Public libraries are the best. Also, if your local library is very small, see if they’re part of a larger network that affords you extra resources or a bigger catalog. See if the nearest large metro city has eCards to check out digital materials; I have one that costs me a paltry $22/yr and gives me access to tens of thousands of ebooks/audiobooks and Hoopla, Kanopy, and free online classes (e.g. How to Cook Healthy, How to Become a Master Gardener, etc.).
The value of public libraries cannot be understated.
Of course they do, like any streaming platform. However, you can only access them through your library membership. They don’t have subscription plans for the general public, afaik.
Did you suppose libraries would allow you to download copyrighted movies for free?
What do you mean? You can get a library card, often for free (in the US) or for a relative pittance, and you then have access to these streaming platforms and other media. I fail to see how it’s a loss of “nice things.”
I prefer not to have someone else have control of my PC. That’s why I pirate content. I don’t want the drm to ever become a root user on my PC so that I (god forbid) don’t download movies
DRM doesn’t control your PC, it controls what you can do with files (usually through encryption via an app) and these streaming platforms are part of publicly funded libraries; they have a vested interest in not fucking up people’s computers.
I don’t know where you got the idea that DRM could become root user of your PC, but I think you should go research what DRM is, how it works, and why people are often against it. I think you’re conflating DRM with anti-mod/cheat software, a kind of DRM, and that specific form generally has a fraught history with kernel-level access.
But you shouldn’t fear DRM simply because it’s DRM.
Public libraries are the best. Also, if your local library is very small, see if they’re part of a larger network that affords you extra resources or a bigger catalog. See if the nearest large metro city has eCards to check out digital materials; I have one that costs me a paltry $22/yr and gives me access to tens of thousands of ebooks/audiobooks and Hoopla, Kanopy, and free online classes (e.g. How to Cook Healthy, How to Become a Master Gardener, etc.).
The value of public libraries cannot be understated.
Do these services have DRM? If so, I’ll stay away from them.
Of course they do, like any streaming platform. However, you can only access them through your library membership. They don’t have subscription plans for the general public, afaik.
Did you suppose libraries would allow you to download copyrighted movies for free?
Well yes, that would be quite cool. We can’t have nice things, I guess.
What do you mean? You can get a library card, often for free (in the US) or for a relative pittance, and you then have access to these streaming platforms and other media. I fail to see how it’s a loss of “nice things.”
I prefer not to have someone else have control of my PC. That’s why I pirate content. I don’t want the drm to ever become a root user on my PC so that I (god forbid) don’t download movies
DRM doesn’t control your PC, it controls what you can do with files (usually through encryption via an app) and these streaming platforms are part of publicly funded libraries; they have a vested interest in not fucking up people’s computers.
I don’t know where you got the idea that DRM could become root user of your PC, but I think you should go research what DRM is, how it works, and why people are often against it. I think you’re conflating DRM with anti-mod/cheat software, a kind of DRM, and that specific form generally has a fraught history with kernel-level access.
But you shouldn’t fear DRM simply because it’s DRM.
Oh, I did mix up anti cheat and normal DRM. But I’ll prefer not to use DRM services.