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Battlestar Galactica Available for Download

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the free-starbucks dept.

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!"

8 of 357 comments (clear)

  1. For download? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

    Looks awfully like streaming to me...

    1. Re:For download? by chronicon · · Score: 5, Informative
      If you hate RealPlayer for the ads, get the "crap-free" BBC version. This blog entry has the details.

      Or just jump over to the BBC now and get it:

      http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio/audiohelp_install.shtml

      Available for Linux, Mac, Solaris, and Windows. Enjoy ad-free RealPlayer today! ;-)

    2. Re:For download? by Minna+Kirai · · Score: 5, Informative

      Perhaps I'm confused, but it's my understanding that it's NOT specifically illegal to record, and trade, television shows, provided that no money changes hands.

      Yes, you are confused. It's not specifically illegal, but dipping babies in vats of liquid mercury isn't specifically illegal either. One is a kind of copyright infringement, and the other is a kind of murder, and those two things are illegal.

      Whether you earn money directly is irrelevant, theoretically. (Exchanging cash money isn't really a factor for many definitions of criminality- besides prostitution). Practically, the exchange of money creates further legal jeopardy, because it leaves an undeniable trail of evidence, and the appearance of greed will make a jury less sympathetic to you.

      Even recording for your own use is a copyright infringement, except that it has been found to be a permissible Fair Use. However, if you watch it more than once, that's illegal again.

      and sharing recordings (which is akin to recording a show on your VCR and letting a friend borrow/copy the tape).

      Lending a VHS tape to a friend is illegal too, although it's such a minor offense that no one would bother to press charges. Because it's a slow process of physical transmission, you are unable to commit nearly as many illegal acts as a megabit P2P operation can. Digital data transmission renders the infringement fast enough to endanger the TV-advertising revenue model.

    3. Re:For download? by luna69 · · Score: 5, Insightful

      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!
  2. direct link by castlec · · Score: 5, Informative

    the show

    --
    When I tell an object to delete this, am I killing it or telling it to kill me?
  3. Easiest and Best way by hardcoredreamer · · Score: 5, Informative

    If you're on windows, Real Alternative and MPC Media Player Classic will do the job without having to install evil realplayer.

    --
    I know a guy named Sig.
  4. When the Revolution Comes They'll be at the Wall by scotty1024 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    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.

  5. Well done, now, do it properly by __aailob1448 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    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.