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0 pointsAerroon5y ago0 comments

>Because if you can playback 4k video from Netflix with a browser under your control, then you can playback 4k video to a file and thereby create a cracked copy that can be pirated.

Can't you just record the screen to do this? Or split the signal in the cable or have the screen itself send the data on to another device. At the very least you can always just physically record the screen itself.

At the end of the day, you have to ask whether this is worth it. Does it actually help sales to offset the costs?

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btilly5y ago

Why yes, you can. And so there is pressure on every single hardware vendor to do fancy handshakes to guarantee that it is only going to authorized places that will do authorized things with it. Exactly to make the bypass that you're describing harder to do.

Occasionally this creates a problem that people notice. For example see https://www.macworld.com/article/3116414/oops-you-cant-play-... for one of them.

At the end of the day, you have to ask whether this is worth it. Does it actually help sales to offset the costs?

Actually it doesn't matter what your belief is on that. In the end, Netflix believes that it does. And as long as they are where you buy the content that you want, that means you have to play by their rules. No matter how stupid you think that they are being.

waterhouse5y ago

> Netflix believes that it does.

Or they believe that their media partners, who license the media to Netflix, believe that it does. Or perhaps those media partners are members of the MPAA, which wants to take a hard-line stance and never do anything that looks like backing down, even if their own technical advisors say it's getting silly.

But, yes, whatever Netflix's reasons, those who buy from them will do so under Netflix's terms.

AerroonOP5y ago

>Actually it doesn't matter what your belief is on that. In the end, Netflix believes that it does. And as long as they are where you buy the content that you want, that means you have to play by their rules. No matter how stupid you think that they are being.

I meant that Netflix and co have to ask this. Because it's pretty obvious that none of the direct anti-piracy measures have worked. What has worked is making content more accessible and providing other incentives to users for getting the media legitimately. I think Netflix itself is that type of advancement, but I guess they're looking to get more "marketshare".

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