LOST The Most Downloaded Show in Australia
LOST has the probably unwanted distinction of being the number one show downloaded via Torrent in Australia. An article at TorrentFreak has some more specific info. Could this be a shadow of what will happen when LOST changes time slots in February? Tivo and Ituner’s aside, nicely edited versions of LOST episodes complete with 5.1 soundtracks usually pop up within hours of airtime. If this highly publicized trend makes it to this side of the pound, and who is to say it hasn’t already, how does that affect the commercialization of the viewers that are destined to drop from the time-slot change?
As an Australian downloader of LOST I can tell you specifically why. The network that shows it down here, Channel 7 never starts each new season until Febuary the following year of its’ USA debut. Even then, they routinely A) use almost every massive spoiler in previews each week that play several times every day so are unavoidable - therefore even if you got through the wait by avoiding all the net talk and media (impossible!) you have the official local carriers of the show spoiling things for you in a lame attempt to grab mainstream viewers. Then, they routinely take unscheduled 1-2 week breaks every now and then for sport or doco-style shows. Each end of the show is almost a cliffhanger so then to hear “Lost returns in two weeks” is quite disheartening. So, with all this in mind, why am I going to wait for it to air? I want to share the experience of each episode - my immediate thoughts and feelings with everyone else that gets to see it. Australia has been experimenting with same-time airing of US shows recently (Jericho and The OC), and until they do so with LOST, I’ll continue to download via torrents. Which isn’t FREE by the way, I spend money on my ISP for the bandwidth to get them. No such thing as a free lunch. LOST episodes cost money to download - it’s just that the money’s not going where the network would like it to go.
Comment by JohnK — December 14, 2006 @ 6:32 pm
I’m not in Australia, I’m in Switzerland, but my problem are multiple:
Whenever a “new” series is a hit stateside, competing german speaking networks bid fo the rights to broadcast, but it’s not always for the entire series, however long it me be, but usually season by season. This means that network A for example might get the rights to the first season, then a year later network B gets the second and so on. And regular time slots? Forget it. You’d be lucky to find out which network (it might be a german one, an austrian one or a swiss one) is currently showing the most recent episode, but even then, they’re usually a season behind.
And then there’s the language problem. In German speaking countries, TV is in german… I want my LOST in english, and I have absolutely no desire to wait for the DVDs. I do still buy the DVDs when they’re released, but I want to be up to date, which is why I’m a LOST-downloader.
Comment by Christopath — December 15, 2006 @ 1:40 am
At least in Australia, you get your blooming onions right away. Here, in America, we have to wait 15 minutes or so, while the staff at Outback restaurants get into their superfast aircraft and pick it up from Sydney. So we Americans have our own burdens to bear.
And you Swiss…don’t even get me started…All that chocolate!!!
Seriously, we need to realize how good we have it..we bitch and moan about a 14 week hiatus…I’d hate to have to search for LOST on the internet or a different channel each season…
Comment by smokey2006 — December 15, 2006 @ 6:35 am
Super odcinki puszczajcie szybko
Comment by Adam — December 15, 2006 @ 11:29 am
Hi, my name is Jen and I’m a LOST downloader. My downloading began when they put Lost on a hiatus after they aired episode 6 of season two here down under. Knowing that thanks to whatever sport it was, I’d have to wait a few weeks to find out what happened, I jumped on the net and downloaded. It’s now part of my weekly routine when the Lost season is on. Not only that, but I share my downloaded episodes around my office. It doesn’t matter if we don’t watch them on TV, cause us small town country folk are forgotten in the ratings. I prefer it downloaded anyway, because there’s no ad’s and I watch it when I want, not when the TV stations want me to.
And don’t get me started on TV stations down here… you guys thinking having Lost move until 10pm is bad? Try having the stations down here, where they’ll shift a show to lunchtime without warning or pull it off the air all together, which means you either a) have to buy the DVD’s or b) spend hours searching the Austar/Foxtel guide trying to find when the freakin thing will air… I’ve given up on watching an actual TV- downloads and waiting for DVD’s is the best way to do it…
Comment by Jen — December 17, 2006 @ 11:55 am
Why Australia, Even in India where I am from, people download Lost like crazy.Primery reason: when its season x in USA its season X-2 in here. No one wants that .Especially when it comes to Lost.Considering the popularity of this series worldwide, if I were the network Boss, would have made sure to capitalize the market much better. I begin downloading may be 3-4 hours after each episode airs in US.
Comment by Vijay — September 17, 2008 @ 12:40 pm