Mon, September 26, 2011
Netflix vs. Copyright Robber Barons—2:56 PM
From Daring Fireball today, two very nice entries which tidily answer my question about the Netflix/Qwikster split. It comes down to bullying tactics by the studios that produce the content Netflix rents, and the differences behind what you can do with a DVD vs. what you can do with a digital stream of data:
It's the Content Providers, Silly [The Angry Drunk]
What's Really Behind the Netflix/Qwikster Split [Outside the Beltway]
Of course it is frustrating that movie studios see it as their primary business objective to constrain and restrict the way people who like their movies (or TV shows) can pay for access to the entertainment that has been made for the purpose of being enjoyed by that same audience. But we can hardly consider that astonishing at this point. (It definitely doesn't make you feel sorry for them when these arcane restrictions force you, as a last resort, to acquire something via unlawful download once in a while.)
These are the reasons I've always resisted video-on-demand, streaming media, and services like Rhapsody, Napster 2.0, and Spotify that give you access to something that resides "in the cloud" – you don't really actually have a thing. And without a thing, you're always at the mercy of someone changing the rules and taking away the value you're paying for. There's a convenience to Netflix Streaming (or, as it will soon be known, Netflix). It's great when I just want to watch some old TV shows or a silly movie. But when I want to see digital quality, special features, and know that I'm buying access to a reliable inventory, the only choice is Netflix. (Which will now be called Qwiskster.) (Presumably because ClownPenis-dot-fart was taken.)
