5 ms·

It's not easier. I've got a BS in EE and am old enough to have downloaded episodes of the TV show 24 over 56k using early BitTorrent. I've successfully set up p

It's not easier. I've got a BS in EE and am old enough to have downloaded episodes of the TV show 24 over 56k using early BitTorrent. I've successfully set up plex (which requires an in house server/spare pc), sonarr, radarr, usenet, etc. I'm probably the 99% percentile in ability to pirate. And its not easier than netflix. 90% of people I know probably couldn't set this up. And the other 10% would spend more time dicking around with the set up than they would using netflix or the other services. GabeN is not correct. Piracy is a money problem. Free is very enticing.

bin_bash 5y ago
I didn't understand the GabeN reference but looked it up: > "Piracy is a service problem." Valve's Gabe Newell said that years ago, touting the success of Steam, his online video game distribution service.
- the_other 5y ago
  Am I the only person that hates Steam? The UX is crap; the info architecture is obscure; it doesn't work well on macOS (or at all if I use the wrong file system); it uses confusing labels for the stash of stuff I've already bought. I don't use it often enough to know if my usr/pwd is still valid (it is, fortunately). It had some slightly odd 2FA type thing the last time I logged in. It just gives me the impression that it wants to hide games from me that I've already bought and to make new ones hard to find. I'd rather have discs in boxes taking up space (tbf I also collect vinyl so maybe I'm just anachronistic?) The only good thing going for it is that it doesn't ever email me junk.
  - robonerd 5y ago
    You aren't the only one. Steam is DRM with good PR. Much of the goodwill gamers have for Steam is based on misconceptions, rumors, or delusions, particularly: "If Valve ever goes out of business, they said they'll lift all the DRM for the games I've bought" I've heard that from so many gamers it isn't even funny, it's a widespread misconception and it's obvious horse shit. Maybe Valve has or once had that intention with their own in-house games, but they wouldn't even have the legal right to do something like that for 99.99% of the Steam catalogue. Even for the in-house games, you have to be naive to trust any sort of promise from a commercial software product that isn't in a contract. Notch supposedly once promised that Minecraft would eventually become open source; well that plan evaporated when Microsoft waved a few billion dollars in front of him. Maybe he meant it at the time he said it, but that doesn't count for anything.
    - andrewzah 5y ago
      The question here is: so what? Valve makes a lot of money from the steam store. They’re not going anywhere. There are competitors like gog games that sell them without DRM. You download the games anyways so I’m sure a solution will be figured out if Valve starts to have issues. Steam provides a pretty seamless experience for gaming, and it provides useful services to developers as well. Then you have things like the steam workshop and marketplace. And for minecraft being open source: who cares? Gamers want games that are good and fun to play. There are very few open source games that are actually fun to play.
      - cupofpython 5y ago
        > very few open source games that are actually fun to play you found one?? please share
        jcranmer 5y ago
        OpenTTD?
        robonerd 5y ago
        OpenRCT2, OpenMW, DaggerfallUnity Granted, you have to buy the game to make use of these open source engines legally. But these open source engines free you from the limitations of DRM, Windows/Wine and run better than the original engines (support modern resolutions, innumerable bug fixes, etc.)
        andrewzah 5y ago
        Cube 2: Sauerbraten is fun and it uses very little resources. The game and engine are open source. Other than that I can’t really think of anything other than good clones like OpenTTD or crappy clones like minetest. Maybe Dwarf Fortress in the future if tarn or his brother open source it.
      - johnnyanmac 5y ago
        >The question here is: so what? Well, the huge dicourse in consoles atm is digital and ownership. There were several scares over the years (some that went through, some that backpedeled) on storefronts closing down and no longer being able to buy older games as a result, in a market where retro gaming is being flooded by scalpers selling stuff at 20x markups. Console players are feeling uneasy with the advent of there being "digital only" variants sneaking back in, and cloud gaming is getting bigger each year. Maybe this is just a cacophony of old fans not getting with the times, but it seems like a signifigant enough sentiment that "so what" seems overly dismissive. >And for minecraft being open source: who cares? older minecraft players apparently. Granted, it hasn't really stopped their creativity and servers, so in practice it doesn't change much. But I wouldn't be surprised in some microfose move years down the line angering that playerbase. Again, an oddly dismissive take for something that has historically happened. It's easy to say "I don't care it's convinent" until it isn't.
  - veqz 5y ago
    I was terribly skeptical to Steam when it launched, as I am to all online/hosted services. What if they just remove a game I'm using? Does all my games stop working if they turn off their servers? Am I really going to have to be online whenever I want to play? But I gave in after several years, and now I'm a quite happy Steam user on Linux. It works as advertised, and the only issue I have is that I haven't found a way to filter games for «Linux support» and a genre at the same time. I've used EXT4 and BTRFS as file systems while using Steam, and never had any issues with that either. I'm inclined to agree with Gabe. I've never spent as much money on games as after I got Steam. It makes it really easy to get a new game. Without Steam, I'd probably just go without. I have lots of things to spend my time on, and sometimes I'm even a little bit bummed that wasting time on games is an option on Linux these days...
    - the_af 5y ago
      As a Linux user, this was my experience as well, going from hate/skepticism to full embrace. Though I also buy from Humble Bundle and GOG. I prefer GOG whenever possible, if it's DRM free. Sometimes it's the most expensive option though.
  - zhynn 5y ago
    I love steam. And the revenues from steam allow valve to experiment and explore (and support my favorite esport Dota2). The Valve Index and Steam Deck would not exist were it not for revenue from Steam. Not to mention Proton. As long as they keep doing interesting things, and allow me to play the games I buy offline (which they do), I will continue to be a Steam fan.
  - cupofpython 5y ago
    Our use-cases must be vastly different. steam is actually one of the few applications my friends and i talk about as having good design. I've been using steam for over a decade and have always enjoyed that it works the way i expect a computer application to work. i can right-click on things to get to their properties and other options, i can point it to games i have installed that i didnt buy through steam and they appear next to my steam games in my library seamlessly the store UI is.. not the most intuitive thing for me, but it seems consistent. it is very rare that i am browsing steam store to begin with, though. I am usually searching for a specific game directly, which i never have trouble finding if it's in their collection. I also like that i can add any games im interested in to a wish list and they notify me when it's on sale i used to edit my settings in a config file in counterstrike, which required "tampering" with local files but in a way that ultimately resulted in compliant files. Finding that file was an obscure path to navigate, ill give you that - but again the organization is still consistent. all files for one game can be found in one folder with the games name on it. you can manually delete that folder and effectively uninstall the game. you can even do a custom reinstall by selectively deleting files from that folder and ask steam to replace the missing items and it will. For example, to reinstall a game without losing your save files. Not trying to invalidate your experience, but your comment caught me by surprise because your dislike seems to be well rationed and thought out - ie genuine - so i just found it interesting
  - supramouse 5y ago
    It's pretty bad/awkward on macos, I've found that the client works miles better on windows and linux the other problems are personal preferences that aren't universal
    - johnnyanmac 5y ago
      >the other problems are personal preferences that aren't universal few things in life are. But we're on the internet, so we inevitably here a lot fo "personal preferences", often exagerrated to the point where it sounds like it's the worst thing in the world.
  - thewebcount 5y ago
    No, you are not the only one. Fellow macOS Steam user here. Whenever a game I'm interested in comes out, I first go to the AppStore to see if it's available there, then to the developer's web site, and only as a last resort to Steam. The UX is some of the worst I have to use in a given week. It constantly shows me games that don't run on any system I've ever used (Windows exclusives, but I've never used a Windows machine since I signed up for Steam, for example). It's just awful all around.
  - Pr0ject217 5y ago
    I'm curious how old you are. I remember the days of when you had to travel to a brick-and-mortar store to purchase a physical copy of a game (if it was in stock). Then, you travel home, install it, and play it, saving your local saves on your computer, backing them up manually on an external drive so that you don't lose your progress in the event of a system failure. Oh, and writing your CD Keys in a notebook, and carrying that with you (along with your physical games) wherever you move. I don't remember how patches were managed, but I don't recall there ever being a 'day-one' patch of fixes, or being one message away from the developers. Steam provides a lot of value.
  - johnnyanmac 5y ago
    I don't hate it, but I'll admit that the Valve worship is some of the most cultish I've seen in video games. To the point where I feel gamers work against their best interests whenever they see a "threat" to their beloved library not having every game in history under one launcher (nevermind that Steam users can add non-steam games to their virtual library). You'd think Youtube and even Spotify lately would show the dangers of lumping all your eggs in one basket. But, I will also admit that I'm a bit biased against steam due to using PC's for a lot of Visual Novels. And their VN submissions have always been a lottery of some sorts, to the confusion of readers and developers alike. Nothing worse than having an existing product on the store and then suddenly having a sequel to the product rejected, while the first product still sits on shelves.
- andrewzah 5y ago
  It’s a pretty famous quote and he’s correct. Steam has DRM aspects but is pretty seamless. It is entirely way more work to look for cracked games and download those than to just buy it on steam.
crazysim 5y ago
I think some of those 90% people might pay for major pirated Plex server operations.
ransom1538 5y ago
I was at a friends house, he was starting GameOfThrones. I was like "you going to cancel hbo after??" He explained he was pirating. But! He is non technical (a nurse by trade). I was very confused asked to see his setup. He walked over to small black box under his tv. I was fascinated. It was a raseberry pi enclosure with hdmi out, it was prepackaged - networking p2p software for looking up stolen items, a UI better than netflix. All he did was take it out of the box, plug in the HDMI, and start watching UNLIMITED content on any streaming service I have heard of.
- madduci 5y ago
  Kodi with the right preloaded plugins can do wonders and make it accessible to non-technical users
- danielovichdk 5y ago
  Ask your friend where he bought such a wonderful device
michaelmrose 5y ago
Check out jellyfin it runs fine as a service on the users PC. You create different directories for TV shows and movies and drop files in and they show up shortly after. Plug the PC up to display and presto.
- brewdad 5y ago
  I got a $25 Fire TV Stick and plugged it into the back of my TV. I push 1 button and everything powers on and Netflix, Hulu, or Disney+ launch automatically. Any other service is a couple button presses away. All in 4k. (Well Hulu is upscaled) I never have to leave my sofa. I don't have to dick around with plugging and unplugging my PC. No keyboards to manage. No OS or software to keep updated. Your solution is easier than some other options but I'll stick with mine.
  - MisterBastahrd 5y ago
    The Roku stick is even better because it isn't inherently locked down by Amazon's ecosystem. Far more services that are effortless to install.
  - michaelmrose 5y ago
    I too wish I could have a laggy experience with a bad interface requiring me to pull out my phone and search for which of the several services I pay for have a particular piece of content on my phone then slowly navigate to that service then try to enter the search term character by character by moving a little cursor to each individual character with my remote. Then have a firmware update ad some advertising to the experience. Sure beats my experience of pulling out my 12 oz keyboard plus touchpad bluetooth keyboard connected to a real PC.
burntoutfire 5y ago
I almost exclusively pirate movies and tv series from pirate bay. I would have no problem paying $20 a month for that service as-is (TPB + torrent network), as it's better than the currently available alternatives.
ineedasername 5y ago
>GabeN is not correct. Piracy is a money problem. GabeN is partially correct: It's a money & service problem. It's money for some, service for others, sometimes a bit of both. During college I had no money, so the issue for me was money. Once I got a job after college it was service: I didn't want to drive to music store & hope they had the CD in stock that I was looking for, not when I could definitely get it in 5 minutes online. Similar issue for videogames: I didn't want to spend $30-$60 for a game I couldn't return, when my computer might choke on it & not run or if half an hour in I realized it was crap. On top of which I might have to drive around to half a dozen stores to find a copy. That was a mixture of service & money. These days it's faster for me to pay $1 for a song than pirate it, and I can instantly buy, download, and return a game in an hour if it either doesn't run or I hate it immediately. Free is enticing, but so is convenience & instant gratification.
kyriakos 5y ago
I would gladly pay for a service I am currently getting through piracy if there was a legal way to have it though. Availability of all content, no geoblocking (I live in a country where Disney+ and HBO Max is not available but I do pay for Prime and Netflix). For me if there was a way to have what I'm getting in a legal way I'd go for it but it is not an option. What I'm getting at is that its not a matter of money/pricing its also a matter of convenience, availability and not having to track 4+ subscriptions and apps when you can watch it all under a single platform.
- johnnyanmac 5y ago
  >Availability of all content, no geoblocking that's where the "service problem" sentiment falls apart. All companies want to be this monopoly for you with no red tape over multiple governments. But of course, companies get the best cuts (100%) from hosting it themselves and countries (and media licensed) will never agree on what's okay. In this case, piracy is a way around a world that hasn't quite caught up with how the internet works yet. I wonder in a few decades if governments worldwide create enough enforcement on this for it to be just as inconvinent as trying to steal a CD.
  - kyriakos 5y ago
    I wasn't trying to say how a streaming service should work though. Just explained what would satisfy me as a consumer.
brimble 5y ago
For me, it's that I want a significant portion of a piracy set-up for things that I can't get at all (4k actual original Star Wars trilogy, certain shows with the original soundtrack rather than a worse replacement, some obscure pieces of media) or for things I consider likely to disappear any time (YouTube videos) so if I'm going to have it anyway, I may as well also use it to avoid the "where the hell can I watch this?" shuffle. I do also pay for several streaming services.
johnnyanmac 5y ago
I think there is some merit in piracy being a service problem. There are certainly a number of situations where I just seek out a less than legal solution because there is no legal way for me to buy some media. Be it language barriers, region locking, license expiation, censored/rejected media, etc. However, people professing this quote everywhere should note that it's very hard to compete with "free infinite media" for those with the knowledge to pirate. So don't be surprised if instead of catering to that crowd that they instead focus on people who can't or don't want to pirate. It's a double edged sword. If I do pirate, I don't pretend I do it in some effort to make the product better. I do it accepting the risk that they may never choose to cater to me.
sonicggg 5y ago
Not a money problem. I have a Netflix subscription, and yet end up going to pirate websites more and more often these days. I'll probably just cancel my Netflix subscription. It's so frustrating to see that 90%of the shows I want to see are unavailable on Netflix. Video streaming is just so fragmented right now. And they try to compensate with a bunch of low quality Netflix original shows. Why can't they just replicate what has been done in audio streaming? Spotify is what Netflix should have been. It's been years I no longer need to pirate music.
xboxnolifes 5y ago
> GabeN is not correct. Piracy is a money problem. Free is very enticing. A service problem and a money problem are almost the same thing. Time is money, and I value my free-time very high. People will pay to not have to spend time to find the free.
Krasnol 5y ago
I didn't set up anything fancy like that. I have a shared folder on my home network where I download stuff from 1-click hosters with jdownloader. I get the links all on one platform. I got that money. I paid for Netflix once but now I can't remember the last show I watched made by them. Instead I'd have to pay for at least 3 other platforms to watch those few shows I watch throughout the year. Sometimes I'd even have to use a VPN to get it in the original language. It only is a service problem for me. (there is a bit revenge for their inability to provide a single platform in there too)

bin_bash 5y ago

I didn't understand the GabeN reference but looked it up: > "Piracy is a service problem." Valve's Gabe Newell said that years ago, touting the success of Steam, his online video game distribution service.

the_other 5y ago
Am I the only person that hates Steam? The UX is crap; the info architecture is obscure; it doesn't work well on macOS (or at all if I use the wrong file system); it uses confusing labels for the stash of stuff I've already bought. I don't use it often enough to know if my usr/pwd is still valid (it is, fortunately). It had some slightly odd 2FA type thing the last time I logged in. It just gives me the impression that it wants to hide games from me that I've already bought and to make new ones hard to find. I'd rather have discs in boxes taking up space (tbf I also collect vinyl so maybe I'm just anachronistic?) The only good thing going for it is that it doesn't ever email me junk.
- robonerd 5y ago
  You aren't the only one. Steam is DRM with good PR. Much of the goodwill gamers have for Steam is based on misconceptions, rumors, or delusions, particularly: "If Valve ever goes out of business, they said they'll lift all the DRM for the games I've bought" I've heard that from so many gamers it isn't even funny, it's a widespread misconception and it's obvious horse shit. Maybe Valve has or once had that intention with their own in-house games, but they wouldn't even have the legal right to do something like that for 99.99% of the Steam catalogue. Even for the in-house games, you have to be naive to trust any sort of promise from a commercial software product that isn't in a contract. Notch supposedly once promised that Minecraft would eventually become open source; well that plan evaporated when Microsoft waved a few billion dollars in front of him. Maybe he meant it at the time he said it, but that doesn't count for anything.
  - andrewzah 5y ago
    The question here is: so what? Valve makes a lot of money from the steam store. They’re not going anywhere. There are competitors like gog games that sell them without DRM. You download the games anyways so I’m sure a solution will be figured out if Valve starts to have issues. Steam provides a pretty seamless experience for gaming, and it provides useful services to developers as well. Then you have things like the steam workshop and marketplace. And for minecraft being open source: who cares? Gamers want games that are good and fun to play. There are very few open source games that are actually fun to play.
    - cupofpython 5y ago
      > very few open source games that are actually fun to play you found one?? please share
      - jcranmer 5y ago
        OpenTTD?
        robonerd 5y ago
        OpenRCT2, OpenMW, DaggerfallUnity Granted, you have to buy the game to make use of these open source engines legally. But these open source engines free you from the limitations of DRM, Windows/Wine and run better than the original engines (support modern resolutions, innumerable bug fixes, etc.)
      - andrewzah 5y ago
        Cube 2: Sauerbraten is fun and it uses very little resources. The game and engine are open source. Other than that I can’t really think of anything other than good clones like OpenTTD or crappy clones like minetest. Maybe Dwarf Fortress in the future if tarn or his brother open source it.
    - johnnyanmac 5y ago
      >The question here is: so what? Well, the huge dicourse in consoles atm is digital and ownership. There were several scares over the years (some that went through, some that backpedeled) on storefronts closing down and no longer being able to buy older games as a result, in a market where retro gaming is being flooded by scalpers selling stuff at 20x markups. Console players are feeling uneasy with the advent of there being "digital only" variants sneaking back in, and cloud gaming is getting bigger each year. Maybe this is just a cacophony of old fans not getting with the times, but it seems like a signifigant enough sentiment that "so what" seems overly dismissive. >And for minecraft being open source: who cares? older minecraft players apparently. Granted, it hasn't really stopped their creativity and servers, so in practice it doesn't change much. But I wouldn't be surprised in some microfose move years down the line angering that playerbase. Again, an oddly dismissive take for something that has historically happened. It's easy to say "I don't care it's convinent" until it isn't.
- veqz 5y ago
  I was terribly skeptical to Steam when it launched, as I am to all online/hosted services. What if they just remove a game I'm using? Does all my games stop working if they turn off their servers? Am I really going to have to be online whenever I want to play? But I gave in after several years, and now I'm a quite happy Steam user on Linux. It works as advertised, and the only issue I have is that I haven't found a way to filter games for «Linux support» and a genre at the same time. I've used EXT4 and BTRFS as file systems while using Steam, and never had any issues with that either. I'm inclined to agree with Gabe. I've never spent as much money on games as after I got Steam. It makes it really easy to get a new game. Without Steam, I'd probably just go without. I have lots of things to spend my time on, and sometimes I'm even a little bit bummed that wasting time on games is an option on Linux these days...
  - the_af 5y ago
    As a Linux user, this was my experience as well, going from hate/skepticism to full embrace. Though I also buy from Humble Bundle and GOG. I prefer GOG whenever possible, if it's DRM free. Sometimes it's the most expensive option though.
- zhynn 5y ago
  I love steam. And the revenues from steam allow valve to experiment and explore (and support my favorite esport Dota2). The Valve Index and Steam Deck would not exist were it not for revenue from Steam. Not to mention Proton. As long as they keep doing interesting things, and allow me to play the games I buy offline (which they do), I will continue to be a Steam fan.
- cupofpython 5y ago
  Our use-cases must be vastly different. steam is actually one of the few applications my friends and i talk about as having good design. I've been using steam for over a decade and have always enjoyed that it works the way i expect a computer application to work. i can right-click on things to get to their properties and other options, i can point it to games i have installed that i didnt buy through steam and they appear next to my steam games in my library seamlessly the store UI is.. not the most intuitive thing for me, but it seems consistent. it is very rare that i am browsing steam store to begin with, though. I am usually searching for a specific game directly, which i never have trouble finding if it's in their collection. I also like that i can add any games im interested in to a wish list and they notify me when it's on sale i used to edit my settings in a config file in counterstrike, which required "tampering" with local files but in a way that ultimately resulted in compliant files. Finding that file was an obscure path to navigate, ill give you that - but again the organization is still consistent. all files for one game can be found in one folder with the games name on it. you can manually delete that folder and effectively uninstall the game. you can even do a custom reinstall by selectively deleting files from that folder and ask steam to replace the missing items and it will. For example, to reinstall a game without losing your save files. Not trying to invalidate your experience, but your comment caught me by surprise because your dislike seems to be well rationed and thought out - ie genuine - so i just found it interesting
- supramouse 5y ago
  It's pretty bad/awkward on macos, I've found that the client works miles better on windows and linux the other problems are personal preferences that aren't universal
  - johnnyanmac 5y ago
    >the other problems are personal preferences that aren't universal few things in life are. But we're on the internet, so we inevitably here a lot fo "personal preferences", often exagerrated to the point where it sounds like it's the worst thing in the world.
- thewebcount 5y ago
  No, you are not the only one. Fellow macOS Steam user here. Whenever a game I'm interested in comes out, I first go to the AppStore to see if it's available there, then to the developer's web site, and only as a last resort to Steam. The UX is some of the worst I have to use in a given week. It constantly shows me games that don't run on any system I've ever used (Windows exclusives, but I've never used a Windows machine since I signed up for Steam, for example). It's just awful all around.
- Pr0ject217 5y ago
  I'm curious how old you are. I remember the days of when you had to travel to a brick-and-mortar store to purchase a physical copy of a game (if it was in stock). Then, you travel home, install it, and play it, saving your local saves on your computer, backing them up manually on an external drive so that you don't lose your progress in the event of a system failure. Oh, and writing your CD Keys in a notebook, and carrying that with you (along with your physical games) wherever you move. I don't remember how patches were managed, but I don't recall there ever being a 'day-one' patch of fixes, or being one message away from the developers. Steam provides a lot of value.
- johnnyanmac 5y ago
  I don't hate it, but I'll admit that the Valve worship is some of the most cultish I've seen in video games. To the point where I feel gamers work against their best interests whenever they see a "threat" to their beloved library not having every game in history under one launcher (nevermind that Steam users can add non-steam games to their virtual library). You'd think Youtube and even Spotify lately would show the dangers of lumping all your eggs in one basket. But, I will also admit that I'm a bit biased against steam due to using PC's for a lot of Visual Novels. And their VN submissions have always been a lottery of some sorts, to the confusion of readers and developers alike. Nothing worse than having an existing product on the store and then suddenly having a sequel to the product rejected, while the first product still sits on shelves.
andrewzah 5y ago
It’s a pretty famous quote and he’s correct. Steam has DRM aspects but is pretty seamless. It is entirely way more work to look for cracked games and download those than to just buy it on steam.

crazysim 5y ago

I think some of those 90% people might pay for major pirated Plex server operations.

ransom1538 5y ago

I was at a friends house, he was starting GameOfThrones. I was like "you going to cancel hbo after??" He explained he was pirating. But! He is non technical (a nurse by trade). I was very confused asked to see his setup. He walked over to small black box under his tv. I was fascinated. It was a raseberry pi enclosure with hdmi out, it was prepackaged - networking p2p software for looking up stolen items, a UI better than netflix. All he did was take it out of the box, plug in the HDMI, and start watching UNLIMITED content on any streaming service I have heard of.

madduci 5y ago
Kodi with the right preloaded plugins can do wonders and make it accessible to non-technical users
danielovichdk 5y ago
Ask your friend where he bought such a wonderful device

michaelmrose 5y ago

Check out jellyfin it runs fine as a service on the users PC. You create different directories for TV shows and movies and drop files in and they show up shortly after. Plug the PC up to display and presto.

brewdad 5y ago
I got a $25 Fire TV Stick and plugged it into the back of my TV. I push 1 button and everything powers on and Netflix, Hulu, or Disney+ launch automatically. Any other service is a couple button presses away. All in 4k. (Well Hulu is upscaled) I never have to leave my sofa. I don't have to dick around with plugging and unplugging my PC. No keyboards to manage. No OS or software to keep updated. Your solution is easier than some other options but I'll stick with mine.
- MisterBastahrd 5y ago
  The Roku stick is even better because it isn't inherently locked down by Amazon's ecosystem. Far more services that are effortless to install.
- michaelmrose 5y ago
  I too wish I could have a laggy experience with a bad interface requiring me to pull out my phone and search for which of the several services I pay for have a particular piece of content on my phone then slowly navigate to that service then try to enter the search term character by character by moving a little cursor to each individual character with my remote. Then have a firmware update ad some advertising to the experience. Sure beats my experience of pulling out my 12 oz keyboard plus touchpad bluetooth keyboard connected to a real PC.

burntoutfire 5y ago

I almost exclusively pirate movies and tv series from pirate bay. I would have no problem paying $20 a month for that service as-is (TPB + torrent network), as it's better than the currently available alternatives.

ineedasername 5y ago

>GabeN is not correct. Piracy is a money problem. GabeN is partially correct: It's a money & service problem. It's money for some, service for others, sometimes a bit of both. During college I had no money, so the issue for me was money. Once I got a job after college it was service: I didn't want to drive to music store & hope they had the CD in stock that I was looking for, not when I could definitely get it in 5 minutes online. Similar issue for videogames: I didn't want to spend $30-$60 for a game I couldn't return, when my computer might choke on it & not run or if half an hour in I realized it was crap. On top of which I might have to drive around to half a dozen stores to find a copy. That was a mixture of service & money. These days it's faster for me to pay $1 for a song than pirate it, and I can instantly buy, download, and return a game in an hour if it either doesn't run or I hate it immediately. Free is enticing, but so is convenience & instant gratification.

kyriakos 5y ago

I would gladly pay for a service I am currently getting through piracy if there was a legal way to have it though. Availability of all content, no geoblocking (I live in a country where Disney+ and HBO Max is not available but I do pay for Prime and Netflix). For me if there was a way to have what I'm getting in a legal way I'd go for it but it is not an option. What I'm getting at is that its not a matter of money/pricing its also a matter of convenience, availability and not having to track 4+ subscriptions and apps when you can watch it all under a single platform.

johnnyanmac 5y ago
>Availability of all content, no geoblocking that's where the "service problem" sentiment falls apart. All companies want to be this monopoly for you with no red tape over multiple governments. But of course, companies get the best cuts (100%) from hosting it themselves and countries (and media licensed) will never agree on what's okay. In this case, piracy is a way around a world that hasn't quite caught up with how the internet works yet. I wonder in a few decades if governments worldwide create enough enforcement on this for it to be just as inconvinent as trying to steal a CD.
- kyriakos 5y ago
  I wasn't trying to say how a streaming service should work though. Just explained what would satisfy me as a consumer.

brimble 5y ago

For me, it's that I want a significant portion of a piracy set-up for things that I can't get at all (4k actual original Star Wars trilogy, certain shows with the original soundtrack rather than a worse replacement, some obscure pieces of media) or for things I consider likely to disappear any time (YouTube videos) so if I'm going to have it anyway, I may as well also use it to avoid the "where the hell can I watch this?" shuffle. I do also pay for several streaming services.

johnnyanmac 5y ago

I think there is some merit in piracy being a service problem. There are certainly a number of situations where I just seek out a less than legal solution because there is no legal way for me to buy some media. Be it language barriers, region locking, license expiation, censored/rejected media, etc. However, people professing this quote everywhere should note that it's very hard to compete with "free infinite media" for those with the knowledge to pirate. So don't be surprised if instead of catering to that crowd that they instead focus on people who can't or don't want to pirate. It's a double edged sword. If I do pirate, I don't pretend I do it in some effort to make the product better. I do it accepting the risk that they may never choose to cater to me.

sonicggg 5y ago

Not a money problem. I have a Netflix subscription, and yet end up going to pirate websites more and more often these days. I'll probably just cancel my Netflix subscription. It's so frustrating to see that 90%of the shows I want to see are unavailable on Netflix. Video streaming is just so fragmented right now. And they try to compensate with a bunch of low quality Netflix original shows. Why can't they just replicate what has been done in audio streaming? Spotify is what Netflix should have been. It's been years I no longer need to pirate music.

xboxnolifes 5y ago

> GabeN is not correct. Piracy is a money problem. Free is very enticing. A service problem and a money problem are almost the same thing. Time is money, and I value my free-time very high. People will pay to not have to spend time to find the free.

Krasnol 5y ago

I didn't set up anything fancy like that. I have a shared folder on my home network where I download stuff from 1-click hosters with jdownloader. I get the links all on one platform. I got that money. I paid for Netflix once but now I can't remember the last show I watched made by them. Instead I'd have to pay for at least 3 other platforms to watch those few shows I watch throughout the year. Sometimes I'd even have to use a VPN to get it in the original language. It only is a service problem for me. (there is a bit revenge for their inability to provide a single platform in there too)