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OPINION: I’ve learn loads of articles lately in regards to the demise of bodily media, the demise of Blu-ray, the demise of CD, the rebirth of vinyl and cassette tapes. And I’ve learn most likely simply as many (some I’ve written) in regards to the points with streaming companies. Moderately than this stuff being a certainty, all the pieces is extra in a state of flux.
Proper now, the development is shifting within the path of digital media, and it’s an space that can proceed to develop. Bodily media isn’t in its demise throes, it’s not going to evaporate right into a wisp and float away on the wind, however its massively common, mass market days of the early 2000s are probably behind it.
Digital media has supplanted bodily media (changed just isn’t actually the time period) however it has come at a price. The information that pertains to this column was introduced again in July so it isn’t actually ‘new;, however it didn’t come into pressure till August thirty first. The information was that the PlayStation Retailer will take away StudioCanal motion pictures from its German and Austrian shops due to licensing points.
After all that’s nothing new, licensing agreements are all the time evolving, however the stickler right here just isn’t that you simply gained’t be capable to obtain StudioCanal content material from the shop anymore, however that you’ll lose entry to movies that you’ve purchased i.e. you’ll now not be capable to watch these movies in any respect.
That’s, fairly frankly, ridiculous. The truth that you’ve misplaced entry to content material that you simply’ve paid for baffles. It’s an issue exacerbated by these walled gardens of content material, the shortcoming to switch these things off of 1 platform resulting from digital media rights. As has been famous earlier than with digital content material, you don’t personal it, you might be successfully leasing it and the rug could be pulled from beneath you instantly.
I’ve heard of the problems with the iTunes film retailer the place content material bought in a single market can’t be transferred to a different, so if you happen to transfer international locations there’s the chance you gained’t be capable to watch the flicks and TV reveals you’ve stocked up on. Digital media was, a minimum of it appeared to me, meant to supply extra freedom and suppleness: all of your favorite reveals accessible in your laptop computer or pill. That notion now appears to be one thing of a utopia.
It highlights the apparent and evident subject with digital content material, made worse nonetheless by the truth that within the assertion on the PlayStation Retailer from 2021 about its transfer to discontinue film and TV purchases, because the submit mentioned “customers can nonetheless entry film and TV content material they’ve bought by means of PlayStation Retailer for on-demand playback on their PS4, PS5 and cell units.” Properly that’s no longer true, and that solely serves to trigger a way of distrust.
The streaming wars haven’t made issues any simple, with content material now unfold over a number of companies that viewers subscribe to look at what they need after which unsubscribe after they end. With the sum of money being invested into streaming companies, it’s not a wholesome state of affairs, nevertheless you have a look at it.
So I will probably be sticking with bodily media, and persevering with to spend money on my 4K Blu-ray assortment. Whereas bodily media is certainly not excellent; it’s much less aggravating than digital media.
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