You can have a million streams/game windows going on, on a million devices from one account, as long as your internet speed is capable of doing so. BallStreams system only allows one simultaneous login. Which means you can watch from as many devices as you want, as long as they are all on the same network. So that means you CAN share your account, but only within the same network.
For the people who keep mentioning the illegality of ballstream.com and potential consequences, I think we all know that this is true. But also, anything other than subscribing to CSN (if you live in Houston) is actually just as illegal and subject to the same possible scenarios, whether they are more likely or not. All users of illegal free streams violate the same laws of those that pay to watch illegal streams. All users violating the terms of agreement and using VPNs, etc. to sign up for League Pass using a different IP to get an out of state or out of country deal and illegally watch Rockets games that are supposed to be blacked out, are subject to the same legalities. I'm not saying that ballstream.com is legal, or that consequences aren't potentially there; I'm just saying that unless you purchase comcast and watch CSN according to their terms, anything you do to watch a blacked out Rockets game has elements to it that are illegal.
I'm nervous about this because of the payment part. But, the comparison to Napster is not a good one. They went after users to make a statement there because the music industry was bleeding. The NBA may go after these streams at some point, but it's not really hurting their business in a significant way. It's not like the UFC where they have major problems with people streaming fights. They aren't LIKELY to go after anyone. That said, I wouldn't use this personally unless I was behind a VPN, used a prepaid gift card AND wasn't required to give them my personal information to create an account.
Nope, those links are just a URL loophole on the League Pass service, which the NBA regrettably closed up at the end of the regular season last year.
IF the NBA wanted to go after users, you can not escape. You'll be tracked by IP, MAC address, etc. Even if you use a VPN service, that can be traced back to you. That being said, I just don't see it. They'll go after ballstreams if anything. I don't think anyone here is wanting to break the law, we just want to watch our team.
Not necessarily. Keep in mind most VPN providers don't keep logs and are out of U.S jurisdiction. There are however some that do keep logs and will hand them over to the authorities.
The NBA didn't even know. Those links actually still worked in the playoffs. They came from Neulion. http://neulion.com/ They run international league pass.
Wow. Many of your posts are scaring me guys... but I don't think we're doing anything wrong here. We're just trying to watch our Rockets, right? None of this going out of our own rugged ways to watch the Rockets would have happened if their was just a clean way (preferably local TV channel for the Rockets) to watch the Rockets. Am I right or am I wrong? I just hope BallStreams is and will be as legit as their NHL streams, since they have been running legitly since 2007.... and I also hope that all this CSN Rockets nonsense crap gets figured out one day (because it's not happening anytime this season).
BTW OP, you got the websites name wrong in the title. You forgot the S at the end of BallStreams.com haha. All this CSN mess is messing with your grammar, too. Hehe.
I'm not really worried about consequences so much as ethics. If ballstreams gets raided, it's unlikely NBA lawyers go after users and, if they did, it's unlikely it's me they pick out of the crowd. But, as a matter of ethics, it's beyond the bounds of what I'm willing to do. The free streams are one thing and this is quite another. A free stream is like a pirate nonprofit or a Robin Hood. They steal from the rich to give to the poor. This is a for-profit pirate who wants me to participate in his scheme to steal from the rich for his own enrichment (and I'm sure $60/year when you don't pay for the material you broadcast will make you rich pretty quickly). But, I am kinda glad it's happening anyway. The internet puts a lot of pressure on the copywrite system we've built up. The current system doesn't make sense anymore. We need to work it out and have a new mechanism that still incentivizes the creation of content without trying to control who gets to see what. And it's illegal endeavors like this one that push the issue. Ballstreams will eventually get shut down. But, we'll eventually find a new way to handle the issue of content.
The irony to all of this is that there is not one single person in this thread who would not gladly pay a couple bucks extra per month on their cable bill to have CSN Houston. We are standing here with our money in our hands, outstretched, TRYING TO GIVE IT TO THEM AND THEY WON'T TAKE IT. And these are the same morons in suits who would then turn around and sic lawyers on people who have no other alternative. I would really really like to hear Les Alexander in front of a microphone answering to the Rockets fans about this. This situation is absolutely shameful.
Look - I am an attorney. Let me give you a pragmatic legal opinion on this (other legal bretheren please feel free to jump in) Concern #1: Paying for the site b/c it might get taken down. Verdict: LEGIT Likelyhood of Issue: MODERATE (unless $60 is a lot of money to you) Unlike the free Austrian feeds to all used last year to stream games, this one is not offering us banner ads with mail order brides - but accepting money to redistrubute copyrighted materials. The NBA is pretty good about monitoring this kind of thing and could put an end to it before the season Concern #2: Paying for the site b/c I don't want a record of my credit card info Verdict: LEGIT Likelyhood of Issue: MINIMAL As others have indicated, you can use a prepaid card - or a paypal account that is funded from cash, not tied to a credit card. Concern #3: I don't want want my IP associated with this site Verdict: MILDLY PARANOID Likelyhood of Issue: TBD You have three alternate choices, get Comcast, LIE about your location and pay for NBA league pass, or stream from the EU free sites. If you chose the free sites, you are getting hit with TONS of third party cookies, viruses, etc. If you LIE and use a VPN or other item to intentionally mislead your provider to get NBA league pass - you are participating in the bad act. You are knowingly involved in decent to view copyrighted content that you should not see on your televison. CONCLUSION I will probably sign up. If they want to prosecute me for watching a site I paid for that appeared legit to me, I will gladly go to trial in Harris county...all I would need is ONE Rocket fan (or just ONE disgruntled COMCAST sub) on the jury!
Well said. I'm still holding out hope that Les will be our white knight and allow for some sort of online subscription to stream the games through CSN's website or Rockets.com. I don't need the whole channel, I just want the games.
