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Why you can't get 4K Netflix and Amazon

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Re: Why you can't get 4K Netflix and Amazon

#51
post #15

As a torrent user, I do find that paid content is higher quality and more convenient, unless you have a dedicated setup. It is so simple to turn my TV on and watch a move than it is to connect my laptop, download the torrent, which involves firing up my VM, finding the torrent magnet link, and then DL'ing it.

Look at Pulsar then: https://github.com/steeve/plugin.video.pulsar

Re: Why you can't get 4K Netflix and Amazon

#52
post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Do people flock to torrents? No one I know does. They all watch content on their tv, obtained through a legit streaming service or a cable subscription. Personally, I don't feel right grabbing torrents, but I also don't want the hassle. I think that legit digital delivery for music and video has, for the most part, crossed the threshold where it's just easier than the alternatives.

> Do people flock to torrents? No one I know does. Who do you know? I estimate 80-90% of the people I know who are technical download "pirated" movies via torrents or usenet. Most also use paid services like Netflix and Amazon Prime but the content on those networks sucks.

A mix of technical and non-technical people. The technical people I know have basically the same attitude as me: it's not worth the hassle during our free time.

Re: Why you can't get 4K Netflix and Amazon

#53

But if I grab a torrent to the 4K version of the movie, I can play it on my computer. Do people still legitimately wonder why so many people flock to torrents? Hollywood (and by extension, other large content producers) have the most sincere form of Ostrich Syndrome[0] that I know of. [0] http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=The%20Ostrich...

It's easy to give away a 4k torrent when you haven't had to pay anything for the right to distribute it or invest in the necessary infrastructure. If there are quality problems or whatever, there's no obligation to fix them. People have much higher expectations when they're paying, even if they're only paying a small amount.

People have much higher expectations when they're paying

Which is ironic considering how much better of an experience piracy is 9 times out of ten.

Re: Why you can't get 4K Netflix and Amazon

#54
post #34

Because everyone's comcast would choke and die?

it's ok-- amazon is a level3 customer and comcast refuses to upgrade the interconnect between their two networks* (even if level3 foots the bill), so it would choke no worse than it's already choking. * technically level3 doesn't name them by name, but i wouldn't really consider it reading between the lines...

Amazon is a level 3 customer, but Amazon also has a direct connect with Comcast.

http://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2014/05/see-wh...

Re: Why you can't get 4K Netflix and Amazon

#55
How much is there 4k content currently? Arri Alexa which is quite common production camera shoots something like 2880x1620. Red has more pixels via heavier compression but even that stuff seems to be mastered 2k which is the common cinema format. Or maybe it is regional, but I don't think we have 4k cinemas anywhere here. I would hope they would spend the bandwith to get netflix stream closer to cinema datarates rather than try to compress more pixels through thin pipe.

Re: Why you can't get 4K Netflix and Amazon

#57
post #29

> I and your readers on a PC or Mac could intercept the 4K [content] and therefore transmit it to a country that doesn’t have the rights. Wow, maybe if there's a country full of people so eager to watch your content that they'll steal it you should, I don't know, sell them the rights to watch it? Of course, I'm just a simple nobody. I guess you have to be a fancy movie studio executive to understand how you make more…

The studios and middlemen that bring content to people's doorsteps have created this incredible Gordian knot of contractual obligations and agreements. This industry showed up in the dark ages of connectivity where content was produced for a local market. If someone else wanted to show this content in their jurisdiction, they'd just create a one-off agreement for it and be on their way. They honestly don't know how t…

I'm sure there's contracts and such, but really, what leverage does Zoltar's Romanian Film Distribution Inc. have over Sony or Disney? They can't just say, "Look, we really don't need you to drive truckloads of DVDs around the country anymore. It's been nice working with you, good luck."

Obviously they still need translations and such, but can't that be done concurrently while they're preparing for release anyway?

Re: Why you can't get 4K Netflix and Amazon

#58

I tried to rent an HD movie (the family man (hey, its the holidays)) on amazon but was told my device (27-inch imac) is not "compatible". Super WTF. A torrented version gives me none of that BS. And its free. Piracy is mostly a matter of market. The more DRM BS you try to force upon me, the more I'm going to do to not give you any of my money at all. Even if most people pay for content, any level of piracy is "unacce…

Haha, yes, Amazon, where they offer digital copies of movies that can only be downloaded when your physical copy arrives in the mail. Fooking ridiculous.

Re: Why you can't get 4K Netflix and Amazon

#59
post #29

> I and your readers on a PC or Mac could intercept the 4K [content] and therefore transmit it to a country that doesn’t have the rights. Wow, maybe if there's a country full of people so eager to watch your content that they'll steal it you should, I don't know, sell them the rights to watch it? Of course, I'm just a simple nobody. I guess you have to be a fancy movie studio executive to understand how you make more…

No, the citizens of Poland MUST watch Avatar 2 six months later than the citizens of the UK. /s

Why is this the case in this time and age?

Re: Why you can't get 4K Netflix and Amazon

#60
post #12

But if I grab a torrent to the 4K version of the movie, I can play it on my computer. Do people still legitimately wonder why so many people flock to torrents? Hollywood (and by extension, other large content producers) have the most sincere form of Ostrich Syndrome[0] that I know of. [0] http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=The%20Ostrich...

Do people flock to torrents? No one I know does. They all watch content on their tv, obtained through a legit streaming service or a cable subscription. Personally, I don't feel right grabbing torrents, but I also don't want the hassle. I think that legit digital delivery for music and video has, for the most part, crossed the threshold where it's just easier than the alternatives.

Literally every technical person I work with pirates movies, because of poor availability, restrictive DRM, or because they like to have local media in the format of their choosing.

All of these people also use netflix, amazon, itunes, etc., but it's hardly a catch all.

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