Netflix to Stream Films From Paramount, Lions Gate, MGM

[Fiddytree]

They have received enough pressure.
I'm glad you buy what you don't like, and don't what you don't like. I love movies, and I probably spent too much money collecting them, and when I ripped DVDs, I was dedicated to preserving as much transparent quality as I could out of my rips. I don't even like the Digital Copy notion the studios are promoting.
And no, you shouldn't get a refund. It's the price you pay. You can't act too entitled.

 

[Renae]

I have no interest in participating as you seem to have none either. You use loaded language and insults, ignoring what I say. It's clear that nothing will ever make you even think about budging from your position and I have no interest in such a Sisyphean task

You mean you are incapable of defending your position and now run in fear.

 

[Hoplite]

You mean you are incapable of defending your position and now run in fear.

Whatever helps you sleep at night

 

[Ikari]

As much as I like to pretend to endorse pirating (actually I do, but the old school type with ships and rum!); actual pirating is theft and that's all there is to it. I mean, people can try to justify it as much as they want; but it still is what it is. Someone spent time and effort to make a product and you take it for free. A man is entitled to the sweat of his brow, right? If I work and make a product, I have every right to reap financial gain from it and not to have my property stolen. I think that it can go too far, and for far too long the recording industry and such was ripping us off. It was funny when Napster became huge and such to see them respond to what they've been doing to us for decades. But in the end, theft is still theft.

 

[Hoplite]

People keep repeating this mantra that piracy is theft but no one has yet shown that this is the case.

Expected profits are NOT property.

The dictionary defines theft as "the felonious taking and removing of personal property with intent to deprive the rightful owner of it"

The legal definition of theft is held as "Unlawfully appropriating property with intent to deprive the owner of property".

 

[Caine]

People keep repeating this mantra that piracy is theft but no one has yet shown that this is the case.

Expected profits are NOT property.

Their CREATION is their propery, and you took their creation without paying for it.

The dictionary defines theft as "the felonious taking and removing of personal property with intent to deprive the rightful owner of it"

The legal definition of theft is held as "Unlawfully appropriating property with intent to deprive the owner of property".

Felonious? Dictionary? Are you sure about that? LOL

 

[Kandahar]

Is there any indication that piracy is putting a serious dent into anyone?

And the fact that there are lots of independant studios and filmmakers now suggests it IS still possible for them to survive even with the weight of all this piracy.

You just claimed that piracy would be the downfall of Big Hollywood. Why don't you figure out which side of the argument you're on, instead of just making it up as you go along.

Except then you have to deal with the fact that wireless hotspots and connectivity are far from ubiquitous and it's going to be a LONG time before they are. DVDs dont have a buffer time and they require extremely cheap equipment to play them. I'll give you that there might be an update in delivery technology (discs may become chips or you may have the equivalent of micro-SD cards pre-loaded with moves or players that read these cards).

4G networks (with near-wifi speeds) are starting to roll out NOW in a few major cities. In five years, they'll be everywhere and you'll be able to connect practically everywhere that you can get cell phone reception. And DVDs most certainly do have buffer time...it's just not CALLED buffer time.

but there will ALWAYS be a demand for hardcopy data

That is a remarkably short-sighted view, and relies on the assumption that technological development will freeze as of today and never progress again.

 

[Dr_Patrick]

Their CREATION is their propery, and you took their creation without paying for it.

I don't think it's quite that simple. The industry used to have the edge. They would essentially be in control of everything. When a band would release an album, they would pick the best 3 songs and then release those even if the rest of the album is crap. When a studio releases a movie they no longer tantalize people. They show a trailer that has all of the best bits from the film. It's a strategy on their part. They could care less about the true mediocre quality of their films. Now the average citizen is getting the edge and this terrifies them. I don't classify piracy as theft because it really isn't that simple. Of course, the industry characterizes it that way because it scares the crap out of them. Their marketing tactics aren't as effective now. Now people can see the mediocre films for what they are and only end up purchasing films that are actually good enough and worthy of purchasing. They no longer have to shell out $20 for a DVD or $12 for a movie ticket. When you see a movie via piratebay or whatever websites they have out there you aren't actually stealing anything. The movie came out in an intended package. If you were to steal that intended package it actually would be theft because it was something that was for sale and you got it for nothing. The crappy movie files that they have available for download on these sites aren't even close to the quality that the product itself actually is. To be honest, I see it as someone recording a movie off of television or recording something off of the radio. Is that theft too?

 

[Hoplite]

Their CREATION is their propery, and you took their creation without paying for it.

Nothing was taken. The original owner still has their copy and someone who downloads it has another copy. No information has been stolen.

You just claimed that piracy would be the downfall of Big Hollywood. Why don't you figure out which side of the argument you're on, instead of just making it up as you go along.

I've been consistent. I support downloading in the hopes it will destroy the movie INDUSTRY, but I dont see that it's having much of an impact at this point and the industry itself doesnt even seem to feel it's a problem.

4G networks (with near-wifi speeds) are starting to roll out NOW in a few major cities. In five years, they'll be everywhere and you'll be able to connect practically everywhere that you can get cell phone reception. And DVDs most certainly do have buffer time...it's just not CALLED buffer time.

Except you have data plans, connection and airtime fees as well as service charges that all total up. Also, cell coverage is not that great in major areas. Yes you can get it most major metro areas but its still spotty indoors and in certain places. A DVD will work no matter where you are.

That is a remarkably short-sighted view, and relies on the assumption that technological development will freeze as of today and never progress again.

No, it isnt. People like having a hardcopy of data they can put their hands on. Remember when ebooks started becoming a big thing? People were predicting the downfall of the printed book but if anything book sales have gone up in the digital age.

For me personally, I WANT a hardcopy of any data I have. Thats a major objection I have to things like iTunes where if your system is wiped, all that data is gone.

 

[Fiddytree]

They no longer have to shell out $20 for a DVD or $12 for a movie ticket.

You couldn't afford the $3.50 or less to rent the movie? It's more difficult for me to argue against the faults of the music industry, but when we have as many avenues for film as we do, I have to break my sympathies for the most part.

 

[Fiddytree]

For me personally, I WANT a hardcopy of any data I have. Thats a major objection I have to things like iTunes where if your system is wiped, all that data is gone.

Which, for the most part, the problem never existed. The Fairplay DRM allowed physical copies to be produced, though albeit, a limitation on the number of copies per song order. With such removal of the Fairplay DRM scheme for music, this retort no longer applies to the music from said store. In fact, I do not believe most Janus DRM storefronts that allowed a la cart purchasing denied the physical backup. From others, say, a subscription service, this holds to be true (though, not a system wipe, but from the end of the subscription or the failure of the subscription business). Now, for television and film, you are absolutely correct. I would never recommend people to purchase films and television shows from such a storefront that does not allow for physical copy nor the ability to be easily transcoded to another format more supported by other components; all the while charging a somewhat comparable price to the physical formats already in existence or other fronts.

 

[Dr_Patrick]

You couldn't afford the $3.50 or less to rent the movie? It's more difficult for me to argue against the faults of the music industry, but when we have as many avenues for film as we do, I have to break my sympathies for the most part.

I'm not saying that I don't. In fact, I do rent movies quite often. I'm even a netflix member. I can't remember the last time I actually took the time to try and download a movie online. It's too much of a pain in the ass, and is especially not worth it when it turns out to be a horrible movie.

 

[Fiddytree]

I suppose I am not quite understanding. I see you do not resort to piracy, probably because of the same reasons I listed earlier. The part where I am confused is when it comes to others.

 

[Dr_Patrick]

I suppose I am not quite understanding. I see you do not resort to piracy, probably because of the same reasons I listed earlier. The part where I am confused is when it comes to others.

I don't resort to piracy as far as movies are concerned, and it's only because it's a huge pain in the ass and if I do care to enough to check out a movie I have a movie store right next to where I live and I have netflix. So I am essentially covered in that situation. As far as music is concerned, I do resort to piracy and often. I download stuff and if I like it, I go out and buy it. If I don't, I delete the files and don't listen to it again. This is mainly because a lot of the artists that I listen to rely heavily on album sales just so they can survive. These aren't big industry bands who don't really lose out if they don't sell a few albums. Plus, some of the music that I download is really ultra rare stuff that can't be heard any other way. They are typically old albums that were limited edition or sold out. As far as other people doing it, to each their own. This is a new world with new and constantly changing technology. The means that the industry had to get their product to the people is becoming more and more outdated. They will either have to accept the losses that they get as a result of piracy or change with the technological trends. Thankfully for them, they are starting to change things.