I’m a tech geek so I know exactly how to torrent files. I even know how the whole torrent system works and why. Currently, I choose not to torrent anything, not even files and programs I could legally download.
But I’m aggravated. There are shows out there that I want to watch but I can’t. I work nights and watch most of my TV online through sites like Hulu and NetFlix. But there are some shows (“How I Met Your Mother” and “Big Bang Theory”) that I’m all caught up on through last season, but not any recent episodes that I really want to watch.
Sure, the most recent episode may be online, but that doesn’t help me since I’m 15 episodes out of date. Additionally, there are plenty of older shows that I’d like to watch that I never got around to. I might be able to get some of those through the mail with my NetFlix account, but I’d really rather just pull it up online and watch one episode here, another there, and not feel committed to sticking through a four hour session to take them all in.
So here’s my problem. I could easily torrent all of these shows and have them available (illegally) for free. Sure, I’d have to get a few external drives to hold all the data, but that’s cheaper than buying entire seasons of shows I’ll probably only watch once.
I’d really like them all to be online for free through Hulu or on the ABC’s, CBS’s, NBC’s, TNT’s, or wherever’s website for me to enjoy. I don’t even mind sitting through a few commercial breaks if that’s what is required to get them into my hands easily.
If that doesn’t work for the producers, let them be available through NetFlix. Sure you’ll be reducing your potential audience by a bit, but many of us are happy to pay our $20 a month (or whatever) to get what we want in our “Instant Queues” and those producers, writers, actors, all get a little cut for whatever I watch.
Like I said before, I don’t torrent. I think it’s cheating, and I really don’t want to go buy a bunch of storage space for stuff I really don’t need. I don’t want to torrent because I understand the money it takes to produce really good films and shows. I’m willing to put in my time to watch commercials, or pay a couple bucks to see shows without them.
I don’t want to torrent, but I will if these shows aren’t made available online faster. I’m not going to pay $2.99 per episode from iTunes when I’m already shelling out other good money to NetFlix.
So to all those writers, directors, actors, etc. let me just say I’m sorry. I know how hard you work, and I really want to support you in what you do. But there’s something broken in the current system, and while I’m sure you understand where the problems are, the guys in the corner offices still don’t get it.
The only big wig I know who “gets” it, is fictional, but I think he sums it all up better that I can. Just watch this, and switch “holobands” for “the old television model”:
Note: I do not torrent now, nor is it likely that I ever will make use of torrent for copyrighted materials. I am not agreeing with those that choose to torrent these files, but I do appreciate one reason why.
Personally, I choose to support the makers of the films, shows, and other media and I would hope that everyone else would as well. Not all those who work on these arts are multi-millionaires and most have jobs paying little more than I personally make.
I choose to support these hard workers however I can. I am simply asking for more opportunities to lend that support.
