Popcorn Time Shut Down: 10 Plus Alternatives To Watching Movies
Movie lovers are freaking out this weekend because Popcorn Time has officially shut down. The streaming site known as the Netflix for pirating movies has shut down for good on Friday, October 23.
In case you’re not familiar with it, Popcorn Time is the name of a network of competing sites that offer the same service. The Popcorn Time media player allows you to watch movies from popular torrent sites on parts of the Dark Web. It’s available for both PCs and Android phones, which makes it comparable to Netflix’s app. It provided a clean interface and kept advertisements to a minimum. The popular movie streaming service became quickly known as “Netflix for pirates,” and some users even thought it would become the “future of piracy.”
The PopcornTime.io developer named Wally told TorrentFreak on Friday his reason for shutting down the site for good.
“I shut down all the servers, there is nothing I can do anymore. I deleted any logs that can be harmful for any other [developer].”
There are still Popcorn Time variants floating around the internet, but none quite as popular as PopcornTime.io. There are also concerns with the service since hackers have found out how to incorporate malware software into Popcorn Time’s protocol. The site Browser Popcorn has moved to domain, quickly following the shutdown of its original two domains in light of the MPAA taking legal action.
With the news of Netflix constantly raising its prices and YouTube charging its users to watch movies, free streaming services have increased in popularity. There are also cheaper alternatives such as Hulu Plus or Amazon Prime, but some don’t like to dish out the extra money to watch movies on their PCs or smartphones. But Popcorn Time is illegal in most places and traveling on the parts of the Deep Web can get risky.
Those who are looking for alternatives will be happy to hear that The Pirate Bay is still around. It’s one of the last standing file-sharing and movie-streaming sites. Another one that’s still around is Kickass Torrents; however, it’s still on Google’s Harmful Programs list, which means it has a red flag warning visitors about the website since it could contain malicious software or redirect links that bring users to phishing websites.
So, what can you use instead? If you want a good movie to watch, but don’t know which one, you can check use the trustworthy site A Good Movie To Watch, then head over to Can I Stream It. Once you settle on a movie, then you can find out where you can stream it on the internet without having to download anything.
If you miss Popcorn Time and its handy interface, then you can use the following streaming sites that look similar to both Popcorn Time and Netflix. To use these movie-streaming sites, you will either have to register an account or download the accompanying software.
- Dodo Movies
- JustMoviez
- Vodlocker
- Putlocker
- Wolow Tube
- Free Movies Online
- Alluc
- Watch Online Movies
- Just Click to Watch
- Watch Movie Stream.
Of course, YouTube has its own free movie section, at the moment. It’s one of the most popular and safer places to watch and share movies. YouTube is always updating its free movie section, so check back constantly to see if one of your favorites is on the list.
Another tried and trusty place to watch movies is at your local Redbox center. Sure, you have to pay for it but it’s still more affordable than Netflix and safer downloading malicious software. DVD rentals are $1.50 per day, while Blu-Ray rentals cost $2.00 per day. You can rent and return movies and games with ease. You can even create an account online or download the Redbox app to hold a movie for pickup.
What are your thoughts on Popcorn Time shutting down? Where is your favorite place to watch movies on the internet? Share your thoughts below in the comments section.
[Photo by digitalart]
