Popcorn Time -- the best App for watching movies and TV series

PopcornTime App




Popcorn Time is an open-source streaming application that lets users watch movies and TV shows for free, using torrents as the source of content.

Instead of searching for torrent files on a website (e.g., Pirate Bay) and then opening them in a separate player (e.g., VLC), you just search for a movie or TV show within Popcorn Time and click "play".

Core Features

• BitTorrent Streaming: Streams movies and TV shows directly from torrents, allowing playback while downloading.

• Integrated Media Player: Built-in player for seamless viewing without needing external software.

• Cross-Platform Support: Available on Windows, macOS, Linux, and Android.

• Multi-language Interface: Supports dozens of languages for global accessibility.

• Content Discovery: Browse trending, popular, or newly released titles in a Netflix-style interface.

• Instant Playback: Watch in HD or 4K without waiting for full downloads.

• Library Management: Organize and track your viewing history and favorites.

• Subtitles: Automatic subtitle support in multiple languages.

• Seedbox Tab: Lets you monitor torrent activity (downloads/uploads) inside the app.

• Open Source: Community-driven development with frequent forks and updates.

Example: To watch the Korean Series "Undercover Miss Hong"

Click 'Series' on the top bar

Use the magnifying glass to search for "Undercover Miss Hong", the following will appear

 On this page, we have the available Episodes on the left.

On the right we have the information about audio language (English)

Symbols ,   that provide a 'magnet link' and the 'health index' (no. of seeds and no. of peers available). The more seeds and the more peers are there the faster and better will be the streaming.

The magnet link lets you download the episode before watching.

The health index is a reference for the smoothness of the stream.

On the right hand bottom corner, there is a 'watch now'. Click on it then you can start watching. 

 

clicking on the small triangle next to 'watch now', you can select your preferred player (installed first).

On the left hand side of 'watch now', you have the download icon. Click on it to download the episode if you prefer.

Further to the left, you have the choice of resolutions for your episode.

 

Note:

As of 2026, the official Popcorn Time project has undergone a major transformation. The new version will no longer hosts or streams any video content.

If you do not find any movies or series appearing on the home page. Do this

Setting --> API Server(s) --> in the Blank Spaces of

Movies API Server(s), Series API Server(s), Anime API Server(s) ,

Fill in any one of the following:

    https://fusme.link/

    https://jfper.link/

    https://uxert.link/

    https://yrkde.link/ 

 

and test it until you have the movies and series appear on the Home page.

Commonly used “sudo pacman” commands on Arch Linux

  

Commonly used “sudo pacman” commands on Arch Linux

“sudo pacman” is the core command for managing software (installing, updating, removing packages) with administrative privileges.

What is sudo pacman?

• pacman = Arch Linux’s official package manager (stands for Package Archive Manager).

• sudo = Runs pacman with root/administrator permissions (required for system-wide changes like installing/removing software).

Core Functions of sudo pacman

1. Update the system (critical first step after installation!)

Syncs your local package database with remote servers and updates all installed packages to the latest versions:

sudo pacman -Syu

• -S: Sync (download/install packages)

• -y: Refresh the package database (yes to sync)

• -u: Upgrade all out-of-date packages (upgrade)

Always run this before installing new software to avoid dependency conflicts!

2. Install a package

Install one or more packages from Arch’s official repositories:

# Install a single package (e.g., VLC media player)

sudo pacman -S vlc

# Install multiple packages at once (e.g., VLC + GIMP)

sudo pacman -S vlc gimp

• -S: Stands for Sync (the main flag for installing from repos).

3. Remove a package

Delete a package (and optionally its unused dependencies):

# Basic remove (keeps dependencies)

sudo pacman -R vlc

# Remove package + unused dependencies (recommended)

sudo pacman -Rns vlc

• -R: Remove

• -n: Remove configuration files (nuke configs)

• -s: Remove unused dependencies (sweep)

4. Search for a package

Find packages in the official repos

# Search for a package by name/keyword (e.g., "firefox")

pacman -Ss firefox

# Search for already installed packages only

pacman -Qs firefox

• -Ss: Search sync database (remote repos)

• -Qs: Query search (local installed packages)

5. Check package details

See info about a package (version, description, dependencies):

# Info about a remote package (not installed yet)

pacman -Si vlc

# Info about an installed package

pacman -Qi vlc

• -Si: Sync info (remote)

• -Qi: Query info (local)

6. Clean up cached packages

Pacman stores downloaded package files (*.pkg.tar.zst) in /var/cache/pacman/pkg/—clean them to free space:

# Delete old cached packages (keep latest version)

sudo pacman -Sc

# Delete ALL cached packages (more aggressive)

sudo pacman -Scc

• -Sc: Sync clean (safe)

• -Scc: Sync clean completely (use if low on disk space)

7. Fix broken dependencies

If you get "dependency error" messages, repair the package database:

sudo pacman -Syyu --overwrite '*'

• -yy: Force refresh the package database (twice = full sync)

• --overwrite '*': Fixes issues where files are owned by multiple packages (use carefully!).

Notes for Beginners

• Never use pacman -Sy alone (it only syncs the database, not upgrades packages)—always use -Syu to update safely.

• Official repos vs AUR: pacman only works with Arch’s official repos (e.g., core, extra, community). For AUR packages (like Popcorn Time), use yay/pamac (which wrap pacman).

• No sudo for read-only actions: Commands like pacman -Ss, pacman -Qi don’t need sudo (they only read data, not modify the system).

Summary

1. sudo pacman -Syu: Update your entire system (most important command).

2. sudo pacman -S <package>: Install a package from official repos.

3. sudo pacman -Rns <package>: Uninstall a package + clean up dependencies/configs.

4. pacman -Ss <keyword>: Search for packages (no sudo needed).

5. sudo pacman -Sc: Clean cached packages to free space.

如何將ACESTREAM LINK 轉換成HTTP 地址 然後播放

想將 ACESTREAM LINK 轉換成 HTTP 地址 然後播放，主要是利用以下格式:

http://127.0.0.1:6878/ace/getstream?id=Acestream Link

在 Ace Stream 引擎运行后，用播放器 (如 VLC) 嘗試去打開這個 HTTP 地址時，Ace Stream 引擎便會開始緩冲，返回一個 视频流（通常是 .ts 或 .m3u8 格式），之後播放器就能播放。

解析

• 'http://127.0.0.1:6878/ace/getstream?id=' 是 Ace Stream 的本地 HTTP API 调用。
• 127.0.0.1 代表你本机的地址，是在你电脑上运行的 Ace Stream 引擎
• 6878 是 Ace Stream 引擎默认的 HTTP 控制端口。通过访问这个接口，你可以获取流媒体数据或控制播放。
•  /ace/getstream 是 Ace Stream 引擎提供的一个核心接口，主要作用是通过给定的内容标识符（Content ID）来请求一个可以直接播放的视频流（stream）。当你把这个链接输入到播放器（如 VLC、PotPlayer）或者浏览器中时，Ace Stream 引擎会开始连接 P2P 网络，下载或缓存内容，并实时输出视频流数据。

• id=：这是一个查询参数，后面需要跟上你要播放的媒体内容 ID。它是 Ace Stream 用来标识资源的哈希值。

• 示例 (BT Sport / ESPN [UK]):

  
  

        http://127.0.0.1:6878/ace/getstream?id=fc5089d8e1519872fdf951779ccbca913acc9bce

如想在 VLC 上播放

1. 啟動 Acestream Engine
2. 開啟 VLC
3. 複制以上 HTTP 鏈接
4.  點擊 VLC 上 的 Media --> Oprn location from clipboaed
5. 等幾秒後，BT Sport Channel 便會開始在 VLC 上直播。

 你亦可以用同樣的方法在 Celluloid 或是 Smplayer 上播放。

 

如果想看其他 Channel 的直播，以下是它們的 Content ID，試用過，是可用的.

BT Sport / ESPN [UK]

fc5089d8e1519872fdf951779ccbca913acc9bce

ESPN HD [US]

4b4907de51ec11087d4bed5876f2a0c68264f442

ESPN2 [US]

664eb5fe460b96941aed633959a845b185cd8394

FOX Sports 1 HD [US]

c9c062941fbecb16ce29437f346ea7177d720898

FOX Sports 2 HD [US]

cba8d369eac629b577750edb90370cd1c5fb03b7

Sky Sports Arena [UK]

d317a003e8047da2c36a2a2bb2289578c9a3b79c

Sky Sports Cricket [UK]

6d95e4b0893e155cc674b84e0763150c445d3ddd

Sky Sports Football [UK]

8dbe2d515e9131fa311353537736f8c94be9b26d

Sky Sports Main Event [UK]

eab7aeef0218ce8b0752e596e4792b69eda4df5e

BT Sport / ESPN [UK]

fc5089d8e1519872fdf951779ccbca913acc9bce

BT Sport 1 [UK]

efc60cfe5e3a349baa02bcc49f6647c21a9c3c5b

BT Sport 2 [UK]

d63d8a57cf471394bfa9f619bbd68b01ae27a801

BT Sport 3 [UK]

5f966c123759de46dff29c379266b7a403452033

NBA TV [US]

e72d03fb9694164317260f684470be9ab781ed95

Tennis Channel (UK) (720p)

8091334c82e8720fc6aa05ff0bd6d343c5bfecbf

Eurosport 1 HD [RU]

1b0bc4d4dcd609d3c092712e721392b199f50a62

Eurosport 2 HD [RU]

6176281b9c46a5621a0e88524f8dc621f173b8e0

Sky Sports Football [UK]

8dbe2d515e9131fa311353537736f8c94be9b26d

SuperTennis HD

b58dbf92765976b308695f62dea94b00b40730ee

Tennis Channel (UK) (720p)

8091334c82e8720fc6aa05ff0bd6d343c5bfecbf

NFL Network HD [us]

10e514ecccea1ec53736aae6486c15c1cce9379e

 

 

IPTV vs MAGNET vs ACESTREAM Links

IPTV Links

Technology: 

Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) delivers TV channels over the internet using standard streaming protocols.

Format: 

Usually .m3u or .m3u8 playlist files containing direct stream URLs.

A single link: http://mg.hmysapp.cn:177/ckmg/zb.php?id=cctv5p

How it works: 

You load the playlist into an IPTV player (e.g., VLC, IPTV Smarters, TiviMate), and it streams channels directly from servers.


Pros:

• Simple to use.
• Works on many devices (smart TVs, apps, browsers).
• No need for peer-to-peer sharing.

Cons:

• Streams can be unstable if servers are overloaded.
• Quality depends on the provider’s bandwidth.
• Often centralized, so links can expire quickly.

Magnet Links

Technology: 

Peer-to-peer file sharing via BitTorrent protocol.

Format: 

Magnet URI (e.g., magnet:?xt=urn:btih:...) pointing to torrent metadata.

    magnet:?xt=urn:btih:94c2fd8fb9bc8f2fc71a2cbe9d4b866f227a0209&dn=文件名.mp4&tr=...

How it works: 

You paste the magnet link into a torrent client (qBittorrent, Transmission, etc.), and it fetches content from other peers.

Pros:

• Decentralized — no single server dependency.
• Easy to share (just a short text link).

Cons:

• Not streaming-friendly (downloads files rather than live playback).
• Speed depends on number of seeders.
• Legal risks if used for copyrighted content.

AceStream Links

Technology: 

Peer-to-peer streaming protocol built on BitTorrent.

Format: 

AceStream IDs (e.g., acestream://...) that point to live streams or media files.

    acestream://94c2fd8fb9bc8f2fc71a2cbe9d4b866f227a0209

How it works: 

You open the link in the AceStream app or compatible players (Kodi add-ons, Android apps). It streams content while simultaneously sharing chunks with other users.

Pros:

• Great for live sports and events.
• Decentralized, so streams can be more resilient.
• Often higher quality than free IPTV links.

Cons:

• Requires AceStream software.
• Uses more bandwidth and upload data (since it’s P2P).
• Links can be harder to find and may involve unofficial sources.

拼多多退貨 (路由器) 記趣

我家的路由器，已經使用了多年，無論是上網速度或是功能方面均較現時的產品落後，時常令我有換新的衝動。在2025年12月26日 ，我終於按捺不住，花了130元人民幣在拼多多拼了部 TP-LINK，TL-XDR300。怎知用了个多月後，在2026年2月6日，它便突然失靈，上不了網。於是就去找拚多多的賣家，告知情況。商家的客服很快便向我建議了几個解決的方案，叫我試試。經我逐一試驗後，我發覺都是不能解決問題，於是便斷定部路由器是壞了。

部路由器用了這麼短時間便失靈，需要要報廢，心有不甘，於是便在拼多多平台上申請「退貨退款」。賣家很快就拒絕了我，說他只支「七天內退貨退款，及一年內換新」，叫我去平台申請換新。我覺得不能退款，但能夠換個新的也算是合理，於是便取消了退貨退款的申請。之後去拼多多平台上找「換新」的申請手續入口，但是找遍都找不到。於是便只好向拼多多平台客服請教。

客服的服務態度非常好，她除了在線上的講解明白外，還用電話跟我溝通。拼多多這方面的服務手法，確是值得一讚!

客服對我說，如果是商品的質量問題，就算是過了七天，仍可以申請退貨退款，同時也只有啟動了退貨退款申請，拼多多平台才會彈出一個「退貨」申請的入口。於是我就只好又再次申請退貨退款。這次可能是有拼多多客服的介入，商家最終同意了我的申請，平台也彈出了退貨的指引。根據提示，我終於找到了申請退貨的頁面。

說到 TP-Link 路由器，我現在才知道，原來它近年是問題多多的。TP-Link 也承認，它旗下多款的路由器存在一個尚未修補的零時差漏洞。所以大家在購買前，真是要研究清楚!

退回路由器的手續，其實並不簡單。我家附近有一個集運自提點，我以為可以找它幫幫忙，怎知，一問之下，得到的答覆是，除了順豐之外，香港沒有一間公司能幫我將路由器退回去。明知順豐收費貴，我也只好去找它。好彩，事前，我先打了個電話過去查詢一下。得到的回覆是，運費需要 $72，這都算了，更大的問題是同時要賣家上傅他的身份証明文件，以作清關之用，這便難到我了。

幸好，現在是互聯網年代，資訊發達。我於是便向 DEEP SEEK 和 COPILOT 請教，它們都向我建議，較簡單的方法便是去深圳託運，避開清關問題，並說在深圳蓮塘口岸的商業城，有兩間集運公司可以幫忙退貨，那就是 順豐和 申通。

現在的資訊，更令我驚奇的是，在 youtube 上，我居然也可以找到一些有關蓮塘口岸商場退貨的視頻。這類影影片還講述如何去商場之外，和介紹了這兩間速遞公司的辦公時間和收費詳情，令我尚未出發就已心中有數。 

 

這是我第一次去蓮塘，我計劃了在 2026年2月10日，坐 B8 號巴士前往，因為在我家樓下都有去程和回程的 B8 巴士站，很方便。當天早上，我大約 7 點鐘去到 巴士站，7:28 分 便能上了車，車上的乘客很少，有很多座位任坐。全程用了 50 分鐘，我便已抵達香園圍。過完兩個海關後，時間才是 8:39。亦即是說，由出發至到達蓮塘才用了一個鐘頭另 11 分鐘，跟由我家去尖沙咀的時間差不多。

過了蓮塘海關，向前走兩步就來到蓮塘口岸商場。我一下子便找到「申通集運」。現場要託運的人並不多，很快職員已可以幫我辦理，花了不到十分鐘就處理完畢。我要寄回去山東的運費是 12 元人民幣 (順豐則要 18 元)。

一場來到，當然要順便在商場逛一逛，看看有甚麼值得買的。這個商場並不大，很快便逛完。我發覺這里的商品並不平宜，跟香港的差不多，於是便隨便買了盒蛋捲 (¥20)，和四條糉 (¥28)。

之後便過關，乘 B8 巴士回家。固程比去時快，只用了 47 分鐘。

後記:

在 2026年2月11日 00:50 已收到退款!! 就連 12 元運費也都退回給我。

AceStream Launcher and some workable acestream links

AceStream Launcher is a small utility that lets you open AceStream links (content IDs) directly in your preferred media player, e.g., VLC, MPV, or another player with more customization.It is an alternative to using AceStream player. 

TO play any acestream links, you need: 

• AceStream Engine 
• AceStream Launcher 
• A Terminal 

 

The AceStream Engine runs in the background (a must) and handles the peer‑to‑peer streaming. Without the engine, the launcher will not be able to fetch streams. 

 

Installation of AceStream Engine and AceStream Launcher (Arch Linux): 

 

yay -S acestream-engine acestream-launcher 

 

How to play acestream id with acestream-launcher 

 To play an AceStream ID with acestream-launcher, you simply run the launcher in a Terminal with the AceStream URL or ID as the argument, and optionally specify your preferred media player. By default, it uses mpv player, but you can set VLC or another player if you prefer. 

The following are some workable AceStream IDs that I am using:

BT Sport / ESPN [UK]

    fc5089d8e1519872fdf951779ccbca913acc9bce

ESPN HD [US]

    4b4907de51ec11087d4bed5876f2a0c68264f442

ESPN2 [US]

    664eb5fe460b96941aed633959a845b185cd8394

FOX Sports 1 HD [US]

    c9c062941fbecb16ce29437f346ea7177d720898

FOX Sports 2 HD [US]

    cba8d369eac629b577750edb90370cd1c5fb03b7

Sky Sports Arena [UK]

    d317a003e8047da2c36a2a2bb2289578c9a3b79c

Sky Sports Cricket [UK]

    6d95e4b0893e155cc674b84e0763150c445d3ddd

Sky Sports Football [UK]

    8dbe2d515e9131fa311353537736f8c94be9b26d

Sky Sports Main Event [UK]

    eab7aeef0218ce8b0752e596e4792b69eda4df5e

BT Sport / ESPN [UK]

    fc5089d8e1519872fdf951779ccbca913acc9bce

BT Sport 1 [UK]

    efc60cfe5e3a349baa02bcc49f6647c21a9c3c5b

BT Sport 2 [UK]

    d63d8a57cf471394bfa9f619bbd68b01ae27a801

BT Sport 3 [UK]

    5f966c123759de46dff29c379266b7a403452033

NBA TV [US]

    e72d03fb9694164317260f684470be9ab781ed95

Tennis Channel (UK) (720p)

    8091334c82e8720fc6aa05ff0bd6d343c5bfecbf

Eurosport 1 HD [RU]

    1b0bc4d4dcd609d3c092712e721392b199f50a62

Eurosport 2 HD [RU]

    6176281b9c46a5621a0e88524f8dc621f173b8e0

Sky Sports Football [UK]

    8dbe2d515e9131fa311353537736f8c94be9b26d

SuperTennis HD

    b58dbf92765976b308695f62dea94b00b40730ee

Tennis Channel (UK) (720p)

    8091334c82e8720fc6aa05ff0bd6d343c5bfecbf

NFL Network HD [us]

    10e514ecccea1ec53736aae6486c15c1cce9379e

 

 

The command format for playing any of the above links is: 

    acestream-launcher "acestream://Acestream ID" 

 

Run this command in a Terminal, and it will open in mpv player by default. 

Foe example, if I want to watch in MPV the ESPN HD [US] channel, with conten ID:                 

   

    4b4907de51ec11087d4bed5876f2a0c68264f442

Then I have to type the following in a Terminal,

    acestream-launcher acestream://4b4907de51ec11087d4bed5876f2a0c68264f442

OR

    acestream-launcher "acestream://4b4907de51ec11087d4bed5876f2a0c68264f442"

If I want to watch in VLC, then type

    acestream-launcher acestream://4b4907de51ec11087d4bed5876f2a0c68264f442 --p vlc

By replacing VLC with Celluloid, or Smplayer, or Haruna, then you can specify the player to your desire.

If you want a smoother playback you can add "--hls" as follows:

acestream-launcher acestream://4b4907de51ec11087d4bed5876f2a0c68264f442 --p vlc --hls

***Alternately, you may enter these in a Terminal to achieve the same result:

    vlc "http://127.0.0.1:6878/ace/getstream?id=4b4907de51ec11087d4bed5876f2a0c68264f442"

    mpv "http://127.0.0.1:6878/ace/getstream?id=4b4907de51ec11087d4bed5876f2a0c68264f442"

    celluloid "http://127.0.0.1:6878/ace/getstream?id=4b4907de51ec11087d4bed5876f2a0c68264f442"

    haruna "http://127.0.0.1:6878/ace/getstream?id=4b4907de51ec11087d4bed5876f2a0c68264f442"

You can do these without the quote marks as well. This method works faster and better!


Moreover, you can also use this format

    http://127.0.0.1:6878/ace/getstream?id=CONTENT_ID

to open an AceStream link in those that have the function of opening an URL field like VLC, Celluloid and Smplayer.

For the case of VLC:

• Open VLC.
• Go to Media → Open Network Stream.
• In the URL field, paste the following format:

http://127.0.0.1:6878/ace/getstream?id=4b4907de51ec11087d4bed5876f2a0c68264f442

Click Play. VLC will connect to the AceStream Engine, fetch peers, and start streaming.

The is also true for celluloid and smplayer.

 

NOTE:

The above methods work well on EndeavourOS but not CachyOS. This is due to CachyOS's aggressive kernel optimizations and package modifications.

However, I found 

vlc "http://127.0.0.1:6878/ace/getstream?id=4b4907de51ec11087d4bed5876f2a0c68264f442"

method worked.