HBO Max is removing features from my plan without reducing my price.

Candybar121@lemmy.world to Mildly Infuriating@lemmy.world – 1578 points –
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It blows my mind that people actually pay for these services other than the release groups that rip them for me.

I dont get how that blows your mind. Families typically dont have the time to jump through loops so they pretty much have to pay for some kind of streaming service. I use to sail the seas all the time but between work, family, and trying to find time to myself there's no time.

But they're jumping through hoops having to pay a bunch of different companies subscription fees to use their apps that have no common interface so its literally nothing but hoops.

All you have to do is ask c/piracy or any community really where to get some Plex or jellyfin access

It blows my mind that you think the average streamer knows anything about pirating. It's so much easier for the average person to download the app, put in your email, link a payment, and you're in. Majority of streamers have never even heard of Plex or jellyfin, let alone participate in any pirating communities.

People need to learn how, but I doubt most people with a full-time job would care to learn. It ain't really jumping through hoops when it's easy to subscribe to a streaming service.

I still can't believe these release groups do their services for free. Godbless.

Do you send the actors and production staff a few cents each for every rip? I understand big studios evil, etc, etc, but piracy is not without cost.

I can only speak for myself, but I started buying blu-rays a lot more once I dropped streaming services in favor of piracy. I'll happily throw some cash toward the creators of things I like, and that's a more direct way to do so.

When it comes to indie stuff or blockbusters that were huge risks for the studios like Dune, you should pay for it if you have the ability. Pirating doesn't directly hurt most of the people who worked on the film, as they usually get payment upfront. It does hurt them in the future, as studios won't finance similar future projects or projects with those creators. This is why you should pay for risky movies that are of higher quality.

If Dune didn't make the money it did, the franchise would have ended there. I was surprised it did as well as it did, as while I never doubted that it would be a good movie considering the people that made it, I was convinced it wasn't something most people would appreciate. The director's last film, Blade Runner 2049, was better than the first movie, but not enough people saw it in theaters. I was blindsided by Dune even getting made, let alone being a financial success.

Bottom line, pay for movies you want people to make more of if possible. Pirate shit you don't care about. If you can't pay for media because of financial hardship, pirate away. Investors have made streaming services suck for consumers while squeezing workers into having little disposable income or time. They deserve piracy, as it's the harvest they have sown. Property is a social contract, and by not letting workers see the benefits of ownership, they have every right to not respect it.

When the studio heads at the top stop making exponentially more than the crew that actually created the content then I may consider paying for it.