Owning media

[DavidW]

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]

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]

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

[Cato]

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?

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]

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]

Are 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]

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.

I see. Thanks for that.

[DavidW]

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.

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]

For music: downloads.

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

[drogulus]

    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]

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.

[drogulus]

    If you're a physicalist like me, this is a vital weapon in your arsenal.

     Disks can rot or scratch, but a well backed up library of music and video files will last as long as you want.

[Brian]

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.

My girlfriend just ordered a Kobo e-reader to free herself from the Kindle ecoysystem because she had one of the early Kindles and, like yours, hers is now useless. It arrives today, actually.

[Papy Oli]

My girlfriend just ordered a Kobo e-reader to free herself from the Kindle ecoysystem because she had one of the early Kindles and, like yours, hers is now useless. It arrives today, actually.

Have fun with the Kobo.
Really happy with mine 3 months down the line. Even if I have just found out that my purchases on the Kobo store are not physically "mine" either and only a licensing to access the book, just like AMZ. At least, we can still download them for transfer on another reader down the line.

For owning outright, I recommend purchases of editions on Delphi Classics that you can sideload on the Kobo.

https://www.delphiclassics.com/complete-catalogue/

Obviously a large chunk of those are in public domain and can be found individually on Gutenberg or Standard Ebooks but the Delphi editions are well presented, full of additional goodies and worth the asking price (particularly with their regular offers/promotional codes).

Edit: you can either buy the complete edition (all the books of an author in one EPUB) or in the slightly dearer Parts Edition (All the books in individual EPUBS, plus an access to DL the complete edition as well)

[DavidW]

Even if I have just found out that my purchases on the Kobo store are not physically "mine" either and only a licensing to access the book, just like AMZ.

Some publishers like Tor request that the book be DRM-free. The difference between Kindle and Kobo is that Kobo will honor the request, and you can download the ebook DRM-free. Obviously, most publishers want DRM, but not all.

And it is not hard to liberate Kobo ebooks. And even if you don't, Adobe DRM would allow you to legally transfer your library to a Nook, Pocketbook, Tolino, etc (basically everything but a Kindle).

I don't buy the same-ism narrative about Kindle vs. Kobo and owning books.

[Papy Oli]

Some publishers like Tor request that the book be DRM-free. The difference between Kindle and Kobo is that Kobo will honor the request, and you can download the ebook DRM-free. Obviously, most publishers want DRM, but not all.

And it is not hard to liberate Kobo ebooks. And even if you don't, Adobe DRM would allow you to legally transfer your library to a Nook, Pocketbook, Tolino, etc (basically everything but a Kindle).

I don't buy the same-ism narrative about Kindle vs. Kobo and owning books.

I mentioned the kobo flexibility in the remaining line of the paragraph you only partially quoted.

That said, I was under the impression (my mistake obviously) that I owned the books I purchased from the Kobo store (and many others would seem to be under that same incorrect impression, based on posts on the kobo reddit of people migrating from AMZ to Kobo in the last few weeks) but they are only licensing purchases, as per their T&C's. In that they are no different to Kindle, regardless of flexibility, download ability or DRM work-around.

[DavidW]

but they are only licensing purchases, as per their T&C's. In that they are no different to Kindle, regardless of flexibility, download ability or DRM work-around.

I understand what you are saying, but perhaps you should elaborate on what you define as owning. I consider having a DRM-free copy that I can put on any device that I want and can't be taken away if my account is terminated as owning. You never own the intellectual property of the book even when you have it in print. All digital goods are licensed, the question in my mind is whether you can freely access it without constraint.

I purchased the Vanska Mahler symphonies from Eclassical. If Eclassical were to remove it from my download library, close my account, or just go bankrupt I would still have access to those symphonies because I have copies on multiple hard drives, and accessing them is independent of anything else associated with Eclassical. Contrast that with a Kindle eBook. In order to maintain access to that eBook I need to always own a Kindle or use the Kindle app on a device that supports it. If Amazon closes my account or discontinues the Kindle ecosystem I lose access to that book.

But in both cases, the downloads are licensed material! But one feels like owning and the other does not. But apparently, that licensing agreement is more important to you than the issue of downloads and DRM. Why?