Free tv

[NeverHome2]

We went to the Hershey show this past weekend and stopped at a vendor claiming to be able to provide free tv (no cable, no satellite). Of course it was streaming via the internet. They had a box similar to Roku. The vendor was called HEVC Box. One of the big differences was that all the sports channels were absolutely free. Even though the name was HEVC the quality did not seem to be even as good as HD.

We were wondering if anyone has heard of this company and is this legal???

[OutdoorPhotogra]

az99 wrote:
Using a different source I meant like when I am away from home. So I am at our vacation home or in our RV. At home are 2 Hoppers I am paying for and legally subscribed to far too much programming.
I sure don't feel bad watching HGTV or a home local football game via IPTV when I am already paying for it and no one is there to watch it. Technically illegal or not.
I wasn't referring to a PPV boxing match. I have to assume that anyone watching that has to know it is illegally gotten programming.:)
I also found out that a lot of what is on IPTV is YouTube videos. Concerts, comedians etc. Just easier to find.

DISH owns Sling. I bought a Sling adapter for my Hopper for $25 and got full sling capabilities. The catch is you need around 10MPS up to make it work. I can't have Dish at my current home and I miss both the Hopper and Sling. Of course Dish irritates so many channels that Sling is the only way to get some channels. Now that I'm on FIOS, the Roku in my bedroom has much more content available through authorizing apps via FIOS. I use that Roku in lieu of paying for another cable box.

[8_1_Van]

1492 wrote:
BTW, HEVC is also the name for the next generation H.265 Codec, also known as "High Efficiency Video Coding". A patented technology. And I would think a trademarked name? :R

I notice that HEVC Box website didn't indicate a company address? At least I didn't see one?

My Samsung NX1 shoots H.265 4K video that is much more efficient than H.264 4K video in my Panasonic GH4 but must be converted to H.264 before uploading to youtube or vimeo. The NX1 also has support for the new ultra high speed UHS-II SDXC cards that are 3x faster than UHS-I cards. I use 64-bit Pot Player on my PC with Windows 10 to play H.265 4K video off the SDXC card from the NX1.

[austinjenna]

You can buy them on amazon for a hundred bucks Linky Thats all those guys were doing is reselling them

[1492]

BTW, HEVC is also the name for the next generation H.265 Codec, also known as "High Efficiency Video Coding". A patented technology. And I would think a trademarked name? :R

I notice that HEVC Box website didn't indicate a company address? At least I didn't see one?

[1492]

NeverHome2 wrote:
We went to the Hershey show this past weekend and stopped at a vendor claiming to be able to provide free tv (no cable, no satellite). Of course it was streaming via the internet. They had a box similar to Roku. The vendor was called HEVC Box. One of the big differences was that all the sports channels were absolutely free. Even though the name was HEVC the quality did not seem to be even as good as HD.

We were wondering if anyone has heard of this company and is this legal???

Yes, I saw them located next to the Camping World booth at Hershey. Was surprised no one put up a banner "There's a sucker born every minute", not quoting PT Barnum.

As far as I can tell, just fancy marketing to convince RVer's that their Android box is somehow different from a generic version you can get on Ebay for $50.? Compare the specs for yourself?

Their booth display was cleverly designed to suggest that their price included free access to popular channels? But don't see any such mention on their website?

[Jagtech]

bwanshoom wrote:
Outside of OTA there's no such thing as "free tv".

Well, actually there is... I've been using Free-to-Air satellite now for several years. It is, indeed, free, and legal. With a dish motor positioning system, I can select any one of several dozen satellites, and receive literally hundreds of channels. (some are even in English!) 😉

[NeverHome2]

az99 wrote:
I sure don't feel bad watching HGTV or a home local football game via IPTV when I am already paying for it and no one is there to watch it. Technically illegal or not.

Don't you still have to have a paid subscription of some type to use IPTV? If so, then it is not free and the streaming has been approved by the owner of the shows that are streamed. It is streaming the programs using your equipment (internet and an app?) rather than the cable/satellite company's equipment (Hopper?). Your source is still the same just the equipment used is different. Absolutely legal.

The one we saw did not require any type of subscription. A one time payment and you can get ALL tv absolutely FREE. Although it would be nice if it was true and legal. We would sign up in a heartbeat. But there were just too many red flags.

[FlatBroke]

Fire Stick TV, $30. iPad remote app with voice search, $0. Already was a Prime member and use the heck out of it, $79. Having a blast!

[My_Roadtrek]

The new 4K Fire TV coming out on Oct. 5 is the best streaming box, except for the Shield, which is geared more for gaming, but at $300 compared to $99 for FTV only worth it if you're a gamer.
Easy to side load Kodi onto the FTV. There is also an app so AirPlay can be used.
Compare all the streaming boxes here.
http://shield.nvidia.com/android-tv/shield-androidtv-vs-appletv-vs-roku-vs-firetv
I have a new FTV preordered. Also, all the voice FTV remotes will get the Alexis upgrade.

[jackquontee]

Several years ago I purchased Slingbox and downloaded the Slingplayer apps to my cell phone and Ipad (and have continued to do so at no extra cost, with each successive replacement of both) and use it when I go to Walmart to get my tires rotated, the dealership to get my truck serviced, the restaurant to enjoy a good meal, international travel, etc., etc., and watch tv just as I would if I were sitting at home in front of my tv.

If I had to take a guess it would be that its service has since averaged to a few dollars a month and will continue to decrease with each passing month.

[az99]

Using a different source I meant like when I am away from home. So I am at our vacation home or in our RV. At home are 2 Hoppers I am paying for and legally subscribed to far too much programming.
I sure don't feel bad watching HGTV or a home local football game via IPTV when I am already paying for it and no one is there to watch it. Technically illegal or not.
I wasn't referring to a PPV boxing match. I have to assume that anyone watching that has to know it is illegally gotten programming.:)
I also found out that a lot of what is on IPTV is YouTube videos. Concerts, comedians etc. Just easier to find.

[richk88]

hawkeye-08 wrote:

qtla9111 wrote:
If you're talking about live-stream, there is free television. I have been watching television via UsTvnow.com I get five channels; ABC, CBS, NBD, PBS, and CW. You can upgrade but they have never asked me to or forced me to sign up for more. We haven't had cable at home for a couple of years as we watch local Mexican and national news.

Only for US citizens outside US. I just signed up and it does not let me watch TV because it detected I am in US

works fine for me here in PA.

[SCVJeff]

"Using a different source" is the problem. This isn't watching Directv through a Slingbox that you are personally subscribing to. In the AEREO case, Barry Diller put together OTA head-ends and server farms then sold subscriptions to them in various markets he had set up shop. This is technically an MVPD (just call it a cable company) that in current day business must pay retransmission fees to each and every program provider they carry. Like it or not, that's the way it is, and AEREO decided they didn't need to do that for all the reasons in the legal docs sitting with the Supreme Court. They lost..

So, yes, it IS illegal..

[NeverHome2]

az99 wrote:
But if you are already paying for it thru your satellite or cable provider and watch it with a different source while you are away, is that illegal or morally wrong?

I am not sure why you would use a different source if you are already paying for satellite or cable.

It seems that the courts see using a different source as illegal if it is in violation of copyright laws. Here is some interesting reading on the AEREO decision and the laws: CLICKY

We have a Roku and to watch some of the shows, we are required to have a valid cable subscription because of the copyright laws. The Roku is a different source than the cable we have at home but because the transmission is via the copyright owners app, it is legal.

Bumpy: Because HBO owns the copyright, they are allowed to transmit their programming via any medium they like but someone else can not transmit their programs free and without permission.

I agree with SCVJeff...the "free tv" scams are flying under the radar. There are lots of others out there that are advertising free tv (other than the OTA). I found several with a simple google search.

But I also think this is the beginning of the end for cable and satellite! Hope they realize it! It will be interesting to see what campgrounds do with the upcoming demand for bandwidth too!