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BitTorrent.com launches legit download service
Author: Wil HarrisPublished: 26th February 2007
BitTorrent launches its legal download service today. DRM-tastic.
The new site is the result of a year's worth of deal-making between Bram Cohen's legendary P2P download service and the major Hollywood TV stations and film studios. BitTorrent hopes to make some money out of its undoubtedly awesome technology; Hollywood hopes to stunt illegal downloading.
Films are available to rent for $3-4, and are protected with Windows DRM (bleugh). You have 30 days from download to watch, or 24-hours after you hit play, whichever is sooner. TV shows cost an iTunes-a-like $1.99, and you get to keep those. In amongst the commercial content is free content from providers such as Revision3 and PodTech.
There is a smattering of HD content, but not a lot - annoying, since BitTorrent is arguably the most effective method for distributing shows in HD given the file size.
Doug Lee is an executive at MGM films, and he told the New York Times that "We like the idea that they have millions of users worldwide. That is potentially fertile, legitimate ground for us." Does anyone else think that he's misunderstanding the difference between the BitTorrent.com and the BT protocol? Meanwhile, Bram Cohen was bemoaning the DRM that the industry has been keen to slap on downloads. "We are not happy with the user interface implications... It’s an unfortunate thing. We would really like to strip it all away,” he told the NYT.
Do you think that this will convince the millions of BitTorrent users to eschew the Pirate Bay and get involved with downloading their content legally? Arguably, the same arguments now apply to the official BitTorrent website as to other services like iTunes - the same content, in worse quality, with more restrictions, but more expensive. DRM does not help you compete with 'free'.
Of course, here's the other typically narrow-minded kicker - the service only works if you're in the US. Anyone in Europe or elsewhere can just go back to Pirate Bay - Hollywood doesn't care about you.
Have you tried the new service? Let us know your thoughts over in the forums.
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Comments (21)Stats: 0.138 seconds
#2: bittorrent.com is like every other tracker now, with adult adverts on the edges. VERY VERY VERY BAD.
#3: nothing worth buying on there, $2 for a music video???
meh, like the author said, there's no competition with *free*... it might compete with iTunes though... n it might absorb a few PirateBay followers that are just arent up to the hassle of being tricked to downloading ultra-low-quality content or the wrong content altogether...
The worst thing is, they'll launch this, it'll not be very popular due to its restrictive DRM and market area and then they'll think there's no demand for legal downloads. :(
Atleast it'll put more weight on ISPs that limit torrenting ports, coz you can say its for legal stuff now.
#2 has to be wrong, I don't see any adult adverts anywhere...
One example. But the one I saw at work almost got me in a lot of trouble as it was a LOT worse.
i cant see any of those ads, even if i search for the same thing, with Internet explorer
:)
it wont affect me anyway.... this will only get here in 2 or 3 years..... if it survives.
Hehe! That must be right - I always get them :)
Seriously though. What's the deal with this USA only crap? Our money not good enough for Hollywood? Fine. I'll keep it, and sleep better at night knowing I couldn't pay for my episodes of Jericho, Lost etc even if I wanted to.
Keep your DRM downloads, keep your crippled playstations and keep your stupid-ass president and shove em up your collective *$**es. Goddamn heathens.
It's a shame about this model as my prefference is always (and always has been) for high quality media. I've never loved hanycam cinema "early releases". If there was a way for me to pay a reasonable price for high quality (DVD or better) TV shows/movies I will always take that method over downloading them. Unfortunately I'm rarely provided with that option. Especially in backwater-Australia where we're still getting 2005 episodes of Top Gear. :(
I tried to download one of the free things from the site which i expected lots of people to do to test it. But the speed was simply painful. Even on public torrent sites with 10+ peers to every seed I got a faster download rate. I suspect alot of experienced torrenters are members of private torrent sites and with the speed of those in mind I doubt any legal service could compete.
I have used itunes before, but not for "popular" artists. I have purchased around 10 albums from itunes from artists that dont have any real record company representation. I would much rather pay for music that I know the majority of the money is going to the artist.
What I do mind is how horribly compressed most of this stuff is. If it isn't HD or at least actual DVD quality then I'm not paying the same amount that I pay to get the DVD from blockbuster for the privledge of downloading it.
Yes, that was the most important aspect of the site to me. No, I won't give you my phone number.