Poll: Do you think torrenting a TV show is piracy?

[BoogieManFL]

I've been thinking about something lately..

You can buy a lot of TV series in DVD form now. Some are available to watch online for free, some aren't.

If you go and snag a torrent of a season of a show you missed/forgot to record do you think that's the same as say pirating a movie or a video game?

I wonder, because you can record them with a DVR or a TiVo and it's not a big deal. How different is it really? One could say the ability to buy it in a store is simply a convenience and an optional way for the creators to make some extra money.

 

[Tim_Buoy]

im not saying its okay but some good tv shows are just simply not available now even in dvd or streaming such as mork and mindy and unhapily ever after

 

[Simalacrum]

Yes, it is.

The difference between watching it online for free (via the shows publisher's website) and downloading it as a torrent is that advertising is removed from the equation in torrent.

If you don't watch it on the TV, DVD, or via their online player, then the people who made the show don't make any money, similar to the whole 'game developers don't make money if you pirate games' shinanigans (because your not watching any adverts and the channel doesn't get any money from whatever company posting that advert).

Of course, there might be a slight difference when we're talking about shows from government-funded TV channels, such as the BBC, which never uses advertising anyways... but then you can watch it online for free wherever you want (if your a British citizen at least), so why would you want to torrent it?

 

[Dark2003]

I dont think it is, unless it comes on a channel you don't own like HBO, SHowtime, etc. if its from another country it shouldnt matter since you wont be apart of thier rating statistics in the first place, but anything on regular broadcast channels(Free TV) it should be fair game

 

[Thaluikhain]

Um, yeah...downloading stuff without the copyright holder's permission is generally illegal. Doesn't matter if it's a movie, game, or plans for an assault rifle. (The latter might well get you in trouble for other reasons as well....though you not if it was the AK47's plans, as they were, IIRC, made open source for political reasons).

 

[The Youth Counselor]

It is only piracy if recording the TV show and skipping the commercials is also considered piracy.

If it has no commercials to begin with because the TV show is on a premium cable network that like (Showtime, HBO, etc?) then you have to ask do you pay for that network?

 

[Eleuthera]

Is it pirating? Yes
Is it different from movie pirating? Yes

This 'reasoning' will not apply to (north) Americans: I spent a lot of time online (too much probably) resulting in televisions series getting spoilered if I don't keep up with your broadcasting schedule. This results inn my downloading the series I follow the day after the American broadcast so I can safely come to the forums I frequent. I could wait 3 months to a year for Dutch TV to catch up, but by then all the possible discussion has already died down and I find that talking about my shows is half the fun.

In defence, I've also bought all the series I watch this way on DVD when they finally came out.

 

[OrokuSaki]

Is it piracy? Yes.
Is it different from movie piracy? Well....... in substance yes, but morally no.

But technically you're not supposed to tape or tivo things anyways without express permission from the blah blah blah etc. ad nauseum. (They give a complete list of bullshit on broadcast football games.

Laws are laws and it really depends on where you live and how strong the copyright laws are in that area. My opinion: torrent away.

 

[Nova Helix]

Did the creators/publishers give consent for the torrent? In all most all cases no.
Are the creators/publishers getting royalties from ads (commercials, side banners, website subscriptions) The point of torrenting is to avoid that.

Yes it's piracy.

 

[Bohemian Waltz]

I think realistically the piracy might not be as harmful as it would be in the other industries.

It may be beneficial in some ways. Now for example say "viewer A" wants to watch "Show X", however "Show X" is on it's 7th season and finding season's 1-6 would be too costly for the It may be beneficial in some ways. Now for example say "viewer A" wants to watch "Show X", however "Show X" is on it's 7th season and finding season's 1-6 would be too costly for the mild interest "viewer A" has in the program. "Viewer A" then pirates all the episodes available and becomes hooked to "Show X". After being hooked "Viewer A" then finds out when the next episodes airs and tumild interest "viewer A" has in the program. "Viewer A" then pirates all the episodes available and becomes hooked to "Show X". After being hooked "Viewer A" then finds out when the next episodes airs and tunes his/her television in as "viewer A" is inherently impatient and does not wish to clog up hard drive space or wait to torrent after the show is aired and you now have +1 viewer.

 

[Mr. Meslier]

Yes, it is.

The difference between watching it online for free (via the shows publisher's website) and downloading it as a torrent is that advertising is removed from the equation in torrent.

If you don't watch it on the TV, DVD, or via their online player, then the people who made the show don't make any money, similar to the whole 'game developers don't make money if you pirate games' shinanigans (because your not watching any adverts and the channel doesn't get any money from whatever company posting that advert).

Of course, there might be a slight difference when we're talking about shows from government-funded TV channels, such as the BBC, which never uses advertising anyways... but then you can watch it online for free wherever you want (if your a British citizen at least), so why would you want to torrent it?

What if the video is available online, the advertisements are not in the video player itself, and I use an ad blocking program in my web browser? Is that considered piracy?

Is using any ad blocking software when viewing a webpage piracy?

 

[the_pleasure_is_mine]

Well I'm going to use Malcom in the Middle as an example.

I want to watch it, but the only channel I have that shows it is Fiver, and even then that's only occasionally.

I don't know of anywhere online to legitimately rewatch the episodes, and only the first 2 seasons were ever released on DVD. So if I want to watch some of series 4 then I'm pretty much forced to use a video hosting website or a torrent.

It's still piracy, but I see it as acceptable under certain circumstances.

 

[Super Toast]

Unless it's the only way you can watch it, just buy the DVD.

 

[guntotingtomcat]

I reckon it's okay IF the show has already aired in another country. If that's the case, then you've already paid for it with your fucking TV licence.

I'm sick of being punished by America for the whole pre revolution tyranny thing. I wasn't FUCKING there! Why should I have to wait for House an extra FUCKING year!!

Otherwise, it's simple theft.

 

[LiudvikasT]

Is using any ad blocking software when viewing a webpage piracy?

Gonna stay on this thread, hope someone tries to prove it is, will be fun material to read.

 

[Sexual Harassment Panda]

I'll pirate a show if there's no other way to get it. Perfect example: Better Off Ted. Only lasted a season and is highly unlikely to get onto DVD, so I felt no pain dl'ing it. If it does come out for sale, I'll gladly buy it.

That is a series that I was going to use an example too, can't believe it bombed...

There was a second season though.

I have trouble thinking of downloading TV as bad, especially when I can hit the "record series" button on my TV and have entire seasons recorded in great quality...with no expiration date on the files.

The lines are definitly hazy.

 

[Emergent]

Is using any ad blocking software when viewing a webpage piracy?

That's... a truly insightful question there, good sir.