The Beginning of the End?

[JimX]

Sky cannot with the systems they have now broadcast from the UK, so if Kodi goes many will have to find an alternative as most have us have already done, I was a long time Sky customer on the island, I was sorry to see it go, but go it did, why did Sky not fight their corner then? they lost millions of overseas customers.

P.S personally I dislike Kodi, gave it a go and thankfully found a better way, in my opinion of course. Sky was very expensive here on Cy and needing huge dishes as you know to receive the signal, now cheaper alternatives came along, let's all hope they remain.

[Jim B]

Hudswell

I don't really think there are too many implications; you can still buy the boxes and download Kodi off the internet so possibly a little more inconvenience for those who want to use it.

Jim

[Jimgward]

Sky hasn't taken any initiative, like every broadcaster worldwide - although in the US, they are far more open...

I believe if Steve Jobs had lived that Apple would have cracked the nut of media provisioning. He did it with iTunes, when music publishers were against any form of licence. He managed to create the notion of downloadable paid music and then monthly payments for all you can listen-to became a reality.

Jobs wanted to do that with media. As the largest shareholder in Disney, he had the clout and background to persuade media rights owners, such as Sky, the BBC and others to come to an agreement to have customers pay a monthly fee and enjoy limitless access. It never happened and still isn't close.

I believe it will, if a large company, like Google, Apple or Amazon, take the initiative.

Until then, customers will find whatever means to provide broadcast media. I had Sky and a 2m dish... then a 3m dish, then a better box - and Jim kept saying that nothing would replace Sky and that bandwidth would never allow streaming....

I used XBMC many years ago and iPods with services airplay to an Apple TV connected to a TV - Jim also said that w wouldn't work, but it did.

I moved to XBMC on the Apple TV - which simplified it.... then KODI.... the MAG250 on NTV and Jim again said it wouldn't catch on, no bandwidth etc.

LODI will stay. It doesn't, however, need technical expertise to maintain it and that's a problem. People want an EPG like Sky and so MAGs are better. For €5 a week, I'm more than happy with the MAG subscription over difficult KODI maintenance.

Eventually, there will be boxes properly licensed and I will pay for that - until such times, KODI will be used by millions and Sky and others will do their best to stop it.

[josef k]

It's just fully loaded boxes that are the focus of the current activity. I have Kodi on my desktop PC and a laptop, both fully loaded via the internet. The laptop is connected to my TV so I get the same result as buying a box. There is no legal reason why I can't continue with this.

[Dominic]

Sorry JK but you are probably wrong, whilst KODI itself is not illegal, if you are utilising it to stream copywritten material to your "device" you are breaking the law...previously it was not illegal, only if you were downloading, this ruling applies to streaming as well. Copywrite laws in to "Broadcasting" are lightyears behind technical capability, and as I have said perhaps this new ruling will pave the wave for greater freedoms for the legitimate broadcasters.

You may well be right. The article was quite vague on the subject.

[josef k]

Sorry JK but you are probably wrong, whilst KODI itself is not illegal, if you are utilising it to stream copywritten material to your "device" you are breaking the law...previously it was not illegal, only if you were downloading, this ruling applies to streaming as well. Copywrite laws in to "Broadcasting" are lightyears behind technical capability, and as I have said perhaps this new ruling will pave the wave for greater freedoms for the legitimate broadcasters.

I hear what you say. I was referring to kodi boxes, which I haven't got and so am not breaking the law in that respect. What I am doing, as you say, is streaming in order to view. I am not downloading as I don't retain a copy. However, if I was using a video/DVD recorder to record a broadcast I would be retaining a copy. But that isn't illegal if it is for my own use.

It's all a bit of a mess isn't it.

[Dominic]

...and throughout Europe there must be millions of people getting their daily dose of TV from iptv boxes. I sleep easy at night

I would imagine the first you would know of any issue would be the service getting blocked by the ISP. This happened in the UK with a lot of the torrent sites. They didn't try and arrest people, they just took away the access.

[vic 1]

Happy in Cyprus is right it will carry on for long time yet these guy always
find a way round it and the police have not got the time or resources to go round
nocking on doors.

Hudswell why you keep on about its going is beyond me what would you
do at night.
are you that squeaky clean that you never ever done anything wrong or watched something with copyright laws
think you be happy to see it go you must be very sad

[JimX]

Bet that was painful...

[Jimgward]

Let's ncingbe clear. Watching an internet stream of a to broadcast, film or even music is illegal, whether you download it or not. You are stealing the copyright holders' wares.

Banning Pre-loaded kodi boxes is the easiest way for lawmakers to try to stop this growing any faster than it is. There are not resources to go after individuals who watch streams, whether through kodi, mag boxes, torrent sites or hooky dvds.

I am sure Lloyd, like most of us, would pay a fair rate for legitimate access to television. Sky could make it happen, if it really wanted to get together with other media organisations. However, it is hung more on self interest.

It's satellite business will come to an end. Bandwidth for ever higher resolution broadcasts are limited on satellite and much less so by broadband. Sky is designing its service to replace satellite. Already box sets, on demand and catch-up is delivered over the internet by them.

The licencing issue of BBC in particular prevents them broadcasting outside the U.K. As British residents pay a tv licence fee. What's needed, is for the BBC to bite the bullet and change its funding model to generate its revenues from licences to other broadcasters, as well as selling its back catalogues. Bold moves and not likely to happen soon.

Preventing streaming access to video is terribly difficult. The MAG providers have a lot of money invested in hardware to enable streaming. They locate this in multiple countries, many outside EU and normal control of the legal authorities.

So, until things get sorted, I'm afraid I, like most in cyprus, will be illegal and will feel some guilt, but when legal avenues become available, will easily change.

[vic 1]

well said that man
also looks like we have a lot of people who never ever had any thing of the back of a lorry
this I find hard to believe suppose none of you ever bought off ebay
Vic

[JimX]

You can see the detection vans on every street if these TV companies were so incensed to get all streaming stopped then why do they not offer a similar service? cannot be difficult it seems as anyone with a little cash can give us all the TV available, illegal Eh! well yes but I used to use a paid for Sky subscription as did most ex-pats around Europe and beyond, for twenty years we paid their exorbitant fees, I have been reading on forums all of that time that it was illegal to watch Sky etc, oddly now we have a far better cheaper service they are worried that they are losing out, tough, they have missed the streaming boat and honestly I do not worry as long as streaming keeps going, we have no other alternative living here on Cyprus, unless you know something different.

Stop worrying about something you have no control over, is my advice. I feel NO guilt at all, I gave that up many years ago.

OK, snooker time, streaming on again.

[Dominic]

Of course, when somebody buys something off the back of the lorry, they don't tend to broadcast the fact on a public forum.

[Dominic]

Preventing streaming access to video is terribly difficult. The MAG providers have a lot of money invested in hardware to enable streaming. They locate this in multiple countries, many outside EU and normal control of the legal authorities.

Network traffic is network traffic. They will be able to block it if they have to. There will always be ways around it. It is a perpetual cat and mouse game. But the location of the source is irrelevant. They wouldn't block the source from sending, they would block the destination from receiving.

[Royal]

Before moving to Cyprus, we had subscription based TV access with both Sky and Virgin Media.

At no time did I give any thought to whether these companies were legally entitled to show their respective content by paying the respective TV channels their relevant fees for rebroadcasting or indeed whether any copyright laws were being broken. I was not breaking the law by watching Sky or Virgin - even though they (potentially, as far as I was aware) could have been breaking the law by broadcasting them. I never bothered to check their licence to rebroadcast as I assumed they were legal.

Here in Cyprus, I pay NTV for providing me the same service as I had with Sky and Virgin Media. I haven't seen NTV's agreement with the channels they broadcast but assume (as I did with Sky and Virgin Media) that all is above board. I also pay OnTapp TV an annual fee to provide me with an Electronic Programme Guide (EPG). I haven't checked to see whether they pay the TV channels for reproducing their guides, but I do not consider that I am breaking the law - although NTV and OnTapp TV may be for all I know. I never bothered to check their licences as I assume they are legal.

How many of us watch YouTube content? For those who do - do you ever consider whether copyright laws are being broken? Unless downloading the content, watching streamed videos on YouTube is not illegal - it is YouTube which takes the risk of breaking copyright laws by streaming in the first place. What about those who reproduce cut & pastes from newspaper articles in Forums - do you ever consider whether you are breaking the copyright laws as you have not sought permission from those papers?

The world has changed beyond all recognition in the last 30 years - especially in information management and media streaming.

The law has not yet caught up with these changes, and it's no good using obsolete laws written for 'hard copy' things like books, magazines, newspapers, CDs, DVDs and the like for modern technology.

[OldTimer]

For years Sky has been ripping off their customers with ever increasing charges . more and more adverts and poor quality programmes , now that the viewer is fighting back by using Koodi and Mag boxes Sky are saying it is unfair ????
I feel sure all this publicity is being enjoyed by those suppliying Kodi and Mag programming , people who had never heard of them are now moving over and paying a reasonable amount .
If Sky really want to fight back , cut their prices to a reasonable amount , cut out most of the adverts and put on some decent programmes and the cusomers will come back

[JimX]

Whilst I agree with another old timer, unfortunately, Sky via satellite is not available on Cyprus or indeed most southern countries in Europe, so what choice do we all have? local TV , Oh no!

Hudswell we already have the service we want!! FACT!

[Emilly1]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/ ... legal.html

An interesting article, not quite sure of the full implications or the "add ons" that will be effected, but certainly "subscription" based providers such as Sky will be extremely happy with this ruling.

Thanks Hudswell for sharing this article here. The good thing about Kodi is that the software is open source. This means anyone can create an add-on repository for it. This way if old add-ons go offline, new ones can be developed and hosted from countries outside the US, UK, Canada and others with copyright laws. Add-ons can be banned in these countries but not worldwide. If I'm wrong, do enlighten me if the case is otherwise.

[JimX]

Granville, no it is not cheap but like any streaming TV it is so called illegal, just as is any system you use including Kodi and the like, do not understand your stance on this, I take it you do not use any illegal systems here on Cyprus? you do not use English speaking TV? or like the rest of us illegal streaming type. I do not go looking for free UK TV although I do know where they are.

I have tried on my PC for Kodi and other Android systems via other streaming units, but by far Mags rule here, hopefully for years to come.

We are happy to actually pay for this service.

[Polemi Dave]

Interesting article, it states quite clearly that Amazon is not selling pre-loaded boxes. So as I wanted a clean box to install Kodi Krypton on, I very recently ordered a clean box from Amazon. Guess what it came fully loaded with all sorts of stuff I did not want, an older version of Kodi and repos for almost every pirate stream known.

So words only from Amazon....................

Not every one can get their head round Kodi or want the bother of tinkering with upgrades and improvements, for me it is fun. As the post above says there are other simpler to use subscription boxes, but they don't have vast capacity of free to use Kodi.

IPTV and films are the only way forward, we may have to pay something towards these services in the future, but not today.