Streaming in Reflection

In October 2019, I wrote a takedown of streaming. I mentioned that while I see its appeal, I was also concerned about its implications long-term. In the years since, I’ve dabbled in streaming multiple times. Have my opinions changed? Yes and no.

Let’s start with where my opinions have changed. For one, I find streaming more convenient than physical media. With physical media, I have to search the item in question, see if it’s available, buy it, open it and see if it works. In some cases, it’ll be defective, so I’ll have to get it fixed. Sometimes, it’ll require buying a separate device. This is all a hassle.

Streaming avoids that. Not only do I not need physical copies, saving time and energy, I have the convenience of owning something immediately. Additionally, I don’t have to worry about it being broken, assuming it’s a valid source. That saves me money. And considering my financial situation, that’s always welcomed.

Another benefit is durability. With physical items, wear and tear from overuse is high. I remember VHS and cassette tapes stretching over time, causing the picture quality to look terrible. Discs remedied this, but they substituted that with scratching. If a disc was scratched badly, it’d skip. In some cases, it’d even become unusable.

Streaming doesn’t have that issue. Because the item’s digitized, the quality of the media becomes obsolete. In some cases, it’s even preferable. It also doesn’t take up physical space, which is a bonus. But I digress.

Finally, streaming allows for convenience. Physical media isn’t always easy to find or use, but streaming only requires the click of a button. It also can be taken anywhere, something physical media can’t. Because of this, it’s possible to start on one device, pause and continue from another one, and all without losing anything. This is something physical media can’t boast.

That’s where the pros end, however. Recent experiences haven’t only shown streaming’s limitations, they’ve shown them in a bad way. Far too often, I’ll be streaming something online, only for my internet connection to cut out. This is a big problem. It makes reconnecting a hassle.

Then there’s ownership. This is contentious not only because of DRM, but also corporate ownership. It’s one issue when what you want’s only available for as long as the streamer owns the license. That sucks, but it’s inevitable. However, if the service pulls the item for cost-saving reasons, as we’ve seen, you’re screwed. Especially if it was already hard to find.

Streaming’s also finite. Ignoring licensing, I’ve found that many streaming services only loan stuff to you. They might also lock the item to one device, making it impossible to share or transfer. This was my concern with the Wii’s Virtual Console, and my concern with NSO. I might be paying for them, but they’re locked to what I have. I can’t port them without redownloading everything or paying extra. I don’t like that.

If that’s not enough, streaming lacks patience. With older media, successes weren’t always instantaneous, requiring time and nostalgia. With streaming, if something’s not an immediate hit, it might as well not exist. And if it’s incomplete? Too bad! As we saw with The Acolyte, it can be cancelled in the blink of an eye, no questions asked!

Lastly, streaming content can be changed without notice. We’ve seen this with the remasters of the Star Wars movies, a fact made worse on Disney+. Outside of that, streaming can change stuff without leaving evidence. With physical media, you have a footprint. With streaming, not so much. And since art requires preservation to last, that’s a problem.

I haven’t even discussed subscription fees, but this is why physical isn’t going away. In some cases, as with Arcane, it’s even making a comeback, showing long-term sustainability. Streaming might be “the way of the future”, but physical media has legs. And they’re long-stretching. That shouldn’t be discounted.

I don’t want to be unfair to streaming. For all its limitations, it has immense strengths. And it has plenty of untapped potential, showing what could theoretically be. There’s a lot streaming can do that physical media can’t. But for all its strengths, it also has pitfalls. Given what I’ve noticed, that’s made me hesitant to claim it’s “superior” to physical media.

There needs to be a happy medium, a “sweet spot”. Streaming needs to function alongside physical media, as both have strengths. Streaming also needs to learn from physical media, as opposed to trying to “improve” on it. Because as we’re witnessing, it’s not improving on it at all. In some ways it’s repeating mistakes, as well as making new ones.

I also think there needs to be better regulating of streaming. If something gets pulled for cost-saving measures, there needs to be a way to access it still for archival purposes. And streaming services need to be patient with their content, as opposed to being trigger happy. If a franchise like Star Trek can become a fan-favourite despite its initial run being a failure, then there’s hope for initial bombs to have legs. It requires having faith, even at the expense of short-term pain.

Those are my overall thoughts on streaming. Take them or leave them.