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North Korea Unveils Netflix-Like Streaming Service Called 'Manbang' (bbc.com)
North Korea has unveiled a set-top box that offers video-on demand services similar to Netflix. The service is called Manbang, which translates to "everywhere" in Korean, and allows consumers to stream documentaries about Kim Jong Un and other "educational" programs, as well as five live TV channels. "If a viewer wants to watch, for instance, an animal movie and sends a request to the equipment, it will show the relevant video to the viewer [...] this is two-way communications," according to NK News. It reportedly works by plugging the set-top box into an internet modem, then connecting an HDMI cable from the cable box to the TV. A very small number of North Koreans will actually be able to use the device as "only a few thousand [...] have access to the state-sanctioned internet, in a nation of 25 million people," reports New York Daily News.
Enough said.
So in a manbanging film would kim jung un be a bear, or a fat twink or what?
I'll bet it's two-way, alright!
NAMBLA. wants to be on Manbang.
"Everywhere" in Korean is not "manbang". Where do these journalists come up with this crap?
So does it have gay porn on it too?
manbang and chill
Isn't 'Manbang and Chill' a capitol offence in the DPRK?
It's not ambiguous at least.
With Manbang, one can watch as North Korean Taepodongs deploy their payloads prematurely shortly after takeoff.
Shouldn't this unsettle us if one of the most "progressed" 1984 states in the world copies the concept of life streaming to use it against its own people?
I refuse to support the N. Korean regime at any level. Any growth in their GDP will be redirected to their military. Purchasing the Manbang it tantamount to putting a down payment on a noose; one thread at a time.
Life is not for the lazy.
(Group)
Manbang bang bang Manbang bang bang bang bang
I'm gunna Manbang, bang you into my life.
boy, you like to Manbang and it's alright.
'cause' I'm the king of Manbang, yea, that's right .
I'll just Manbang, bang you every night.
(Cartman)
And, boy you know that you're the only boy for me,boy.
boy, you're the boy of my fantasies, you're my boy,
(Screams: Cartman I love you!!!)
You're my boy, my boy.
Manbang, bang, bang, bang, bang...
(Group)
Manbang bang bang bang bang
I'm gunna Manbang, bang you into my life.
boy, you like to Manbang and it's alright.
'cause' I'm the king of Manbang, yea, that's right .
They don't have to pick a name for the product that is safe in more than one language.
*wink*
I refuse to support the N. Korean regime at any level. Any growth in their GDP will be redirected to their military. Purchasing the Manbang it tantamount to putting a down payment on a noose; one thread at a time.
I have some bad news for you.
I don't think this box can pick up OTA analog tv.
is apparently gloriously gay.
And I fully support his choice.
'Can I invite you over for Manbang and Chill' You decide which of the two is the sexual portion.
William Hung is the new national star.
Browsing at +1 - no ACs, I ignore their posts. So refreshing!
It is interesting to see how North Korea, with its attempts at complete isolationism, try to keep up with the rest of the world, with little to no exchange with anyone else except some dealings with China. It is also interesting how they try to keep reigns on everything as well.
Makes me wonder what the future is of the DPRK. Are they just going to be a constant nuisance, or eventually will they open their doors (ala 19'th Century Japan) and actually become a functioning country, trade-wise?
"fat twink" is an oxymoron. If you're fat you can't be a twink.
YOu at beiung shutting up now! FAERLESS LEADUR CAN DOANYTHING! He want be fat twink, he be bestest fat twink workd HAS ever seen! You Donalds Trump is not half fat twink Faerless leadur can ever be! KiM will wrestle him to mud, like fat greasy fat twink he is!
you american no tell us what faerlus leedur can do, that why world so hate on you. We all be fat twinks just to show you what powerful NK peoples can do. We show you, but good! Fat twinkes we all be! Fuck on you!
HA! I just wasted some of your bandwidth with a frivolous sig!
The box works best when positioned in the main living space of the house, and such that nothing obstructs it's 'view' of the room. Also users are advised to leave the box connected at all times, even when not viewing a programme.
You have intrigued me, but I feel this a joke that will make me regret searching "manbang" while at work...
What'll North Korea think of next?
CAPTCHA: occupier. Well THAT'S worrying.
Upon hearing, Kim Un Beatty was heard to squeeeal like a pig.
Bang is the korean word for room.
I don't know about NK, but in SK a "bang" often refers to a private room at a restaurant. Frequently these are "party" rooms where there is food, often karaoke and sometimes 'hostesses.' Because the culture in SK is for unmarried children to live with their families, a bang is often the only place where couples can have privacy. So bangs are a central fixture in SK culture.
My knowledge of SK culture is almost completely from watching SK movies. (They have a top notch movie industry.) So there is probably a lot more to bangs than I know.
FWIW, english speaking koreans are quite aware of the double-meaning of bang. There is even a (partially) fictionalized movie about the assassination of the last really autocratic SK president called, The President's Last Bang. In which case its a triple-meaning - the room, the sex with his mistress and the gunshot that killed him.
Milo Yiannopoulos should sue Kim Jong Un for infringing the trademark of his own streaming service, also called "ManBang".
Note that NK IPv4 address space is made of one /22 and two /24, i.e. ~1500 addresses... (See NK observer)
Slashdot, fix the reply notifications... You won't get away with it...
It sounds like they stole the design (and content) from Apple for a TV streaming service.
Comment removed based on user account deletion
... Will he "bang"? We shall see...
Two way communication sounds just like another take on the Big Brother. Do they even need that? Maybe the people are slowly getting conscious that there is a better world outside true Korea? I hope someone hacks this system as soon as it goes live.
Manbang the manatee's mangina, and manually manipulate his mantitties.
Manbang: it doesn't mean everywhere, everywhere.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?...
There brother thats what I want!
... the No Dong.
The Korean "man", which incidentally is actually pronounced with a long "a" to rhyme with the English word "on", is the same as 1,000 but can be translated as "infinite" in many situations. For example, a fountain pen is translated into Korean as a "1,000 year pen" or "man-youn-pil" (see here).
The "bang", which is also pronounced with a long "a" to rhyme with the English word "on", means a "place" or a "room", as others here have noticed.
Thus this word (as with many Korean words) is a portmanteau, in this case loosely meaning "infinite places", which makes the translation to the English word "everywhere" fairly reasonable.
All that said, like most of the posters here, I think this choice of branding is truly hilarious.
I knew the comments would be the gold on this one!
I wonder if this is related with the recent rise in defections of the North Korean elite.
Let's face it, the few thousand of people who actually have internet connectivity and could thus benefit from Manbang are probably in the upper echelons of that society and, consequently, are the ones most likely to be tempted to defect (better educated and a greater knowledge of the actual state of the NK regime as it relates to the rest of the world) or whose defection could bring the most damage and humiliation to the regime. Maybe the whole point of Manbang is to give them something to do instead of spending too much time reflecting on the sociological, political and economical woes of the country. Kinda like how mainstream television is used and consumed in the Western world.
Just a thought.
We are completely being pranked. You win this round, Kim Jong Un...
Who did what now?
That sounds great. Will it help me do my exercise routine in the morning?
--
Stay tuned for some shock and awe coming right up after this messages!
I don't think they'll last very long.
... just stopped by for the comments
"Man Bang and the Pearly Necklace" starring Kim Jong Un!
Sounds like we need a new "The Interview" movie sequel... http://www.imdb.com/title/tt27...
This is an excellent explanation, but I have a very minor correction. Man means 10,000 and not 1,000.
You don't want to like worry about you know North Korea maybe?
oh by the way, in North Korean news they use some netflix shit called manbang.
I always thought Kim Jong Un looked like a fruit.
Now he can manbang everywhere with his top sexbot.
Given some of the insanity we've seen out of official North Korean media, a sophisticated satire could easily pass for an official press release. The better the hoax video is crafted, the longer it will take the authorities to figure out that it isn't an official release by some other department in the government and take it down.
I figure, as long as the culture in North Korea seems bent on slow self destruction, we might as well see if we can give it a bit of help. The sooner the North Korean regime collapses, the better it will be for the North and South Korean people.
One question remains though: It's well known that North Korea maintains its own national Intranet and only approved people are allowed to use it. Does anyone know just how well connected that Intranet is to the world at large?
I need a wheelchair van for my son. Help me get the word out. https://www.gofundme.com/wheelchair-van-for-jj
The man bangs YOU!