10 ms·

Popcorn Time has succeeded in streamlining the delivery of content, providing a smooth and fast experience for sorting through a list of movie and start watchin

Popcorn Time has succeeded in streamlining the delivery of content, providing a smooth and fast experience for sorting through a list of movie and start watching instantly. I really wonder why the movie studios cannot take a cue from this and build something that people actually want to use.

nothrabannosir 11y ago
I never used either, so I'm genuinely curious: what does Netflix lack, from that list?
- pja 11y ago
  Breadth of content? Otherwise, Netflix is pretty solid.
- sz4kerto 11y ago
  Availability and content. I'd be very happy to use Netflix if a) it were available around here* b) if it provided the same selection as in the US *: random country in the EU
  - qubex 11y ago
    As somebody in the same predicament and locale, I often find myself wondering whether it is any less objectionable to rent a VPN connection through the States.
    - timrichard 11y ago
      I've done the same thing. Used a VPN to access Netflix US in Britain, for some newer BBC stuff that I've already contributed to through the license fee...
      - wooger 11y ago
        This 1000x. iPlayer is lauded, and generally works well, but it has incredibly restrictive, short term availability of content entirely paid for by taxpayers. It is unclear how anyone in the UK can benefit from TV programmes removed from this service, or WHY any content for which the BBC doesn't have permanent distribution rights (via iPlayer) should ever be funded or produced by the BBC.
    - kriro 11y ago
      I'm pretty sure the problem wouldn't be the VPN but rather the payment. Iirc they only accept US based credit cards/paypal for Netflix US. I researched it briefly a while back before Netflix was available here. It's not impossible to get around but getting a CC from another country and the like quickly leads to pretty shady websites.
      - germanier 11y ago
        I pay for US Netflix with my German credit card each month, it is charged in US dollar.
    - rmc 11y ago
      That could be illegal. Check the terms & conditions. You might as well pirate if you're going to break the law.
      - driverdan 11y ago
        Breaking ToC is not the same as breaking the law.
- efdee 11y ago
  I very much enjoyed Netflix while staying with family in the US. In Belgium, however, the available content is so limited that it's just not worth it. Not even Friends, Simpsons, X-Files, nothing.
  - jenscow 11y ago
    I don't know the details, but this could be due to local TV stations buying exclusivity for this content in your country.
- izacus 11y ago
  Nothing, but it does gain another thing - text saying "I'm sorry, not available where you live." Which is kind of a dealbreaker.
- driverdan 11y ago
  Netflix has a very limited, poor selection of content. Every single movie I've tried to watch on Netflix in the past month hasn't been available for streaming.
- VeejayRampay 11y ago
  Netflix has very little content and isn't available everywhere.
- path411 11y ago
  You have to wait 3 months after a movie has been released to DVD for it to even have a chance of being on Netflix to "help encourage" DVD sales.
k-mcgrady 11y ago
It's much easier to streamline something when you don't have to follow any of the rules. The movie industry has to think of distribution agreements, localising content and maximising profit - just like any other business. When you have nothing to lose you can do what you want. I guess they've gotten close to this with Netflix. There are still geo-restrictions there and not all content is available but for most people with access there is enough. Also if you want the latest content (which isn't on Netflix) you can probably buy it from iTunes. Again not available everywhere but available in quite a lot of places. When you look at how easy this content is to access now compared with 10 or 15 years ago when you had to have a video store membership, hope no one else had rented the copy, pay crazy prices, and remember to bring it back when you were done, I find it hard to believe people's biggest problem (and main reason for pirating) is ease of access. It's price plain a simple. People have the option of not paying so a lot of them won't. I've done it in the past and it was almost never about ease of access. It was about money.
- soft_dev_person 11y ago
  > People have the option of not paying so a lot of them won't. But a lot of them will. They will pay for ease of access, legal access, and a good user experience. If the industry had focused its energy on those willing to pay instead of those not willing to pay, maybe the UX Popcorn Time provides today would have been available as a legal subscription based service. Just look at Spotify. Yes, a lot of people still don't pay for the music they consume, but a lot of people do. Pirating of music has certainly seen a decline, even if we may never get rid of it completely.
  - malka 11y ago
    Due to DRM, I usually have a better user experience with the pirated version. That goes for videos, games, and music. What the fuck.
    - rhino369 11y ago
      Who puts drm on music anymore? Certainly not iTunes. That argument is nearing a decade past expiration.
adam74 11y ago
I really don't think this is a better experience than Netflix or pay-per-view on my tv. The only thing that is better is that I don't have to pay for it. The movies actually take a lot longer to load on this.
cmiles74 11y ago
I honestly do not believe that the movie studios are motivated to improve the current system. Perhaps they feel that the current, fractured delivery system serves their interest more than something central and comprehensive. It certainly encourages the customer to subscribe to a service like Netflix, perhaps also to rent a new release on iTunes and eventually possibly buying that same release when its price drops. That's getting paid three times for the same content!
- r00fus 11y ago
  Bingo. The goal of the movie industry is simply to make more money, and to prevent any challenge to their stranglehold on content... if that is achieved by balkanized delivery systems, that's what they will push for.
- rhino369 11y ago
  Movie studios have the least exposure to piracy risk other than online multiplayer games and console games. You can't get a good copy of a movie until DVDs and brs are released. Cams and TSs are terrible. If something like popcorn time went mainstream they would just stop releasing disc media and downloads until well after the theatre stopped playing. TV is the industry that should be worried. If popcorn time goes mainstream we'll never see high budget cable content ever again. Just 100% low budget sitcoms, soap operas and reality TV. But not with constant in show advertising that scenesters can't edit out.

nothrabannosir 11y ago

I never used either, so I'm genuinely curious: what does Netflix lack, from that list?

pja 11y ago
Breadth of content? Otherwise, Netflix is pretty solid.
sz4kerto 11y ago
Availability and content. I'd be very happy to use Netflix if a) it were available around here* b) if it provided the same selection as in the US *: random country in the EU
- qubex 11y ago
  As somebody in the same predicament and locale, I often find myself wondering whether it is any less objectionable to rent a VPN connection through the States.
  - timrichard 11y ago
    I've done the same thing. Used a VPN to access Netflix US in Britain, for some newer BBC stuff that I've already contributed to through the license fee...
    - wooger 11y ago
      This 1000x. iPlayer is lauded, and generally works well, but it has incredibly restrictive, short term availability of content entirely paid for by taxpayers. It is unclear how anyone in the UK can benefit from TV programmes removed from this service, or WHY any content for which the BBC doesn't have permanent distribution rights (via iPlayer) should ever be funded or produced by the BBC.
  - kriro 11y ago
    I'm pretty sure the problem wouldn't be the VPN but rather the payment. Iirc they only accept US based credit cards/paypal for Netflix US. I researched it briefly a while back before Netflix was available here. It's not impossible to get around but getting a CC from another country and the like quickly leads to pretty shady websites.
    - germanier 11y ago
      I pay for US Netflix with my German credit card each month, it is charged in US dollar.
  - rmc 11y ago
    That could be illegal. Check the terms & conditions. You might as well pirate if you're going to break the law.
    - driverdan 11y ago
      Breaking ToC is not the same as breaking the law.
efdee 11y ago
I very much enjoyed Netflix while staying with family in the US. In Belgium, however, the available content is so limited that it's just not worth it. Not even Friends, Simpsons, X-Files, nothing.
- jenscow 11y ago
  I don't know the details, but this could be due to local TV stations buying exclusivity for this content in your country.
izacus 11y ago
Nothing, but it does gain another thing - text saying "I'm sorry, not available where you live." Which is kind of a dealbreaker.
driverdan 11y ago
Netflix has a very limited, poor selection of content. Every single movie I've tried to watch on Netflix in the past month hasn't been available for streaming.
VeejayRampay 11y ago
Netflix has very little content and isn't available everywhere.
path411 11y ago
You have to wait 3 months after a movie has been released to DVD for it to even have a chance of being on Netflix to "help encourage" DVD sales.

k-mcgrady 11y ago

It's much easier to streamline something when you don't have to follow any of the rules. The movie industry has to think of distribution agreements, localising content and maximising profit - just like any other business. When you have nothing to lose you can do what you want. I guess they've gotten close to this with Netflix. There are still geo-restrictions there and not all content is available but for most people with access there is enough. Also if you want the latest content (which isn't on Netflix) you can probably buy it from iTunes. Again not available everywhere but available in quite a lot of places. When you look at how easy this content is to access now compared with 10 or 15 years ago when you had to have a video store membership, hope no one else had rented the copy, pay crazy prices, and remember to bring it back when you were done, I find it hard to believe people's biggest problem (and main reason for pirating) is ease of access. It's price plain a simple. People have the option of not paying so a lot of them won't. I've done it in the past and it was almost never about ease of access. It was about money.

soft_dev_person 11y ago
> People have the option of not paying so a lot of them won't. But a lot of them will. They will pay for ease of access, legal access, and a good user experience. If the industry had focused its energy on those willing to pay instead of those not willing to pay, maybe the UX Popcorn Time provides today would have been available as a legal subscription based service. Just look at Spotify. Yes, a lot of people still don't pay for the music they consume, but a lot of people do. Pirating of music has certainly seen a decline, even if we may never get rid of it completely.
- malka 11y ago
  Due to DRM, I usually have a better user experience with the pirated version. That goes for videos, games, and music. What the fuck.
  - rhino369 11y ago
    Who puts drm on music anymore? Certainly not iTunes. That argument is nearing a decade past expiration.

adam74 11y ago

I really don't think this is a better experience than Netflix or pay-per-view on my tv. The only thing that is better is that I don't have to pay for it. The movies actually take a lot longer to load on this.

cmiles74 11y ago

I honestly do not believe that the movie studios are motivated to improve the current system. Perhaps they feel that the current, fractured delivery system serves their interest more than something central and comprehensive. It certainly encourages the customer to subscribe to a service like Netflix, perhaps also to rent a new release on iTunes and eventually possibly buying that same release when its price drops. That's getting paid three times for the same content!

r00fus 11y ago
Bingo. The goal of the movie industry is simply to make more money, and to prevent any challenge to their stranglehold on content... if that is achieved by balkanized delivery systems, that's what they will push for.
rhino369 11y ago
Movie studios have the least exposure to piracy risk other than online multiplayer games and console games. You can't get a good copy of a movie until DVDs and brs are released. Cams and TSs are terrible. If something like popcorn time went mainstream they would just stop releasing disc media and downloads until well after the theatre stopped playing. TV is the industry that should be worried. If popcorn time goes mainstream we'll never see high budget cable content ever again. Just 100% low budget sitcoms, soap operas and reality TV. But not with constant in show advertising that scenesters can't edit out.