• 03-18-2005, 01:43 PM
    Woochifer
    First foray into piracy ... errr ... file sharing ... errr ...
    I'm not big on music downloading and piracy. With the except of a few rare and out-of-print songs (typically remixes and obscure electronica) that I did download back in the heyday of Napster and Kazaa, my entire MP3 collection is ripped from CDs that I own. And on the video side, I have never done any downloading because I buy DVDs and I tape whatever programs I want to watch and/or keep in my collection.

    But, this week that all changed. On Monday, I admittedly metamorphosized into a full fledged video pirate! I've been a rabid fan of 24 since it first went on the air. As some of you know, 24 is a serialized thriller that runs in "real time" (having grown up in L.A. where the series takes place, I can attest to the VERY broad artistic license that the series has taken with the time it actually takes to travel from one end of L.A. to another). This means that the series has a high flying by the seat-of-your-pants pace, but it also means that if you miss the current week's episode, you're screwed for next week.

    Well, on Monday the unthinkable happened -- I MISSED 24!

    I forgot to set the VCR (yah yah yah, get with the 21st century Wooch, and bone up for a Tivo), so panic set in. What do I do? I initially logged onto the 24 website where they post a weekly recap of the latest episode, but it hadn't been posted yet. Then I thought, wait a minute 24 is the most widely downloaded TV series on the internet (it's mostly those law abiding Brits that download the series because 24's U.K. broadcasts are six months behind the U.S. broadcasts).

    (Think of Gollum's conversation with himself as you read this)
    Maybe I can find out how to download it too!

    Oh, but no that would be illegal.

    But, then how different is that from taping with my VCR? I mean, I did intend to set up the recording, right?

    But, no that would entail logging onto a dangerous P-2-P network and getting the MPAA stormtroopers on my front doorstep! What would my wife and judgmental dog think of that?

    Yes, but risk is fraught with reward. Then again, I can't be caught in the 24 forum not knowing what happened to Jack and Paul at 7pm after the pulse bomb detonated at 6:55pm either! Those anonymous posters there would ban me from their ranks if they knew that something as simple as a forgotten VCR setup kept me from 24!

    But, I don't know where to find these downloads!

    Oh, there's the internet! Errr! Think back to last week -- the return of Michelle Dessler at 6:58pm. Yeow! Must see what she looks like at 7:02pm! Okay, I've given in. Must find the precious!
    (end rant)

    So, long story short, I found out where the downloads for 24 are posted. And I must admit, BitTorrent is one helluva file sharing program, but obviously, I got concerns about how secure the thing is. This is why I only rarely used Napster and Kazaa. BitTorrent is different from other file sharing networks because it simultaneously uploads what you've already downloaded while you're downloading a file, and because it pulls together pieces of a file from multiple computers, it actually runs faster when more people access the same file.

    700 MB later (downloaded the majority of it at an internet cafe because I did not want to use my work bandwidth or expose the server at work), I got my episode of 24. But, it wouldn't play! I looked at the file, it was an AVI file, but little did I know that AVI files can be created by any number of different encoders that won't play on Windows Media Player without installing a separate codec.

    Turns out that the copy that I downloaded was created with Xvid, which is the open source version of Divx. So, I had to search and download the Xvid codec. After installing it, now I could view the image. One problem -- no sound!

    So, I do more troubleshooting and I find out that the audio stream on the file is AC3 format (i.e. Dolby Digital). Another search and I found an AC3 codec that worked with Xvid.

    Fired it up, and it all worked! Oh, but yet another new problem emerged. The audio sync was way off! Went thumbing through all the various menus, and found that this AC3 codec had all kinds of delay adjustments as well as adjustments for individuals on the 5.1 downmix.

    All in all, I must say I was shocked at how good the picture quality was on that downloaded copy of 24. Keep in mind I was watching it on a laptop computer, but the image quality was on par with viewing DVDs on that same unit. The downloaded episode was recorded from a 5.1 HD broadcast. I can now see the concerns about video piracy, because those same download sites also have links to movies as well. I have no idea how this picture quality translates to larger screens, but my understanding is that latest version of the Divx video codec is capable of HD resolution using the same bitrates as DVD.

    The drawback obviously is the need for high speed internet access and a lot of storage space. It took me a total of about five hours to download that episode of 24, and that was using a high speed wireless network at a cafe, and my DSL line at work.

    So, a very interesting exercise and initial jump into the world of video piracy! The episode was pretty good for the most part, and after viewing the episode, I deleted the file (must destroy the evidence ... and free up that 700 MB of disk space since my laptop only holds 20 GB) and uninstalled BitTorrent from my system (my spyware detector keeps flagging that program). For now, this post is the only evidence that I have engaged in this kind of illegal activity. I'm entrusting all of you with my very freedom, so shhhhhhhhh!!!!!
  • 03-18-2005, 01:51 PM
    MomurdA
    Divx pwns windows media player.
  • 03-18-2005, 01:55 PM
    dean_martin
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Woochifer

    But, no that would entail logging onto a dangerous P-2-P network and getting the MPAA stormtroopers on my front doorstep! What would my wife and judgmental dog think of that?

    Your dog and wife will still love you (and in that order - unfortunately, the dog can't post bond).
  • 03-18-2005, 04:08 PM
    hershon
    You're Better Off Just Buying One From Someone
    The easiest thing to do if somehow you miss an episode of a current TV series that you need to see right away is to go to either IMDB.com & go to the message board of the series or go to a fan's site on the series with message boards. Then just offer someone $15 or $20 for their time to make you a copy. Because of the spyware/adware and crap some of these file sharing places have on them, I haven't used one of them in years. As to the legality/morality- as I've said repeatedly, do you think I give a damn if Brad Pitt or JLO is only making 2 million a movie instead of 20 million because of piracy or U2 is only pocketing 5 million instead of 20 million? Like they care about you or me!

    As an aside, I've gotten alot of good quality videos/DVD's of TV series and had to find movies (like Boris Karloff's Thriller & the first unreleased Fantastic 4 Movie which actually was pretty good) that have not been comercially released on Ebay.






    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Woochifer
    I'm not big on music downloading and piracy. With the except of a few rare and out-of-print songs (typically remixes and obscure electronica) that I did download back in the heyday of Napster and Kazaa, my entire MP3 collection is ripped from CDs that I own. And on the video side, I have never done any downloading because I buy DVDs and I tape whatever programs I want to watch and/or keep in my collection.

    But, this week that all changed. On Monday, I admittedly metamorphosized into a full fledged video pirate! I've been a rabid fan of 24 since it first went on the air. As some of you know, 24 is a serialized thriller that runs in "real time" (having grown up in L.A. where the series takes place, I can attest to the VERY broad artistic license that the series has taken with the time it actually takes to travel from one end of L.A. to another). This means that the series has a high flying by the seat-of-your-pants pace, but it also means that if you miss the current week's episode, you're screwed for next week.

    Well, on Monday the unthinkable happened -- I MISSED 24!

    I forgot to set the VCR (yah yah yah, get with the 21st century Wooch, and bone up for a Tivo), so panic set in. What do I do? I initially logged onto the 24 website where they post a weekly recap of the latest episode, but it hadn't been posted yet. Then I thought, wait a minute 24 is the most widely downloaded TV series on the internet (it's mostly those law abiding Brits that download the series because 24's U.K. broadcasts are six months behind the U.S. broadcasts).

    (Think of Gollum's conversation with himself as you read this)
    Maybe I can find out how to download it too!

    Oh, but no that would be illegal.

    But, then how different is that from taping with my VCR? I mean, I did intend to set up the recording, right?



    But, no that would entail logging onto a dangerous P-2-P network and getting the MPAA stormtroopers on my front doorstep! What would my wife and judgmental dog think of that?

    Yes, but risk is fraught with reward. Then again, I can't be caught in the 24 forum not knowing what happened to Jack and Paul at 7pm after the pulse bomb detonated at 6:55pm either! Those anonymous posters there would ban me from their ranks if they knew that something as simple as a forgotten VCR setup kept me from 24!

    But, I don't know where to find these downloads!

    Oh, there's the internet! Errr! Think back to last week -- the return of Michelle Dessler at 6:58pm. Yeow! Must see what she looks like at 7:02pm! Okay, I've given in. Must find the precious!
    (end rant)

    So, long story short, I found out where the downloads for 24 are posted. And I must admit, BitTorrent is one helluva file sharing program, but obviously, I got concerns about how secure the thing is. This is why I only rarely used Napster and Kazaa. BitTorrent is different from other file sharing networks because it simultaneously uploads what you've already downloaded while you're downloading a file, and because it pulls together pieces of a file from multiple computers, it actually runs faster when more people access the same file.

    700 MB later (downloaded the majority of it at an internet cafe because I did not want to use my work bandwidth or expose the server at work), I got my episode of 24. But, it wouldn't play! I looked at the file, it was an AVI file, but little did I know that AVI files can be created by any number of different encoders that won't play on Windows Media Player without installing a separate codec.

    Turns out that the copy that I downloaded was created with Xvid, which is the open source version of Divx. So, I had to search and download the Xvid codec. After installing it, now I could view the image. One problem -- no sound!

    So, I do more troubleshooting and I find out that the audio stream on the file is AC3 format (i.e. Dolby Digital). Another search and I found an AC3 codec that worked with Xvid.

    Fired it up, and it all worked! Oh, but yet another new problem emerged. The audio sync was way off! Went thumbing through all the various menus, and found that this AC3 codec had all kinds of delay adjustments as well as adjustments for individuals on the 5.1 downmix.

    All in all, I must say I was shocked at how good the picture quality was on that downloaded copy of 24. Keep in mind I was watching it on a laptop computer, but the image quality was on par with viewing DVDs on that same unit. The downloaded episode was recorded from a 5.1 HD broadcast. I can now see the concerns about video piracy, because those same download sites also have links to movies as well. I have no idea how this picture quality translates to larger screens, but my understanding is that latest version of the Divx video codec is capable of HD resolution using the same bitrates as DVD.

    The drawback obviously is the need for high speed internet access and a lot of storage space. It took me a total of about five hours to download that episode of 24, and that was using a high speed wireless network at a cafe, and my DSL line at work.

    So, a very interesting exercise and initial jump into the world of video piracy! The episode was pretty good for the most part, and after viewing the episode, I deleted the file (must destroy the evidence ... and free up that 700 MB of disk space since my laptop only holds 20 GB) and uninstalled BitTorrent from my system (my spyware detector keeps flagging that program). For now, this post is the only evidence that I have engaged in this kind of illegal activity. I'm entrusting all of you with my very freedom, so shhhhhhhhh!!!!!

  • 03-18-2005, 04:17 PM
    Sir Terrence the Terrible
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Woochifer
    I'm not big on music downloading and piracy. With the except of a few rare and out-of-print songs (typically remixes and obscure electronica) that I did download back in the heyday of Napster and Kazaa, my entire MP3 collection is ripped from CDs that I own. And on the video side, I have never done any downloading because I buy DVDs and I tape whatever programs I want to watch and/or keep in my collection.

    But, this week that all changed. On Monday, I admittedly metamorphosized into a full fledged video pirate! I've been a rabid fan of 24 since it first went on the air. As some of you know, 24 is a serialized thriller that runs in "real time" (having grown up in L.A. where the series takes place, I can attest to the VERY broad artistic license that the series has taken with the time it actually takes to travel from one end of L.A. to another). This means that the series has a high flying by the seat-of-your-pants pace, but it also means that if you miss the current week's episode, you're screwed for next week.

    Well, on Monday the unthinkable happened -- I MISSED 24!

    I forgot to set the VCR (yah yah yah, get with the 21st century Wooch, and bone up for a Tivo), so panic set in. What do I do? I initially logged onto the 24 website where they post a weekly recap of the latest episode, but it hadn't been posted yet. Then I thought, wait a minute 24 is the most widely downloaded TV series on the internet (it's mostly those law abiding Brits that download the series because 24's U.K. broadcasts are six months behind the U.S. broadcasts).

    (Think of Gollum's conversation with himself as you read this)
    Maybe I can find out how to download it too!

    Oh, but no that would be illegal.

    But, then how different is that from taping with my VCR? I mean, I did intend to set up the recording, right?

    But, no that would entail logging onto a dangerous P-2-P network and getting the MPAA stormtroopers on my front doorstep! What would my wife and judgmental dog think of that?

    Yes, but risk is fraught with reward. Then again, I can't be caught in the 24 forum not knowing what happened to Jack and Paul at 7pm after the pulse bomb detonated at 6:55pm either! Those anonymous posters there would ban me from their ranks if they knew that something as simple as a forgotten VCR setup kept me from 24!

    But, I don't know where to find these downloads!

    Oh, there's the internet! Errr! Think back to last week -- the return of Michelle Dessler at 6:58pm. Yeow! Must see what she looks like at 7:02pm! Okay, I've given in. Must find the precious!
    (end rant)

    So, long story short, I found out where the downloads for 24 are posted. And I must admit, BitTorrent is one helluva file sharing program, but obviously, I got concerns about how secure the thing is. This is why I only rarely used Napster and Kazaa. BitTorrent is different from other file sharing networks because it simultaneously uploads what you've already downloaded while you're downloading a file, and because it pulls together pieces of a file from multiple computers, it actually runs faster when more people access the same file.

    700 MB later (downloaded the majority of it at an internet cafe because I did not want to use my work bandwidth or expose the server at work), I got my episode of 24. But, it wouldn't play! I looked at the file, it was an AVI file, but little did I know that AVI files can be created by any number of different encoders that won't play on Windows Media Player without installing a separate codec.

    Turns out that the copy that I downloaded was created with Xvid, which is the open source version of Divx. So, I had to search and download the Xvid codec. After installing it, now I could view the image. One problem -- no sound!

    So, I do more troubleshooting and I find out that the audio stream on the file is AC3 format (i.e. Dolby Digital). Another search and I found an AC3 codec that worked with Xvid.

    Fired it up, and it all worked! Oh, but yet another new problem emerged. The audio sync was way off! Went thumbing through all the various menus, and found that this AC3 codec had all kinds of delay adjustments as well as adjustments for individuals on the 5.1 downmix.

    All in all, I must say I was shocked at how good the picture quality was on that downloaded copy of 24. Keep in mind I was watching it on a laptop computer, but the image quality was on par with viewing DVDs on that same unit. The downloaded episode was recorded from a 5.1 HD broadcast. I can now see the concerns about video piracy, because those same download sites also have links to movies as well. I have no idea how this picture quality translates to larger screens, but my understanding is that latest version of the Divx video codec is capable of HD resolution using the same bitrates as DVD.

    The drawback obviously is the need for high speed internet access and a lot of storage space. It took me a total of about five hours to download that episode of 24, and that was using a high speed wireless network at a cafe, and my DSL line at work.

    So, a very interesting exercise and initial jump into the world of video piracy! The episode was pretty good for the most part, and after viewing the episode, I deleted the file (must destroy the evidence ... and free up that 700 MB of disk space since my laptop only holds 20 GB) and uninstalled BitTorrent from my system (my spyware detector keeps flagging that program). For now, this post is the only evidence that I have engaged in this kind of illegal activity. I'm entrusting all of you with my very freedom, so shhhhhhhhh!!!!!


    There is a place down below us where you can work on your tan forever. Your ticket is in the mail. Your new boss has horns, is red, and has a long spikey tail. By the way, how about a beer sometime next week bub. Got a new gig at KGO TV channel 7, so I won't be doing quite as much traveling. Let me know before you leave on your trip below!
  • 03-18-2005, 07:21 PM
    Woochifer
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Sir Terrence the Terrible
    There is a place down below us where you can work on your tan forever. Your ticket is in the mail. Your new boss has horns, is red, and has a long spikey tail. By the way, how about a beer sometime next week bub. Got a new gig at KGO TV channel 7, so I won't be doing quite as much traveling. Let me know before you leave on your trip below!

    T-

    I'll have to take you up on it, and congrats on the new gig. That place you mention doesn't seem like they got a lot of icey drinks with little umbrellas sticking out of 'em! So a cold one will definitely be in order.

    I guess I'll have to make amends by missing the rest of this season of 24 and buying the DVD when it comes out. Or move to Britain so that I can punish myself with delayed broadcasts of the show!
  • 03-19-2005, 04:50 AM
    kexodusc
    It always starts with web-piracy...the gamblin', drinkin', womanizin', and drugs are next...

    Sounds like a good time!