It uses a torrent file to download parts (temporarily) just like you use the same torrent to permanently download and seed. Only difference is they (the client/user) never keep the files for seeding, no different than if you downloaded, watched, and then deleted the file and torrent from your client.
Yes it is 100% leeching on the people that do download and store files, I never said it wasn’t, I merely explained how they managed without massive OPEX. Yes these services only work as long as some people keep files and seed, that’s also why they suck for things than are >1 year old.
What keeps me away from streaming site is that I’m confused about how the sustain themselves. Aren’t the costs giganormous to constantly be streaming stuff around?
I think they’re just doing it the same way you do TBH, they just force sequential download of a torrent and allow their users to watch as it downloads as a normal torrent, but then auto-deletes content as it goes as well. That way they don’t need to have a massive back end to handle the streaming since it’s done like regular P2P torrenting and handled entirely in the client side.
I wish all bad things in the world upon SAP and it’s creators…What a miserable shitshow it is to work with, I have not met a single person who actually thought it solved anything in a good or tolerable way.
why not download a copy?
I mean, keeping copies is actually pretty stupid and wasteful for most people. Most only watch things once but still keep the copy around taking up space for no good reason other than because they can. Why waste storage on things you don’t really have a need for? That’s just hoarding…
That said, I’m still the type of person who keeps things around just in case I want to watch it again…but if I’m being honest, I probably don’t need to store ~80% of my library though.
Yes, but that doesn’t mean much to most people using public trackers to permanently download either so…