Re: Virgin media possibly getting serious on dodgy boxes?
 

By offering 50mb broadband, virgin are giving an almost broadcast quality option to stream all of the tv off foreign websites so it will be a simple case of swapping the box for a media PC

Re: Virgin media possibly getting serious on dodgy boxes?
 

Except for you're not going to find any foreign websites offering anywhere near broadcast quality streams.

It's hard enough to find a decent quality stream of the football that doesn't get pulled after 20mins, (not that I'd ever do anything like that *cough*) you're definitely not going to be able to replace your daily viewing with online streams.

Re: Virgin media possibly getting serious on dodgy boxes?
 

It does make me laugh how a lot of people rubbing their hands happily on the news that all these 'freeloaders' will have to pay for TV think nothing of downloading movies off the net. They argue that the 'freeloaders' are making subscriptions more expensive and yet their movie downloads means higher cinema costs. Most people I know nowadays think its stupid and a waste of money to pay to go to the cinema, yet these are the same people having a go at those with chipped boxes or happy that their chipped boxes will no longer work.

I do feel that we go a bit OTT on people using dodgy boxes, yet those that download movies,games, books & music dont get as much flak.

At the end of the day I pay @£40 for Sky because some of the channels Sky has aren't available on Virgin. If they were I'd still pay for my TV. As for whether anyone else pays or doesnt pay, it doesn't bother me - not my problem. If I made it my problem I'd have to stop watching downloaded movies, stop playing downloaded games, stop listening to downloaded music. I'd be a hypocrite.

Re: Virgin media possibly getting serious on dodgy boxes?
 

We are not discussing downloads here, we are discussing the dodgy boxes on Virgin Medias network! If we were discussing illegal downloading then I would have the same stance! I certainly do not download movies/music/games illegally! :mad: It's insulting of you to assume this! Theft is theft.

Re: Virgin media possibly getting serious on dodgy boxes?
 

Have you taken in to account that its not just the chipped boxes but its also the illegal entry into street furniture that goes on from time to time to reconnect those that have been disconnected,

Then there is the noise that some of these badly chipped boxes create on the network and the risk of damage to a trunk amp if a badly converted box is connected ?????.

Are those that think this is a small time offence happy to have there Internet affected by a chipped box that is flooding the area with noise ?????

Re: Virgin media possibly getting serious on dodgy boxes?
 

a) the boxes have not been chipped since the analogue days b) the boxes have not been chipped since the analogue days c)the boxes have not been chipped since the analogue days

Dude you know how they are modified how do they create noise?

Re: Virgin media possibly getting serious on dodgy boxes?
 

PM on its way

Re: Virgin media possibly getting serious on dodgy boxes?
 

How legal is that as a viewer?

Re: Virgin media possibly getting serious on dodgy boxes?
 

Your right they don't chip them but they do modify them in certain ways which i will not reveal here and that modification can be the reason for the noise.

Re: Virgin media possibly getting serious on dodgy boxes?
 

It depends, if you're watching things that are screened on UK tv, then the same as if you connected a dodgy box. If you're watching something that isn't, I'd argue not very, as the only areas of law that I can think of that deal with it would be obtaining a broadcast to avoid payment, which if you're watching stuff that's not shown on British TV (such as saturday 3pm kick offs) then you can't be avoiding payment as there's no way to pay for them.

Copyright law which is what this deals with in the uk is 90% about the people who make things available, and not those that use for private use unless they're causing someone to lose money.

Re: Virgin media possibly getting serious on dodgy boxes?
 

Thanks for the further information you have given me this evening dude :)

Re: Virgin media possibly getting serious on dodgy boxes?
 

SLM makes a series of valid points.

Re: Virgin media possibly getting serious on dodgy boxes?
 

It would appear the law has more of a distinction between the two issues than SLM does - stealing cable is a criminal offence, copyright infringement is not.

I should mention I despise cable theft, visit the cinema at least once a month, last month was the 3D version of Up, and in addition purchase more legitimate content now than I ever have at any point in my life, Amazon delivered the full 'V' collection to me this morning.

Apparently paradoxically they yesterday delivered me 100 DVD-Rs and I think it doesn't take a rocket scientist to work out that my plans for those aren't entirely legitimate.

The point is you can't tar everyone with the same brush, while some may think going to the cinema is stupid it's an experience you just can't totally replicate at home regardless of how good your home cinema is and I don't even have home cinema, and as far as content goes nothing beats a quality original. A burned copy is temporary, an original if the content merits it is for life. :)

TV wise I have Sky+ HD and multiroom, full channel pack + sport + movies. It would appear my evil downloading habits have purely positive effects on my expenditure for content given that the last 3 PC games we've purchased this year were all downloaded first then purchased.

Perhaps I'm atypical but I'd like to think I'm not. Either way I'll stick to my view that theft of cable service is a crime, potentially degrades other people's service, and usually has a demonstrable cost to the company which the content is being stolen from unlike the movie and film industries whose claims of lost revenue due to piracy are precarious to say the least... but I'm getting off topic a touch :)

Re: Virgin media possibly getting serious on dodgy boxes?
 

Calm down, I am not insulting you as I didn't say that all people show a hypocritical attitute. I am saying some people do. I suggest you re-read my post. If you have never downloaded content illegally or watched illegally copied content then you have every right to slag of dodgy box users. I am also not condoning the use of dodgy boxes, and I did not say its ok to steal cable.

I was under the impression that the copying of films, say using recording equipment in a cinema, is illegal. The distribution of illegal DVDs, if what we are led to believe is true is an organised crime that we are told also contributes to terrorism amongst other things.

Whether people go to the cinema, because they get a higher experience than watcing the film on a download at home is irrelevant if you are still downloading or watching downloaded content. They might not be commiting a criminal offence, but they are contributing to one.

Yes using dodgy boxes is illegal, and I am not defending their use. My post was about differing attitudes. I do think that before tarnishing all users of dodgy boxes as evil ****, we should look a bit closer to home.

Re: Virgin media possibly getting serious on dodgy boxes?
 

Ding ding - we have a winner!!!