Author: taternews

📰 New article from TorrentFreak

Hollywood Warns: ‘Extortionary’ Codec Patent Fees Could Hike Streaming Subscription Prices

https://torrentfreak.com/hollywood-warns-extortionary-codec-patent-fees-could-hike-streaming-subscription-prices/

Hollywood’s got a new enemy—and it’s not pirates. It’s the patent troll behind your favorite streaming shows.

InterDigital, a company with 10,000+ video codec patents (yes, those H.264 and H.265 ones that make your Netflix binges possible), is suing Disney and Amazon for using tech they claim wasn’t properly licensed. But here’s the twist: device makers like Samsung and Sony already paid for these patents to build your TV. Now InterDigital wants streaming services to pay again—for the same video.

The Motion Picture Association (MPA), usually the guy screaming “PIRACY IS CRIME!” just dropped a fiery amicus brief calling this a “global holdup campaign.” Double-dipping? More like triple-dipping—while charging you $18/month for Squid Game.

The MPA’s warning? If InterDigital wins, your subscription bills will rise. Streaming platforms can’t just switch to “non-standard” codecs—your phone, TV, and tablet all rely on H.264/H.265. It’s like demanding you pay tolls twice to drive down the same highway.

Disney’s fighting back with antitrust claims, and courts in Delaware, Germany, and Brazil are now weighing whether InterDigital’s tactics cross the line from smart business to extortion.

Bottom line: The real pirates might not be torrent users—they’re the ones trying to monetize the infrastructure we all depend on. And you? You’re just getting the bill.

📰 New article from TorrentFreak

Top 10 Most Pirated Movies of The Week – 12/15/2025

https://torrentfreak.com/top-10-most-torrented-pirated-movies/

This week, the big bad wolf of piracy isn’t a wolf at all—it’s a Predator. Predator: Badlands crashed the top spot like it just dropped from a helicopter in the middle of a jungle stream. No surprise, really—when your movie’s got Arnold-level legacy vibes and a killer tagline (“He doesn’t need a gun. He is the gun.”), people are gonna torrent it.

And look who’s back in the building: The Running Man—yes, that 1987 Arnold classic—is suddenly trending again. Either we’re all feeling nostalgic… or someone just discovered that 80s dystopias are way more fun than modern ones.

Newcomers Wake Up Dead Man and F1: The Movie are stealing the spotlight too—both with strong IMDb ratings, proving audiences still crave a good mystery or high-speed drama. Meanwhile, Tron: Ares and Bugonia are quietly dominating in the “weird but fascinating” category.

Fun fact: One Battle After Another (8.1!) is the highest-rated film on the list—and it’s not even in theaters yet. Guess people really do believe “if you build it, they will pirate.”

TL;DR: Predator rules. Nostalgia wins. And yes, people still pirate movies more than they stream them legally. 🎬💥

📰 New article from Retro Handhelds

Retro Handhelds Weekly: KTR1 S, AYANEO, Mangmi, GammaOS, and Much More

https://retrohandhelds.gg/retro-handhelds-weekly-edition-77/

Hey there, retro radars — buckle up. The handheld world didn’t just nap in December… it threw a rave.

KTR1 S just dropped with a Dimensity 7300 chip, turning last year’s also-ran into a legit contender. Meanwhile, AYANEO is going full Xperia Play 2.0 with the Pocket Play — a phone-handheld hybrid that’ll make your inner 2010 gamer weep with joy. And Mangmi? They’re not just riding the $100 wave—they’re building a whole surf park. The Pocket Max is coming, and it’s not just “bigger Air X.” It’s Air X with ambition.

But wait — Abxylute’s $69 E1? Looks suspiciously like a rebranded Anbernic. We see you, budget wizards. And GammaOS Next? Now on every Anbernic device under the sun. If your handheld runs Android, it probably has GammaOS by now. And if it doesn’t? You’re just mad.

Meanwhile, in the software lane: Xcavator—a lost NES game from 1985—is finally real, complete with a physical cartridge and a museum-worthy manual. And CATii? A new Android frontend that started by calling out AI code… then got called out for using it. The drama’s thicker than a Game Boy Color screen.

Bottom line: There are more retro handhelds in 2025 than there are reasons to be excited about your phone. And honestly? We’re not mad about it.

— Grab a coffee. The next release is already on the way.

📰 New article from RetroRGB

BlueRetro Software Development Ends

https://retrorgb.com/blueretro-software-development-ends.html

BlueRetro just shut down—and it’s the kind of loss that feels personal to anyone who’s ever plugged a Bluetooth mouse into their SNES just to play Star Fox like a legend.

Jacques Gagnon, the one-man wizard behind BlueRetro, archived the project on December 14th after years of making retro gaming feel like sci-fi. Forget basic Bluetooth adapters that only work with one controller type—BlueRetro let you turn a DualShock into a Sega Saturn twin-stick, emulate the PlayStation Mouse, or use a modern joystick to play GoldenEye. It wasn’t just compatible—it was magical.

The best part? It was all open-source. No corporate lock-in, no dead-end hardware. Just code, creativity, and a middle finger to “that’s not how it worked back then.” Jacques didn’t just build a tool—he built a playground. And he’s literally inviting others to keep playing.

So if you’ve ever dreamed of playing Virtua Fighter with a modern controller, or mapping your smartwatch to a NES Zapper—this is your sign. Fork the repo. Tweak it. Break it. Make it better.

BlueRetro’s dead. Long live BlueRetro.

📰 New article from RetroRGB

“Pixels to Pages: The Story of Electronic Gaming Monthly” Documentary

https://retrorgb.com/pixels-to-pages-the-story-of-electronic-gaming-monthly-documentary.html

Let’s be real: if you ever tore open a fresh issue of Electronic Gaming Monthly like it was Christmas morning, this documentary is your emotional time machine.

“Pixels to Pages: The Story of Electronic Gaming Monthly” isn’t just nostalgia bait—it’s a love letter to the golden age of print gaming journalism. Coury and Joe (of Game Sack) spent six years piecing together interviews with EGM’s legendary editors, writers, and photographers, all while working on other projects. No fancy CGI. No reenactments. Just raw, unfiltered stories—like how they snuck screenshots before anyone else, or the legendary “Sheng Long” April Fools’ hoax that fooled everyone, including Nintendo.

And yes, Sushi-X? Finally explained. (Spoiler: He was real. And kind of a legend.)

What’s wild? The whole doc is made up only of interviews—no on-screen hosts, no voiceovers. Just the voices that shaped gaming’s early media landscape. Even the theme music? A collab between Coury and Joe’s show composers.

If you remember waiting for EGM to drop, or just admire the hustle of pre-internet gaming media—this is your must-watch. It’s not about pixels. It’s about people who made those pixels matter.

Watch it. Then go find your old EGM issues. You’ll cry. Or maybe just yell “Sushi-X!” at your cat.

📰 New article from RetroRGB

FBX Releases Remastered Music for FF7’s Steam Port

https://retrorgb.com/fbx-releases-remastered-music-for-ff7s-steam-port.html

Let’s talk about FF7’s soundtrack—because yes, it just got a glow-up.

FirebrandX (FBX), the retro gaming wizard behind some of the best PC port fixes, just dropped remastered Ogg audio files for the 2012 Steam version of Final Fantasy VII. No complicated installs. Just drop ‘em into your “music_ogg” folder, hit play, and let the legendary battle themes hit like they’re meant to—crisp, rich, and full of 90s emotional grandeur. No more tinny, compressed tunes ruining your trip to Midgar.

Important note: Not all PC versions use Ogg files. If you bought it on GOG or another platform, this mod won’t work—so double-check your files first. And if you’re tired of being forced to log into a Square Enix account just to play the game? Enter 7th Haven Mod Manager. It lets you skip the login hell and keep things gloriously offline.

FBX isn’t asking for much—just your support on Patreon if you appreciate the love poured into these fixes. Because sometimes, the best upgrades aren’t new graphics… they’re better music. And in FF7’s case? That’s everything.

📰 New article from RetroRGB

OSSC Pro Support For Custom Lumacode Palettes

https://retrorgb.com/ossc-pro-support-for-custom-lumacode-palettes.html

Hey retro gamers—your HDMI upscaler just got a color upgrade.

Markus dropped Firmware v0.81 for the OSSC Pro, and it’s a sweet little gift: custom Lumacode palette support. If you’ve ever stared at your NES or Atari 2600 through a Lumacode box and thought, “Hmm, this red looks like a tomato after a heatwave,” now you can fix it. Finally—palette freedom!

But here’s the catch: no one’s converted the existing palettes yet. So while the hardware’s ready, your favorite color schemes are still stuck in limbo. It’s like getting a brand-new espresso machine… but no one made the beans compatible yet.

Enter: you.

If you’ve got even a sliver of coding muscle or pixel-pushing passion, now’s your chance to be the hero the retro scene didn’t know it needed. Build a converter tool. Port those palettes. Save the hues of our childhoods.

And hey—while you’re at it, go rewatch that RetroRGB interview with C0pperdragon. It’s basically a love letter to analog video in the digital age.

Firmware link → v0.81

Grab your OSSC Pro → US | EU

Let’s make the pixels pop again.

📰 New article from Retro Handhelds

KTR1 S Revealed In New Photos

https://retrohandhelds.gg/ktr1-s-revealed-in-new-photos/

Meet the KTR1 S — the handheld that didn’t just ask for an upgrade, it threw its old self into a time machine and came back with better bones.

Retro Gaming with Deadfred just dropped photos of the KTR1 S, and it’s got a serious hardware glow-up: swapping out the tired Helio G99 for MediaTek’s fresher, faster Dimensity 7300. That means quad A78 cores, a beefier Mali-G615 GPU, and a 4nm chip that actually wants to run PS2 games without wheezing. No more “it works… kinda.” Now it’s “it crushes.”

But here’s the real kicker: customization. Want a magnesium shell instead of plastic? Prefer 3:2 over 4:3? Like your thumbsticks positioned like a pro gamer who just won a tournament in their pajamas? The S model says, “You got it.” It’s not just a refresh—it’s a personalized retro experience.

The original KTR1 was already a niche darling. This? It’s the luxury edition. Will it be worth the premium? Maybe. But if you’ve ever wished your handheld could double as both a gaming device and a statement piece… this might be the one. Pre-orders are rumored to drop soon—best hurry before they sell out in obsidian black.

📰 New article from TorrentFreak

Automated Real-Time Pirate IPTV Blocking in France “Within Six Months”

https://torrentfreak.com/automated-real-time-pirate-iptv-blocking-in-france-within-six-months-251214/

France’s battle against pirate IPTV just got a serious upgrade—and it’s not messing around.

Remember the old “three strikes and you’re banned” system? It worked… back in 2009. But today’s pirates aren’t sharing torrents—they’re streaming live football via sneaky, ever-changing IPTV services. And France’s telecom watchdog Arcom is done playing catch-up.

Enter 2026: the year France flips the script. No more manual paperwork taking days to block a single stream. Instead, they’re building an automated, real-time takedown engine—think “Netflix for cops,” but for pirated Premier League matches. The goal? Block illegal streams while the game is still live. Because nothing kills a pirated match like… actually being able to watch it legally.

They’re not just targeting pirate sites. They’re going after the enablers: VPNs, DNS providers, CDNs—even online stores selling pirated set-top boxes. And if these intermediaries drag their feet? Arcom wants legal muscle to force them into action.

The stakes? €1.5 billion in lost revenue, €400 million in unpaid taxes, and a whole lot of frustrated fans who just want to watch the game without buffering.

By mid-2026, if all goes according to plan, France will have the most agile anti-piracy system in Europe. And if you’re selling “unlimited sports” for €5/month? You’ve been warned.

📰 New article from RetroRGB

PSP-3000 Replacement Screen

https://retrorgb.com/psp-3000-replacement-screen.html

You know that feeling when your PSP screen looks like it’s been through a sandstorm? Yeah. Tito from Macho Nacho Productions just dropped the ultimate fix: a $50 IPS replacement screen for the PSP-3000 that’s actually nice—pre-laminated glass, no dust bunnies lurking underneath, and zero soldering required. It’s plug-and-play magic… if you don’t rush it.

Here’s the catch: removing the old screen is basically a test of patience. Tito’s video at the 5-minute mark should be mandatory viewing. I speak from experience—yanking it off like a Band-Aid? Bad idea. You’ll hear the snap before you see the damage. Slow. Steady. Breathe. Take a snack break if needed. Your PSP deserves better than your impatience.

Pro tip: This isn’t just a screen swap—it’s a nostalgia upgrade. Crisp colors, no glare, and your PSOne classics look better than ever. And yes, the glass protector? Already glued on. No more “why is there a speck in my game?” moments.

Just… don’t be me. Go slow. Your PSP (and your sanity) will thank you.