> Netflix has already killed the old distribution model. For the price of about 8 full-price DVDs per year, you can watch any video in the Netflix catalog (...)
Lets not forget that they started out with video rental. I think video (and music[1]) rental already demonstrated that "pay2own" is overpriced, and has been since the early days. I mean, you could run a store (rent space, pay employees) and afford to pay "enough" in license fees for content that people paid, what, 25% of the price of purchasing a copy. Sure, I could lend a VHS I'd bought to a friend -- but does anyone really think that lending led to less profit, rather than more? (See: libraries aren't killing the publishing industry).
> with the assurance of consistent quality and convenience.
What? The files I've downloaded - they're consistent and convenient. They play back off line. They play back on the OS I use. I'll have them in 20 years, no matter what kind of licence bullshit happens, or if Netflix goes bankrupt or not. I do accept that it might be convenient to a lot of people -- but it's not convenient for me.
Spotify is a little better (off-line support) -- but you only get access as long as you pay rent. Their Linux support has been spotty (no pun intended). And while they are better now, I grew tired of feeling like I was playing the lottery every time I opened a playlist: How many songs would be left? How many would have disappeared due to distribution rights?
I used to buy CDs, buy some LPs. I buy some music direct from artists (eg: bandcamp etc). But I refuse to buy stuff that's "protected" with DRM[2]. I've grown up borrowing books, comics, music from people I love and respect. I want to lend out the stuff I've found that's good. I want to be able to do that in 10, 20, 30, 40 years. That doesn't work if the only copy of a song is on youtube, and I don't download it.
[1] In Japan, along with recordable mini-disks (with their one-digital-copy-drm-limit), music rentals on CDs was pretty big in the late 90s.
[2] I do love to go to the cinema. I think it's sad that the industry has pretty much doubled the price of projection equipment, just to enable DRM. But at least they've cut back on the cost of making prints, and the cost of distribution.
Lets not forget that they started out with video rental. I think video (and music[1]) rental already demonstrated that "pay2own" is overpriced, and has been since the early days. I mean, you could run a store (rent space, pay employees) and afford to pay "enough" in license fees for content that people paid, what, 25% of the price of purchasing a copy. Sure, I could lend a VHS I'd bought to a friend -- but does anyone really think that lending led to less profit, rather than more? (See: libraries aren't killing the publishing industry).
> with the assurance of consistent quality and convenience.
What? The files I've downloaded - they're consistent and convenient. They play back off line. They play back on the OS I use. I'll have them in 20 years, no matter what kind of licence bullshit happens, or if Netflix goes bankrupt or not. I do accept that it might be convenient to a lot of people -- but it's not convenient for me.
Spotify is a little better (off-line support) -- but you only get access as long as you pay rent. Their Linux support has been spotty (no pun intended). And while they are better now, I grew tired of feeling like I was playing the lottery every time I opened a playlist: How many songs would be left? How many would have disappeared due to distribution rights?
I used to buy CDs, buy some LPs. I buy some music direct from artists (eg: bandcamp etc). But I refuse to buy stuff that's "protected" with DRM[2]. I've grown up borrowing books, comics, music from people I love and respect. I want to lend out the stuff I've found that's good. I want to be able to do that in 10, 20, 30, 40 years. That doesn't work if the only copy of a song is on youtube, and I don't download it.
[1] In Japan, along with recordable mini-disks (with their one-digital-copy-drm-limit), music rentals on CDs was pretty big in the late 90s.
[2] I do love to go to the cinema. I think it's sad that the industry has pretty much doubled the price of projection equipment, just to enable DRM. But at least they've cut back on the cost of making prints, and the cost of distribution.