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diff --git a/content/blog/2015-01-02-popcorn-time/index.en.md b/content/blog/2015-01-02-popcorn-time/index.en.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..f3fe1af --- /dev/null +++ b/content/blog/2015-01-02-popcorn-time/index.en.md @@ -0,0 +1,86 @@ ++++ +title = "Popcorn Time" +lang = "en" + +[taxonomies] +tags = ["film", "popcorn time"] + +[extra] +author = "harald" ++++ + +{% figure(img="Popcorn_Time_logo.png") %} +The Popcorn Time mascot +{% end %} + +Lately I've been trying out [Popcorn Time]. I know it's hardly news anymore, +but I'm one of those who like to pay for the movies I watch, so I've been +looking a bit around for what alternatives I have. So far, given my prefered +platforms and a requirement that the solution needs to be playable using [Free +and Open Source] software, I've really only had one choice: [Vimeo]. + +<!-- more --> + +I like Vimeo, there's a lot of really great independent film makers out there +who make films that are both interesting and well made. Through Vimeo's +video-on-demand service they have a chance to screen their films for a price +they set themselves – and you know that at least part of the money reach the +film makers. The service is quite good, and I will definitely keep using it. + +Pretty much everything else requires proprietary software that isn't even +available for my systems (read _Microsoft Silverlight_.) That's a no go. I'm _not_ +going to install a closed source proprietary software from a vendor that is +known to [cooperate] with the authorities of hostile nations +just to watch movies. I'm not _that_ stupid. + +So I've read about Popcorn Time, but shrugged it off, as I would rather like a +solution where I can give back to the film makers. Until one day, I decided to +try... + +It does have it's problems. The search is not very good. I would like to search +on films by country, by director, by actors etc, but it seems it only provides +search by title. Also given their own claim that they have everything, I think +the selection of movies is rather thin. They have the most mainstream stuff, +but there's quite a few of my favourite movies I have not been able to find +there yet. Third, for less popular movies the download rate may be wildly +varying, which gives a frustrating viewer experience when the move halts +altogether for extended periods of time. + +That said, when it works, damn how it works! Compared to the commercial +offerings that have jerky playback with occationally severe coding artifacts, +Popcorn Time provides really smooth playback, much better image quality and +crisper sound. If you love movies, I really see no other alternatives coming +even close to this.[^1] + +My question is: _Why hasn't the movie industry looked into this?_ + +The code is licensed under [GPLv3], which means the movie studio who first +decides to try this model has a good and working codebase to start off with +when they decides to make their own offering. The catch? Any software derived +from Popcorn Time must also be free and open source. + +But this is actually an advantage! You'll get a community of people that would +help you develop the software, you just need to provide the movies and a way to +pay for them. Given that Popcorn Time is based on the [BitTorrent] +protocol, it even means that everyone watching films is also helping you +distribute it. So you'll even save on bandwith costs compared to the +traditional video-on-demand solutions of today. Popular movies will practically +host themselves, less popular ones may have to be served more directly. + +Give us a way to pay for the movies, provide enough server bandwith that we can +watch even the less popular movies without trouble, and fix the crappy search +and we should have a winner. + +Please! + +[^1]: I've sometimes paid for movies on other services, just to end up watching + them on Popcorn Time because the experience is so much better! + + +[cooperate]: http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/aug/23/nsa-prism-costs-tech-companies-paid +[Popcorn Time]: http://popcorn-time.se/ +[Free and Open Source]: http://www.fsf.org/about/what-is-free-software +[Vimeo]: https://vimeo.com +[GPLv3]: http://www.gnu.org/licenses/quick-guide-gplv3.html +[BitTorrent]: http://www.bittorrent.org/beps/bep_0003.html + |