8 ms·

IsoPlex: Popcorn time alternative maintained by Isohunt

97 points by retejo 12y ago

chris_wot 12y ago
There seems to be a singular lack of sound.
thefreeman 12y ago
FYI popcorn time is still being actively developed and is open source. https://github.com/popcorn-official/popcorn-app/ https://github.com/popcorn-official/popcorn-app/ it isn't the original team but they have been maintaining it for the past few months and seem committed to keeping it alive.
- Tsutsukakushi 12y ago
  It's not open source. It's free software. https://www.gnu.org/philosophy/open-source-misses-the-point.html https://www.gnu.org/philosophy/open-source-misses-the-point.... E: one of the links was wrong. https://www.gnu.org/philosophy/free-software-for-freedom.html https://www.gnu.org/philosophy/free-software-for-freedom.htm...
  - thefreeman 12y ago
    I appreciate the point you are trying to make, but maybe if you said something more like "its not just open source, but also free software" it would have come across as less hostile.
    - Tsutsukakushi 12y ago
      But they are not the same thing. It is NOT open source. This is why I stopped coming to Fapper Jews.
      - thefreeman 12y ago
        I think you need to learn to read your own links man. As far as we know, all existing free software would qualify as open source. If it's free software it's also open source.
thejosh 12y ago
Plex[0] is a pretty big media server / player..... Very big coincidence. [0]https://plex.tv/ https://plex.tv/
- dewey 12y ago
  A lot of cinemas / cinema chains are called -plex too. I don't disagree that it's a bit uncreative to pick a name like that but it's not uncommon in that area to have a -plex name.
- psychometry 12y ago
  Well, this product is called IsoPlex. They're different words, one of which is just a common suffix: http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/-plex http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/-plex
synctext 12y ago
Even the website layout is copied from popcorn time. Seems closed source..
daGrevis 12y ago
I can't find the source code. Is it even available?
- hipsters_unite 12y ago
  I think it might be closed source. The site looks identical to Popcorn Time, but it's not clear if this is a fork of the original application or a new one based on it.
  - TilmanGriesel 12y ago
    The node packages It uses the node module peerflix (https://github.com/mafintosh/peerflix https://github.com/mafintosh/peerflix) is the same that popcorn-time makes use of. In this case they are identical. But subtitles and tracker health are missing. It seems that is is not a copy but flavoured by popcorn time.
deleted 12y ago
[deleted]
MrJagil 12y ago
I want it for music. Would be perfect for parties as an alternative to spotify, grooveshark etc. Need queuing and support for a bunch of weird open formats and then we're good to go.
- 3rd3 12y ago
  How about actually paying for music instead of committing a crime?
  - commentzorro 12y ago
    Too expensive. Try buying your way to a thousand song library that rotates about a quarter of the songs per year. When that becomes cheap enough for a minimum wager like me without having to weigh the tradeoffs against necessities, I'll be a buyer.
    - 3rd3 12y ago
      It never occurred to you that you simply cannot afford such a lifestyle? It seems you guys delude yourself into thinking it would be reasonable to fight their business practices with piracy while you are actually providing them with a target by breaking the law.
      - commentzorro 12y ago
        F-That! Of course it's occurred to me I can't afford "such a lifestyle." That's why I steal the content! Just because I was born into poverty, barely made it out of high school, and lack the genetics, wherewithal and mental acumen to move myself into a better life doesn't mean I'm going to deny myself life's pleasures. Screw you rich people who _can_ afford the lifestyle. If you want me to play by the rules you've made up for your society then I get what you get. Otherwise, I guess it's civil war across class lines. Then we'll make the rules! Edit: And don't downvote me if you're going to reply to my comment. Your witty riposte will just get buried too. Edit to edit: (Apologies to commenter 3rd3)
shin_lao 12y ago
Is this legal?
- TilmanGriesel 12y ago
  No
  - avoid3d 12y ago
    Why do you think it's illegal?
    - sleepyhead 12y ago
      The Pirate Bay was ruled to be illegal.
      - Kudos 12y ago
        This piece of software is not a torrent indexing website.
        sleepyhead 12y ago
        I think my point is, which in regards to Pirate Bay I have made earlier on HN as well, is that whatever nerds think of these technologies is usually quite different what the courts rule.
    - TilmanGriesel 12y ago
      They provide access / listings of copyright protected movies. What is NOT illegal here? Come on! We have a lot of disciplinary warning letters here in Germany because of popcorn-time an a lot of people have to pay a LOT of money because they used it. Be honest to the people, torrent networks are dangerous (in some countries). I am not here for a discussions about the border between legal, illegal and to split hairs about that topic.
      - 12y ago
TilmanGriesel 12y ago
It seems more or less like a popcorn time copy. It uses the node modules peerflix (https://github.com/mafintosh/peerflix https://github.com/mafintosh/peerflix), read-torrent (https://github.com/mafintosh/read-torrent https://github.com/mafintosh/read-torrent) and socket-io (http://socket.io http://socket.io) for example. You can read the source code if you download the mac version and open Contents/Resources/app.nw inside the Isoplex package. But it is a good question why it is not on github.
- JacobEdelman 12y ago
  I would be more suspicious if they didn't use socket.io, its incredibly common and useful. I'm happy to see competition here as this shows that the ideas behind Popcorn Time really stand a chance of growing and improving.
DogeDogeDoge 12y ago
This looks nice but i wonder why it is not open sourced if free.
zacinbusiness 12y ago
So....what exactly is Isohunt.to? Isohunt.com was shut down and the footer of Isohunt.to says they are not affiliated with Isohunt inc. So...wouldn't it be safe to assume that Isohunt.to is just an MPAA/RIAA honeypot that's designed to snap up users of the original Isohunt who just don't notice the difference? I'd stay 50,000 miles away from them and any of their "products."
- csytan 12y ago
  Isohunt.to is an unrelated clone of the original. Source: used to work for Isohunt.
  - zacinbusiness 12y ago
    Interesting! Did working for Isohunt help or hurt you in the post Isohunt job search? I would think that the technical skills learned from working at such a massively popular site would go a long way. But I wonder if employers would worry about affiliating themselves with an entity that's been deemed illegal. Thoughts?
- jalanb 12y ago
  They get that all the time: http://torrentfreak.com/isohunt-to-from-zero-to-the-8th-biggest-torrent-site-in-just-2-months-140118/ http://torrentfreak.com/isohunt-to-from-zero-to-the-8th-bigg... But then - they would say that, wouldn't you^H^H^H they?
deleted 12y ago
[deleted]
octagonal 12y ago
I would suggest time4popcorn (http://time4popcorn.eu/ http://time4popcorn.eu/) instead, which is an open source (https://github.com/time4popcorn/popcorntime-desktop https://github.com/time4popcorn/popcorntime-desktop) continuation of PopcornTime itself. In terms of features it is also superior since it includes a built-in VPN client.

97 points by retejo 12y ago

There seems to be a singular lack of sound.

FYI popcorn time is still being actively developed and is open source. https://github.com/popcorn-official/popcorn-app/ https://github.com/popcorn-official/popcorn-app/ it isn't the original team but they have been maintaining it for the past few months and seem committed to keeping it alive.

Tsutsukakushi 12y ago
It's not open source. It's free software. https://www.gnu.org/philosophy/open-source-misses-the-point.html https://www.gnu.org/philosophy/open-source-misses-the-point.... E: one of the links was wrong. https://www.gnu.org/philosophy/free-software-for-freedom.html https://www.gnu.org/philosophy/free-software-for-freedom.htm...
- thefreeman 12y ago
  I appreciate the point you are trying to make, but maybe if you said something more like "its not just open source, but also free software" it would have come across as less hostile.
  - Tsutsukakushi 12y ago
    But they are not the same thing. It is NOT open source. This is why I stopped coming to Fapper Jews.
    - thefreeman 12y ago
      I think you need to learn to read your own links man. As far as we know, all existing free software would qualify as open source. If it's free software it's also open source.

thejosh 12y ago

Plex[0] is a pretty big media server / player..... Very big coincidence. [0]https://plex.tv/ https://plex.tv/

dewey 12y ago
A lot of cinemas / cinema chains are called -plex too. I don't disagree that it's a bit uncreative to pick a name like that but it's not uncommon in that area to have a -plex name.
psychometry 12y ago
Well, this product is called IsoPlex. They're different words, one of which is just a common suffix: http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/-plex http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/-plex

synctext 12y ago

Even the website layout is copied from popcorn time. Seems closed source..

daGrevis 12y ago

I can't find the source code. Is it even available?

hipsters_unite 12y ago
I think it might be closed source. The site looks identical to Popcorn Time, but it's not clear if this is a fork of the original application or a new one based on it.
- TilmanGriesel 12y ago
  The node packages It uses the node module peerflix (https://github.com/mafintosh/peerflix https://github.com/mafintosh/peerflix) is the same that popcorn-time makes use of. In this case they are identical. But subtitles and tracker health are missing. It seems that is is not a copy but flavoured by popcorn time.

deleted 12y ago

[deleted]

MrJagil 12y ago

I want it for music. Would be perfect for parties as an alternative to spotify, grooveshark etc. Need queuing and support for a bunch of weird open formats and then we're good to go.

3rd3 12y ago
How about actually paying for music instead of committing a crime?
- commentzorro 12y ago
  Too expensive. Try buying your way to a thousand song library that rotates about a quarter of the songs per year. When that becomes cheap enough for a minimum wager like me without having to weigh the tradeoffs against necessities, I'll be a buyer.
  - 3rd3 12y ago
    It never occurred to you that you simply cannot afford such a lifestyle? It seems you guys delude yourself into thinking it would be reasonable to fight their business practices with piracy while you are actually providing them with a target by breaking the law.
    - commentzorro 12y ago
      F-That! Of course it's occurred to me I can't afford "such a lifestyle." That's why I steal the content! Just because I was born into poverty, barely made it out of high school, and lack the genetics, wherewithal and mental acumen to move myself into a better life doesn't mean I'm going to deny myself life's pleasures. Screw you rich people who _can_ afford the lifestyle. If you want me to play by the rules you've made up for your society then I get what you get. Otherwise, I guess it's civil war across class lines. Then we'll make the rules! Edit: And don't downvote me if you're going to reply to my comment. Your witty riposte will just get buried too. Edit to edit: (Apologies to commenter 3rd3)

shin_lao 12y ago

Is this legal?

TilmanGriesel 12y ago
No
- avoid3d 12y ago
  Why do you think it's illegal?
  - sleepyhead 12y ago
    The Pirate Bay was ruled to be illegal.
    - Kudos 12y ago
      This piece of software is not a torrent indexing website.
      - sleepyhead 12y ago
        I think my point is, which in regards to Pirate Bay I have made earlier on HN as well, is that whatever nerds think of these technologies is usually quite different what the courts rule.
  - TilmanGriesel 12y ago
    They provide access / listings of copyright protected movies. What is NOT illegal here? Come on! We have a lot of disciplinary warning letters here in Germany because of popcorn-time an a lot of people have to pay a LOT of money because they used it. Be honest to the people, torrent networks are dangerous (in some countries). I am not here for a discussions about the border between legal, illegal and to split hairs about that topic.
    - 12y ago

TilmanGriesel 12y ago

It seems more or less like a popcorn time copy. It uses the node modules peerflix (https://github.com/mafintosh/peerflix https://github.com/mafintosh/peerflix), read-torrent (https://github.com/mafintosh/read-torrent https://github.com/mafintosh/read-torrent) and socket-io (http://socket.io http://socket.io) for example. You can read the source code if you download the mac version and open Contents/Resources/app.nw inside the Isoplex package. But it is a good question why it is not on github.

JacobEdelman 12y ago
I would be more suspicious if they didn't use socket.io, its incredibly common and useful. I'm happy to see competition here as this shows that the ideas behind Popcorn Time really stand a chance of growing and improving.

DogeDogeDoge 12y ago

This looks nice but i wonder why it is not open sourced if free.

zacinbusiness 12y ago

So....what exactly is Isohunt.to? Isohunt.com was shut down and the footer of Isohunt.to says they are not affiliated with Isohunt inc. So...wouldn't it be safe to assume that Isohunt.to is just an MPAA/RIAA honeypot that's designed to snap up users of the original Isohunt who just don't notice the difference? I'd stay 50,000 miles away from them and any of their "products."

csytan 12y ago
Isohunt.to is an unrelated clone of the original. Source: used to work for Isohunt.
- zacinbusiness 12y ago
  Interesting! Did working for Isohunt help or hurt you in the post Isohunt job search? I would think that the technical skills learned from working at such a massively popular site would go a long way. But I wonder if employers would worry about affiliating themselves with an entity that's been deemed illegal. Thoughts?
jalanb 12y ago
They get that all the time: http://torrentfreak.com/isohunt-to-from-zero-to-the-8th-biggest-torrent-site-in-just-2-months-140118/ http://torrentfreak.com/isohunt-to-from-zero-to-the-8th-bigg... But then - they would say that, wouldn't you^H^H^H they?

deleted 12y ago

[deleted]

octagonal 12y ago

I would suggest time4popcorn (http://time4popcorn.eu/ http://time4popcorn.eu/) instead, which is an open source (https://github.com/time4popcorn/popcorntime-desktop https://github.com/time4popcorn/popcorntime-desktop) continuation of PopcornTime itself. In terms of features it is also superior since it includes a built-in VPN client.