'm laughing at all the tossers going "yeah, look at me sticking it to Murdoch yeah? Geek pie bruv".
Do you think Rupert sits in a ****ing OB truck on a freezing Wednesday night at Stoke? Do you think he mans every ****ing camera at the match? Do you think he's the one writing the software for NowTV or SkyGo? Do you think he's sat in an edit suite full of stale farts every week? There are real people with mortgages to pay and families to feed who work really damned hard to bring this content to you. You should be able to respect that even if you don't respect the person whose name is on the building.
The revenue from big name movies/TV series you watch are then used to subsidise riskier projects. If you want an example think of something like Sideways which is a great movie that nearly didn't get funded. This money doesn't just go to actors swanning around set, it goes to people paid a pittance because they love what they do. When you're a 19 year old freelance runner on set even a £50 bonus means a lot. The money subscribers and moviegoers pay funds things like that too. Not just the Murdoch clan's superyachts.
All you're doing by pirating (especially the big name releases) is showing you're completely devoid of any initiative or morals. For under £10 a month you could subscribe to a legitimate streaming service that has more media content than you could consume in several lifetimes. Hell, Amazon even give you next day delivery on top of it. But you don't want to do that, you want to watch what everyone else does, but you don't want to pay for it, or acknowledge that there's more to it than challenging your perception that you're entitled to it.
I find it hard not to laugh when people in their 40s driving BMWs and living in half a million pound houses they bought for a button and a piece of string in the 80s moralise about how artists and content creators shouldn't get paid for what they create because Rupert Murdoch or some other public figure. Lazy argument.
Hypocrites.
Not this old argument again. If you make a copy of your mates DVD without him knowing it's highly unlikely to be looked at as a criminal offence the same way as taking his bike would be - he has lost nothing.
In this example you would have committed a civil offence and I know of no sane copper who would treat it otherwise. It would be left up to the copyright holder to seek a civil case against you; assuming anyone could be bothered to report you and the IP holder wanted to spend the money on bringing it to court...
Whilst the movie industry is keen for people to think pirating copyrighted material is a criminal offence, it mostly isn't - in the case of examples like the above.
The law does make provision for those running a cottage industry infringing on copyrights and IP to be prosecuted as criminals hence the arrests linked to - and if you read that article you will see in the case of selling Kodi boxes it still being tested - the law is that grey in the areas of IP infringement.
Also, just to be noted one of the most pirated TV shows ever is also the most successful - Game of Thrones.
How does this make sense?
The few people I know who use pirated content are also big TV/Movie buffs and spend more on DVD's/Netflix/Sky/Cinema than the people I know who don't ever pirate stuff - like me; I have Netflix and only bought 3 films last year on BlinkBox. I haven't bought a DVD/Blu-Ray in years and went to the cinema only the once last year for star wars.
Also, just to be noted one of the most pirated TV shows ever is also the most successful - Game of Thrones.How does this make sense?
Becasue it's popular and highly pirated, in that case the distribution model is the problem for most people.
Everyone seems to complain that there is nowhere to just get stuff on demand...
Probably true a few years back but I will watch House of Cards when it's released on Netflix, same as the Marvel content.
Amazon now included an optional HBO Sub which I will use for stuff when that comes out.
Google Play and Itunes have a heap of stuff as soon as it's been shown for a price.
The alternatives are there (and the interesting thing that came out of Napster as it was mentioned earlier was Spotify https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sean_Parker)
The few people I know who use pirated content are also big TV/Movie buffs and spend more on DVD's/Netflix/Sky/Cinema than the people I know who don't ever pirate stuff - like me.
Well that just doesn't make any sense at all, both anecdotally and realistically.
I'm a film buff and I work in the industry. I subscribe to Netflix , Amazon and pay for Google rentals and purchases. And I go to the cinema, a lot.
So I don't have a need for pirate content.
Actually the people I know who use these systems are the opposite; office workers - sometimes middle management types who consume and don't place any value on the work or the art. And actually I'm not talking about low paid folk too.
I find it hard not to laugh when people in their 40s driving BMWs and living in half a million pound houses they bought for a button and a piece of string in the 80s
Errrrrrrrrr!