I disagree about it being “not much better”; with Blu-ray, even without SGX, you can still rely on software like AnyDVD, MakeMKV, DVDFab, etc., to clone and dec

I disagree about it being “not much better”; with Blu-ray, even without SGX, you can still rely on software like AnyDVD, MakeMKV, DVDFab, etc., to clone and decrypt the media. It’s “easy” for general consumers with $50 to burn on an LG WH14NS40, or similar, to backup decrypted copies of even UHD Blu-rays and then stream them locally with something like Plex, Jellyfin or Kodi. Pair that with backups and something capable of correcting corruption, like ZFS, and you’ve got incredibly long-term access to the media that you own. Whereas when something streaming-exclusive is removed from whatever platform, you typically have no choice but to accept that it is gone or rely on piracy. Services like Netflix often make use of Widevine and restrict playback of full HD and UHD content to devices with Widevine L1 support. While it is possible to decrypt L3 content using relatively accessible keys, such as the ones from browsers like Chrome, not only has this historically had a much higher barrier to entry, you won’t be getting the decent-quality versions. In order to do that, you’d need either some sort of exploit or insider-access at a manufacturer to get L1 decryption. They will invalidate known abused keys, so piracy groups tend to be very quiet about where and how they’ve managed to decrypt certain content. All of that is also assuming that you’re willing to make illegal copies of content from streaming services and that you’ve thought enough about it ahead of time to do so prior to removal. And, of course, not to mention that the content available to L1 devices is often still significantly worse quality than what is available on Blu-ray (e.g., typical Netflix 4K streams are 15Mbps while 4K Blu-rays are usually around 80Mbps). Anyway, I hope all of that didn’t come off too fanatical or ranty; I am just a bit passionate about the subject! I get where you’re coming from, and I do think it is disappointing that even physical media has so many restrictions in place. That said, while I don’t like the DRM on Blu-ray and DVD, I think we shouldn’t be quite so pessimistic about physical media. It is not libre in any sense, and I recognize the cost of buying each and every single thing you enjoy is too cost prohibitive for the average person, I would be really sad to see this sort of thing eventually die off entirely. I think despite the annoyances, these discs are still really important for enthusiast viewers, people in remote/rural areas, and longer-term preservation.