Btefnet Taken Down

[markusdragon]

I haven't been this down since Suprnova.org woke up and smelled the trouble. The biggest release group for TV shows, BTefnet, has been pulled down by the MPAA (to which someone else seems to have stolen their domains, probably the MPAA with their fear-based anti-copying advertising pages like that which happened with LokiTorrent). Personally, I think this is an example of the MPAA going much too far in completely the wrong direction.

How does this affect me, and the MPAA negatively? As I'm a Brit, I can't just watch these programmes, the majority of them aren't on TV over here, some of the best are given stupid time slots (Family Guy, for example), and most aren't even advertised. I'll admit that these are hugely selfish reasons, but there would be a payback for the MPAA, and I imagine this is the case in many other homes across the world.
In my case, it's my buffy-addict mother, who has become addicted to American TV programmes, and can now list a huge list of american series she feels she needs to own the DVDs of. If this is the case in other households, then through this system, the MPAA would have it made, but like the RIAA, they're blind to the benefits of allowing some laws to be broken.

 

[Rico]

Great, another whinging thread about people trying to get things for free but those bad scary corporations have gone and enforced the laws you were knowingly breaking! Here's an idea - find another source for the files. It's not as if BTefnet is the only one. In fact, I had no idea what BTefnet was until I read this thread, and have been happily using other sources for a long time.

Curious that MPAA is enforcing copyright for TV shows, but certainly not a stupid move. You simply cannot argue, in the general case, that people are going to order DVDs of these things. They will download them, watch them, and laugh as TV companies lose out on advertising money. Closing another TV distribution hole is a net profit for them, else they probably wouldn't do it.

 

[Goity]

so err... what is btefnet ????

 

[Horscht]

It seems to be a releasegroup that released American TV-shows on P2P netwprks.

 

[spray]

yeah they lose money from advertising but if they just responded to the needs of audiences they'd show the damn shows as close as they could in the UK and US, i'd happily sit through adverts to see the shield, scrubs, 24, southpark and family guy on terrestrial tv.

 

[EvilDragon]

Well, as I'm working at a TV station, I can tell you what would happen if you just download the episodes:

- Nobody is interested in broadcasting any TV shows anymore, if the majority downloads them from the internet. This means: The TV stations can't sell any commercials (as nobody watches the shows), the main source of money for them. Therefore, they can't afford to produce good programs anymore - TV gets worse.
In the end, the TV station has to close down as they can't afford to broadcast anything anymore.

- Most big TV series are also selled on DVD after they were on TV, so the producer loses money here, too, therefore, can't afford to produce those series anymore.

See what will happen? The series, you want to see, won't exist anymore. The TV station, on which you want to see it, won't probably exist anymore.

Is that really what you want?

The solution would be: Additional Pay-on-demand TV. You only pay what you want to see WHEN you want it to see. It's in the works, but it takes time...

 

[declaration]

I dont believe in commercial TV. TV paid for through companies attempting to brainwash the viewers is not the best way to go about things.

The BBC is by far the best TV station, and is paid for by all TV viewers. The BBC should buy more of the best foreign programmes. The rest should be offered for legal download on the internet at a reasonably set price per episode, and subsequently released on DVD.

It seems the only way to persuade corporations of the merits of internet release is to download it anyway (as in the case of music for example), and let the TV producers catch on sooner or later. Just like the music industry had to.

 

[markusdragon]

The BBC is by far the best TV station, and is paid for by all TV viewers. The BBC should buy more of the best foreign programmes. The rest should be offered for legal download on the internet at a reasonably set price per episode, and subsequently released on DVD.

​

What he said.

Oh, and according to one of the resident nerds at IGN (who's obviously irate that his source for Doctor Who has been taken down),

The lawsuit claims that the downloading is "piracy" and is somehow costing the producers and networks money despite the fact that sales of television DVDs are higher than ever before. Most independent studies show that those who download episodes from the Internet are at least 50% more likely to watch the episodes on television if possible and are also much more likely to purchase the official DVD releases, facts glossed over by the MPAA in their zeal to roll the clock back to the mid-50's when a small group of studios and networks had a monopoly on the entertainment industry.

 

[EvilDragon]

I dont believe in commercial TV. TV paid for through companies attempting to brainwash the viewers is not the best way to go about things.

Well, that's how it works, even if you don't believe in it

The BBC is by far the best TV station, and is paid for by all TV viewers. The BBC should buy more of the best foreign programmes. The rest should be offered for legal download on the internet at a reasonably set price per episode, and subsequently released on DVD.

Well, problem is: The best foreign programmes cost too much money for the BBC.
That's a problem, if you don't have commercials.

 

[markusdragon]

Well, problem is: The best foreign programmes cost too much money for the BBC.
That's a problem, if you don't have commercials.

​

They CAN afford it though; they had the Simpsons for many years, and had Buffy for the entire seven seasons. They're currently exporting Doctor Who (with it's huge budget) around the world, along with MI5 (originally called Spooks), and Hustle. They're paid for by tax, dude: they're handed millions of pounds per year and told to 'get on with it'.
The point of the BBC is not to make a profit, it's to appeal to the viewers.

 

[c0ncept]

I can tell you what would happen if you just download the episodes:

- Nobody is interested in broadcasting any TV shows anymore, if the majority downloads them from the internet. This means: The TV stations can't sell any commercials (as nobody watches the shows), the main source of money for them. Therefore, they can't afford to produce good programs anymore - TV gets worse.
In the end, the TV station has to close down as they can't afford to broadcast anything anymore.

- Most big TV series are also selled on DVD after they were on TV, so the producer loses money here, too, therefore, can't afford to produce those series anymore.

​

thats exactly what was said when VCRs were released, and they haven't killed tv yet

 

[lizard808uk]

Its too bad that Btefnet went down, I was enjoying 24 (and yeh I'm going to buy the DVD boxset, its just that good).

I'm suprised noone's mentioned hacking Google (as an alternative to BT) to get those ultra rare live concerts. I got a live radio session with White Stripes the other day - its great.

 

[EvilDragon]

thats exactly what was said when VCRs were released, and they haven't killed tv yet

​

Well, the difference is: VCRs are mainly used for recording from TV, not for copying illegal material.

So... how does downloading compare to this?

 

[c0ncept]

@EvilDragon

BTEfnet the biggest release group for TV shows

​

I'm suprised noone's mentioned hacking Google to get those ultra rare live concerts.

​

what? explain!

 

[Swiss_Cheeseman]

what? explain!

​

Whats there to explain? Hes going to HACK THE PLANET.

 

[Rico]

He's hacking Google! No internet is safe!

 

[firefly1201]

You can type in specific phrases in Google to 'hack' into stuff such as security cameras

 

[c0ncept]

security cameras eh? Thats pretty cool.

@Firefly like the new sig and avatar, joe dark deserves respect!

 

[markusdragon]

An interesting article concerning the BBC

 

[lizard808uk]

Good article, I used to be a BBC basher, but I recently read an article (here) about the technology that will allow Britons to download shows whenever they want.

For me thats ace.. I want 24/7 Blue Planet running on my PC