android box

[BenF]

I was recently shown an android box where movies and tv series could be watched by streaming them off the internet and through the box onto a TV

Now I know I am old and not so savvy on some of this technical business, but what is the reliability and/or legality of this. From what I was shown, once you've selected a film (say), you choose the provider - some then work and some don't, hence the query about reliability. Someone must be uploading the material, hence the query about legality!

 

[red]

There are legal ways to stream using content services from providers such as Netflix and Amazon via a device on to your TV.

What you've described sounds a little more shady, it depends what country the content is hosted in as to whether the provider is breaking any local laws but I imagine if you are watching it and aren't paying for it you would be the one getting told off for streaming it. There are clever ways to mask what you're doing from your ISP but then you would need to trust the provider your streaming from and by the sounds of it, I wouldn't. They may use some or all of your data from your Android box for other unscrupulous activities.

 

[BenF]

hmm - that's what I thought, but these boxes are being sold by amazon (amongst others) eg http://www.amazon.co.uk/Material-T10-Preinstalled-I8-Wireless/dp/B0183H9BEC/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1450113257&sr=1-1-spons&keywords=android+box&psc=1" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

one of these boxes was demonstrated to me and it did look good, but I just don't fancy someone knocking on my door...

 

[red]

The hardware and Android operating system itself is fine. It will act like a smart tv so you will download apps and stream content through it.

Not sure what Kodi 16.1 is.. looks like some sort of media player

 

[Frank]

I was recently shown an android box where movies and tv series could be watched by streaming them off the internet and through the box onto a TV

Now I know I am old and not so savvy on some of this technical business, but what is the reliability and/or legality of this.

It's fine, I know this stuff.

In its first 10 years, the Internet was very much like the Wild West. It existed, few understood it and fewer still knew what to do with it. It was in those days that the 'torrenting' (a type of file sharing by many people) of illegally copied films, music, etc flourished. Those days, apart from a few extremists, have gone.

Now people buy to own or rent their films, just like they did when they rented VHS video cassettes from the local hire shop, back in the day.

Now, this stuff is all legit and above board, the Internet merely serves as a transport mechanism for the stuff you've paid for and you never have to use an Internet browser to browse or surf the actual WWW (Worldwide Web), if you don't want to.

Have a look at this, as the concept is clearer here - http://www.amazon.co.uk/Amazon-W87CUN-Fire-TV-Stick/dp/B00KAKUN3E/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1450143993&sr=8-1&keywords=firestick" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; Using that you would watch the free streaming TV programmes from the BBC iPlayer, because the BBC itself makes no charge for that. Alternatively, you could pay an annual subscription fee to Netflix or Amazon Films. Other providers, like Google Play, are set up for one-purchases of films, music, books, etc.

Obviously, I don't know the actual reliability of the hardware (the solid stuff you handle when it comes out of the box) that you were looking at, but I do know that the general concept of all this is legit.

Hope that helps.

 

[BenF]

thanks guys - especially Frank who must have spent ages typing that reply!

I just don't get how I can pay to download a film from a recognised provider, or I can download it using one of these boxes and not pay anybody else for anything. I never used torrenting, and wonder whether the current android box method is actually any more legal?! Looking back at the demonstration I saw in someone's house, the android box method does not always work!

 

[red]

There's still loads of hooky places that host shows and movies for streaming and how you described it with more than one link for a film makes it sound like one of these.

 

[BenF]

ok thanks!

 

[Frank]

thanks guys - especially Frank who must have spent ages typing that reply!

Not a problem. I write a lot of Knowledge Base articles on the Net, so writing is as fast as talking to me. It's just like we're chatting in the pub.

I just don't get how I can...

If you like the general idea, but have any reservations about legality or reliability (I know I wouldn't buy stuff that was demonstrated at someone's house, for sure!) then this is the one for you - http://www.amazon.co.uk/Amazon-W87CUN-Fire-TV-Stick/dp/B00KAKUN3E/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1450143993&sr=8-1&keywords=firestick" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

That article/page is exceptionally well-explained and tells you exactly what kind of telly you need and exactly what the product has to offer. Kids will love the games/music side as well.

When it comes to purchases out of the norm, you have 2 choices -

#1. Quickly become the world's greatest expert on the subject and then choose the product.

#2. Find a company you can trust and go with them. If Amazon themselves (not one of their MarketPlace sellers) say it will do that, then it will.

As Internet forum posts hang around for years and years on the Net, I will just add that I have no connection whatsoever with Amazon, other than being a customer.

 

[BenF]

many thanks Frank! :thumbs:

 

[Dal]

Saw this elsewhere in a discussion about android boxes and thought I would post - I'm not saying any of it is correct so do your own research:

No you're entirely wrong. EU law was passed recently that exonerates anyone from legal prosecution because of streaming. So you can stream all you like, the only people that can suffer legal problems are the hosts of streaming services.

http://www.digital-digest.com/news-63934-Watching-Pirated-Streams-Is-Legal-Rules-EU-Court.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copyright_aspects_of_downloading_and_streaming" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

http://bgr.com/2014/06/05/streaming-movies-and-tv-shows-for-free/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Therefore it's legal, law is law and whilst it can pander to morality in this case there is no moral question to answer as the law of the land states it's legal. It's up to yourself whether you feel morally confused or not, the law implies strongly you should not concern yourself with it. If and when the law changes then you can concern yourself morally.

 

[BenF]

Thanks Dal. I guess it is a modern version of the issue surrounding whether it was legal to record albums on vinyl onto cassettes!

 

[red]

Interestingly someone else started talking to me the other day saying they had seen a 'Kodi' box where you could stream all manner of things.

I looked it up and Kodi is a media player much like XBMC and Plex.

 

[Dal]

Kodi used to be called XBMC as far as I know

(Still kind of is really..)

http://kodi.wiki/view/Official:Kodi_name_change_FAQ" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

 

[red]

Ok, makes sense Kodi is XBMC :grin:

 

[PumaJay]

Ive got a Kodi box... cant recommend one highly enough. Brilliant bit of kit. Changed the way I watch TV

 

[Frank]

One distinction that is worth making - Kobi is Open Source software* that can be added to any suitable hardware (the physical bit you can pick up) and can also be bundled with any other software, including some highly dubious stuff. This means, that there is actually no such a thing as a 'Kobi box', but only a 'box' running, in part or in whole, Kobi software. This is a distinction that Kobi is pretty keen to make as well - http://kodi.wiki/view/Intro_FAQ#free_content" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;


* Open Source software covers a lot of stuff - Some Internet browsers and Linux Operating Systems (the two areas I'm involved in), Wikipedia, Android, etc. Indeed, it includes the phpBB forum software on this very website.

 

[red]

Everyone loves open source projects.