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Premiere of final Game of Thrones season triggers piracy bonanza
- Thread starter Deleted member 15428
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It really doesn't help that the only streaming option in the UK is Now TV which only streams in 720p.
720p, in fucking 2019.
720p, in fucking 2019.
HBO Now is not in Singapore while the HBO Go is on a contract-based subscription tied to a service provider and the traditional cable HBO version of GoT is censored in Singapore! (Yah...all boobs are gone).
Not justifying Piracy.......but tell me HBO, what choices do we singaporeans had?
I will gladly sign up for a HBO Now during the GoT seasons and pay you money but you don't even let me!
Not justifying Piracy.......but tell me HBO, what choices do we singaporeans had?
I will gladly sign up for a HBO Now during the GoT seasons and pay you money but you don't even let me!
Reminds me of... what was it? Some version of DeNuvo DRM that caused more problems on legit games than cracked ones.
I remember at one point HBO cited (citation needed) that piracy was actually super helpful for GoT, though I'm sure they've changed their mind since.
While illegal, in some countries it offers better quality content in a more timely manner (compared to official release) than the paid option, when you add that in some of those countries you don't really get ISP notices for downloading torrents and surely not for watching streamed copyrighted material, it's not hard to see how many people choose that route
Until subscription services make it as straightforward as possible to use multiple devices at a reasonable cost, this will continue to happen.
Now TV is fine (UK based), but if you want to use more than a couple of devices you need to jump through so many hoops it's untrue. Even then you can only switch certain devices out once a month. Netflix has it spot on, you log in with as many devices as you like but are limited to 2 streams, and the quality is excellent.
While I'm fannying about trying to get whichever device working with NowTV in 720p and a stereo soundtrack, I can log into a friend's Plex server and watch the episode streamed from their home in full 1080p with 5.1 audio.
The pearl-clutching over the number of devices people can use by certain providers (Sky predominantly) is one of the reasons things aren't going to change
Now TV is fine (UK based), but if you want to use more than a couple of devices you need to jump through so many hoops it's untrue. Even then you can only switch certain devices out once a month. Netflix has it spot on, you log in with as many devices as you like but are limited to 2 streams, and the quality is excellent.
While I'm fannying about trying to get whichever device working with NowTV in 720p and a stereo soundtrack, I can log into a friend's Plex server and watch the episode streamed from their home in full 1080p with 5.1 audio.
The pearl-clutching over the number of devices people can use by certain providers (Sky predominantly) is one of the reasons things aren't going to change
->
It can't be reasonably argued I agree. But setting up a VPN and subscribing to a foreign service isn't trivial for many people, let alone the providers have been cracking down on/blocking VPN usage for the last couple of years.
Heck, a lot of people probably aren't even torrenting but just copying the files from a friend's memory stick.
We don't have HBO here but you can buy the episodes on Amazon. They are only 3€ per episode (in 1080p). So yeah, I get that people are pirating if they don't have any options or if its too expensive. But buying, not even renting, the whole season for 18€ is pretty cheap.
It's stupid that we're in 2019 and American companies still don't understand that their shows have an international audience and need to directly make their content available internationally instead of stupidly selling their rights to various local companies that will inevitably cripple accessibility to serve their own shitty agendas.
And HBO isn't even the worst offender in that regard, they're actually pushing the envelope more than many other content owners who simply do not give a fuck.
And HBO isn't even the worst offender in that regard, they're actually pushing the envelope more than many other content owners who simply do not give a fuck.
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In Australia, the rights to Game of Thrones is held by the major (sole?) Pay TV provider in the country: Foxtel.
Back when it started, you'd have to subscribe to their movie package on top of their basic tier, which cost quite a lot of money.
But now, you can get a separate streaming subscription and get access to the show for AU$25 a month (with ten day free trial). My sister has a sub just for GoT and the on-demand quality looks really good, looks like full 1080p.
Not surprising that the show is the most pirated in the country.
Back when it started, you'd have to subscribe to their movie package on top of their basic tier, which cost quite a lot of money.
But now, you can get a separate streaming subscription and get access to the show for AU$25 a month (with ten day free trial). My sister has a sub just for GoT and the on-demand quality looks really good, looks like full 1080p.
Not surprising that the show is the most pirated in the country.
Pirates will always find some bullshit justification for piracy, and endlessly quote "service issue" to justify their stealing of content available dirt cheaply, without long term contracts, day and date with the US on a large variety of devices.
Cheap fucks.
Cheap fucks.
It's mind-boggling. HBO is not a lemonade stand, it's a multi-billion company, how in the hell is it unable to pay for one UX guy and a couple of programmers to throw together a decent UI?
Heck, many free media apps have much better UI (PLEX for example).
There is no option to watch it in 1080p in the UK, or even buy it. I looked on Amazon (where I usually buy shows), Google Play, PlayStation and there was nothing.
Compare to say, The Good Fight, where I just buy the series when it starts on Amazon and watch episodes as they air, which are then mine to keep.
I don't see how that isn't a service issue.
Fuck Sky.
If I could pay for HBO here I would. Otherwise my choices are overpriced TV channel that I don't want or a garbage quality streaming service. 720p with shitty audio in 2019.
I pirate the eps then buy the season when it's out on blu ray.
I don't give a fuck. I'm not giving Sky my money for their shit services.
If I could pay for HBO here I would. Otherwise my choices are overpriced TV channel that I don't want or a garbage quality streaming service. 720p with shitty audio in 2019.
I pirate the eps then buy the season when it's out on blu ray.
I don't give a fuck. I'm not giving Sky my money for their shit services.
Agreed at the beginning, but these episodes cost tens of millions of dollars to make. Thousands of dollars ain't impressing them, is all I'm saying.
Yeah, it's definitely not an optimal situation. I'm super paranoid about my HBO Now account. I'm not sharing it with anyone because I know they'll fuck it up somehow and get me banned.
I'm just glad I got it sorted for myself. Even bought a new Router that has a built-in VPN client so I can activate it for the whole network centrally without having to fiddle around with different devices separately.
That's just not true otherwise GOT wouldn't be the success it is right now. For a long time we had to wait for weeks/months or even a year to get GOT, now we get it live and piracy is way down and the local provider is making money hands over fists.
This is literally the only way I'll ever be willing to pay for TV shows or movies. And they need to work offline forever on my Kodi HTPC too.
tell me how i can sign up for HBO Now using my Singapore credit card here. I am listening and ready to spend the money.
Why are you assuming the people torrenting are Americans and can actually subscribe to HBO?
Don't assume they're all American. Not every country has what you're claiming.
Luckily we do in the UK.
Called up my ISP provider, who are the only ones who have the HBO licensing rights in The Netherlands. Even though I have an internet subscription with them, I can not access HBO through their version of HBO Go without also buying a completely separate Digital TV package through them complete with mediabox and the like.
It is not possible to just subscribe to their HBO Go. (on top of already having the most expensive internet package they offer) What a load of shit, I'd end up spending €50 a month extra just to watch GoT. On top of that apparently the streaming quality is 720p with terrible bitrate. No wonder people don't bother with the legit option, pirating is both more convenient and higher quality.
It is not possible to just subscribe to their HBO Go. (on top of already having the most expensive internet package they offer) What a load of shit, I'd end up spending €50 a month extra just to watch GoT. On top of that apparently the streaming quality is 720p with terrible bitrate. No wonder people don't bother with the legit option, pirating is both more convenient and higher quality.
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720p with horrid audio in 2019 is not adequate.
It wasn't even adequate in 2012
HBO Nordic is pretty damn great, they also tend to have the best non-HBO shows too (Fargo, Handmaid's Tale, Justified etc.) Cost 10€ a month, available at Norway, Finland, Sweden and Denmark. If someone wants to watch great TV, there's nothing better than HBO nordic. It's even much better than Netflix because of the show quality.
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It's impossible to get it in many countries without signing up to a 12 month cable contract so I'm not surprised. I wish I could just buy tv shows as they release.
I just got myself a 5€ subscription to Sky Ticket in Germany. Thats a very fair price and I could watch it Monday morning at 1080p, no buffering. I will also watch Westworld season 2 inbetween. A few years ago you still had to get an expensive Sky TV subscription. If you pirate it here you have no excuses anymore.
HBO themselves are not really doing much to fix the issue which tells me they care less about it. After all, one of the reason the show has gotten so big is through word of mouth. It used to be impossible for a Canadian to watch this show without subscribing to one of the shitty Rogers or Bell cable service, at least now you can watch it without that, but still you have to subscribe to unnecessary crap like Crave TV. Also the quality isn't great
you mean HBO Now...
HBO Go is still dependent on some sort of cable service provider..
I agreed, subbed for 1 month (well, will be 2 consdiering there are 6 episodes), but the streaming and selection of content is really good.
Yeah, I watched it on Crave the other day, and while it does the job and I'm glad we no longer need cable subscription to watch GoT.... 720p in 2019 is a fucking joke, especially for a show like GoT where you miss so many details. Why can't they make it at least 1080p? Damn cheap bastards.... charges us 20$/month and that's what we get. I'll gladly unsub when the season is over.
There is also HBO Nordic for us living in Nordic countries. 9 €/m after free one month trial, plus library seems to be stacked with some quality stuff.
I wonder why HBO doesn't have one unified streaming platform, but Go, Now, Nordic.. depending on where you happen to live?
Terrible? What resolution they stream at, couldn't find it anywhere? At least E08E01 looked good on my 3440 x 1440 monitor (it played it 16:9 :b).
Beats me too ..
It's confusion like this that makes netflix stands heads & shoulders among its peers (at least in terms of its clarity of service and service coverage)
Not all piracy is a service issue, but that doesn't make it untrue.
People are not arguing for piracy when they say that thing like EGS increasing the price of PC games for a worst service will lead to more piracy, or that the multiple subscription services ( with exclusive content ) for tv/movie streaming will ( and already has ) increased piracy too.
HBO needs to get their shit together because frankly HBO GO is trash. Not only was it down for an hour when GoT premiered, the video quality continues to be terrible. Horrible encoding with all kinds of artifacts and janky motion. The interface is also horrible, for that matter. Netflix feels like its light years ahead of them.
Always reminded of this lol.
This is the Marvel crossover special!
As long as these companies dont release what people want to see in the way they want to see it, they will pirate the shit out of it.
I see the logic in pirating content. its available as soon as its released, usually in better quality then the streaming services can offer and no need to wait for some third party to sell it to us for more money.
why cant i rent cinema movies on the day of release ? Maybe I don´t want to go to the cinema, but I want to see the movie on release... rent it to me? no they wont. Hopefully this change and we do get a streaming service that offer these movies on cinema opening night.
I see the logic in pirating content. its available as soon as its released, usually in better quality then the streaming services can offer and no need to wait for some third party to sell it to us for more money.
why cant i rent cinema movies on the day of release ? Maybe I don´t want to go to the cinema, but I want to see the movie on release... rent it to me? no they wont. Hopefully this change and we do get a streaming service that offer these movies on cinema opening night.
Exactly, Where I live the "authorized" option is so shity its unbelievable. My only reason I subscribed to it is to clear my conscience.
Studies generally show that GoT's piracy is high in territories where that is the case.
Limit access and overcharge for a crappy 720p, Youtube quality stream (nowTV) in this age of HDR 4K Netflix and then wonder why this keeps happening. It's like they've learned nothing from the last 20 years: provide a better and more accessible product than the pirates and people won't resort to piracy. Game of Thrones makes headlines every year because of this and HBO still haven't learned their lesson.
They put it on Sky Atlantic in the UK which you can only get with Sky unlike almost every other channel. Shit like this sends people to piracy.
Sky Atlantic started after Sky we're forced through regulation to make Sky One available to other providers. The same company owning content and distribution is a disaster for consumers.
Sky Atlantic started after Sky we're forced through regulation to make Sky One available to other providers. The same company owning content and distribution is a disaster for consumers.
Crave's quality is absolute garbage. However, I watched it "On Air" and the quality seemed much better than what I typically see from Crave. I'll have to check out the on-demand episode to see if the quality has diminished at all.