Popcorn Time: Difference between revisions
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=== Discontinuation and revival=== |
=== Discontinuation and revival=== |
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On March 14, 2014, Popcorn Time's website and [[GitHub]] repository was 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."<ref name=time-removed>{{cite web|title=Popcorn Time Is Over: Potent Piracy App Quickly Calls It Quits|url=http://time.com/25604/popcorn-time-is-over-streaming-movie-app-quickly-calls-it-quits/|work=Time|accessdate=16 March 2014}}</ref> The very next day, Popcorn Time was [[Fork (software development)|forked]] by the staff of the torrent tracker YTS (whose API was originally used to power the program), who plan to further develop the program.<ref name=gizmodo-forked>{{cite web|title=Torrent Site Popcorn Time, Shut Down Yesterday, Is Alive Again|url=http://gizmodo.com/torrent-site-popcorn-time-shut-down-yesterday-is-aliv-1544484728|work=Gizmodo|accessdate=16 March 2014}}</ref><ref name=ars-reinvent/> |
On March 14, 2014, Popcorn Time's website and [[GitHub]] repository was 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."<ref name=time-removed>{{cite web|title=Popcorn Time Is Over: Potent Piracy App Quickly Calls It Quits|url=http://time.com/25604/popcorn-time-is-over-streaming-movie-app-quickly-calls-it-quits/|work=Time|accessdate=16 March 2014}}</ref> The very next day, Popcorn Time was [[Fork (software development)|forked]] by the staff of the torrent tracker YTS (whose API was originally used to power the program), who plan to further develop the program.<ref name=gizmodo-forked>{{cite web|title=Torrent Site Popcorn Time, Shut Down Yesterday, Is Alive Again|url=http://gizmodo.com/torrent-site-popcorn-time-shut-down-yesterday-is-aliv-1544484728|work=Gizmodo|accessdate=16 March 2014}}</ref><ref name=ars-reinvent/>. On March 16th a new group ([http://time4popcorn.eu Time 4 Popcorn]) re-established the website that allows users to download the app, and continues to develop and add more features to it. |
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During its brief availability, 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 how they covered Popcorn Time, agreeing with their views that the [[movie industry]] was [[anti-consumer]] and too restrictive in regards to innovation.<ref name=medium-goodbye/> |
During its brief availability, 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 how they covered Popcorn Time, agreeing with their views that the [[movie industry]] was [[anti-consumer]] and too restrictive in regards to innovation.<ref name=medium-goodbye/> |
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Revision as of 23:44, 16 March 2014
| Repository | |
|---|---|
| Written in | JavaScript |
| Engine |
|
| Operating system | Linux, OS X, Windows |
| Available in | 32 languages |
| Type | Movie streaming |
| Website | getpopcornti |
Popcorn Time was a multi-platform, free and open source media player. Developed by an anonymous group of developers who identified themselves as being from Argentina, the program was intended as a "free" parallel to subscription-based video on demand services, offering access to streaming films online through an interactive interface. The program streamed pirated films directly from YTS torrents, a tracker.
While the program quickly received unexpectedly positive media attention, with some comparing it to Netflix due to its ease of use, Popcorn Time was abruptly taken down by its developers on March 14, 2014, arguing that they simply wanted to move away from the project rather than continually debate the legality of it. However, the source code of Popcorn Time was forked the following day by operators YTS, with a promise to continue further development of the program.
Functionality
Popcorn Time presented an on-screen guide consisting of films provided from torrents curated by its developers, which could be searched, or browsed by genres and categories.[1] The program would stream the selected film directly from the torrent as provided through an API by the tracker YTS; as with other BitTorrent clients, Popcorn Time would also actively seed the torrent in the background.[2][3]
The legality of Popcorn Time was unclear; its website claimed that the software "might" be illegal depending on local laws, and its developers said that "Popcorn Time as a project is legal. We checked. Four Times."[4]
Development
Popcorn Time was created "in a couple of weeks" by a group of developers who have remained anonymous, but did identify themselves as being from Buenos Aires, Argentina. 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."[4]
Made available for Linux, OS X, and Windows, Popcorn Time's source code was hosted on GitHub as an open source project; contributors helped localize the program into 32 languages.[5][4]
Reception
Popcorn Time became the subject of mainstream media attention for its ease of use, with many considering Popcorn Time to be the "Netflix for pirates", noting its obvious advantages over Netflix such as the size of its library, and the recent selections available.[6][1] Caitlin Dewy of the Washington Post said Popcorn Time may have been an attempt to make the normally "sketchy" ecosystem of torrents more accessible to a casual audience, arguing that "there’s a tangible sense, in the clean, responsive design and the hip sans-serif fonts, that wherever the movie's coming from must be with-it—and thus, reputable. It’s an unusual view into exactly how much design and interface influence our psychology. It’s also kind of tricky—I could see someone like my mother, who loves movies but would describe 'torrent' as a synonym for 'flood' using the site without realizing what it was."[7]
Discontinuation and revival
On March 14, 2014, Popcorn Time's website and GitHub repository was 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."[5] The very next day, Popcorn Time was forked by the staff of the torrent tracker YTS (whose API was originally used to power the program), who plan to further develop the program.[8][3]. On March 16th a new group (Time 4 Popcorn) re-established the website that allows users to download the app, and continues to develop and add more features to it.
During its brief availability, 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 how they covered Popcorn Time, agreeing with their views that the movie industry was anti-consumer and too restrictive in regards to innovation.[4]
External links
References
- ^ a b "'Popcorn Time' Is Like Netflix for Pirated Movies". PC Magazine. Retrieved 16 March 2014.
- ^ "Netflix-like torrenting app Popcorn Time disappears". Ars Technica. Retrieved 16 March 2014.
- ^ a b "Popcorn Time reinvents the seedy process of torrenting". Ars Technica. Retrieved 16 March 2014.
- ^ a b c d "Goodbye Popcorn Time". Popcorn Time developers. Retrieved 16 March 2014.
- ^ a b "Popcorn Time Is Over: Potent Piracy App Quickly Calls It Quits". Time. Retrieved 16 March 2014.
- ^ Misener, Dan. "Popcorn Time is like 'Netflix for pirates'". CBC News. Retrieved 12 March 2014.
- ^ "How to easily watch any movie from your computer for free". Washington Post. Retrieved 16 March 2014.
- ^ "Torrent Site Popcorn Time, Shut Down Yesterday, Is Alive Again". Gizmodo. Retrieved 16 March 2014.