A couple of months ago I was speaking to a fellow Central Iowa Blogger (CIB) member, Justin Brady of Test of Time Design, about streaming video, Redbox, Netflix, and and assortment of other content providers like Amazon, Hulu and Apple Tv. In the wake of George Lucas releasing the complete Star Wars Trilogy on Blu-Ray last week, several thoughts resurfaced.
During our discussion we discussed the purchasing of DVDs. With streaming becoming more and more popular, many people are starting to believe streaming movies to their computer of television means several things; first, it is cheaper to stream a film to your computer on demand rather than purchase the DVD outright. Second, you can still watch it anytime you like by simply choosing it again. Third, streaming makes it unnecessary to store DVDs. And finally, It is just plain easier.
The same thoughts above can easily be related to other media including music, books, and other content.
But there is also a danger in streaming media.
Let’s get through the main issue first: revisionist history and censorship. If a book or DVD is published and purchased, you have a physical item which cannot be edited or altered by the content publisher, or the content provider, in any way. Look at George Lucas and the Star Wars series. If the only copies that existed were available via streaming, it would be easy for Lucas to simply make subtle changes, edits, or worse to the film, and nobody would be the wiser, and if they were – it doesn’t matter since that will now be the only version available.
Think of the ramifications for a moment.
Revisionist History
More than Darth Vader yelling “Nooooooooo!” or blinking ewoks, content providers could censor or alter any media at any time, or even “pull” a title from availability at a moment’s notice. The age of publishers and providers pre-editing content is here. This issue will be at the forefront of controversy for years to come once the public realizes this is being done.
Unable to Reach Server
Think you can just stream a movie whenever you’d like to watch it again? Nope. Sorry, that film is no longer available (while it is being re-edited). Or perhaps your Internet connection is down or slow.
I still prefer purchasing a film I enjoy rather than relying on a streaming source. Not just for the possibility of censorship, but for the social aspect of sharing a DVD with your friends, loaning them out, having people over and seeing the cases on the shelf and sitting down to watch it – whatever.
In the months and years to come, the censorship and modification of streamed content – whether it be videos, audio or books, will become a very controversial issue. While streaming may be convenient, it also makes it very easy to take away or change.
What do you think? Is streaming “dangerous” or are you willing to live with the consequences of putting your content consuming into the hands of those who can change it?
