How long will "Lifetime" last?

[rgn385]

I'm tempted to buy AnyStream Plus lifetime subscription, but wonder how long it'll last. I was burned a few years back when the owners changed the company name and my AnyDVD HD lifetime subscription abruptly ended.

 

[twhiting9275]

Typically, this is how lifetime works:

Lifetime is for the lifetime of the product. That's it. No further. Now, if they change the product name, and they're feeling generous, then they may (may) offer you a discount on the new product. OR, as in the monkey, just carry your license over to the new product. That is 100% their call.

I'm not familiar with the way things handled before, but let me tell you, if the company changed name (likely also owners /employees), you're always going to see a product fee, even if you're on a lifetime membership already.

HTH

 

[rgn385]

Is it possible to download 4k from Netflix and Amazon using standard AnyStream (not plus version)?

Edit: And is it possible to do it through a browser on a W10 machine?

 

[twhiting9275]

The only 4k I've seen from AS is HBO. I don't think (though please don't quote me and kick me if I'm wrong) that it's possible to download anything else 4k
Dunno about browser, haven't really tried

 

[NeedToKnow]

Resolution:
Keep in mind that 4K is not officially supported.
But you can get some content on HBO at 4K.

Disney+ and Hulu is capped at 720P. Not sure if the developers will get this to 1080P.

Netflix and Amazon - Max 1080P (But that depends on various things. Currently some DRM issues prevents 1080P on some titles, but we hope the developers might find a solution for that at some point. The program worked great on these @ 1080P for a long time, so there is hope they can get this back.

If Netflix, Amazon and HBO at some point implements the same technology as Disney+ and Hulu, then they all will probably be capped at 720P. Who knows what might happen in future.

Browser/W10:
AS is an application you have to download and install. That is what you use to grab the content, you do not select items to download via your standard browser.
Note too that you cannot WATCH any content through the AS app. It is just to download.

I have AS running on W10.

 

[ZeroSugar]

I'm tempted to buy AnyStream Plus lifetime subscription, but wonder how long it'll last. I was burned a few years back when the owners changed the company name and my AnyDVD HD lifetime subscription abruptly ended.

I went through the same thing as you did but honestly, the old company folded and had to re-launch. Even then, redfox grand-fathered in a lot of the previous lifetime people but not all. I was not one one of them but, in fairness, I had been using the software for five years prior to the termination of SlySoft. In my opinion, I have never felt like the Fox has ever screwed me. I expect them to honor my lifetime purchases as long as they can.

Think about it this way, had you purchased a lifetime subscription to Windows95, you would be able to use Windows95 for life. You would NOT be allowed to upgrade for free to all the versions that followed.

My bigger concern is that they are not able to overcome the countermeasures that are being thrown their way by providers. I know they say they are working on it but what was expected to be a short time is close to turning into a couple of months.

 

[NeedToKnow]

I went through the same thing as you did but honestly, the old company folded and had to re-launch. Even then, redfox grand-fathered in a lot of the previous lifetime people but not all. I was not one one of them but, in fairness, I had been using the software for five years prior to the termination of SlySoft. In my opinion, I have never felt like the Fox has ever screwed me. I expect them to honor my lifetime purchases as long as they can.

Think about it this way, had you purchased a lifetime subscription to Windows95, you would be able to use Windows95 for life. You would NOT be allowed to upgrade for free to all the versions that followed.

Just to explain this a bit more in the context of Anystream for clarity as the last sentence could potentially be read in a different way than was intended. (Intention was W95 > 98 > ME > XP > 7 > 10)

With AS, if you buy a lifetime license it entitles you to "version" upgrades as well.
There are actually two versions of AS: The standard AnyStream which gives you access to 3 Providers (Amazon; Disney+ and Netflix) and then AS+ which gives you access to additional providers (Currently the initial 3 as well as HBO and Hulu).
More providers may be added to the (+) plus version in future, but which and when is not known.
The plus version also has a download queue system where you can queue up downloads.

So if you buy the AS or AS+ lifetime license you will get version updates for as long as the program is maintained by Redfox.
If they limit the plus version also to 3 providers as the did with the standard version and then bring out a new version and say call it ASPro+ to add even more providers, and if you WANT those providers - then there would likely be a period where a nominal fee would be asked for that additional version.

 

[rgn385]

Resolution:
Keep in mind that 4K is not officially supported.
But you can get some content on HBO at 4K.

Disney+ and Hulu is capped at 720P. Not sure if the developers will get this to 1080P.

Netflix and Amazon - Max 1080P (But that depends on various things. Currently some DRM issues prevents 1080P on some titles, but we hope the developers might find a solution for that at some point. The program worked great on these @ 1080P for a long time, so there is hope they can get this back.

If Netflix, Amazon and HBO at some point implements the same technology as Disney+ and Hulu, then they all will probably be capped at 720P. Who knows what might happen in future.

Browser/W10:
AS is an application you have to download and install. That is what you use to grab the content, you do not select items to download via your standard browser.
Note too that you cannot WATCH any content through the AS app. It is just to download.

I have AS running on W10.

This site claims Netflix has 4K content with numerous titles. Are you saying it's possible to watch it in 4K but not download it in 4K, and it's the streaming sites who prevent it and it's not an Anystream limitation?

https://hd-report.com/list-of-4k-ultra-hd-movies-tv-shows-on-netflix/

 

[rgn385]

My bigger concern is that they are not able to overcome the countermeasures that are being thrown their way by providers. I know they say they are working on it but what was expected to be a short time is close to turning into a couple of months.

This is a problem. With AnyDVD HD you know the software will always work with old Blu-rays, but not with AnyStream. If the streaming sites change encryption method, and the Redfox team can't crack it, then the software becomes worthless.

 

[twhiting9275]

This site claims Netflix has 4K content with numerous titles.

It does. Nobody's questioning that netflix has 4k shows

Are you saying it's possible to watch it in 4K but not download it in 4K, and it's the streaming sites who prevent it and it's not an Anystream limitation?

This is going to be a bit tricky. Right now (or at least as of last August), Netflix will not display 4k content in most browsers. Only Edge is supported. Because Anystream uses it's own browser, it's going to be hard to figure out just how to implement that, and, honestly, right now, I think they're better off spending time on other things (even after this whole DRM mess). So, I guess the answer to that question would be no, but barely

 

[NeedToKnow]

This site claims Netflix has 4K content with numerous titles. Are you saying it's possible to watch it in 4K but not download it in 4K, and it's the streaming sites who prevent it and it's not an Anystream limitation?

https://hd-report.com/list-of-4k-ultra-hd-movies-tv-shows-on-netflix/

It might be available in 4K on the provider side - such as Netflix - but AS does not officially support downloading at 4K resolution. (The HBMax is 'accidental'). So you will only be able to download at max 1080P.
I don't normally watch my content on a PC/Monitor, so I am not all too familiar with which browser can do what, but if the actual browser you use can give you 4K on that, then you can watch it LIVE from the provider. Just not download it at 4K via AS.
I use a 4K TV and media streamers to stream directly from the providers. I download at 1080P (where I can) for offline viewing.

This is a problem. With AnyDVD HD you know the software will always work with old Blu-rays, but not with AnyStream. If the streaming sites change encryption method, and the Redfox team can't crack it, then the software becomes worthless.

Well, that is the risk with any software of this type. The others would be susceptible to the same, it is a risk one takes, but whilst it works, it is awesome.

PS. The idea is for downloading the content you subscribe to for personal use.
The providers use other methods which cannot be bypassed to see if content is shared. So if you download and pass it onto others, you risk the provider finding out as invariable someone will share it publicly, and if it can be proven that it was downloaded via your subscription then you will be in some hot water.
You can read more on digital watermarking here:
https://torrentfreak.com/amazon-patents-technology-to-track-down-streaming-pirates-201121/
https://www.verimatrix.com/blog/drm-watermarking-the-dynamic-duo-of-content-security/

 

[NeedToKnow]

To answer your initial question directly.

For me it was well worth the money spend on it. At the moment it might be a bit "iffy", but if they can solve the current issues and get Amazon and Netflix back to Full HD, then it would again be a no-brainer to buy the lifetime subscription.
I would even claim that buying the Plus version would be best even if you don't subscribe to the services available on it as you do get the download queue in that version - and who knows, you might even one day get to subscribe to some of those services, then you have it already.

 

[NeedToKnow]

This is a problem. With AnyDVD HD you know the software will always work with old Blu-rays, but not with AnyStream. If the streaming sites change encryption method, and the Redfox team can't crack it, then the software becomes worthless.

Oh, I wanted to add this too.
There is a valid school of thought that you should have multiple ways (tools) for getting the content you want for personal use.
There are other tools similar to AS which I cannot discuss here, also at a significantly more expensive premium. You can read about it in the 3rd Party forum.
So, to mitigate the above possibility, and if you can afford it, then getting both tools will most likely keep you happy for quite a while. But AS would be my first choice (if the issues are solved).

 

[rgn385]

It does. Nobody's questioning that netflix has 4k shows


This is going to be a bit tricky. Right now (or at least as of last August), Netflix will not display 4k content in most browsers. Only Edge is supported. Because Anystream uses it's own browser, it's going to be hard to figure out just how to implement that, and, honestly, right now, I think they're better off spending time on other things (even after this whole DRM mess). So, I guess the answer to that question would be no, but barely

I read this thread where somebody complained about not being able to turn off "Allow identifiers for protected content" in Edge, and it seems to have begun about the same time Edge became the only supported browser (August). Maybe it's somehow related to Edge being the only browser capable of showing streamed 4K? Maybe the Slysoft team should look in to this?

https://www.reddit.com/r/edge/comments/q6joj5/cant_disable_allow_identifiers_for_protected/?sort=old

 

[rgn385]

PS. The idea is for downloading the content you subscribe to for personal use.
The providers use other methods which cannot be bypassed to see if content is shared. So if you download and pass it onto others, you risk the provider finding out as invariable someone will share it publicly, and if it can be proven that it was downloaded via your subscription then you will be in some hot water.
You can read more on digital watermarking here:
https://torrentfreak.com/amazon-patents-technology-to-track-down-streaming-pirates-201121/
https://www.verimatrix.com/blog/drm-watermarking-the-dynamic-duo-of-content-security/

Thanks for the warning. Over the years I've copied many Blu-rays, but never shared them with anybody and never uploaded.

 

[rgn385]

Oh, I wanted to add this too.
There is a valid school of thought that you should have multiple ways (tools) for getting the content you want for personal use.
There are other tools similar to AS which I cannot discuss here, also at a significantly more expensive premium. You can read about it in the 3rd Party forum.
So, to mitigate the above possibility, and if you can afford it, then getting both tools will most likely keep you happy for quite a while. But AS would be my first choice (if the issues are solved).

Which third party forum?

 

[NeedToKnow]

Which third party forum?

https://forum.redfox.bz/forums/third-party-products.35/

 

[network]

Thanks for the warning. Over the years I've copied many Blu-rays, but never shared them with anybody and never uploaded.

For the moment no worry about watermarking of streamed material. Programs like AS or similar download the streams anonymous and generic - without any "personal note" in the downloaded files. Currently the industry is just discussing new technologies, filings patents and spreading rumors. For sure sooner or later they will implement personalized/watermarked streaming technologies - we will notice this because current download methods will stop working

 

[Ch3vr0n]

"no worry about watermarking", you might wanna reconsider that. The technology is already actively used, and is hidden inside the metadata of the streams. How do you think they capture all those boxing fight pirates? You don't have to worry about it IF you keep what you download to yourself, and dont go streaming it out in public or upload to torrent sites and the likes

 

[network]

"no worry about watermarking", you might wanna reconsider that. The technology is already actively used, and is hidden inside the metadata of the streams.

No idea about other providers, I was talking about AP only. At least, the material which I have got using AS is clean in terms of garbage or traces within the downloaded mp4 files.