this post was submitted on 18 May 2024
974 points (98.9% liked)

Technology

59440 readers
3720 users here now

This is a most excellent place for technology news and articles.


Our Rules


  1. Follow the lemmy.world rules.
  2. Only tech related content.
  3. Be excellent to each another!
  4. Mod approved content bots can post up to 10 articles per day.
  5. Threads asking for personal tech support may be deleted.
  6. Politics threads may be removed.
  7. No memes allowed as posts, OK to post as comments.
  8. Only approved bots from the list below, to ask if your bot can be added please contact us.
  9. Check for duplicates before posting, duplicates may be removed

Approved Bots


founded 1 year ago
MODERATORS
 

Netflix has managed to annoy a good number of its users with an announcement about an upcoming update to its Windows 11 (and Windows 10) app: support for adverts and live events will be added, but the ability to download content is being taken away.

Netflix must realize that it's a huge frustration for people who relied on offline downloads to watch content without internet access: on planes, trains, and campsites, and anywhere else where Wi-Fi is unavailable or unreliable.

There's a small chance that Netflix will change its mind if it gets enough complaints, but the streaming service seems determined to add as many money-making features as possible, while taking away genuinely useful ones.

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[–] [email protected] 17 points 6 months ago (9 children)

If there’s still downloads available on mobile it’s probably not licensing. Iirc the downloads were only available in shit quality anyways so as always, pirating is a better experience.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago) (4 children)

Only if the people that pirate the shows are able to obtain those higher quality downloads.

As these platforms become increasingly hostile to users, they're going to be well aware of the subsequent increase in piracy, and implement even more methods of preventing their content from being pirated.

It will always be impossible to stop piracy completely, but you can make it increasingly difficult to obtain best quality.

Keep in mind all of the various things that are starting to be implemented or suggested to ensure device/environment "integrity" in recent years. I promise a day is coming when Netflix and other streaming services will only allow streaming to "approved" browsers and devices, i.e. the ones that allow them to scrutinize every single bit of the stack down to the hardware.

[–] [email protected] 10 points 6 months ago (3 children)

Sure in theory but for all their posturing and obnoxious DRM methods it hasn’t seemed to work at all.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 6 months ago (1 children)

It probably depends on what "working" means - it won't ever stop piracy but if they can make things more difficult, then that fact alone gives them a woody.

Also people trying to manipulate the corporate ladder - "hey let's maximize our revenue stream by synergizing the... yeah just gimme a raise won't'cha?" (and since they pay themselves, they won't mind if they do... then use all their "initiatives" like this as justification for that fact). End-users aren't the "customers" anymore these days, in giant megalithic corpos - we are the product that is sold, to whoever is willing to pay.:-(

[–] [email protected] 3 points 6 months ago (1 children)

It doesn't really matter if you make piracy more difficult if you don't make it impossible. Only one person has to figure out how to rip it, then everyone else can watch it

[–] [email protected] 3 points 6 months ago

That's why they will lose... but the authoritarians still keep trying, it's just how they are built. They really aren't intelligent enough to understand any other way, and those few who might seem not to care, being greedy enough to get what they can while they can, letting others deal with the fallout.

load more comments (1 replies)
load more comments (1 replies)
load more comments (5 replies)