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Yeah, even when you boot up into Netlfix in Epiphany browser or something and discover you can't. It's not a great OOTB experience for new Linux users, never mi

Yeah, even when you boot up into Netlfix in Epiphany browser or something and discover you can't. It's not a great OOTB experience for new Linux users, never mind being locked out entirely. But that said, I don't really know how to fix the DRM problem without first making progress on open hardware. Viability and market share in spite of the adversity is the only chance I can see. It still might fail. We try because we feel it is too important to simply do nothing, not because we expect mass success.

hkt 6y ago
Maybe this is something that is a bit facile of me to say, but I like to try to compartmentalise, such that I have a little tablet for media stuff which I use to cast to TV via Chromecast. The other stuff not having Netflix access (both phone and laptop) doesn't bother me so much, and keeps a distinction between open and closed at home. The nice perk is that Chromecast is now doable from laptops under GNOME and will likely become available on phone OSes like PureOS etc too in time. Not great for normies, but that's my tip anyway. Media consumption is a wedge issue and if you're prepared to spend money for privacy, there are a few ways it can be done.
mwcampbell 6y ago
I think the solution is to convince more people that we can live happy lives without access to big-budget entertainment. I've been mostly going without for about two years now, though I've wavered a few times.
- jtxx 6y ago
  IDK, many people spend their whole lives glued to the TV or movies. it feels like it has only gotten worse. it also feels like people don't have hobbies these days. I think to convince people of what you're saying, we need to get people back into having more hobbies. or at least reading or something
  - maerF0x0 6y ago
    The only solution I know is very labor intensive process (and kind of not covid friendly atm), Call up said friend and meet them in person for coffee / hikes / whatever you two like. Refuse invites to do "screen time" things...
- apatters 6y ago
  I think the trick is to start viewing the problem through the lens of anti-trust/pro-competition law. Something like mandating compulsory licensing of DRM technologies so that the DRM manufacturer and Hollywood studios don't get to be kingmakers in the browser or operating systems markets. IANAL but seems to me like laws along the lines of "you can reverse engineer DRM without being arrested" and "the patent holder/whatever of the DRM cannot deny you a license to use this without a good reason" seem like the right direction to me. Then the linux distros or anyone else can go off and build/integrate the DRM to the extent that they wish.
  - lupire 6y ago
    How can you mandate that DRM be licensed to clients that can't or won't actually enforce it? That would be mandatory support for copyright violations.
    - apatters 6y ago
      Copyright violations would continue to be illegal. I am not proposing that they be legalized (though copyright law could use several reforms as well). I am proposing that for instance Google ought to be required to license Widevine to anyone who wants to build an implementation for it. Because Widevine is so widespread and acts as a gatekeeper for content (for example Netflix), if Google doesn't bless your platform with Widevine support you're essentially dead as a consumer media platform. Google should not have this kind of power because competition is good.
tekromancr 6y ago
Yea, it's not a great experience; fortunately, yarrr! thar be options, matey!
- tekromancr 6y ago
  Seriously, I have slowly become subscribed to all of the streaming services; and I still use a system that automatically obtains rips of the content I actually want to consume. Having everything served to me in Plex instead of needing to remember/look up where something was streaming, load up that app, be at the mercy of my shitty connection, etc.

hkt 6y ago

Maybe this is something that is a bit facile of me to say, but I like to try to compartmentalise, such that I have a little tablet for media stuff which I use to cast to TV via Chromecast. The other stuff not having Netflix access (both phone and laptop) doesn't bother me so much, and keeps a distinction between open and closed at home. The nice perk is that Chromecast is now doable from laptops under GNOME and will likely become available on phone OSes like PureOS etc too in time. Not great for normies, but that's my tip anyway. Media consumption is a wedge issue and if you're prepared to spend money for privacy, there are a few ways it can be done.

mwcampbell 6y ago

I think the solution is to convince more people that we can live happy lives without access to big-budget entertainment. I've been mostly going without for about two years now, though I've wavered a few times.

jtxx 6y ago
IDK, many people spend their whole lives glued to the TV or movies. it feels like it has only gotten worse. it also feels like people don't have hobbies these days. I think to convince people of what you're saying, we need to get people back into having more hobbies. or at least reading or something
- maerF0x0 6y ago
  The only solution I know is very labor intensive process (and kind of not covid friendly atm), Call up said friend and meet them in person for coffee / hikes / whatever you two like. Refuse invites to do "screen time" things...
apatters 6y ago
I think the trick is to start viewing the problem through the lens of anti-trust/pro-competition law. Something like mandating compulsory licensing of DRM technologies so that the DRM manufacturer and Hollywood studios don't get to be kingmakers in the browser or operating systems markets. IANAL but seems to me like laws along the lines of "you can reverse engineer DRM without being arrested" and "the patent holder/whatever of the DRM cannot deny you a license to use this without a good reason" seem like the right direction to me. Then the linux distros or anyone else can go off and build/integrate the DRM to the extent that they wish.
- lupire 6y ago
  How can you mandate that DRM be licensed to clients that can't or won't actually enforce it? That would be mandatory support for copyright violations.
  - apatters 6y ago
    Copyright violations would continue to be illegal. I am not proposing that they be legalized (though copyright law could use several reforms as well). I am proposing that for instance Google ought to be required to license Widevine to anyone who wants to build an implementation for it. Because Widevine is so widespread and acts as a gatekeeper for content (for example Netflix), if Google doesn't bless your platform with Widevine support you're essentially dead as a consumer media platform. Google should not have this kind of power because competition is good.

tekromancr 6y ago

Yea, it's not a great experience; fortunately, yarrr! thar be options, matey!

tekromancr 6y ago
Seriously, I have slowly become subscribed to all of the streaming services; and I still use a system that automatically obtains rips of the content I actually want to consume. Having everything served to me in Plex instead of needing to remember/look up where something was streaming, load up that app, be at the mercy of my shitty connection, etc.