Video streaming websites, kodi etc.. risks?

[northernladuk]

Middlesbrough TV shop owner admits Kodi set top box charges (From The Northern Echo) may be of interest. It seems selling a device that runs Kodi may be illegal...

Yup. Been noise around this for quite awhile now with online retailers removing them. That said plenty on eBay despite them being banned.

[billybiro]

So found out this weekend the youngest has been watching the premier football on the streaming websites and has been using similar ones to watch films. I used to torrent stuff a lot but have stopped in the last years with the move against the torrent sites, kodi and the like. With Netflix and the like around there isn't much need to now anyway. I'm well aware of these sites but kept away from them what with the questionable quality and the like.

So what's the situation with these types of sites. Looking around they are obviously streaming illegal content so nervous about the implications. All the Kodi type sites just advise a product like IPVanish and then continue business as usual.

Is it really that simple and what are the risks of using/not using something like this? What do the more technically minded types on here do?

If IPVanish is that easy then do people use Kodi via chromecast or something to get it on the TV without a box?

Side point. Tried the Plex that's been discussed on here a bit but both my NAS and TV are too old to accept the bleeding App now. Both are working perfectly or what I need them otherwise so don't think I'll bother updating just to use this. Shame though.

Have you asked your accountant?

[sal]

With the clamp down on torrent sites, kodi boxes and stories of these copywrite trolls popping up i don't feel the need to push it anymore. I'll look in to the legal aspects of watching it a bit more. If a 5-10 quid a month subscription totally removes the risk then that's the way I'd rather go.

As you said it yourself - the clampdown is on torrent sites, not their users. And in most cases is in the form of a restricted DNS records/IPs to the most well known trackers by the big UK ISPs. You can still use less well known trackers to get the torrent or just have someone send you the mag.link / torrent file even from a major tracker and download it yourself.

The majority of the smaller independent ISPs, aren't blocking anything, as it should be.

Yup. Been noise around this for quite awhile now with online retailers removing them. That said plenty on eBay despite them being banned.

Plenty of KODI boxes on Amazon, seems like they are unfazed (took them no time to remove the Apple TV when they decided to do so)

Can't comment on the Middlesbrough case, but I would go out on a limb and say that he was advertising them as "free footie" boxes, rather than TV set top boxes, which got him in hot water.

You can run KODI server on any PC and Raspberry Pi, and client on pretty much any mobile device. somehow I don't envision all of them becoming illegal.

All of the above is irrelevant if you use VPN to act as a citizen of the world and not the oppressive Britanistan

[northernladuk]

All makes sense but you havent mentioned the copywrite trolls but that bottom paragraph is key. Is it worth a paid service just for peace of mind or do people not bother?

[SteelyDan]

All makes sense but you havent mentioned the copywrite trolls but that bottom paragraph is key. Is it worth a paid service just for peace of mind or do people not bother?

Maybe YNCOTBAS...?

[sal]

All makes sense but you havent mentioned the copywrite trolls but that bottom paragraph is key. Is it worth a paid service just for peace of mind or do people not bother?

What about the copyright trolls? all of the cases targeting individuals were essentially scams. I haven't heard of anyone getting convicted personally by them.

There are 2 key issues with paid services:

A) They are incomplete - For instance there are TV shows and Movies that are missing from both Netflix and Amazon (I have both). So people are "forced" to use alternative "channels". Not to mention that they are not available in most countries to begin with.

B) They are extortionately expensive - Sky sports package is like £70/month - that's stupidly high for IMHO. Then again i'm not a sports fan so doesn't really affect me.

[stek]

What about the copyright trolls? all of the cases targeting individuals were essentially scams. I haven't heard of anyone getting convicted personally by them.

There are 2 key issues with paid services:

A) They are incomplete - For instance there are TV shows and Movies that are missing from both Netflix and Amazon (I have both). So people are "forced" to use alternative "channels". Not to mention that they are not available in most countries to begin with.

B) They are extortionately expensive - Sky sports package is like £70/month - that's stupidly high for IMHO. Then again i'm not a sports fan so doesn't really affect me.

I got rid of my Sky Sports cos Bolton Wanderers are never on...

[northernladuk]

I got rid of my Sky Sports cos Bolton Wanderers are never on...

You could have bought the club for the same price as years subscription couldn't you?

[SlipTheJab]

I used to use Kodi and download torrents etc but now what with Netflix and Amazon Prime having loads on that I want to watch I don't bother anymore. Sky bill was £40 a month, phoned to cancel and they gave me a 40% discount which pays for both streaming services

[northernladuk]

Maybe YNCOTBAS...?

Lol. It appears so.

Maybe just getting too old and sensible. Gonna go home and smash the torrents tonight then.