Streaming only sites
 

I saw this thread started on another forum and figured I'd ask it here. A guy I know just recently signed up for a site and it only allows streaming only video, no downloads at all. When he emailed the webmaster about it, this is the response he got
"Thank you for your email. We are aware that we are losing sales by not having a download option. We know that our product is not being blasted all over the tube sites on the internet for free either. You are correct that there is still the ability to steal our content….but the fact is that its too much work for too little reward. It will not be long before every site has moved to protect their content as we have done. Every site will be flash only, and the content will not be downloadable. Since you are familiar with many other sites it may seem like it is too big of a task, but its going to happen. We talk to everyone in our industry, and everyone is making this move."

I'm wondering what Rob's and everyone elses opinion is on this statement. Would you sign up for a site that offered streaming only video? I don't think I ever would, as it's pretty impossible to stream HD video without having a blazing fast connection. So then, would the quality of videos take a step back? Not to mention, anyone with a little tech savy can download just about any streaming video. So streaming only won't stop videos from finding their ways onto free sites.

Anyway, I thought it was a interesting question.

Don't talk to me about streaming videos!:mad:. I had a similar situation. I joined a mixed girl solo site that had streaming videos only with no download option. The reason why i was mad, was that there was no indication that the videos were not not downloadable anywhere on the homepage or when signing up. I found out when i joined and went to the video page only to find i couldn't download them. So i too emailed the webmaster asking why it wasn't stated on the homepage that the videos are not downloadable and he said there was. On the last page of the free tour in very small print at the bottom of the page and you'd need a bloody magnifying glass to read it. I emailed him again asking why it wasn't made more obvious, like in bigger print on the homepage. I didn't get answer and i wasn't surprised. So lesson learnt always check the site out properly. So my answer Jeffrey99, no i bloody wouldn't. If the site had stated the videos are not downloadable then i guess not many people would join. I sometimes have trouble watching streaming videos anyway. Because they don't always load or they freeze.

How the hell do you do that! Enigma?. I've never heard of copying a whole website! and is it legal?.

Thanks Enigma, i was just curious.;)

I use a freeware download manager, which IS legal. I also can copy a whole web page and download everything...if I wanted to. I don't do that too often but it's nice to know than I can...if need be.

Most of the software that I use is freeware so I don't have to pay for any of it, and it's all legal.

I was a Playboy Cyber Club member for a time and they didn't have a download option for the videos either. What I would do is open and watch the video, then close the media player and open up my temporary internet files folder (in I.E., its: Tools, Internet Options, Settings, View Files) find the .wmv file, and copy and paste it to a folder in My Documents.
This doesn't work with all sites, of course. I did the same with the photo sets they wouldn't let you right click and save. I now use FlashGet (a free download manager) to save them.

I figured everyone here probably had the same feeling I did, that a streaming only site wouldn't survive nor is that the future of adult sites. Not to mention that there are always ways to download the streams. Just most sites I've ever been a member of, have had pretty crappy quality streams compared to say FTV's downloadable videos. So I wouldn't really want to keep them anyway.

I tried using a download manager when I was still an FTV member and wound up confusing myself (I'm not always the most tech savvy guy out there, tho' I can program a VCR). But since I'm almost to the point where I can start thinking about joining again, if you could let me know which you use WhyYou it would be most appreciated.

And as for the topic of the thread, no way in H-E-Double Hockey Sticks would I joins a streaming only site, period. And before I joined FTV last fall, I did a lot of research into the various sites and found Rob's work to be way above par. That's why I'm planning on joining again when I can afford to (as well as joining this other site called Danielle FTV--sounds like a nice site with a great webmistress ;))

I do lose a lot of my content because its downloadable, but 'right click and save' is member-friendly and what I would want if I joined a site. So I keep it simple, and downloadable. Sure, I pay a price in stolen content, but there are enough paying members to make it worth it.

Some of that stolen content leads viewers back to FTVGirls.

Did I mention one of Violet's clips on YouPorn (with the hose beside your car) brought me back?

What i've always wanted to know. Is why some sites have download limits and some don't. I mean i've been a member of other sites where the download limit is only about 600 to 800 mb per day and yet other sites like FTV seem not to have any download limits. Can anyone tell me why some sites set a download limit?. Does it cost any more for no limit downloads?. I'd really like to know the answer to this one.:)

Some sites offer testing them for a couple of days, then switching to a monthly fee or something like that.
If these sites had no download limit, somebody with a big broadband connection could use the test time, suck off anything he can with download managers or site mirroring software, and sign off again. This way you could get high amounts of content while paying next to nothing.
Meanwhile the normal users might experience reduced download rates as a side effect.

With FTVGirls it'd be a bit complicated: How many MB / GB per day should be considered normal behaviour, given that the video files get bigger and bigger? What is the reaction of members who see "Download limit reached"? I think Rob sees a burst in downloads when a new update is set up. How should that be handled?

The members' satisfaction and return-rate has to be higher without a download limit in Rob's case. This probably outweights the loss seen when members grab off the content and don't return.

There are bandwidth costs whenever a site has multiple users connecting at the same time and the bandwidth charge is for people viewing the web site as well as downloading or uploading content. Some web sites may have a limited amount of bandwidth allowed per day so they have to limit the number of connections per customer so that they don't exceed their allowed bandwidth and incur additional charges to the web site account.

Thank you Anoree, WhyYou. I had a feeling it was down to cost, appreciate the answers guys.:)