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TV disappears, but HBO Max removing shows feels different

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Re: TV disappears, but HBO Max removing shows feels different

#161

Post by kortilla »

phpisthebest wrote: post #93
dougmwne wrote: post #33

I think part of the reason this is a big deal is that it breaks HBO’s brand. They have always been seen as a prestige channel that had a catalog of original programming you’d never see anywhere else. Westworld appeared to be part of this original programming portfolio and something that would live on as part of what it meant to be subscribed to HBO, like the Sopranos. Having the series disappear is like finding out t…

Disney;s business model for many years was to do just that, they would put popular titles "in the vault" only to re-release them a few years later it is proven economic model of false scarcity. Just like the McRib, McDs would never put it on the permanent menu because they sell more due to it "limited run" every year. I suspect these shows will be like that, they will be removed and readded periodically to boost subs…

The McRib has nothing to do with artificial scarcity. It’s availability is driven by pork prices.

Re: TV disappears, but HBO Max removing shows feels different

#162

Post by Mistletoe »

layer8 wrote: post #74
ThrowawayTestr wrote: post #69

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Just checked, you can get all of Westworld on BluRay.

Westworld is an exception. Only a few shows still get Blu-ray releases. For example, looking at Rotten Tomatoes’ list of the best TV show of 2020, only a good 10% have a US Blu-ray release: https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/guide/best-tv-shows-of-... For what I personally watch, it’s more like 5% at most.

I'd say this is a chicken and egg situation where if anyone would buy those instead of pirate them, they would make the discs.

Re: TV disappears, but HBO Max removing shows feels different

#163

Post by chx »

Schnitz wrote: post #3

There’s a platform where they won’t disappear. (:

Is there? How much music was lost when oink (and what.cd) was shut down? We will never know but I suspect quite a bit. It can get awfully hard to get hold of obscure records even if they did exist on physical media.

Re: TV disappears, but HBO Max removing shows feels different

#164

Post by Wingman4l7 »

WalterBright wrote: post #80

I'm sad that the Rocky+Bullwinkle complete set I bought has different music from when it was aired. I'm sorry, I just hate the replacement music and it ruined the cartoon for me. I do have a couple VHS tapes that had the cartoons with the original music.

This also happened with the TV show Northern Exposure, which had a notably great soundtrack. They couldn't get rights to a lot of the music, so it was replaced with more mediocre stuff on the hardcopy releases.

Apparently, it's happened to other shows, too: https://www.vox.com/2014/11/3/7145231/shows-not-on-dvd-music...

Re: TV disappears, but HBO Max removing shows feels different

#165

Post by throwaway2037 »

emodendroket wrote: post #158
yaomtc wrote: post #112

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's why I only buy shows/movies on Blu-ray or DVD. I'm not paying a similar price to that and risk having it taken away at some point. EDIT: And if that isn't a reasonable option, I can probably download a DRM-free version of the movie from some "movie preservationist".

Then you can deal with unskippable advertisements before you can watch your movie you paid for. But at least the video quality is better.

I think it is reasonable to buy the DVD or BluRay, then download DRM-free rip from PirateBay with same resolution. I think the same is fair if you bought a digital lifetime license (as we just learned: "not really") from Amazon. Then if Amazon steals your copy and does not refund you, you still have a copy.

Has anyone ever tried to sue Amazon in small claims court for a "disappeared" film? I guess Amazon will force arbitration, but you have a good case in arbitration. All you want is either: the original digital film, or a refund of original payment. This could be arbitrated very quickly since the sum is so small.

Re: TV disappears, but HBO Max removing shows feels different

#166

Post by emodendroket »

throwaway2037 wrote: post #165
emodendroket wrote: post #158

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Then you can deal with unskippable advertisements before you can watch your movie you paid for. But at least the video quality is better.

I think it is reasonable to buy the DVD or BluRay, then download DRM-free rip from PirateBay with same resolution. I think the same is fair if you bought a digital lifetime license (as we just learned: "not really") from Amazon. Then if Amazon steals your copy and does not refund you, you still have a copy. Has anyone ever tried to sue Amazon in small claims court for a "disappeared" film? I guess Amazon will force a…

Are we imagining that every digital storefront does not explicitly grant them permission to remove stuff in the EULA?

Re: TV disappears, but HBO Max removing shows feels different

#167

Post by brewdad »

emodendroket wrote: post #156
magicalist wrote: post #125

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> He has the numbers though. He thinks he has the numbers. He could also raise the subscription price and make more money that way too, if most people stick around. Do that enough and they won't, though.

Maybe I'm wrong, but my impression from the sudden change of fortune of all these movie and television streaming services is, maybe making really good content doesn't really make the business model work. Maybe it only really works if you're churning out low-budget, mindless trash reality TV. Though it is less clear if that was understood at front and this was a way of growing the subscriber base or if there was more…

Ok. But why ditch the shows you've already paid to produce? Maybe the future cash flows are greater by taking the cash today but that's a hell of a wager to place on the future.

My annual sub renews in 12 days. I will probably re-up for one more year but only because I can get a significant discount through my credit card. Will I, and others, re-up in for 2024? I am very uncertain.

Re: TV disappears, but HBO Max removing shows feels different

#168

Post by brewdad »

emodendroket wrote: post #158
yaomtc wrote: post #112

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's why I only buy shows/movies on Blu-ray or DVD. I'm not paying a similar price to that and risk having it taken away at some point. EDIT: And if that isn't a reasonable option, I can probably download a DRM-free version of the movie from some "movie preservationist".

Then you can deal with unskippable advertisements before you can watch your movie you paid for. But at least the video quality is better.

I gave in and bought a copy of MakeMKV. I rip my discs and don't see the ads anymore.

Re: TV disappears, but HBO Max removing shows feels different

#169

Post by napier »

hobbitstan wrote: post #145

Many years ago I read a story, that I took as potential fiction, about a very rich man in Eastern Europe who hired warez scene kids to digitize all the movies, TV shows, and music they could. There were financial incentives involved and the files could be shared freely, as long as he had copies. The idea that, somewhere out there, is a man sitting on petabytes of digital media, like a James Bond villain, makes me smi…

Fortunately, there are many such men. And their time is nigh again.

Re: TV disappears, but HBO Max removing shows feels different

#170

Post by skelpmargyar »

Mistletoe wrote: post #162
layer8 wrote: post #74

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Westworld is an exception. Only a few shows still get Blu-ray releases. For example, looking at Rotten Tomatoes’ list of the best TV show of 2020, only a good 10% have a US Blu-ray release: https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/guide/best-tv-shows-of-... For what I personally watch, it’s more like 5% at most.

I'd say this is a chicken and egg situation where if anyone would buy those instead of pirate them, they would make the discs.

I disagree. The amount of people who pirate shows is tiny compared to regular viewers of a show. Stopping piracy doesn't really lead to a significant more legitimate purchases; most people just don't pirate in general. And people in general don't buy Blu-Rays because streaming is more convenient and cheaper.
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