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Why I get my entertainment via BitTorrent

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Re: Why I get my entertainment via BitTorrent

#21

Post by ugh »

rrrazdan wrote: post #18
StudyAnimal wrote: post #9

As an English speaker in Germany I was particularly interested in using things like iTunes (which is available here) to access TV. What do you know, it is exclusively German language content. And it is also only released when it airs in Germany rather than when it first airs in the US or the UK. Where is the logic there? If I wanted to get German language TV when it airs on TV, I would just watch TV. The whole system…

The whole system makes eminent sense. Content that has been permitted by the owner is released in your country, when the owner permits. If you are resort to piracy because of this, you are still stealing.

You are not stealing, you are making illegal copies.

Re: Why I get my entertainment via BitTorrent

#22

Post by jodrellblank »

corin_ wrote: post #8
wyclif wrote: post #2

Some of these (I'm looking at you, BBC iPlayer) aren't even available in the USA.

And likewise none of the streaming options for American shows are available in the UK. Now, with American shows, I think there could easily be a good business model - we've seen English TV channels pick up American shows (sometimes running almost in sync with America, more often than not running a year or two behind) with success. Examples include The West Wing, Friends, Glee, Will and Grace, Family Guy, CSI and so o…

Why couldn't the BBC charge international viewers directly? $(License_fee/12) per month, say.

Re: Why I get my entertainment via BitTorrent

#23

Post by corin_ »

jodrellblank wrote: post #22
corin_ wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

And likewise none of the streaming options for American shows are available in the UK. Now, with American shows, I think there could easily be a good business model - we've seen English TV channels pick up American shows (sometimes running almost in sync with America, more often than not running a year or two behind) with success. Examples include The West Wing, Friends, Glee, Will and Grace, Family Guy, CSI and so o…

Why couldn't the BBC charge international viewers directly? $(License_fee/12) per month, say.

Technically they could, but it would mean creating and managing a new license fee system.

Right now there's no enforcement of the license fee, just the knowledge that, to watch live broadcasts (either on TV or online) you must have a license, and if a TV license inspector catches you, you'll be in trouble.

Re: Why I get my entertainment via BitTorrent

#24

Post by Nate75Sanders »

asymmetric wrote: post #19
Nate75Sanders wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If you're willing to pay that much, sounds like you just need to grab a $20/month server in the US and use it as a VPN endpoint, then use whatever services in the US that you like.

For Netflix, he'd also need a US credit card.

Ah, didn't realize that. Maybe gifting or something would work.

Re: Why I get my entertainment via BitTorrent

#25

Post by Tyrannosaurs »

wyclif wrote: post #2

Some of these (I'm looking at you, BBC iPlayer) aren't even available in the USA.

iPlayer isn't a commercial service, it's funded by the UK tax payer though the license fee.

I agree that this is something the BBC should look at making available more widely as a revenue generator to fund it's operations but it's not a priority for them.

Re: Why I get my entertainment via BitTorrent

#26

Post by ajkessler »

I'm going to guess that a lot of the reason these services aren't available in a lot of other countries is not that they don't want your money, but rather that your governments either have ridiculous regulations to navigate, or there are concerns about their ability to protect intellectual property rights.

Re: Why I get my entertainment via BitTorrent

#27

Post by [deleted] »

jodrellblank wrote: post #22
corin_ wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

And likewise none of the streaming options for American shows are available in the UK. Now, with American shows, I think there could easily be a good business model - we've seen English TV channels pick up American shows (sometimes running almost in sync with America, more often than not running a year or two behind) with success. Examples include The West Wing, Friends, Glee, Will and Grace, Family Guy, CSI and so o…

Why couldn't the BBC charge international viewers directly? $(License_fee/12) per month, say.

[deleted]

Re: Why I get my entertainment via BitTorrent

#28

Post by paganel »

Nate75Sanders wrote: post #3

I try to explain this type of thing to people who are ardently anti-piracy: You can never, ever, expect people to miss out on the culture that's happening during their lives. If money, or geography, or whatever is preventing it, they'll still do the best they can to make sure they don't miss anything.

> If money, or geography, or whatever is preventing it, they'll still do the best they can to make sure they don't miss anything.

I live in Romania, and unfortunately for those a little older than me the '80s were pretty hard times, with us being on the wrong side of the Iron Curtain and living under a dictatorship. Nevertheless, people couldn't care less, they were still listening to Radio Free Europe for the latest "decadent" music charts, even though that could have meant their parents losing their State-controlled jobs or even going to prison.

So, yeah, trying to impose stupid barriers (be them real or virtual) has never worked and they'll never do.

Re: Why I get my entertainment via BitTorrent

#29

Post by Tyrannosaurs »

jodrellblank wrote: post #22
corin_ wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

And likewise none of the streaming options for American shows are available in the UK. Now, with American shows, I think there could easily be a good business model - we've seen English TV channels pick up American shows (sometimes running almost in sync with America, more often than not running a year or two behind) with success. Examples include The West Wing, Friends, Glee, Will and Grace, Family Guy, CSI and so o…

Why couldn't the BBC charge international viewers directly? $(License_fee/12) per month, say.

They'd still need to differentiate between shows that they could show to a US viewer and ones which they couldn't (because they didn't have the rights to international distribution - for instance most sport, any drama they've bought in and so on).

Re: Why I get my entertainment via BitTorrent

#30

Post by darren_ »

corin_ wrote: post #8
wyclif wrote: post #2

Some of these (I'm looking at you, BBC iPlayer) aren't even available in the USA.

And likewise none of the streaming options for American shows are available in the UK. Now, with American shows, I think there could easily be a good business model - we've seen English TV channels pick up American shows (sometimes running almost in sync with America, more often than not running a year or two behind) with success. Examples include The West Wing, Friends, Glee, Will and Grace, Family Guy, CSI and so o…

> But iPlayer for non-UK viewers, it just isn't feasible.

It seems like they're working on it (iPad only, by the looks of it): http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2011/mar/02/bbc-global-iplay...

You're right, though, ad-supported iPlayer isn't feasible.

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