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  • VRBangers got rid of the download button

I don't post on forums often but, as a lifetime subscriber to VRBangers, I'm fucking pissed about this. Who in their right mind would want to sign up for this bullshit?! Fuck VRB

My back and fourth so far:

ME:

Hello,

I am currently unable to download any videos even though I am able to watch them streamed. The download button just isn't there.
Did I hit a download cap halfway through my last download? It seems strange to me if that's the case as I have a 2 year subscription. I travel for work and have to deal with horrible download speeds in hotels, so to watch anything it has to be downloaded. This effectively makes the site unusable to me and any help would be appreciated

VRB:

Hello,

Thank you for getting in touch. The video download functionality has been moved from the website to the PLAY'a app. Make sure to download the PLAY'a app to continue enjoying video downloads with the enhanced features of PLAY'a.

We understand that this change might be disappointing for some who prefer downloading files. However, based on a thorough analysis of our website data and logs, which revealed that less than 10% of members use the download function through browsers, we have decided to remove this function from the website.

This change will help reduce server load, improve speed, enhance streaming quality, and ultimately enhance the quality of our future content.

We recognize that some of you still prefer downloading files, so we have kept the option to download videos through the free PLAY'a app. The app also offers a wide range of functions not available in the browser, as well as many video adjustments, hotkeys, and much more.

To download a video in the Free PLAY'a app, please follow these steps:

  1. Open the PLAY'a app.
  2. Add vrbangers.com and log in to your account.
  3. Choose the video you want to download and click on it.
  4. Click "Download Video" and choose the video quality.
    ​
    We assure you that the process is straightforward and easy to follow. You can find more information about the app at https://vrbangers.com/app/
    ________________________________________________________________________________________________________

ME: (changed supports name cause they didn't make this decision but are getting ALL the blowback)

VRB,

I know this wasn't your decision, but that is one of the dumbest things I have heard...
Just so I understand correctly, the only way I can download a video is if I download it to the headset and am actively using and wearing it?
Please let me know if I am misunderstanding.

If not, why? What harm was done by leaving a download button on the website?
I don't know who made that decision but they are a twat.

VRB:

Hello,

Thank you for your understanding. The downloads are exclusively available in the PLAY'a app, which is compatible with various devices. I can provide you with more information about how to use the PLYA'a if you provide me with the type of your device.

We understand that switching to the app might not be convenient for everyone. To better understand your needs and improve our services, we would love to hear your thoughts on the following:

  1. Why do you prefer using the website over the app?
  2. What specific challenges or inconveniences do you face when using our app?
  3. What features or improvements would make the app more appealing and useful for you?
  4. Your feedback is invaluable to us, and we are committed to making adjustments based on your input. Please feel free to share any additional comments or suggestions.

Some reasons for removing this feature from the website are that most of our users prefer streaming videos, it requires additional resources to support, and it helps prevent the illegal distribution of our content.

Thank you for your understanding and continued support.

ME:

"I can provide you with more information about how to use the PLYA'a if you provide me with the type of your device. "

I'm familiar with how the app works and already use it when it's appropriate for me to do so.

  1. Why do you prefer using the website over the app?
    I travel for work, so I stay in hotels mostly and hotels almost always have a download speed of 15Mbps or less, which will stutter on a 2k video.

  2. What specific challenges or inconveniences do you face when using our app?
    None, I use the app when it is convenient, at home. Though the poor controls for the handy are less than ideal and leaves me using 3rd party apps like heresphere.

  3. What features or improvements would make the app more appealing and useful for you?
    Being honest, the app is very simple with clunky controls. For instance, using the thumbsticks to move the center of vision instead of just grabbing and moving with a trigger or grip and moving the hand. The lack of ability to manually sync the handy is also a big turn off to it. It's just nowhere near as feature heavy nor intuitive as many other competitors. But that's fine cause I didnt subscribe for the app, I subscribed for the content. And now the content has been effectively taken away from me unless i go home and download the videos onto my headset (which requires I wear it the whole time to do so). Then I need to copy the files out of my head set to an external drive cause the headset can only hold a few videos worth of content before the drive is full.

  4. Your feedback is invaluable to us, and we are committed to making adjustments based on your input. Please feel free to share any additional comments or suggestions.
    Just please include the download button. It REALLY inconveniences me and makes your service near useless where as if people really still want to pirate it they can. Just it takes more effort, but someone going through the steps to make the content available to pirate is obviously going to do this extra bit. So nothing solved, your site saves a couple bucks cause now no one has to put a download button on a website, and your content has become borderline useless to me and anyone without an amazing internet connection capable of streaming high resolution 8k content.

I really just don't get how this wasn't a foreseeable issue for end users and I will be very surprised if this doesn't heavily impact subscriptions in the future. If it stays this way, I know for certain that I won't renew.

    ...hopefully they'll come running back to SLR when their idiotic attempt to go streaming-only fails, and they have to whore themselves out to whoever they can for coin...

    What I would like to see here is someone from SLR say we will never pull a bullshit stunt like this.

    Hello SLR, care to comment?

    There are some merits to limiting downloads, but there will be a core group of users who really wants them--more so for VR where not everyone is on a connection that can flawlessly handle 6,7,8K+ streaming. A 'meet in the middle' idea if the reason for restricting is to prevent illicit sharing is simply to not allow downloads for new content at least, for example, the first month. Other ideas would be a streaming-only subscription plan with downloads (either immediate or a month out) as paid extras. Nevertheless, a total restriction of them (outside of an app that users seem to be reporting as not working too well) can hurt more than help. My 2 cents at least on the issue.

      ZENRA None of those ideas would stop piracy. The pirates would still find a way to steal the content regardless of whether sites go streaming only, limit downloads, add DRM, or anything else. All those measures end up doing is making it less convenient for legitimate users to watch the content. When companies start adding hurdles for legitimate users to jump through in order to access content, piracy only becomes more attractive.

      The best way to combat piracy is to provide a service that's so great that people are happy to pay for it.

          They will obviously reverse this decision once the full impact has permeated into their tiny brains. However, even with downloads, they suck, so this is just another reason to leave them alone.

          vrbangers video has been straight ass, the models look like giant in some of their recent videos.

          Hairsational Yeah exactly, it's similar to streaming movies and series nowadays. It's much more convenient to pirate content with something like streamio then it is to have subscriptions to all those streaming services and use all those streaming apps as a paying customer. Sometimes makes me feel like an idiot for paying for all those subscriptions.

          When companies are making the lives of paying customers more difficult with all kinds of restrictions and limitations that are not present in piracy I think they are pushing people into piracy instead of preventing it. The obtuse digital rights management of JAV being a prime example.

            Hairsational None would stop it, but it would delay it (new content generally is most popular and the longer--even if just a few days--it remains off pirate sites, the better) and potentially make it easier for the site operator to figure out who leaks the content.

              • [deleted]

              • Post #41

              I just finished watching Nicole Aniston's latest scene in 8K, which I got from a pirate site! This is so ridiculous. I literally have a lifetime memberships on both Vrbangers and Vrconk, yet it's useless now. I haven't used one of these sites since 2017, although apparently, unfortunately it's the only way for me to watch their scenes.

              Scene sucks btw like all dark scenes they released.. but it's great to see Nicole back, her GoT scene though was good.

                [deleted] I haven't used one of these sites since 2017

                Wow, same here, once I got my gear vr back then I stop watching 2d, so was no need to download them anymore. 🤷‍♂️

                Now vrb forcing consumers back to them sites. Lol 🤦‍♂️

                  I think this idea would make everyone happy when it comes to downloading.

                  I’ve been advocating for this for years: "vr porn" sites need to offer a streaming-only subscription as an alternative, and at a lower price. Speaking for myself, I tend to go real trigger happy with the downloads. It’s a hassle, time-consuming, and almost addictive. I bought two hard drives terabytes of space too and filled them up quickly. It’s incredibly frustrating trying to make room for new content too.

                  Having downloads available is problematic for me. I would prefer a streaming-only option at a lower price. Additionally, there should be an option to purchase individual videos for a small fee, like $2.99 or even less. I would subscribe to a streaming-only plan, but if I ever wanted to download a video, I could buy it separately.

                  All of this should be offered as an alternative to the current subscription plans, allowing consumers to choose. For example, a streaming-only subscription could be priced at $9.99 with the option to buy single videos for $1.99, (lol i went lower 🤣...0.99!) while a full premium subscription with downloads could remain at $24.99.

                  I’m sure there are many consumers who would opt for a streaming-only subscription.

                  But I feel for yall if they take the downloads. That's gonna suck, especially if you don't have high speed internet for streaming, ugh 😑 🤢

                  But downloading was a real problem for me, many times as I downloaded like a maniac I thought fuck I wish these vr sites had a streaming only as an alternative, I wouldn't be trying to download all I can. It was bad bro. 🤦‍♂️

                  By now I'd probably have already bought maybe 2 more tb drives and filled em up.

                  I get we need downloads tho incase the net goes out, traveling, lock downs, take overs lol, need some files on deck for hard times.

                  But I'd like to see them add streaming only as an alternative to the streaming with downloads.

                  In the end it's the internet, it's changing 🤦‍♂️

                  🥂👍 good luck vr fam ✊️