Piracy

[jimmy j]

Yeah, I think you're probably right. It still stinks though.

 

[Psyfira]

I didn't know you could get an exemption, I have friends who only have TV's just for consoles and they still have to pay licenses. If an inspector turns up on your dooorstep, how do you prove that that big box that looks like a TV doesn't have a tuner in it?

As for downloads, saying downloading "things that have already aired" is alright is a bit too wide. On-demand access to anything no matter when it was broadcast is what DVD releases are for. However downloading a few episodes of something that's currently airing is okay in my book; say you missed an episode on TV and it's not repeated I feel no remorse for downloading it. Youd've watched it anyway if you hadn't been a div and forgotten. Like cable's "watch anything aired in the last 2 weeks" service.

Wouldn't bother downloading a whole series though, that's just too much hassle. I'd rather wait for something to come out in the UK and watch it all in one go than put up with that stupid "mid season break" crap they do in the US.

Watching online at Youtube and having it on your harddrive are almost the same thing, neither have the rights to the content. Downloading is slightly worse because you have a copy in your possession, copyright holders can go after Youtube and get the video removed. Also streaming online content is of lower quality, so people who've seen a streaming video are more likely to buy a copy if they want a decent version of it.

 

[jimmy j]

I pretty much agee with all of what you said, Psyfira, but there are a few streaming sites that offer excellent video quality (stage6 for example).


Also, I've just been to the TV Licensing website

Maybe your friends should try getting in touch with them

 

[FAST6191]

@jimmy j the orignal topic seems to have drifted towards TV tax so I will point out that the 360 supports a monitor using a cheap cable and quality is fine (there were a whole bunch of threads starting about 2 months ago on the subject).

 

[Rayder]

I guess it's legal what we do then.....we have Windows Media Center and TV cards in over half the PC's here......2 of them are dual tuner. We have complete series of a few shows that we recorded.

Of course, the illegal part comes in when I edit out the commercials.

 

[jimmy j]

@jimmy j the orignal topic seems to have drifted towards TV tax so I will point out that the 360 supports a monitor using a cheap cable and quality is fine (there were a whole bunch of threads starting about 2 months ago on the subject).

I use my 360+monitor now, but I want a 37inch screen. Anyways...






*ON TOPIC*
It's the file hosters who are breaking the law. Watching an streamed episode is fine, but downkloading means you have a physical copy and have become a hoster yourself. I used to download a lot of movies, but now I just stream all the new cams and dvdrips.

 

[Sinkhead]

Pirating TV shows in the UK does appear to have worked to some viewers advantage (that don't pirate). It was so bad over the last couple of years that it has forced broadcasters to show series' such as Lost, Prison Break, Ugly Betty (it may be aimed at women, but IÂ

it

) almost as soon as each episode is aired in the US.

Finally, someone else who likes it

. And I hardly ever watch TV, my Mum watches it a lot so I can never watch the stuff I want. Besides, it's so quick to download from Usenet (500kbps constant at non-peak times, 300kbps constant at peak)

- Sam

 

[adgloride]

The tv companies have said they don't mine people downloading the TV programs. What they do mind is the advertisements being cut out. That's what makes all their revenue. As for the tv license that the BBC only. Its about time they got up to date and started advertising.

 

[yuyuyup]

Who cares, just leech

 

[notnarb]

IMO there should be more shows that you can watch online but you have an unskippable ad in the middle of each episode (like what adultswim does)

 

[Armadillo]

Maybe people wouldn't bother downloading if they didn't ruin the programs with ad breaks constantly. On Free channels , fair enough need the ads , but on premium channels it's a joke.

Sky one , premium channel. Full of adverts , absoloute joke. Sky one £16 minimum if you want it and full of ads. Ad's between programs fine , ads in the program , bad. Whats the point of having to pay , if you get stuck with all the ads messing the programs anyway.

As for the BBC , they deserve nothing. Even if you don't watch BBC channels , still you have to pay a license fee. No other service do you have to pay for something you don't use. Why this one? , because apparently there is no way to filter it out , well maybe they should of thought of that before forcing everyone to pay. Once the Digital switch over is complete , there will be no excuse for you to have to pay it if you don't watch bbc. Most new digital tvs have a cam slot , encrypt bbc , tv license gets you a cam and card to decrypt it or if they want to use the excuse of not all tv's have a cam slot , then fee gets you a cheap Freeview box + card for it. Of course that won't happen , as the setup now is perfect. Don't watch BBC , don't care , give us money. Legalised robbery.

As for the TV licensing authority , well they deserve sod all aswell. Nothing but bullies using scare tactics to attempt to force people to pay. Adverts for them are a joke aswell. "We know if you watching a tv unlicensed , our database has details on you etc". Lies , absoloute lies. All they know for sure is whether a property has a license or not , not if you have a tv. Unlicensed property + no tv = still threating letters. Their new advert is annoying aswell , X didn't pay his tv license , now one of our SS troopers is at his door etc , well don't let him in then. They have no power to enter properties , oh but of course they don't want you to know that.


/rant off

 

[modshroom128]

im sure our buddy jack black can clear everything up!
http://youtube.com/watch?v=-LkWKvMCzqA
welp, there you have it.

 

[adgloride]

Maybe people wouldn't bother downloading if they didn't ruin the programs with ad breaks constantly. On Free channels , fair enough need the ads , but on premium channels it's a joke.

Sky one , premium channel. Full of adverts , absoloute joke. Sky one £16 minimum if you want it and full of ads. Ad's between programs fine , ads in the program , bad. Whats the point of having to pay , if you get stuck with all the ads messing the programs anyway.

As for the BBC , they deserve nothing. Even if you don't watch BBC channels , still you have to pay a license fee. No other service do you have to pay for something you don't use. Why this one? , because apparently there is no way to filter it out , well maybe they should of thought of that before forcing everyone to pay. Once the Digital switch over is complete , there will be no excuse for you to have to pay it if you don't watch bbc. Most new digital tvs have a cam slot , encrypt bbc , tv license gets you a cam and card to decrypt it or if they want to use the excuse of not all tv's have a cam slot , then fee gets you a cheap Freeview box + card for it. Of course that won't happen , as the setup now is perfect. Don't watch BBC , don't care , give us money. Legalised robbery.

As for the TV licensing authority , well they deserve sod all aswell. Nothing but bullies using scare tactics to attempt to force people to pay. Adverts for them are a joke aswell. "We know if you watching a tv unlicensed , our database has details on you etc". Lies , absoloute lies. All they know for sure is whether a property has a license or not , not if you have a tv. Unlicensed property + no tv = still threating letters. Their new advert is annoying aswell , X didn't pay his tv license , now one of our SS troopers is at his door etc , well don't let him in then. They have no power to enter properties , oh but of course they don't want you to know that.


/rant off

I agree with you about the premium channels. How can they be allowed to charge for the channel and show adverts as well. You are paying to watch adverts which work out on the american tv shows 18 minutes of adverts every hour. As the shows are about 42 minutes long. You can't buy the channels you do want to watch separately from sky. They do everything in well worked out packs. So for sky one you need the entertainment package, then if you have kids you want the kids package and so on. When you've paid for the packs you want, you would be paying for loads of channels you do not want. All of them should be free as well.

I can understand them charging for the movies and maybe the sports channel. The funniest thing is, if they did make all the channels free they could ask for a lot more for showing adverts as it'll have no viewers. For sky all the time its just how to make easy money. If you want your dish or box repaired you have to take out the sky warranty, which is a rip off. Especially considering you paying to watch the channels anyway. I first started with sky years ago when it was £30 including the sports and movies. No warrantys to buy or anything. The programs being shown were a lot better as well.

With sky+ and everything coming out and buying the warranty it went up to around £50. At this point I got shut of it and just watch the free digital channels now. Looking at the sky prices you can get most of the packs and a sports or movie channel for £30 now. The full pack is £45. Then you got the guarantee on top of that, which is a lot of money throughout the year. Sky don't make many of their own shows either. They buy them all. Which makes everything a lot cheaper. So Sky are basically printing money. Out of the license for the BBC, nearly all the shows they make themselves, no need to advertise either.