What is the best way to download free movies on the internet without resorting to piracy?
December 29, 2008 9:45 AM Subscribe
What is the best way to download free movies on the internet without resorting to piracy?
I don't know, but I have been told that there are websites that exist where one can download free movies. Do these places actually exist? What is the best one?
I don't know, but I have been told that there are websites that exist where one can download free movies. Do these places actually exist? What is the best one?
It depends on what you mean by "free movies". Downloading cinematic releases for free on the internet is piracy, unless free download is expressly permitted by the copyright holder or unless the movies are in the public domain; are you looking for cinematic releases, or independent, small films that never make it to a theater or other commercial release?
posted by pdb at 9:55 AM on December 29, 2008
posted by pdb at 9:55 AM on December 29, 2008
Fancast.com has tons of stuff. But streaming, not downloading.
posted by Fuzzy Skinner at 9:55 AM on December 29, 2008
posted by Fuzzy Skinner at 9:55 AM on December 29, 2008
What about archive.org's Moving Image Archive? It depends what movies you are looking for, of course.
posted by galaksit at 9:57 AM on December 29, 2008
posted by galaksit at 9:57 AM on December 29, 2008
What is the best way to download free movies on the internet without resorting to piracy?
There is none. Some, like Hulu, offer streaming. Netflix streams several items from their catalog for subscribers.
I don't know, but I have been told that there are websites that exist where one can download free movies. Do these places actually exist?
Yes, and they're all in violation of copyright, at least in the U.S.
posted by mkultra at 10:04 AM on December 29, 2008
There is none. Some, like Hulu, offer streaming. Netflix streams several items from their catalog for subscribers.
I don't know, but I have been told that there are websites that exist where one can download free movies. Do these places actually exist?
Yes, and they're all in violation of copyright, at least in the U.S.
posted by mkultra at 10:04 AM on December 29, 2008
mkultra is probably 98% correct, but keep in mind copyright is not in perpetuity by default. Check archive.org.
posted by mzurer at 10:14 AM on December 29, 2008
posted by mzurer at 10:14 AM on December 29, 2008
Probably not what you're looking for, but there are free movies at archive.org.
posted by DarkForest at 10:16 AM on December 29, 2008
posted by DarkForest at 10:16 AM on December 29, 2008
Cultrararevideos has digitized some rare VHS tapes from the dawn of the VCR era, which you can download as avi files. [via]
posted by sswiller at 10:56 AM on December 29, 2008 [2 favorites]
posted by sswiller at 10:56 AM on December 29, 2008 [2 favorites]
You can watch some really good free movies at The Auteurs; although you can't download them.
posted by Laura in Canada at 11:32 AM on December 29, 2008
posted by Laura in Canada at 11:32 AM on December 29, 2008
Anything on archive.org can be presumed fine and legal to download. Aside from that, look for films that are put up with the intent of being D/Led for free. Some documentaries (e.g. Good Copy, Bad Copy) are in that category. Most fanfilms, (e.g. Hidden Frontier) are by default.
Legal Torrents is a good place to start, but there are many others.
posted by ChurchHatesTucker at 12:28 PM on December 29, 2008
Legal Torrents is a good place to start, but there are many others.
posted by ChurchHatesTucker at 12:28 PM on December 29, 2008
> Netflix streams are available to some subscribers. There's a US$4.99/month option that doesn't include streaming.
I have the $4.99/month option, and you do get to stream movies with that package -- although it's limited to 2 hours a month, so yeah, it's a pretty terrible option if you're subscribing just to stream movies. Beyond that one minor niggle, spot-on advice from kalessin.
posted by churl at 12:28 AM on December 30, 2008
I have the $4.99/month option, and you do get to stream movies with that package -- although it's limited to 2 hours a month, so yeah, it's a pretty terrible option if you're subscribing just to stream movies. Beyond that one minor niggle, spot-on advice from kalessin.
posted by churl at 12:28 AM on December 30, 2008
The other problem is if you use the internet outside the U.S. I am studying abroad right now, in England, and can't use services like Hulu, unfortunately. I have to resort to some sometimes in-ethical means. However, there are ways to get legit movies.
One of my favorite resources is: http://dapcentral.org/
But naturally, Google Video is surprisingly underrated, too.
posted by codybaldwin at 1:02 AM on January 2, 2009
One of my favorite resources is: http://dapcentral.org/
But naturally, Google Video is surprisingly underrated, too.
posted by codybaldwin at 1:02 AM on January 2, 2009
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posted by miratime at 9:51 AM on December 29, 2008 [1 favorite]