zlacker

>>qainsi+(OP)
With prices of all streaming crawling upwards, and often multiple services being required to cover the catalog of what you want to watch, purchasing† has become a compelling option again. Realistically, if you're paying for Netflix, Prime, and Disney+, you're looking at a $45/mo bill. With seasons of shows costing around $10-15 to buy, are you better off with streaming? I personally don't watch more than a full season of a show in any given month, and I've just started considering this. One notable benefit - most streaming providers have a larger digital catalog for purchasing than for streaming, meaning you can centralize more.

The obvious downside though is at some point the show may just magically disappear from your purchased library, if negotiations between the platform and the creator go south††. I'd love to see some laws in this area where "a purchase is a purchase" to prevent this, but for now it's a risk (albeit one with maritime workarounds).

† or license leasing if you're buying digitally

†† ie https://discussions.apple.com/thread/6449826?sortBy=best

>>jjcm+md
It seems that it's going to end up as it ended up with music and books.

Buy a season of a show (an album, a book) digitally to indicate your support and help keep it running. Then pirate and keep a local copy of the same to ensure against future unavailability, and for more convenience.

I bet enough people in the media industry understand this mechanics, and sort of turn a blind eye at it, because it's not affecting their bottom line materially.

>>nine_k+ne
The media industry is pretty notoriously not chill about piracy.

>>thfura+3f
Yeah, but they’re focused on the wrong stuff, now, and evading their detection is easier than ever.

Pirate all the things.

The relationship between publishers and consumers has been almost 100% adversarial for a while, now. It started with payola for radio DJs in the 1950s, and it has only escalated since then.

PIRATE ALL THE THINGS! It is almost our duty, at this point. Publishers are closer than ever to being able to take your money and provide nothing in return if they choose. They keep inching closer and closer to that reality.

Again, this relationship is adversarial. Fight back or lose the fight forever.

Pirate. Everything.

>>naikro+LM
Just don't forget to support creators! Or there will be less and less available from any source.