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Battlestar Galactica Available for Download
blankgm writes "The SciFi channel has made Episode '33' (Season 1 Episode 1) of Battlestar Galactica available for free, uncut and commercial free, online at SciFi.com. Also available are deleted scenes from the series.
Is this a ploy by the SciFi channel to grow a viewer base as well as loyalty, or an extremely bold move since the series isn't even out on DVD yet? Hopefully it's both. In either case, I believe this is unprecedented, especially since season 1 hasn't even concluded here in the states.
Bravo SciFi. Keep 'em coming!"
No, wait. Streaming only?
This sucks.
Will code a sig generator for food
Seriously. BG doesn't air where i live, and i keep hearing about how good the show is - so the idea of watching it for free and legally appealed to me a lot. I hate RealMedia with passion though.
This is still a remarkable thing - i just hoped it was something i could watch outside a tiny window.
Come up with a bittorrent-based streaming client, and just put them ALL up, with commercials. It's probably the only way you'll get people to actually watch the commercials anyway, in this PVR-laden age. Especially sci-fi fans.
"You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
Do they officially offer the miniseries for download anywhere?
Yes. Blockbuster. It's been out on DVD for two months now. Hoist yourself off your lazy ass, fork out your three dollars and rent the damn thing.
I will happily PayPal $1 per episode to download HDTV LOL XVID of Battlestar, Stargate SG-1/Atlantis. Which is far more than DirectTV is giving them on my behalf right now.
Please note that's download, not stream you ignorant broadcasters! And content in a real format, not Real format. Real is a bigger sell out than even Microsoft when it comes to hurting the consumer in order to brown nose the MPAA/RIAA.
And why PayPal? Because I wouldn't trust any broadcaster with my credit card. They're technical idiots and would be handing all my info out to any 13 year old script kiddie.
As it stands, this is just one more sad pitiful example of how broadcasters really really really just don't get it!
If they keep blowing it like this, when the revolution comes, Sci Fi is going to be standing there with their back against the wall along with NBC et al. I really don't think the current broadcasters know how to adapt, even to save their corporate existence.
Low quality, streamable only real media? This isn't 1997 you know...
I believe the people want something of comparable quality to what's available in torrent sites. Non-proprietary 2-pass high quality mpg4 files.
If it's worth doing, it's worth doing well.
Well, provided that you are correct, then I'm going to have to say that I don't give a rat's ass.
My recording/watching/sharing of media that has already been shown publicly is NOT the same thing as "dipping babies in vats of liquid mercury", as is abundantly clear. These shows are offered to anyone with the hardware to view them. If my recording of a television show is "fair use", then watching a downloaded copy and recording the original myself and then watching it are the same thing with the exception of who did the recording. And regardless of what the law specifically says, I say it's entirely fair and will act accordingly.
And before you go talking about avoiding commercials, let me ask you: if the downloaded copies of these retained the original commercials, would it matter to you (or the law)? No? Then it's a bogus issue.
I'm not going into a movie theatre and taping a movie, I'm watching shows recorded from what are essentially freely available transmissions. And copyright lawyers aside, I'll keep doing so, with a clean conscience.
No gods, no demons, and no masters. Secular Humanism!