Can we talk television . . . (streaming)

[theoldwizard1]

OEMs make it hard to overwrite the software, so people are offering to sell these devices and "other hardware" already broken in. You "jail brake" them by allowing by loading software from "unapproved sources"... You can do this "for free" but the side load software may charge you something for access.

I still don't understand how you are "stealing" CONTENT ! I "side loaded" Chrome on to an Amazon Fire tablet because I did not like the web browser Amazon provide (Silk). I used "tools" that Amazon provided. Works perfectly !

IE, apple has an "app store". But if you try hard, you can side-load non-app store software. As you can imagine, this software can allow you to do things not authorized by the OS provider.

Example, please !

If there is a "content provider" on the 'net that does not have some kind of "authentication" required to access its data, It seems to me that they are at fault !

 

[dcg9381]

I still don't understand how you are "stealing" CONTENT ! I "side loaded" Chrome on to an Amazon Fire tablet because I did not like the web browser Amazon provide (Silk). I used "tools" that Amazon provided. Works perfectly !

You're not necessarily stealing content by side-loading an app. That's fine. It's when you side-load an app streams paid-subscription content, that's considered piracy...

Example, please !

I'm not an apple user, but same way you side load content on your Fire stick. You go outside the "amazon" ecosystem, so what that app actually does can be 'sus. I side load stuff too for various reason, but these days even the downloads for your PC are often authenticated and through a "store".

If there is a "content provider" on the 'net that does not have some kind of "authentication" required to access its data, It seems to me that they are at fault !

It's not that easy as pointing at an unprotected stream of media. I'd agree with you on that if there is a security hoe. Often what they're doing is "buying" that media then redistributing it in mass. They proxy it or use other tech that I'm not familiar with, but it's big business.

 

[theoldwizard1]

You're not necessarily stealing content by side-loading an app. That's fine. It's when you side-load an app streams paid-subscription content, that's considered piracy...

Okay. But the content provider should do something (authentication) to stop this from happening !

I'm not an apple user, but same way you side load content on your Fire stick. You go outside the "amazon" ecosystem, so what that app actually does can be 'sus. I side load stuff too for various reason, but these days even the downloads for your PC are often authenticated and through a "store".

Grrr !! I hate computer "ecosystems" !!! Why does Apple or Microsoft need to know my favorite color and it I prefer boxers or briefs ! I bought the darn computer, I should be able to do anything I want with it. I'm not asking them to make it easy.

It's not that easy as pointing at an unprotected stream of media. I'd agree with you on that if there is a security hole.

A BIG GAPPING HOLE !!!

 

[dcg9381]

Okay. But the content provider should do something (authentication) to stop this from happening !

It's an "arms race" like everything else.

They shut down the sat "test card" thing. Cable companies got smarter and stopped leaving "band-pass filters" where consumers could get to them back when content was over co-ax.
But if you think about it, you're delivering (digital) content to my TV. How can the content provider keep me from "recording" the end HDMI signal and re-broadcasting it with a slight delay? Right now they go after the sources of the broadcasts as well as the consumers receiving the content. (I'm simplifying this a bit)

Grrr !! I hate computer "ecosystems" !!! Why does Apple or Microsoft need to know my favorite color and it I prefer boxers or briefs ! I bought the darn computer, I should be able to do anything I want with it. I'm not asking them to make it easy.

I'm part of a side-business that has published apps. It's a ***** to get them into the ecosystem. Part of why they do this is to make sure the apps are "safe" and aren't stealing your data or doing shady stuff. And unfettered app (back in the old days) could literally record you or activate your camera. Security is way tighter now.

The other part of why they do it is marketing and control. Just owning the interface where you get your apps, they display advertising, which makes money.

Knowing your preferences means they more effectively market products that you buy. It's "targeted marketing". It's part of what we give up in order to use "free services" like Google.

I'm not "supporting" this, I'm just telling you what I know about it. A great browser for consumer privacy is duckduckgo.com.

 

[kbuhagiar]

Well, if the bank leaves the ATM cabinet unlocked, that's a big gaping security hole, but it's still illegal to reach in and grab a handful of cash.

 

[sparky 1971]

Pluto TV has a whole section devoted to old westerns...8 channels that plays them 24/7.

Thanks for that. I've seen Pluto as an app, but had never opened up until this... While I might watch an old western once in awhile, I found Pluto has the three greatest sit coms of all time; All in the Family, Sanford and Son, and The Jeffersons. I might not get much accomplished around the house for a couple of weeks.

 

[American Locomotive]

Okay. But the content provider should do something (authentication) to stop this from happening !


Grrr !! I hate computer "ecosystems" !!! Why does Apple or Microsoft need to know my favorite color and it I prefer boxers or briefs ! I bought the darn computer, I should be able to do anything I want with it. I'm not asking them to make it easy.


A BIG GAPPING HOLE !!!

It's much more simple than that. These SuperBox's, KodiBox, etc.... whatever are just a nice front end of illegal pirate stream websites. These websites just have someone (or multiple people) that essentially have a cable channel or streaming service setup on a computer, and then use screen capture (or other capture device) to record the video and sound stream and pipe it online.

 

[alfredeneuman]

While I might watch an old western once in awhile, I found Pluto has the three greatest sit coms of all time; All in the Family, Sanford and Son, and The Jeffersons. I might not get much accomplished around the house for a couple of weeks.

Check out the "classics" section. Beverly Hillbillies, Andy Griffith, the original Mission Impossible, Perry Mason, and more.

 

[Innovate1]

Thanks for that. I've seen Pluto as an app, but had never opened up until this... While I might watch an old western once in awhile, I found Pluto has the three greatest sit coms of all time; All in the Family, Sanford and Son, and The Jeffersons. I might not get much accomplished around the house for a couple of weeks.

Thing with the free channels is tons of commercials. We occasionally find something interesting on the free channels (streams) from places like Pluto but sometimes quit watching because of the long commercial breaks.

Back around 1980 lots of cities had microwave links that carried unencrypted pay TV. You just needed a down converter to lower the frequency to a normal TV channel. Had a friend that did it so gave it a try just as more of a challenge than anything. Ordered a PC board that went on the end of a coffee can and that mounted to a steel snow saucer as a dish reflector. Put it up and did get things. Was in college with lots of other stuff going on and quickly lost interest but didn't take the antenna down. About a year later I got a letter from their lawyers wanting me to pay a fine and sign a letter admitting to taking their content. Seems they had hired people to drive around and make note of anything that looked like a microwave antenna. I had a ham radio license and no way they could tell the difference in antenna so ended up sending them a copy of my license. They said they weren't sure what they were going to do in those situations. As I recall they drug it out a bit asking for payment and admit again and I send them a letter saying I provided my documentation and considered the matter closed. Not sure what ended up happening but it made the local news when they first sent out demand letters to a huge number of people. Point being this has been going on forever. Someone comes up with a way to protect. Someone else finds a way around it. Then repeat. These days I pay for the little TV I watch.

 

[alfredeneuman]

Thing with the free channels is tons of commercials.

The free channels have the same amount or commercials (or less than) the original broadcasts. The starting and ending times for most TV shows keep the original times (30 min, 60 min, etc) and include all the content.
In some cases it's shorter (28 min, 57 min, etc.) Never longer.

 

[dave*99]

Thing with the free channels is tons of commercials. We occasionally find something interesting on the free channels (streams) from places like Pluto but sometimes quit watching because of the long commercial breaks.

Back around 1980 lots of cities had microwave links that carried unencrypted pay TV. You just needed a down converter to lower the frequency to a normal TV channel. Had a friend that did it so gave it a try just as more of a challenge than anything. Ordered a PC board that went on the end of a coffee can and that mounted to a steel snow saucer as a dish reflector. Put it up and did get things. Was in college with lots of other stuff going on and quickly lost interest but didn't take the antenna down. About a year later I got a letter from their lawyers wanting me to pay a fine and sign a letter admitting to taking their content. Seems they had hired people to drive around and make note of anything that looked like a microwave antenna. I had a ham radio license and no way they could tell the difference in antenna so ended up sending them a copy of my license. They said they weren't sure what they were going to do in those situations. As I recall they drug it out a bit asking for payment and admit again and I send them a letter saying I provided my documentation and considered the matter closed. Not sure what ended up happening but it made the local news when they first sent out demand letters to a huge number of people. Point being this has been going on forever. Someone comes up with a way to protect. Someone else finds a way around it. Then repeat. These days I pay for the little TV I watch.

I remember that. WHT. Wometco Home Theater in NY/NJ area. Movies and then adult content in the evening.

I had a schematic to build the downconverter. Stumbled across it cleaning out a file cabinet a while back.

Wometco Home Theater - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[j3rf]

Plenty of FAST TV services these days. Pluto is my favorite, Tubi is decent too. XumoPlay, Amazon Freevee, Crackle, I think Plex has one now too. Philo and SlingTV have a free section, Youtube has free TV shows and movies...

Kodi add ons are where the high seas streams operate.

 

[alfredeneuman]

Chillfree has a limited collection of old classic "B" movies and TV shows too.

 

[Innovate1]

The free channels have the same amount or commercials (or less than) the original broadcasts. The starting and ending times for most TV shows keep the original times (30 min, 60 min, etc) and include all the content.
In some cases it's shorter (28 min, 57 min, etc.) Never longer.

I was thinking of movies not TV shows. Lots of commercials. I understand they have to pay for the service somehow....

On the free channels I figured out a way to screen record for the ones you can view in a web browser - which seemed to be many of them. Then I could skip the commercials during replay but it was a hassle to do so haven't been doing it. I suppose some fiddling with scripting would get it done or maybe someone has already figured that out. My main TV has a Roku stick and also a Linux based DVR so was doing the screen recording on Linux with a web browser. Didn't try to record the HDMI stream from Roku.

 

[IRQVET]

I find some of these responses kinda interesting. At the end of the day, what am I 'pirating." I purchased a TV box, downloaded apps available (to anyone) on the App Store. I'm not tapping a pole or running an extension cord from my neighbors property. Everything I've done is legal and available for purchase (currently) on the U.S. market. All my programs still air commercials, so the networks are still making money. Seems like technology and streaming has evolved to allow me to do this. If someone changes, I can adjust accordingly . . . I personally got sick of paying $168 per month for hundreds of channels I do not watch- when in reality I only watch maybe 10 of them. Even when I was speaking to Dish about my usage, she made a comment about what channels I watch and how often I watch them. I was shocked by her comments, as I got huge "Big brother" vibes like WTF?

 

[alfredeneuman]

I was thinking of movies not TV shows. Lots of commercials. I understand they have to pay for the service somehow....

Roku has "Howdy" stations with movies, TV, and no commercials for $2.99 a month.

 

[Houdini5150]

Yeah I dunno.. I used to use an old pc connected to the tv and find stuff to stream... little more hunting and digging but if you know, it works. Some sports stuff works better on android, I can set up an android setup on the computer and use that but eh..

 

[Old Man Roger]

Yeah I dunno.. I used to use an old pc connected to the tv and find stuff to stream... little more hunting and digging but if you know, it works. Some sports stuff works better on android, I can set up an android setup on the computer and use that but eh..

I believe firestick is android.

 

[IRQVET]

Plenty of FAST TV services these days. Pluto is my favorite, Tubi is decent too. XumoPlay, Amazon Freevee, Crackle, I think Plex has one now too. Philo and SlingTV have a free section, Youtube has free TV shows and movies...

Kodi add ons are where the high seas streams operate.

Sling TV (years ago) was the first streaming service I used. But I was so pissed when I tried to watch a football game, and was met with this . . . Dropped them immediately after this incident. Think in 2017 was when I went back the traditional route and went with Dish.

 

[dave*99]

I find some of these responses kinda interesting. At the end of the day, what am I 'pirating." I purchased a TV box, downloaded apps available (to anyone) on the App Store.

You are viewing copyrighted material protected by the DCMA. I’m not judging. Just answering your question.

The Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) is a 1998 U.S. law that makes it illegal to bypass digital protection measures on copyrighted works like music and movies, and criminalizes the distribution of tools that do so.

 

[Houdini5150]

I believe firestick is android.

I had a firestick a while back, it worked but was too slow. And this was at least 10 years ago. I used to buy them and mod them with some apps. It worked, it was just slow lol. Now I am sure there are faster ones that prob work better but I use my computer now.

 

[b-boy]

My boss bought one of these. He mentioned it last week.

Back in the day you could drive to Canada and get your cable box/directv modded to get all the channels. It would work for about 6 months, then the cable company would catch up and shut it all down.

This will eventually get shut down. They all do.

 

[i84x]

Read a little about these sorts of boxes and some people seem to say that they can get you in trouble with your service provider.
Would be cheaper and safer to have a laptop or PC hooked up to the TV.
Have a VPN and adblock on and just visit similar online free streaming sites yourself in a browser.

 

[theoldwizard1]

I had a firestick a while back, it worked but was too slow. And this was at least 10 years ago.

I have multiple Firesticks ! I have upgraded all of them to Firestick 4K because they are cheap when on sale (which is often).

We can run 3 Firesticks streaming non-4k content on a 600Mbps feed and still read mail and "surf the net".

 

[JerseyBoatBuilder]

We have been using Android boxes for our cable on 2-4 t.v.'s for almost 10 years now. I subscribe to IPTV services using the Smarter Tv Pro App for usually $20 a month though.
They usually get all of the cable and streaming service content plus all PPV and new theater release's. I usually set the filter for English only tv but you get all of the global content that every channel provides. So you end up with multiples of a channel say like Discovery East, West, Canadian ect..
The only hassle is they get caught providing the content and get shut down so every couple of years you have to find another IPTV provider. Sometimes they pop back up in couple of days with an email message with a new name and you have your IPTV back.