HTPC and Other Device with Kodi RANT!

[GFOviedo]

So, I would like to start up with saying that every move I've got in my server I own it (I used to have all of them until my wife decided to start selling them to save space lol). Piracy is something I am against. I am also against people who take advantage of others because of their lack of knowledge.

Several of my co-workers got these Android boxes with Kodi. They were all happy and excited because it offered a lot of content they can watch for free. Some of them even cancelled their cable subscriptions. So, they continued talking about all of the different applications and which applications had different movies, TV Shows and Music. I was keeping myself out of this until they started talking about watching movies that are still in theaters.

So, I got into it, and I tried to explain to them that they were stealing from the movie industry / employers / employees and this was the reason why there are so many restrictions. I tried to explain it to them in a simple business scenario. If you had a restaurant, and 50% of your customers show up, eat and leave without paying would you be able to keep your business running? Better yet, would you be able to keep paying your employees? They all laughed and said, "This is different." So this quickly became a moot conversation!

So, I finally asked, how much did you pay for these Android boxes with Kodi. Their "leader" said, "We've got a package deal. We paid $250 each, and they are usually $350." Needless to say, I explained to them that Kodi is a trademark, and Kodi does not endorse any of the applications they are using. Furthermore, they could get in trouble for using them if they were to get caught.

I continued to explained to them that Kodi is an opened software, and IT IS FREE! None of them believed me. So, one day we all had a meeting, and I brought my NUC HTPC. In less than 20 minutes, I had Kodi installed with the same build they were using on their Android boxes. I wish I had taken a picture of their faces when they realized they were deceived to pay for something that is ILLEGAL AND FREE!

I apologize in advance if this causes any issues or if I didn't post this in the correct area, but I just wanted to rant! Thank you!

 

[phillihp23]

Just Curious, are these boxes from VidOnMe a Chinese company?

 

[GFOviedo]

Just Curious, are these boxes from PlayOnMe a Chinese company?

I'm not sure. There are so many of them going around now.

 

[phillihp23]

I'm not sure. There are so many of them going around now.

Either way they are all mostly junk and stop working properly before long.
I bought one years back to work as an interface to pick up and play movies on a server in another room. Constantly had issues with freeze frame and audio.

 

[GFOviedo]

Either way they are all mostly junk and stop working properly before long.
I bought one years back to work as an interface to pick up and play movies on a server in another room. Constantly had issues with freeze frame and audio.

Yeah, I had issue with it a few years back, but now there's no issues. Kodi has come a long way now. I still like to use Plex.

 

[Sonnie]

There are a lot of these out there under different names, and a lot of folks selling boxes for $200-250 with the software loaded. One I a familiar with because a friend tried to get me to buy one, is Freestream, which is nothing more than a small Android box/computer with software. Not all of them use Kodi, but some do. The software and the computer are not the problem... it where you logon at where the problem lies. It's no different than downloading music illegally. You are streaming movies and programs illegally. However, some are actually legit and free, but many are pirated. Some of the movies are actually people filming them in a movie theater and uploading them to a site. One fellow said he watched a movie the day after it was released in theaters. I asked him how, he said it was with Freestreaming, but then I learned it was a very unprofessional personal recording. Silly all the way around. Then there are also a lot of movies with closed captioning. After learning all about it, and turning it away, I later learned you don't even have to buy a box if you have a computer. All you need to do is download one of several different software programs that will allow you to login into various streaming sites to watch all kinds of pirated movies and shows.

 

[GFOviedo]

There are a lot of these out there under different names, and a lot of folks selling boxes for $200-250 with the software loaded. One I a familiar with because a friend tried to get me to buy one, is Freestream, which is nothing more than a small Android box/computer with software. Not all of them use Kodi, but some do. The software and the computer are not the problem... it where you logon at where the problem lies. It's no different than downloading music illegally. You are streaming movies and programs illegally. However, some are actually legit and free, but many are pirated. Some of the movies are actually people filming them in a movie theater and uploading them to a site. One fellow said he watched a movie the day after it was released in theaters. I asked him how, he said it was with Freestreaming, but then I learned it was a very unprofessional personal recording. Silly all the way around. Then there are also a lot of movies with closed captioning. After learning all about it, and turning it away, I later learned you don't even have to buy a box if you have a computer. All you need to do is download one of several different software programs that will allow you to login into various streaming sites to watch all kinds of pirated movies and shows.

Pretty much. If you don't know who to do it, you can just Google, and it shows you how to do everything. A lot of people get mad at me because I show them how simple and easy it is to install. I know they get upset because they pay $200 to $350 for these boxes that only cost $20 to $80 dollars.

 

[phillihp23]

There are a lot of these out there under different names, and a lot of folks selling boxes for $200-250 with the software loaded. One I a familiar with because a friend tried to get me to buy one, is Freestream, which is nothing more than a small Android box/computer with software. Not all of them use Kodi, but some do. The software and the computer are not the problem... it where you logon at where the problem lies. It's no different than downloading music illegally. You are streaming movies and programs illegally. However, some are actually legit and free, but many are pirated. Some of the movies are actually people filming them in a movie theater and uploading them to a site. One fellow said he watched a movie the day after it was released in theaters. I asked him how, he said it was with Freestreaming, but then I learned it was a very unprofessional personal recording. Silly all the way around. Then there are also a lot of movies with closed captioning. After learning all about it, and turning it away, I later learned you don't even have to buy a box if you have a computer. All you need to do is download one of several different software programs that will allow you to login into various streaming sites to watch all kinds of pirated movies and shows.

Well stated. I think its a little of two things, people just don't understand computers and they just want it now.