Owning media

DavidW · March 05, 2025, 02:50:20 PM

In the music world, digital downloads are DRM free. I consider downloads and physical media as interchangeable in terms of ownership.

For movies, Movies Anywhere is, I think good enough. BUT still...

For books, ebooks are restrictive. Both Kindle and Nook have removed the ability to download titles. I've reacted by pivoting towards print books, especially since subscription reading glasses has made it so that I can read fine print.

I am moving forward to being print only, with reading and also buying any TV show or movie that I cherish. MI pushed me to own any music that I love, and he was right on that front.

Where do you stand? What are you fine with streaming, renting, and licensing? What do you wish to own?

hopefullytrusting · March 05, 2025, 02:55:09 PM

For all items, but dvds, I prefer digital ownership (so, for instance, I don't use Steam, as I don't own that save the games I already bought on Steam).

steve ridgway · March 05, 2025, 04:55:16 PM

Are Amazon ceasing Kindle downloads? They're still showing prices to buy them in the UK.

Cato · March 05, 2025, 05:48:02 PM

Quote from: DavidW on March 05, 2025, 02:50:20 PMIn the music world, digital downloads are DRM free. I consider downloads and physical media as interchangeable in terms of ownership.

For movies, Movies Anywhere is, I think good enough. BUT still...

For books, ebooks are restrictive. Both Kindle and Nook have removed the ability to download titles. I've reacted by pivoting towards print books, especially since subscription reading glasses has made it so that I can read fine print.

I am moving forward to being print only, with reading and also buying any TV show or movie that I cherish. MI pushed me to own any music that I love, and he was right on that front.

Where do you stand? What are you fine with streaming, renting, and licensing? What do you wish to own?

Real books with paper, CD's, DVD/Blu-Ray's all the way!

One of our cars (2018) has no CD player: it uses a computer "jump" drive, so I need to transfer things from the CD collection - or get them off YouTube - to hear things in that car.

San Antone · March 05, 2025, 06:59:23 PM

I buy more real books than CDs, which I buy less and less to the point where I probably won't buy another CD this year, and beyond. But most of my new book purchases are for my Kindle.

I don't purchase music downloads anymore.

I have bought something like 150-200 DVDs but don't see me doing that anymore.

Basically, I am fine with streaming but feel no need to get rid of the physical media I still own.

Brian · March 05, 2025, 07:21:46 PM

Quote from: steve ridgway on March 05, 2025, 04:55:16 PMAre Amazon ceasing Kindle downloads? They're still showing prices to buy them in the UK.

They stopped (last week) the ability to download files of Kindle books for use on another device. For example, if you wanted to copy the file onto a non-Amazon-made reader.

steve ridgway · March 05, 2025, 10:06:27 PM

Quote from: Brian on March 05, 2025, 07:21:46 PMThey stopped (last week) the ability to download files of Kindle books for use on another device. For example, if you wanted to copy the file onto a non-Amazon-made reader.

I see. Thanks for that.

DavidW · March 06, 2025, 04:51:27 AM

Quote from: Brian on March 05, 2025, 07:21:46 PMThey stopped (last week) the ability to download files of Kindle books for use on another device. For example, if you wanted to copy the file onto a non-Amazon-made reader.

Or even on their device. The first two generations of Kindles don't have Wi-Fi, and the 3G network has been retired. The Wi-Fi antenna on my third-generation Kindle has stopped working as well. USB is the only way I can put ebooks on it.

Florestan · March 06, 2025, 10:19:03 AM

For music: downloads.

For books: a mix of physical copies and online reading.

drogulus · March 06, 2025, 10:20:52 AM

I like to rewatch old favorite movies and TV, and for that I want to keep the files on my devices. I don't want to be at the mercy of streaming services. Even worse, great shows are lost forever because they were never put on disc at all.

Look at what happened to The Magic Toyshop, The Race for the Double Helix and Shoulder to Shoulder. The available copies are VHS or worse. I'm saving the good old stuff that might disappear some day.

Mandryka · March 08, 2025, 08:01:32 AM

Ebooks have the advantage that you can search, and of course they don't take up shelf space, and don't get lost. But to read, they're OK for the sort of fiction where you start at the beginning and work you're way to the end. But where you want to jump about, browse, skip etc, print is better. Imagine trying to read Gravity's Rainbow or Absalom Absalom on a kindle! For those books you need both the physical media and the ebook.

I wouldn't dream of going to physical media for film or music.