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Amazon argues the same exact thing if you buy a movie digitally from them. It's only available to you for as long as they host it on their servers. This is why

Amazon argues the same exact thing if you buy a movie digitally from them. It's only available to you for as long as they host it on their servers. This is why I pirate shit that I can't find on Netflix or Prime Video. Buying digital content is merely "long term rental" and really needs to be better advertised as that.

vbsteven 5y ago
I wonder if we will ever see a model similar to Qobuz/Bandcamp for movies and TV shows. These services allow downloading your purchases as DRM-free flac files.
- dylan604 5y ago
  As long as the MPAA exists, this will never happen.
  - easton 5y ago
    Apple got the RIAA to go along with it, they definitely could get the movie studios to if they wanted (the pirates already broke Netflix, Amazon, and Disney's encryption, it's not helping anyway). I think the bigger problem now is that people don't buy enough movies for anyone to want to chase this down, and if you want to own a movie, 99% of the time I can get the Blu-Ray+digital version for the same price of the digital one, and then the license syncs to like five different video services. And if they all ban me, then I still have the Blu-Ray.
    - dylan604 5y ago
      The MPAA vs RIAA is sort of an apples vs oranges comparison though. Audio is much easier to compress, and MP3 made it very easy to make files small enough to download via dial-up modems. Video had years to go before quality was good enough at small enough sizes to make them a viable thing on the internet. Because of that, the MPAA got to watch/learn from mistakes that RIAA made in trying to protect its kingdom. Rather than fight the digital inevitablity like RIAA did, MPAA allowed the digital with DRM. This allowed for the "honest" public to have legal viable methods of watching the content. The useless tact RIAA fought caused its own demise in the fight making an entire generation of kids think that music should be free because that's all they knew. Their allowing of DRM free FLAC files was a white flag. MPAA is in a much stronger position to allow that to happen.
      - grishka 5y ago
        Also I don't think there ever were physical audio formats with DRM? CD came out way before piracy was anyone's concern, and then it was too late to change anything. On the other hand, all digital video formats have always had the technical capability for DRM, starting with DVD.
        dane-pgp 5y ago
        > Also I don't think there ever were physical audio formats with DRM? MiniDiscs had "copy protection"[0] and this format was supported by major record labels[1]. They were first released in 1992. > all digital video formats have always had the technical capability for DRM, starting with DVD. By starting with DVD, you're skipping the DRM-free formats of Betamax, VHS, and LaserDisc then? Unless by "had the technical capability for" you mean "could be later extended to add", in which case there was Macrovision[2] for VHS, but also Extended Copy Protection[3] for CDs, also known as "the Sony rootkit". [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MiniDisc#Copy_protection https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MiniDisc#Copy_protection [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_MiniDisc_releases https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_MiniDisc_releases [2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Analog_Protection_System https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Analog_Protection_System [3] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Extended_Copy_Protection https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Extended_Copy_Protection
        grishka 5y ago
        > MiniDiscs had "copy protection"[0] and this format was supported by major record labels[1]. From what I can tell, pre-recorded MiniDiscs were never popular. People bought blank ones and recorded their own pirated mp3s on there. But, yes, that makes me technically wrong with my first comment because it is a physical audio format that has the technical capability for DRM. > By starting with DVD, you're skipping the DRM-free formats of Betamax, VHS, and LaserDisc then? They're all analog and so you can't make an exact copy. At least not without obscenely expensive studio-grade equipment. Yes, that didn't stop people from making copies of VHS tapes, and yes, you could tell how many times it was copied by the picture quality.
        5y ago
freebuju 5y ago
> This is why I pirate shit I stopped seeing any value in purchasing/renting rights to movies and shows from the streaming giants. Want to watch The Office, sorry removed, no longer on Netflix. Oh, you are in a country that has a funny name, content not available in your region. Oh, you are trying to access your Hulu subscription from a Linux device? Max video res capped at 480p. It is such anti-consumer moves that makes me not feel bad for pirating. IMO, the most maximum returns on home media consumption is gained by acquiring and archiving your own collection of media. I don't have to ask anyone for a license to watch my favorite movie from 1999 when I have the copy on my plex.
- easton 5y ago
  If it makes you feel better, Hulu is capped at 480p outside of Edge or Chrome on Windows, and Safari on the Mac.

vbsteven 5y ago

I wonder if we will ever see a model similar to Qobuz/Bandcamp for movies and TV shows. These services allow downloading your purchases as DRM-free flac files.

dylan604 5y ago
As long as the MPAA exists, this will never happen.
- easton 5y ago
  Apple got the RIAA to go along with it, they definitely could get the movie studios to if they wanted (the pirates already broke Netflix, Amazon, and Disney's encryption, it's not helping anyway). I think the bigger problem now is that people don't buy enough movies for anyone to want to chase this down, and if you want to own a movie, 99% of the time I can get the Blu-Ray+digital version for the same price of the digital one, and then the license syncs to like five different video services. And if they all ban me, then I still have the Blu-Ray.
  - dylan604 5y ago
    The MPAA vs RIAA is sort of an apples vs oranges comparison though. Audio is much easier to compress, and MP3 made it very easy to make files small enough to download via dial-up modems. Video had years to go before quality was good enough at small enough sizes to make them a viable thing on the internet. Because of that, the MPAA got to watch/learn from mistakes that RIAA made in trying to protect its kingdom. Rather than fight the digital inevitablity like RIAA did, MPAA allowed the digital with DRM. This allowed for the "honest" public to have legal viable methods of watching the content. The useless tact RIAA fought caused its own demise in the fight making an entire generation of kids think that music should be free because that's all they knew. Their allowing of DRM free FLAC files was a white flag. MPAA is in a much stronger position to allow that to happen.
    - grishka 5y ago
      Also I don't think there ever were physical audio formats with DRM? CD came out way before piracy was anyone's concern, and then it was too late to change anything. On the other hand, all digital video formats have always had the technical capability for DRM, starting with DVD.
      - dane-pgp 5y ago
        > Also I don't think there ever were physical audio formats with DRM? MiniDiscs had "copy protection"[0] and this format was supported by major record labels[1]. They were first released in 1992. > all digital video formats have always had the technical capability for DRM, starting with DVD. By starting with DVD, you're skipping the DRM-free formats of Betamax, VHS, and LaserDisc then? Unless by "had the technical capability for" you mean "could be later extended to add", in which case there was Macrovision[2] for VHS, but also Extended Copy Protection[3] for CDs, also known as "the Sony rootkit". [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MiniDisc#Copy_protection https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MiniDisc#Copy_protection [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_MiniDisc_releases https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_MiniDisc_releases [2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Analog_Protection_System https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Analog_Protection_System [3] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Extended_Copy_Protection https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Extended_Copy_Protection
        grishka 5y ago
        > MiniDiscs had "copy protection"[0] and this format was supported by major record labels[1]. From what I can tell, pre-recorded MiniDiscs were never popular. People bought blank ones and recorded their own pirated mp3s on there. But, yes, that makes me technically wrong with my first comment because it is a physical audio format that has the technical capability for DRM. > By starting with DVD, you're skipping the DRM-free formats of Betamax, VHS, and LaserDisc then? They're all analog and so you can't make an exact copy. At least not without obscenely expensive studio-grade equipment. Yes, that didn't stop people from making copies of VHS tapes, and yes, you could tell how many times it was copied by the picture quality.
        5y ago

freebuju 5y ago

> This is why I pirate shit I stopped seeing any value in purchasing/renting rights to movies and shows from the streaming giants. Want to watch The Office, sorry removed, no longer on Netflix. Oh, you are in a country that has a funny name, content not available in your region. Oh, you are trying to access your Hulu subscription from a Linux device? Max video res capped at 480p. It is such anti-consumer moves that makes me not feel bad for pirating. IMO, the most maximum returns on home media consumption is gained by acquiring and archiving your own collection of media. I don't have to ask anyone for a license to watch my favorite movie from 1999 when I have the copy on my plex.

easton 5y ago
If it makes you feel better, Hulu is capped at 480p outside of Edge or Chrome on Windows, and Safari on the Mac.