Popcorn Time

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Popcorn Time
Popcorn Time logo.png
Popcorn Time Official Logo
Popcorntime screenshot 2014mar.JPG
App UI from May 2014
Original author(s) Pochoclín ("Sebastian" et al.[1])
Stable release 0.3.4 / 2014-10-6[2]
Written in HTML, JavaScript, CSS
Operating system Linux, OS X, Windows, iOS, Android
Platform Node.js
Available in 44 languages[3]
Type Movie / Television Streaming
License GPL v3
Portal icon Free software portal

Popcorn Time is a BitTorrent client that is multi-platform and free and open source—it includes a media player. The program is intended as a free alternative to subscription-based video streaming services such as Netflix. The program seems to stream unauthorized copies of films through Bittorrent links provided by the website YTS, (yts.re, formerly YIFY)—other trackers can be added manually and then used—but the protocol does not allow streaming, either in a technical or legal sense; instead, sequential downloading is used.

Following inception, Popcorn Time quickly received unexpectedly positive media attention, with some comparing it to Netflix due to its ease of use. The program was abruptly taken down by its original developers on March 14, 2014, but was subsequently forked and taken over by other developers.

Functionality[edit]

The Popcorn Time interface presents thumbnails and film titles in a manner very similar to Netflix. They can be searched, or browsed by genres and categories. When a user clicks one of the titles, the film is downloaded via the bittorrent protocol.[4] As with other BitTorrent clients, Popcorn Time seeds the torrent to others in the bittorrent swarm.[5][6]

The legality of Popcorn Time matches that of all other Bittorrent clients plus the additional factor that applies to sites like the Piratebay and YTS itself, due to the explicit linking to movie content; its website claimed that the software "might" be illegal depending on local laws.[7] One fork of Popcorn Time, Time4Popcorn, has included a free VPN service called Kebrum with the newest release.[8]

Development[edit]

Popcorn Time was originally developed "in a couple of weeks" by a group from Buenos Aires, Argentina who elected "Pochoclín" (derived from pochoclo = popcorn in Buenos Aires parlance) as their mascot. They believed that piracy was a "service problem" created by "an industry that portrays innovation as a threat to their antique recipe to collect value," and also argued that streaming providers were being given too many restrictions and forced to provide inconsistent service between countries, noting that streaming providers in their native Argentina "seem to believe that There's Something About Mary is a recent movie. That movie would be old enough to vote here."[7]

Made available for Linux, Mac OS X, Windows and Android, Popcorn Time's source code is downloadable from their website making the project open source; contributors localized the program into 44 languages.[3][7][9]

According to an interview on TorrentFreak, the current developers of Popcorn Time plan to add support for Chromecast, and the ability to stream TV shows in addition to movies.[10]

Reception[edit]

Popcorn Time became the subject of mainstream media attention for its ease of use, with PC magazine and CBS news calling Popcorn Time the Netflix for pirates, and noting its obvious advantages over Netflix such as the size of its library, and the recent selections available.[1][4] Caitlin Dewy of the Washington Post said Popcorn Time may have been an attempt to make the normally "sketchy" ecosystem of torrents more accessible by giving it a clean modern look and an easy-to-use interface.[11]

Discontinuation and rebirth[edit]

On March 14, 2014, Popcorn Time's website and GitHub repository were abruptly removed, with the developers stating that despite the unexpectedly positive media coverage that the software attracted, they simply wanted to move on, and that "our experiment has put us at the doors of endless debates about piracy and copyright, legal threats and the shady machinery that makes us feel in danger for doing what we love. And that’s not a battle we want a place in."[6][9][12]

The developers claimed that the majority of its users were those outside of the United States, and that it was "installed on every single country on Earth. Even the two that don't have internet access," by users who would "risk fines, lawsuits and whatever consequences that may come just to be able to watch a recent movie in slippers. Just to get the kind of experience they deserve." They also praised media outlets for not antagonizing them in their coverage of Popcorn Time, and agreeing with their views that the movie industry was anti-consumer and too restrictive in regard to innovation.[7]

After the announcement, development was taken over by two teams, both using the name "Popcorn Time"; however, the groups used different websites: one at Popcorntime.io, and the other at popcorn-time.se.[10][13] On October 9, 2014, the domain Time4Popcorn.eu was suspended "upon verification of the contact data". The fork's client programs temporarily stopped functioning, but the website quickly moved to the new domain "popcorn-time.se," where the home page displays the statement, "This PopcornTime service will never be taken down. Download and enjoy.", as of October 14, 2014.[14][15]

Writing for TechCrunch, Matt Burns explained on October 14, 2014, that the developers informed him that "tremendous damage" occurred after the removal of the original domain, with search engine optimization (SEO) being the primary issue. While the developers believe that the removal of the original domain was due to a "legal investigation taking place in Belgium," the TorrentFreak website reported in October 2014 that it was removed "on suspicion that it was registered using inaccurate contact details." Burns concluded his article by warning the developers that they shouldn't expect the various forks of Popcorn Time "to survive forever."[16]

Support[edit]

Android[edit]

On May 13 2014 the fork Time4Popcorn launched a mobile version for Android 4.2 and up. Users of the Time4Popcorn fork are now able to watch movies and TV shows on their TV screen by casting the content featured on the Popcorn Time app using a Chromecast device. Chromecast support for Popcorn Time is now in Alpha and works for OS X, Windows and Android users.[17][18]
On August 07 2014 the fork Time4Popcorn expanded significantly the amount of devices that support the Popcorn Time Android app and now it is supported by Android version 4.0 and higher.[19]

VPN support[edit]

Upon discovering that several Popcorn Time users (mainly those in Germany) received legal threats for using the software,[20] the fork Time4Popcorn encrypted its BitTorrent traffic and also added the option to enable a VPN service provided by Kebrum.[21] These features make identification of Popcorn Time users much more difficult.[17]

Apple TV[edit]

On July 30 2014 the Time4Popcorn fork added support for Apple TV, and announced that “Support for iOS devices will be ready in August."[22][23]

iOS Application[edit]

On September 30 2014, Popcorn Time officially launched on iOS.
The app was launched in its own Cydia repository, "http://cydia.popcorn-time.se Popcorn Time - iOS(iPhone, iPad and iPod touch)" and it's now offered for users with jailbroken iOS devices running iOS7 and above[24]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b Misener, Dan. "Popcorn Time is like 'Netflix for pirates'". CBC News. Retrieved 12 March 2014. 
  2. ^ http://blog.popcorntime.io/oh-did-you-get-popcorn-time-0-3-4/
  3. ^ a b http://www.getlocalization.com/PopcornTime/
  4. ^ a b "'Popcorn Time' Is Like Netflix for Pirated Movies". PC Magazine. Retrieved 16 March 2014. 
  5. ^ "Netflix-like torrenting app Popcorn Time disappears". Ars Technica. Retrieved 16 March 2014. 
  6. ^ a b "Popcorn Time reinvents the seedy process of torrenting". Ars Technica. Retrieved 16 March 2014. 
  7. ^ a b c d "Goodbye Popcorn Time". Popcorn Time developers. Retrieved 16 March 2014. 
  8. ^ ‘Popcorn Time’ Gives Users Anonymity With a Free Built-In VPN TorrentFreak, By Ernesto on June 7, 2014
  9. ^ a b "Popcorn Time Is Over: Potent Piracy App Quickly Calls It Quits". Time. Retrieved 16 March 2014. 
  10. ^ a b "Popcorn Time 'Rivals' Prep TV, Android and ChromeCast Support". TorrentFreak. Retrieved 10 April 2014. 
  11. ^ "How to easily watch any movie from your computer for free". Washington Post. Retrieved 16 March 2014. 
  12. ^ "Torrent Site Popcorn Time, Shut Down Yesterday, Is Alive Again". Gizmodo. Retrieved 16 March 2014. 
  13. ^ Eric LB (May 9, 2014). "Popcorn Time : le " Netflix pirate " débarque sur Android" (in French). 01net. Retrieved May 16, 2014. 
  14. ^ "Home". Popcorn Time. Popcorn Time. 11 October 2014. Retrieved 11 October 2014. 
  15. ^ Ernesto (9 October 2014). "POPCORN TIME STOPS WORKING AFTER DOMAIN SUSPENSION". TorrentFreak. TF Publishing. Retrieved 11 October 2014. 
  16. ^ Matt Burns. "Popcorn Time Finds A New Home After The EURid Pulled Its Domain". TechCrunch. AOL Inc. Retrieved 14 October 2014. 
  17. ^ a b Mario Aguilar (July 7, 2014). "Popcorn Time's "Netflix for Torrents" Is Coming to Chromecast" (in English). gizmodo.com. Retrieved July 7, 2014. 
  18. ^ http://techcrunch.com/2014/05/13/popcorn-time-is-now-on-android/
  19. ^ http://bgr.com/2014/08/07/popcorn-time-for-android-vpn/
  20. ^ Ernesto (May 15, 2014). "POPCORN TIME USERS GET ‘FINED’ BY COPYRIGHT TROLLS". torrentfreak. Retrieved May 15, 2014. 
  21. ^ Ernesto (June 8, 2014). "‘POPCORN TIME’ GIVES USERS ANONYMITY WITH A FREE BUILT-IN VPN". torrentfreak. Retrieved June 8, 2014. 
  22. ^ Popcorn Time Adds Apple TV Support, iOS App Coming Soon TorrentFreak July 30 2014
  23. ^ The 'Netflix For Pirated Movies' Will Soon Work With Your Apple TV by Steven Tweedie Business Insider Jul. 30, 2014, 9:41 AM
  24. ^ http://techcrunch.com/2014/09/30/popcorn-time-finally-comes-to-ios/

External links[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Popcorn Time.
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