Not like online streaming isn't encrypted, or that other formats (DVD and HD-DVD) didn't have encryption.

Re: "Those were never big companies". No, but they were bought by big companies, for the purpose of killing the services. Simplify was bought by Google and killed; AudioGalaxy was bought by DropBox and killed.

I understand it perfectly. I'm no streaming Luddite.

Hmm, I use AnyDVD to rip (removing the encryption) so I never noticed.

For years I just ignored the digital download codes. I started ripping DVDs and Blus to a media server. Then eventually I got a car with an entertainment system that could take video from an iPhone and put it on the car screen, so I started playing with phone streaming, starting with live TV by a Sling Box.

Hmm, the fact that Apple has an iTunes movie store selling the same movies for more money at worse quality has nothing to do with it?

Which you can still do with Blu-Ray. Rip to MKV, or rip the ISO... and most have a digital download code inside the box too.

VLC can play Blu-Rays.

Remember me?

I've loved many, many online services. Like AudioGalaxy and Simplify. Both died.

Tell me, when's the last time you watched Star Wars on Amazon Prime or Netflix. Hint: you can't.

You mean like all the hipster teens buying vinyl now?

Talk to people who queued movies & TV shows up in their Netflix queue, and then Netflix lost the license. Or to iTunes customers who had their account suspended because they bought a bad iTunes gift card.

The solution — buy physical, and rip it digital. Best of both worlds. Rip your CDs to FLAC/ALAC, make .ISOs of your Blu-Rays. Better quality than anything you can buy/stream, plus the convenience of digital storage, plus a backup always there.

It's all about the aluminium?

The Japanese used to be accused of merely copying European, and to a lesser degree, American designs. They used to make cheap, knock-off products of questionable quality.

And "stylish". If they have to tell you it's stylish, it isn't.

"is Land Rover the only brand that can really build a tough-truckish luxury sport utility vehicle?"

Not so much ousted... As the money came pouring in pre-Warner, he let money go to his head, had coke-fueled parties, affairs, etc, and withdrew from life at Atari, was hardly ever there... Plus at this time he was more interested in his side adventures with what became Chuck E. Cheese. By the time Warner came into…

Now Spielberg has to go back and replace the machine guns with walkie talkies.