The Competition

[jpp72]

Please take some time to read the book Customer Satisfaction is Worthless, Customer Loyalty is Priceless its also available on Amazon and think about this current situation.

I submitted a super inconsequential bug in the AS forums a couple of days ago. IDGAF if they take their sweet time fixing it as it's really just a minuscule annoyance. I have submitted bugs here that are way more of an inconvenience but would take the same amount of time to fix as the one for AS and they sit unresolved for months or even YEARS.

Look at the AS response for a masterclass on how to handle this, especially when it involves a user that some potential customers might look to in recommending a stream downloader



When i first started on this stream downloader journey by purchasing AS (Yes i bought it before SF), i hated the whole vibe and attitudes of mods and long time users. I feel the mods have mellowed out A LOT and it's a great thing. Some power users are still very shitty but that's to be expected.

The devs' willingness to finally listen to users on some things that were hard nos before is only helping them bring people over from StreamFab.

Right now, if they implement these two features, StreamFab is totally screwed:

1. Being able to pick the bitrate
2. Being able to download H265/HEVC for Netflix & Disney+

Let's see what happens...

[-Blaze\]

They only announced they'd decided to discontinue selling lifetime licenses for AS in January - about a week before the last CDM revocation, so that doesn't exactly give me a warm, fuzzy feeling.

OTOH, consider that if SF already has all the money it's gonna get from you, what's the motivation for them to work overtime to fix the current mess, especially if other providers could go the route of Netflix's DRM in the near future? Not so pressing, right? People all over this forum are kicking themselves for recently buying a lifetime license, and I'd hate to see SF's sales figures in another 6 months.

Whereas if the only way "the competition" can maintain a revenue stream is with renewable licenses, it actually puts a lot more presure on them to deliver a working product, because otherwise people will just drop them. If the whole shebang goes the way of Netflix within the next year, then you can just walk away without having invested too much.

People seem to automatically assume that a lifetime license means a lifetime of updates but that's never been what it's about for me. It's very nice that Fab has been providing me with all the updates for free but all I ever really expect from a perpetual license is perpetual access to the version of the product I paid for, plus maybe a year of updates or all updates until they change top version numbers (StreamFab 6 VS StreamFab 7). I will never pay for temporary access to something however. You give me permanent access even if it is likely to quickly break because of DRM changes or OS updates. If Anystream at least did that I might look at it as a back up solution for when StreamFab is down but like I said before, I'm very pleased with the Fab products I use and with the interactions I've had with there staff. People need to relax and realize that humans are behind this product and you can just cancel your streaming subs until they figure it out. Make some smores while we wait.

[NewMelle]

People seem to automatically assume that a lifetime license means a lifetime of updates but that's never been what it's about for me. It's very nice that Fab has been providing me with all the updates for free but all I ever really expect from a perpetual license is perpetual access to the version of the product I paid for, plus maybe a year of updates or all updates until they change top version numbers (StreamFab 6 VS StreamFab 7). I will never pay for temporary access to something however. You give me permanent access even if it is likely to quickly break because of DRM changes or OS updates. If Anystream at least did that I might look at it as a back up solution for when StreamFab is down but like I said before, I'm very pleased with the Fab products I use and with the interactions I've had with there staff. People need to relax and realize that humans are behind this product and you can just cancel your streaming subs until they figure it out. Make some smores while we wait.

That's nowhere near how I interpret a lifetime license at all. Lifetime means lifetime. Even according to them. See below. Incidentally, a lifetime license is only good as long as the software is functional and only valid until the company goes belly up.

If you're happy with SF that's all fine and dandy. Use it and enjoy. What I bought and what SF is now are two very different creatures and my sentiments vastly differ from yours. Relax ended quite some time ago.

Do you have a Reddit account? There is a like minded SubReddit there you might want to check out.

[Stebono]

There is no doubt that we need and paid for a working DRM decoder for ALL of the streaming services. They also should not be only focused on expanding, the main focus should be keep existing products working FIRST. This isn't happening because of a flawed business model.

As to the other guys, helpfully based on one of the quotes from here,

The downloaded video file does not have cover art. A quick search of the forum revealed that this is by design and there is no option to enable cover art download, and probably never will be. Curiously, the Competition seems to find the idea of downloading cover art revolting: they download videos! Oh well. I like getting the cover art with the downloaded file, but its lack is not a deal breaker.

The other guys are a very fascist group, stubborn to the bone, on a silly situation like this I got booted off their forum many years ago, for having a different point of view and asking for more options of their product. Their staff didn't like my difference of that point of view and banned me for life. Very unfortunate and how childish of them. The sad thing about it is they have the best talent over there in the industry and have had since DVD decoding came about.

At least here we are free to disagree and fully discuss situations that may not be favorable to the provider, try to have this thread alone over there, see how fast it gets removed and how fast you get banned.

Sometimes we need to look at the big picture, no pun intended....

[Chameleon]

AnyStream just had an issue with Amazon and fixed it in 15 minutes.

[artsunlimited]

There is no doubt that we need and paid for a working DRM decoder for ALL of the streaming services. They also should not be only focused on expanding, the main focus should be keep existing products working FIRST. This isn't happening because of a flawed business model.

As to the other guys, helpfully based on one of the quotes from here,

The other guys are a very fascist group, stubborn to the bone, on a silly situation like this I got booted off their forum many years ago, for having a different point of view and asking for more options of their product. Their staff didn't like my difference of that point of view and banned me for life. Very unfortunate and how childish of them. The sad thing about it is they have the best talent over there in the industry and have had since DVD decoding came about.

At least here we are free to disagree and fully discuss situations that may not be favorable to the provider, try to have this thread alone over there, see how fast it gets removed and how fast you get banned.

Sometimes we need to look at the big picture, no pun intended....

Yeah no. I've been suddenly sidelined here twice - not-so-coincidentally after a not-very-complimentary comment (before jpp72 and Cats4U became mods) - and had to submit tickets to get a further comments out of the green not-authorized Dead Zone. Now that they've both hit their tolerance limit (and what rational person can blame them?), I have no idea who'll be moderating this forum, and what will be allowed.

I bought AS years before I purchased SF and was on their forum from the outset. While they're indeed stubborn as hell on many issues (my personal beef is not putting the preview icon on the file) and I'm sorry you've been banned for life, I do have to say that any forum that roundly ridiculed @twhiting9275* of Reddit fame for being a "Karen" can't be all bad.


*I will never not read that as "twit." BTW, he was totes never banned from here, he just...harrumph...chooses not to post here any longer.

[Cats4U]

BTW, he was totes never banned from here, he just...harrumph...chooses not to post here any longer.

No, he was definitely banned from here by Mona. I saw the Administrator logs. Somehow or other, a rumor was going around that I was the one that got him banned. I had nothing to do with it. I don't know how that rumor started. I didn't even know he got banned until about a week or two after it happened. Nor did I have any conversation with him just prior to him being banned. Anyway, I felt bad that I was being blamed when I knew I had nothing to do with it. Shortly after become Moderator I decided to end this once and for all. I gave him back his access here. I sent him an email to his SF listed email address telling him that he had access again and to use his previous password. I explained to him that I did not get him banned and after reading his posts that he made just prior to being banned, I actually saw no reason why Mona banned him (unless he wrote something nasty to her in a private message.) I got no reply from him, and he never logged in here again. I would have sent him the email to his Reddit account, but like many others here, he banned me from Reddit SF. I should have banned him again while I was still Moderator, but I forgot. I don't think they have turned off Jack's Moderator access yet, so, Jack, if you could, could you correct my trying to be a nice guy and ban twhiting9275 from the StreamFab forum here. Thanks!

[artsunlimited]

No, he was definitely banned from here by Mona. I saw the Administrator logs. Somehow or other, a rumor was going around that I was the one that got him banned. I had nothing to do with it. I don't know how that rumor started. I didn't even know he got banned until about a week or two after it happened. Nor did I have any conversation with him just prior to him being banned. Anyway, I felt bad that I was being blamed when I knew I had nothing to do with it. Shortly after become Moderator I decided to end this once and for all. I gave him back his access here. I sent him an email to his SF listed email address telling him that he had access again and to use his previous password. I explained to him that I did not get him banned and after reading his posts that he made just prior to being banned, I actually saw no reason why Mona banned him (unless he wrote something nasty to her in a private message.) I got no reply from him, and he never logged in here again. I would have sent him the email to his Reddit account, but like many others here, he banned me from Reddit SF. I should have banned him again while I was still Moderator, but I forgot. I don't think they have turned off Jack's Moderator access yet, so, Jack, if you could, could you correct my trying to be a nice guy and ban twhiting9275 from the StreamFab forum here. Thanks!

Well done, you! As of two years ago he was still claiming the SF mods were as "toxic" as the competition's, which is totes why he denied this forum the pleasure of his presence - and not because his butt was actually banhammered. Yeah, right.

What's weird is that I don't believe you were even a mod back then, so how the heck did you come to be unfairly blamed when it was Mona who showed him the door? The fact that he was so ungracious as to not even respond to you kinda says it all. And also confirms the old saying, "no good deed goes unpunished."

The good news is that he doesn't seem to get much traction on the AS forum, not least because he openly loathes its moderator, and his Reddit activities come off as more than slightly unhinged, so his credibility really isn't all that.

[Cats4U]

No, I wasn't a Moderator at the time of his banning. If I remember correctly, we were always in disagreement of each other. Just your average everyday personality clash. The last time I went through the old posts, I didn't find any one of our arguments going on immediate preceding or at the time of his banning. I don't think he was arguing with anyone at the time, and so I was a little surprised to read of his banning when I did find out about it. Later, when I did have Moderator access, I looked at the Administer logs, which should have given a reason for the banning. They didn't; the reason was blank. That's what made it a mystery and why I decided to give him the benefit of the doubt and unban him. The rest is history.

[Mediafan]

I hate to be the wet blanket here by stating the obvious (and I know I am probably about to get pummeled by the angry mob). Yes, we're paying for a service that is currently not delivering. However, when getting into this we all knew what we're doing is flat our infringement. Whatever you may think of big corporate, sticking it to them, or whatever, and whichever way we could spin and excuse our behavior, they do own the content and can decide how to share it. Giving it out for free is generally not the case, as someone has to make a living from their productions. So, having to wait for DVDFab to get their butts in gear and fix the issues is really secondary, and a pain that one can endure for the results we get. Yes, it is disappointing and yes they should fix their software, which they sold us, so it can be useable -- or refund the money... But hey, we're also dealing with China and we ALL know not only what that means, but the risks involved.... In the end, even Chinese DVDFab learns what Capitalism is all about when the competitor, if they work, end up stealing their customers. Ironically, the competitors are currently also putting up a DMR disclaimers that, temporarily, they are having issues as well.

All the years I have had DVDFab, they've always gotten around to fixing these issues. Sometimes, it took months, though generally they have been quicker at it. Releasing some Porn module does not mean they're not working on other things like fixing StreamFab's current DMR issues. So, I would say getting angry is OK, demanding (nicely) a fix is OK, but to get to the point where moderators quit is maybe a little excessive. As the saying goes, there are worse things in life (like, say, cancer), so I can wait until DVDFab fixes their StreamFab issues....I do not like it anymore than the rest of you, but it is a fact of what we're paying for: stealing content....just sayin.' And for the person who said newbies are getting ripped off...aren't WE ripping off someone when we download content not meant for us to download? So, I rather lay low and wait. Hypocrisy is not my style (usually), nor is throwing stones in a glass house.

[jpp72]

So, I would say getting angry is OK, demanding (nicely) a fix is OK, but to get to the point where moderators quit is maybe a little excessive.

STFU and GTFOH.

You have no idea what you are talking about. We didn't quit because they released a new porn module. We quit because were sold a bill of goods that said we would "influence" the powers that be when it came to the direction StreamFab was taking.

Off the top of my head, Cats4U & I have asked collectively:

• Fix Peacock logout
• Fix output template
• Fix Hulu bitrate labels
• Fix DRM MPD not triggering analysis
• Fix Netflix H265
• Fix Netflix audio selection
• Fix Amazon audio (Granted, it's a DRM issue)
• Make all download windows same as Amazon
• BEGGED NOT TO INTRODUCE THE RE-ENCODE

I could go on and on...

So out of this small list of fairly easy things to fix, what was done? JAV!!! Fucking JAV!!!

So don't come here on your high horse telling me i am overreacting by quitting. You want the job? You can have it. I'd love to have a troll as a mod here. (A troll posts to stir shit up and you said it yourself that you knew you would get bashed.)

I am so tired of this fucking place and trying to keep my cool. Like i said, i have a newfound appreciation for when the competitor's mod was being a dick. I know i am being a dick now and IDGAF.

I am probably gonna just delete my account from here just for my mental health.

[Chameleon]

No, I wasn't a Moderator at the time of his banning. If I remember correctly, we were always in disagreement of each other. Just your average everyday personality clash. The last time I went through the old posts, I didn't find any one of our arguments going on immediate preceding or at the time of his banning. I don't think he was arguing with anyone at the time, and so I was a little surprised to read of his banning when I did find out about it. Later, when I did have Moderator access, I looked at the Administer logs, which should have given a reason for the banning. They didn't; the reason was blank. That's what made it a mystery and why I decided to give him the benefit of the doubt and unban him. The rest is history.

Here is proof, I think I showed you before that he was banned, how he got back here is a mystery.

https://www.reddit.com/r/Streamfab/comments/wjffcv/it_was_inevitable/

[Kattanders]

I hate to be the wet blanket here by stating the obvious (and I know I am probably about to get pummeled by the angry mob). Yes, we're paying for a service that is currently not delivering. However, when getting into this we all knew what we're doing is flat our infringement. Whatever you may think of big corporate, sticking it to them, or whatever, and whichever way we could spin and excuse our behavior, they do own the content and can decide how to share it. Giving it out for free is generally not the case, as someone has to make a living from their productions. So, having to wait for DVDFab to get their butts in gear and fix the issues is really secondary, and a pain that one can endure for the results we get. Yes, it is disappointing and yes they should fix their software, which they sold us, so it can be useable -- or refund the money... But hey, we're also dealing with China and we ALL know not only what that means, but the risks involved.... In the end, even Chinese DVDFab learns what Capitalism is all about when the competitor, if they work, end up stealing their customers. Ironically, the competitors are currently also putting up a DMR disclaimers that, temporarily, they are having issues as well.

All the years I have had DVDFab, they've always gotten around to fixing these issues. Sometimes, it took months, though generally they have been quicker at it. Releasing some Porn module does not mean they're not working on other things like fixing StreamFab's current DMR issues. So, I would say getting angry is OK, demanding (nicely) a fix is OK, but to get to the point where moderators quit is maybe a little excessive. As the saying goes, there are worse things in life (like, say, cancer), so I can wait until DVDFab fixes their StreamFab issues....I do not like it anymore than the rest of you, but it is a fact of what we're paying for: stealing content....just sayin.' And for the person who said newbies are getting ripped off...aren't WE ripping off someone when we download content not meant for us to download? So, I rather lay low and wait. Hypocrisy is not my style (usually), nor is throwing stones in a glass house.

I don't think it's as easy to just say "stealing." It's a huge gray area where "normal" customers are disadvantaged in the attempt to stop professional thieves.

For example, paying a TV license allows you to record programs, earlier on VHS and today on other recording devices.

If you bought a movie earlier, maybe on VHS, Makrovision prevented you from copying it. Copy protection on DVDs, Blu-rays, etc., stops you from copying them. How come you buy content and aren't allowed to copy it for your private media server? How can it be that you buy video content and aren't permitted to possess it except on the provider's cloud server? How can it be that the provider removes the video and you no longer have access to the purchased content? Isn't that also "stealing"? Obviously, this way round is legal, however, wanting to possess what you bought requires doing an illegal download. I pay for the streaming service, sometimes even pay extra for special content or even buy it. So how am I ripping someone off? I feel deprived of what I paid for when I can't possess it.

[artsunlimited]

I hate to be the wet blanket here by stating the obvious (and I know I am probably about to get pummeled by the angry mob). Yes, we're paying for a service that is currently not delivering. However, when getting into this we all knew what we're doing is flat our infringement. Whatever you may think of big corporate, sticking it to them, or whatever, and whichever way we could spin and excuse our behavior, they do own the content and can decide how to share it. Giving it out for free is generally not the case, as someone has to make a living from their productions. So, having to wait for DVDFab to get their butts in gear and fix the issues is really secondary, and a pain that one can endure for the results we get. Yes, it is disappointing and yes they should fix their software, which they sold us, so it can be useable -- or refund the money... But hey, we're also dealing with China and we ALL know not only what that means, but the risks involved.... In the end, even Chinese DVDFab learns what Capitalism is all about when the competitor, if they work, end up stealing their customers. Ironically, the competitors are currently also putting up a DMR disclaimers that, temporarily, they are having issues as well.

All the years I have had DVDFab, they've always gotten around to fixing these issues. Sometimes, it took months, though generally they have been quicker at it. So, I would say getting angry is OK, demanding (nicely) a fix is OK, but to get to the point where moderators quit is maybe a little excessive. As the saying goes, there are worse things in life (like, say, cancer), so I can wait until DVDFab fixes their StreamFab issues....I do not like it anymore than the rest of you, but it is a fact of what we're paying for: stealing content....just sayin.' And for the person who said newbies are getting ripped off...aren't WE ripping off someone when we download content not meant for us to download? So, I rather lay low and wait. Hypocrisy is not my style (usually), nor is throwing stones in a glass house.

Yeah, no. If you want to be an apologist for PornFab, just come right out and say so. And while you're at it, stop being a coy little troll and tell us just exactly what we ALL *winkwink* know what "dealing with China" means. C'mon, I can't wait to hear it.

We bought downloading software from a company that is supposed to maintain its product, not least for those who chose renewable license contracts. End of story.

Except they're STILL trying to peddle it, only now it's screen-recording software that they're claiming actually downloads.

Whether our behavior is "excusable" or not is irrelevant, as is all the rest of your "aren't WE ripping off someone" whataboutism handwringing screed. And sorry not sorry to inform you, but that means you became a hypocrite the instant you bought it, so you need to rethink exactly what your smug, self-proclaimed "style" is. Your notion that PornFab can "decide how to share it" when it comes to maintaining a product we've paid for is and/or have licenses with beyond ludicrous, as is your boohoo concept that they "need to make a living" by adding on a porn module, simply to keep the lights on and *sniffle* keep them from wearing rags. This worst part of this arrant stream of manure is that "ChineseDVDFab" somehow has no notion of Capitalism[sic], and that their competitor is somehow to blame for "stealing their customers" while also being simultaneously guilty of having only one DRM that's temporarily downloading in 540p - AS OPPOSED TO EVERY SINGLE MAJOR PLATFORM IN PORNFAB THAT THEY HAVE NOT CRACKED AND THAT WILL NOT DOWNLOAD. Despite knowing the CDM revocation was coming four months before it hit in January.

"Releasing some Porn module does not mean they're not working on other things like fixing StreamFab's current DMR issues."

Yeah, it actually effin' does. Have you not read even ONE of the conversations that jpp72 and Cats4U published on this forum? Seriously, what's wrong with you?

[Cats4U]

Here is proof, I think I showed you before that he was banned, how he got back here is a mystery.

https://www.reddit.com/r/Streamfab/c...as_inevitable/

No, I never saw that before. Very informative. I guess that unmistakably proves that I had nothing to do with it. As I previously wrote, I couldn't find any conversation/argument with him prior to him being banned.
In a lot of ways we would be in total agreement over the actions of DVDFab except lately he has tended to defend them in his Reddit forum. Kind of strange. I guess time mellows you, but it's going to take a long time for me and Jack to mellow over what we went through, if ever.