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can we make CDs, DVDs, Blu-rays and Ultra HD Blu-rays cool again so that pieces of media don't fall into a cultural black hole once streaming services stop carrying them due to tax write-offs or lack of interest. thanks
dear gen z: there's this cool thing called a “compact disc” or “cd”. it's like vinyl but smaller and with literally perfect quality sound, better than any streaming service. you buy an “album” on “cd” and then you can listen to it forever, or turn it into an “mp3” [1/2]
dear gen z, continued: an “mp3” is a kind of “file”. a “file” is a uh… oh fuck how do i explain this concept to a generation that has only known smartphone operating systems and cloud storage and wouldn't know how to protect their own data if their life depended on it. uhhh
ok so in the old days it was possible to “download” things like music or word documents to a “storage medium”, such as a “usb stick” or a “hard disk”. the data would physically exist on the device rather than in the cloud, so it didn't require a subscription to continue existing
it also gave you this thing called “privacy” from like, everyone. even the cops. they have to physically break into your home or pay some dubious israeli company to hack your device if they wanted to get access to these “files” on your device. they can't just ask google/apple
anyway so if you buy music on a cd you can turn it into mp3 files. or you can buy mp3 files directly. and then you can store them on a storage medium. or indeed even in the cloud. and then you still have access to them in a few years even if the music company went bankrupt!!!
i know there are illegal ways to preserve old media, but we're gonna be in a terrible place if that's all we have, especially considering the trajectory of copyright enforcement in the west, and the next generation not knowing what a file, much less a bittorrent client is