After losing several developers and facing multiple legal actions, Popcorn Time is about to become an equivalent to The Pirate Bay, as it refuses to disappear. Its "latest" comeback from the dead is through the new portal Popcorn Time Online, which essentially splits its operation between a web page and an external plugin called Torrents Time, compatible with the main browsers.
A Familiar Idea with a New Twist
It is not the first time we hear about Popcorn Time running on a web browser. The theory is very good, but taking BitTorrent network content and redistributing it via HTTP (blowing the bandwidth cost out of the water) not so much. Add to this all the back and forth that the different clients have had, including the desertion of several developers, and the ever-present copyright hawks ready to sink their claws. Last October we talked about Butter, a kind of "evolution" for Popcorn Time, but it still does not have a standalone binary. The latest news comes from the most popular fork, Popcorn-Time.se, whose people put a new project online: Popcorn Time Online.
The Torrents Time Plugin
At first glance, the site's interface does not seem to have major differences compared to what we can find in a dedicated client, but the most important changes are in the background. Trying not to repeat the same mistake that similar projects made in the past, Popcorn Time Online delivers its content with the help of an external plugin called Torrents Time. This plugin combines a traditional BitTorrent client (based on the Libtorrent library) with a video player written entirely by the developers, and according to its download section, it protects all streams through a VPN service, in addition to working in the four main browsers on the market. Another very interesting detail of the plugin is its compatibility with Chromecast, DLNA and Airplay, which should make it easier to send a stream to the TV.
Limitations and Questions
Still, there is a limitation: the plugin requirement removes any possibility (for now) of using the service on mobile devices. If it gains traction, I imagine the developers will look for a way to fill this gap, but the big question we ask ourselves is how long Popcorn Time Online will last. Its official page works as a simple catalog, however, the plugin could be legally attacked, despite its presence on GitHub. Want to try it? The link is below.
