Torrenting

[alreadypacked]

I torrent as most countries I work in don't have much English TV.

Currently watching "Homeland", quite good.
"The good wife" is back!
The new show "Person of interest" is a bit like Equaliser, but not as good.
Terra Nova trying to be the new Lost, fail.

[wobbegong]

I just don't see the attraction of torrenting (or P2P), DVDs and CDs are so cheap, it's not worth the risk IMHO.

[TheFaQQer]

Fecking Virgin Media!!!!! Stop disconnecting my broadband you bastards when torrenting!!!!!

Virgin Media are awful for cutting your download speed if you torrent - I was downloading the latest Linux distro via Torrent and my speed dropped massively.

Connected through a VPN and did the same download - no problems, because they can't determine what you are doing through the connection.

I recommend iPredator.se. HMA will hand your details over to anyone who asks nicely, as the Lulz hacker will tell you.

[d000hg]

I just don't see the attraction of torrenting (or P2P), DVDs and CDs are so cheap, it's not worth the risk IMHO.

Especially if you re-sell them and/or buy 2nd-hand. Buy a box-set, watch and sell for zero cost.

However once NetFlix comes up in the UK, there's a much better legal alternative to torrenting.

[Spacecadet]

However once NetFlix comes up in the UK, there's a much better legal alternative to torrenting.

Can you watch offline in HD using NetFlix?

[psychocandy]

Very easy to get your IP sniffed when using Torrents, had a letter from my ISP several years ago about me sharing illegal material. Shat myself and changed ISP very soon after

I do still use torrents but only if thousands sharing a file, therefore I get good d/l speed on it, restrict the upload massively and then delete the torrent as soon as the file has finished downloading.

For totally secure downloads have a look at Usenet over SSL.

You might like to try uTorrent, is a much cleaner app than Vuze, which was OK when it was Azureus but seems a bit bit bloated now.

Been torrenting for years. Got one letter ever. Ignored it never heard again.

[TheFaQQer]

I just don't see the attraction of torrenting (or P2P), DVDs and CDs are so cheap, it's not worth the risk IMHO.

For some, it's about availability - there are lots of US TV shows which are good but never see the light of day in this country, or if they do are a LONG time afterwards.

For something that has been broadcast in this country, is there a difference between downloading a copy from the internet and recording it on a Sky+ box? The main practical difference is that you can then keep the copy on a different / bigger hard drive that you have more control over, but I don't think it's a legal option. I've paid my TV licence etc. etc. so why can't I keep a copy of the program?

[Spacecadet]

For some, it's about availability - there are lots of US TV shows which are good but never see the light of day in this country, or if they do are a LONG time afterwards.

For something that has been broadcast in this country, is there a difference between downloading a copy from the internet and recording it on a Sky+ box? The main practical difference is that you can then keep the copy on a different / bigger hard drive that you have more control over, but I don't think it's a legal option. I've paid my TV licence etc. etc. so why can't I keep a copy of the program?

Its handy also when working away from home, sky+ is feck all use when away and hotel wifi is generally crap and my mobile broadband is capped at 15gb per month.
There is also the general lack of HD content when streaming (I'm looking at you sky!) plus the fact that most programmes are available for a week before being taken off iplayer or equivalent.

[TimCaprica]

Thieving

For some, it's about availability - there are lots of US TV shows which are good but never see the light of day in this country, or if they do are a LONG time afterwards.

For something that has been broadcast in this country, is there a difference between downloading a copy from the internet and recording it on a Sky+ box? The main practical difference is that you can then keep the copy on a different / bigger hard drive that you have more control over, but I don't think it's a legal option. I've paid my TV licence etc. etc. so why can't I keep a copy of the program?

That's my justification. Every Friday I download the latest episodes of Community and Parks and Recreation. I give Sky an absurd amount of money every month and can't watch either of them on that (at least for 3 years) and can't buy the DVDs in this country so I'm getting them from a torrent.

I used to download huge amounts of music and have always felt a bit guilty about that as the music I like is generally made by struggling artist types. I now have a Spotify subscription though so only download if I'm very excited about something that hasn't been released yet (and will normally pre-order on vinyl at the same time) or it isn't on Spotify. I feel slightly better about it.

[eek]

I used to download huge amounts of music and have always felt a bit guilty about that as the music I like is generally made by struggling artist types. I now have a Spotify subscription though so only download if I'm very excited about something that hasn't been released yet (and will normally pre-order on vinyl at the same time) or it isn't on Spotify. I feel slightly better about it.

You are aware that spotify pay artists so little that it takes something like 10,000 plays for them to buy a first class stamp (and that's before record company admin fees). Spotify is part owned by the record companies because the business model is a Hulu based one where the record companies expect to earn their real money when some foolish company buys Spotify.

Personally with struggling artists I'll download the songs and then ensure I go and see them play live.