[scott_s]

Do people flock to torrents? No one I know does. They all watch content on their tv, obtained through a legit streaming service or a cable subscription.

Personally, I don't feel right grabbing torrents, but I also don't want the hassle. I think that legit digital delivery for music and video has, for the most part, crossed the threshold where it's just easier than the alternatives.

[ceronman]

I pay for Netflix every month. Still I use XBMCtorrent to watch most TV series and movies. Many things are not available on Netflix or a similar service. Even if they're available on Netflix, most of the time they don't have subtitles in my native language, seeking is slow, there is not flexibility in the resolution. XBMC just provides me a better user experience.

[steeve]

It is discontinued, you might want to switch to Pulsar instead. (I'm the author or both)

[ceronman]

I didn't know. Thanks for the tip.

[joshstrange]

> Do people flock to torrents? No one I know does.

I know quite a few people who use torrents (or usenet) as their primary source of TV. Combining Plex + Sabnzbd + Sickbeard you get a internet DVR with little to no maintenance once setup (other than adding more capacity as/if needed). They all have a hulu-like (next day) experience, they get it in HD, and there are no ads.

Legit delivery for music has crossed the threshold but video has not. You still have to use multiple services to watch everything you want.

[redblacktree]

The setup you're describing is beyond the reach of a great many people. They pay for Netflix instead.

[anigbrowl]

I can't be bothered to go through it, and I do film post & production for a living, so it's not any lack of technical capability.

[m3mnoch]

agreed. torrenting is not worth my time.

1) at this point, i just want it to work. if i don't have to do it, don't enjoy doing it, or don't get paid for doing it, i don't want to waste any time on it. time spent in setup and maintenance of torrent/media servers in the past has permanently put me on the netflix/hulu/amazon/spotify/roku side of the cost-to-benefit equation. i'm even one of those weird people who pay for netflix dvds.

2) there's so much content out there, that if your content is NOT available in the ecosystem, sorry, but my family doesn't bother to consume it. it's an attention economy and your (mr. content producer!) content strategy is putting you below the poverty line.

[zak_mc_kracken]

> I know quite a few people who use torrents

Selection bias.

You and the people you know still represent a vanishingly small fragment of the population.

"People" don't flock to torrents, only tech savvy pirates do.

[jsmeaton]

I would guess this is also selection bias. Australians are pretty much the global leaders (per capita) of torrent consumption. Everyone I know, tech savvy or not, downloads torrents. Our TV situation is pretty bad, the cable situation is extremely expensive (extra $20 a month for HD.. really?!), and we don't yet have any decent streaming services.

Once streaming services hit mainstream here I believe we'll see a significant drop off for torrents. Netflix is just about to enter this market in a few months, so it'll be interesting to see how that plays out. I just hope they don't add an Australian tax, otherwise the torrenting will continue.

[wavefunction]

I have to use different services to get all the music I want. iTunes is great for mainstream stuff but that's about it. Amazon's offering is "eclectic"

[k-mcgrady]

>> "iTunes is great for mainstream stuff but that's about it."

OT but it's funny to hear 26 million songs described like that :)

[driverdan]

> Do people flock to torrents? No one I know does.

Who do you know? I estimate 80-90% of the people I know who are technical download "pirated" movies via torrents or usenet. Most also use paid services like Netflix and Amazon Prime but the content on those networks sucks.

[scott_s]

A mix of technical and non-technical people. The technical people I know have basically the same attitude as me: it's not worth the hassle during our free time.

[yuriks]

My mother gets all her TV from TPB and she's really not technically skilled at all. When it went down this week she asked me for an alternate place to download from.

[lttlrck]

"pirated"? Is there any doubt?

[driverdan]

I put it in quotes because I don't particularly like the term. Real piracy involves theft, downloading a digital copy of something you wouldn't pay for otherwise is not theft.

[duaneb]

Literally every technical person I work with pirates movies, because of poor availability, restrictive DRM, or because they like to have local media in the format of their choosing.

All of these people also use netflix, amazon, itunes, etc., but it's hardly a catch all.