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Meet Popcorn Time, A Netflix for Torrents


November 7, 2014 | Peter Yeh

While BitTorrent is the most popular way to pirate movies, TV shows, and anything made out of 1s and 0s, there’s a new client that makes it look comparatively clunky. Popcorn Time, the Netflix of BitTorrent clients, makes streaming movies absurdly easy. It was shut down last month, but now it’s back, and the site claims it “will never be taken down.”

Only days ago, the torrent streaming service of choice seemed to be Joker, a new site with a clean interface that required no installation of a torrent client. But the centralized site proved to be too vulnerable — it’s already been taken down. Unlike Joker, Popcorn Time uses the BitTorrent protocol, and you’ll have to endure loading. But it’s decentralized, meaning it’s running on your computer and therefore can’t be forced to shut down like Joker.

For safety, it even offers free connection to an anonymous VPN by Kebrum, though of course the usual torrent warning applies. The website notes that it’s “still as illegal as BitTorrenting, but the included VPN helps keep you more anonymous with just a push of a button.”

You can download it for Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux. There’s even an Android and iPhone version, but you have to have jailbroken or rooted your phone.

Installation tutorial

Download the client from the website:
1-downloadfromwebsite

Find the installer:
2-findinstall

3-installit

Install:
4-waitinstalling

Finish:
5-finishinstalling

Open program:
6-vpnenable

Click the lock to connect to an anonymous VPN:
7-enablethevpn

8-enabledyay

Pick a Show:
9-findamovie

10-select

Wait:
11-wait

Watch:
12-watch

(Photo: Popcorn Time)