Popcorn Time – Watch Free Movies & TV Shows Instantly Online

Free Streaming Services: An overview

The developments in cloud hosting and cloud storage led to a proliferation of websites which offered streaming service. Hosting large video files was a problem the industry had struggled with for a long time. With this out of the way, streaming services boomed. Many of the streaming services targeted the entertainment domain and this caused huge disruptions in the entertainment industry.
These streaming service providers allowed free access to a variety of films, television shows, sporting events, and more. The issue of copyrights came into the public domain and stronger laws were created to protect content. This gave birth to regulated streaming service providers such as Netflix. They worked on a subscription model and streamed content permitted by copyright laws.
Many of the free streaming service providers were taken out. But difficult as it is to regulate technology, many of these free streaming service providers made a comeback. They were survivors and customized technology to survive. Many of these free streaming service providers took to the app model, riding on the back of the smartphone revolution.

Popcorn Time – The survivor

Popcorn Time has been around for a few years. It was considered a rising star in the internet world because of the variety of movies and television shows it streamed free of cost to viewers. Popcorn time is a robust, multi-platform, open-source streaming service that is a popular choice with a large number of viewers worldwide. It made a name for itself as a reliable source for streaming free entertainment content.

How does it work?

Popcorn Time allows you to access movies, television shows, sports events, etc for free. The website streams torrent content and allows you to watch the latest in movies and shows. Popcorn Time is unique in that it does host any content, but streams torrent content. What this means is that the torrent files are temporarily stored in your device and are then played back by a video player.

How to access Popcorn Time & Features?

Popcorn Time is compatible with iOS, Android, Windows, Linux and is works well in a PC, Laptop, Tablet, and smartphone. Let us look at how you can access it across various platforms:

• Windows PC: You will need to download the software for windows available on their website. You don’t need a high-end configuration. The software occupies 208 MB space and downloads quickly. The interface loads easily and is easy to use. You have a filter on the interface to search movies or television shows. Any video selected can be streamed or downloaded. There is also a tab for VPN settings.
• iOS: To install Popcorn Time on iOS platform, you have to first download the installer in your PC or Laptop. Connect your smartphone to your laptop/ PC and install the app on your phone.
• Android: Android app is also available on the website for download and needs 42 MB storage.
• Features on the App: The app interface has some interesting features. There is a video quality filter for you to choose between high, medium, and low definition resolution. There are easy to use tabs for setting options, downloads, sharing, and others.
• Features on Video: The video player has some stand-apart features. You have an option of subtitles and language before streaming. This allows you to conveniently watch films in a foreign language. When you select any content, you can see review, synopsis, ratings, and trailer. The streaming is usually at a decent speed. There could be some buffering if fewer peers are available. The video on the app has all the same features and an additional option to download and adjust the video size.
• Integrated Media Player: Popcorn time software has a feature-rich integrated media player with some interesting features listed above. The videos can also be played on a VLC media player with all the usual functions of volume control, pause, etc.
• Content quality: Popcorn Time only features good quality videos and their programmers will not stream a movie till it is available in high quality.
• Viewing TV series: For long-running television or net series, you can sort videos by episode number and season. This is a good tool to have when searching for your favorite episode.

Does Popcorn Time have a good selection of Movies and Shows?

Popcorn Time has always been the market leader in terms of the volume and variety of content available on it. There are many of movies, across genres, languages, periods, and other filters. All popular Television shows and series can be viewed using Popcorn Time. Additionally, all videos available on Popcorn Time are of good quality and available in high definition. It will not be wrong to say that Popcorn Time gives you all the stuff available on Netflix at no cost to you.

Is Popcorn Time Legal?

Popcorn time uses torrent peers for streaming videos. So it is not quite illegal in countries that do not allow torrent for copyright infringement issues. However, you cannot use Popcorn Time directly in countries where torrent is not permitted.
It would be prudent to check if Popcorn Time is legal in your country. Copyright laws and regulations vary between geographies so it may be legal in one country and not in the next one. As long as you use Popcorn Time to stream copyrighted content for your personal use and do not share it, you should be okay. But remember, it is not all strictly above board as you are downloading copyright protected content on your laptop or smartphone.

In Which Countries is Popcorn Time illegal?

Germany has a very tough stance on streaming copyright-protected material. You could receive legal notice for using Popcorn Time in Germany. USA and UK also take a tough stance against using Popcorn Time. It is a good idea to check whether Popcorn Time is legal in your country.

Using a VPN with Popcorn Time

It makes sense to use a VPN while viewing videos on Popcorn Time. This is for 2 main reasons:

• Access: The local copyright laws in your country may prohibit you from accessing Popcorn Time. A VPN masks your identity and allows you to access Popcorn Time even if it is blocked in your country. VPNs also avoid ISP throttling and allow you to stream at high speed and high definition streaming quality.
• Security Issues: Popcorn time leverages BitTorrent for video streaming. Your IP can be tracked and your log accessed when you use Popcorn Time without a VPN. When you use a VPN, trackers cannot see your IP and cannot locate where your download has happened.

Good VPNs do not keep logs of the traffic going through their servers making it impossible to be tracked. Using a VPN is also double insurance against malware, spyware, and other malicious content.
While choosing the right VPN for viewing Popcorn Time, it is good to keep following in mind:

• High speeds.
• A policy of not keeping activity logs.
• P2P downloading.
• A kill switch.

Alternatives to Popcorn Time

There is no question Popcorn Time gives you the convenience of hassle-free streaming at a click once you have gone through the installation process. However, if you are concerned about legal complications in using Popcorn Time, here are some options you could consider:

• Kodi: This is a very popular home theatre application and comes with a bunch of completely legal Kodi addons.
• 123movies: The most popular website to watch free movies and TV shows online. Lots of ads however, and borderline legal.
• DuckieTv: This is an open-source app and allows you to watch your selection of movies and television shows in the language of your choice.
• Couch Potato: This has loads of content and supports multiple languages.
• Snagfilms: This free site has a large collection of movies. But it has many advertisements and pop-ups.
• GoMovies: It updates to the latest movies playing in theaters and has a good interface. Though the first few weeks will be a cam recorder copy, it will update once HD version is available.

Conclusion

Popcorn Time is a good option for access to a large database of movies and entertainment-based content. Just take the right precautions to have a secure and good viewing experience.