Comment by LogicFailsMe

Comment by LogicFailsMe 2 days ago

Don't build the Torment Netflix? These fundamentally anti-consumer moves are why it's called the Internet of sh**y things.

I have no concern whatsoever whether this is about licensing or just money grubbing. You're making things suck for the paying customer. But to be fair, all the streaming services are chasing the last few drops of blood from the stone trying to stop people from actually watching from two screens they paid for in two different locations and other idiocy. I canceled Netflix a while back. And I only watch prime video through an ad blocker on my PC now. Clearly I must hate freedom.

troupo 2 days ago

> I have no concern whatsoever whether this is about licensing or just money grubbing. You're making things suck for the paying customer.

That's the thing though. Streaming services have very little say in how the content is licensed.

> the last few drops of blood from the stone trying to stop people from actually watching from two screens they paid for in two different locations and other idiocy.

Those restrictions you're talking about? They literally come from licensing terms that rights owners impose.

(Most) streaming platforms would gladly not spend a lot of time figuring the devices, what they are playing etc.

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LogicFailsMe 2 days ago

My post obviously struck a nerve, but I would rather pay a higher subscription fee than experience a crappy customer experience. Ads are an exception here, if I'm paying, no ads, and also why I cancelled my NYT subscription long ago.
However, that is not the storyline services like Disney and Netflix have been telling. They have gassed on and on about stopping piracy. 2 screens isn't piracy, it's any family with someone who travels or is away at college.
The solution would appear to be an official android API for streaming content from mobile devices that has resolved these issues or locked out the rights holders. That would require spine so not expecting it, sigh. But they're sure happy to pick on sideloaders.

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- troupo 2 days ago
  
  > The solution would appear to be an official android API for streaming content from mobile devices that has resolved these issues or locked out the rights holders.
  How would you lock out rights holders who hold the rights to content to create such an official streaming API? Such an official API would have to abide by all the licensing rules rights holders impose.
  
  Reply View | 7 replies
  
  LogicFailsMe 2 days ago
  
  That's a question for lawyers to resolve. IANAL but I have great faith in their ability to impose arbitrary roadblocks to anything as needed. And even if ultimately overturned, just making the bottom line more affordable allowing casting would seem to be the "shareholder value" friendly message. Further, there was already precedent for such behavior on Netflix with some content being downloadable for later viewing and some not.
  I'm a bit surprised that you think Google and the streaming services are helpless here when pretty much every foundation model effort has stolen tremendous amounts of IP to build their AI models without consequence.
  Otherwise, frog.pot.boiled, no?
  
  Reply View | 6 replies