I have decided to try using 4 different streaming websites to compare the process you have to go through to watch a film. I have chosen to watch 'Due Date' a new release on each of the websites to see whether each would have it and how they advertise their new releases.
WatchMovies.net
http://www.watch-movies.net.in/
- The homepage of this website is clear, it shows it's newest uploaded films. All of which new releases, with the film posters shown. The homepage isn't bombarded with adverts and the adverts it does have are not for films themselves, they are not promoting new films probably because the film may already be on the website, therefore the user who sees the advert would watch it illegally, not in the cinema so there would be no point in advertising it. It is simple to find the film you want, there is a search bar. I did not need to use the search bar to find 'Due Date' because it was one of the main features on the homepage. When clicking it takes you to a page with several links to the film, many options and places to watch it. This particular page has tons of advertising in banners and sidebars, mainly sexually orientated for online dating sites 'Be Naughty' This makes this website instantly untrustworthy, as viewer usually associate sex websites with virus'. I am discouraged to continue but in order to see the film I have to. I clicked the link with the highest rating. The page I have been directed to is extremely colourful with mass advertising, this time the adverts are for video games. This gives me an idea of the demographic, the comedy is aimed a young men so advertising video games here is appropriate. Pop ups appear on this link which users would again associate with virus'. The screen showing the film is very small, but it can be enlarged to full screen. From the first 10 seconds of watching the film I can already see that this has been illegally filmed in the cinema, the camera is at an angle and somebody walks in front of it. The picture is pixelated and the sound is not perfect. After barely 2 minutes it had to stop to buffer. My viewing has already been disrupted.
Movie-Fever.net
http://www.movie-fever.net/
- The homepage of this website appears like a blog with the hyperlinks in a sidebar. Instantly it appears fairly professional as it is not packed with adverts. There are none. Like Watchmovies.net it shows it's new releases on the homepage, as I head to click on 'Due Date' which is number one of the list a pop-up appears. It tells me that the only way I can continue onto this site is if I fill out a survey, there is no option to exit this pop-up. It offers me cash prizes, vacations and high-tech equipment but in order to do the survey I have to click the prize I would like. As a user I am instantly put off this website, I will not continue as I do not trust pop-ups, especially when they link me to separate pages without my permission. This is a clear indication that these illegal film streaming websites can be extremely untrustworthy.
Stagevu
http://stagevu.com/
- This website appears to be professional with it's non cluttered homepage. Again their are no adverts or pop-ups as of yet. Unlike the other two it doesn't have it's new releases on the home page, there are no advertisements for films. The search bar makes it easy to navigate around the site. I typed in 'Due Date' and it took me straight to a selection of links to the film. Again I chose the most highly rated one. It told me that there were plugins I needed to download, non recognisable ones that other websites didn't ask for. This website didn't make it clear earlier on that additional plugins would be needed. I will not download them because the website is not trustworthy.
Bligblag
http://bligblag.net/
- The homepage of this website shows new releases, but as soon as you hover over an advert it opens a new page, in this case to 'No!No! hair removal' where a voice begins speaking to you. After I closed that I continued and typed 'Due Date' into the Search Bar. It lead me to a page which gives you a short synopsis of the film and the option to 'Watch video'
I clicked 'Watch Video' and it lead me to a page with three online poker pop-ups. I closed them to find the message 'This video has been removed due to infringement'
It was not removed from the listings, therefore I saw many different advertisements for nothing.
From my research I have found that 3/4 websites contained problems which led to me not watching the film. The one website that it actually worked on with no major problems showed the film with dreadful quality and was an overall unpleasant experience.
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