UKH

How do I buy individual movies in this age?

In particular: what's the closest thing (legal of course) to buying an mp4 file (or whatever format) of movies, that I would then own and could play whenever I want on more than one offline device including offline Windows and Linux desktops (as well as Android tablet for the van).  I don't have a Blue-ray player so a disk is out.

Say I want to watch Free Solo (again and again..and again).  I can buy it on Youtube and Google Play, but I think the only way to watch this offline is via their apps on Android.  That could work for my van setup.  But my main entertainment system is an offline windows machine (also have Linux).

Can you buy some sort of DRMd movie file and play it on some sort of player application?

It's really hard to separate technical detail from advertising rubbish these days.  I understand all of the tech talk, but it's blurred with all the advertising jargon.

Also, not really into subscriptions of anykind like Netflix.

Thanks for any suggestions.

Most sources that carry mainstream movies make it difficult or impossible to watch outside their own apps or website.

Some do offer file downloads but I suspect the inevitable DRM would make watching on your offline Windows PC tricky, probably impossible, and I doubt they would support Linux at all.

Smaller sites where you can find less-mainstream content, and certainly climbing films, might work better.

Vimeo offers downloads and some of them (depending on the preference of the creator, I think) come without DRM. All sorts of stuff on there, including climbing films. Reelhouse also have loads of great climbing films as DRM-free downloads.

If you do succeed in buying some, I'd really recommend some software called Plex as a way of managing and watching the films.

I have a windows program that will download whatever is playing through the soundcard. Then one can do whatever with the file.

I wonder if there is something similar for a graphics card?

Nobody's yet invented DRM that's unbreakable. Every new release is instantly available by illegitimate means, often before the legitimate release.

So yes, there would definitely be workarounds of various kinds. And ways to block those workarounds, and new workarounds. Endless cat and mouse.

That's one of the reasons why Linux is often less supported. Some of the DRM schemes just aren't available on Linux, through a combination of a small userbase that isn't necessarily worth the bother and a development community that's broadly philosophically opposed to imposing artificial limitations on what a computer's hardware and software are capable of.

What they have been very successful at inventing, is DRM that's good enough to make life very difficult for the average user who doesn't want to invest hours of their life making it possible to watch a given piece of media on, say, a Linux machine or one that's not connected to the internet.

Thanks guys.

Luke: I was already getting the impression that this kind of thing wasn't really possible (legally) -- as you've suggested.  And yes, to date, I've only really used the "open" downloadable mpeg files, like ones you've suggested on vimeo or other sites.

Maybe getting a physical player and buying disks is not such a bad idea -- while they still exist.

From what I recall a few years ago, there are various bits of software you can use to remove drm. I don't think its illegal, if you have bought the download in the first place. Tuneskit was one and handbreak can be used to convert DVD's to drm free files (requires a minor hack - instructions on line) so may he able to do the same with downloaded files.

Download Helper add-in to firefox might help?

Cheers Jack and Toerag.

Yes, but unfortunately they aren't legal.  Breaking/removing DRM is flat out illegal no matter how you do it.  Even off discs you own.

I guess I was wondering if you can buy and download mainstream movie files from anywhere. If they had some form of DRM, that's OK, as long as there is some form of player.  (The DRM would mean nobody else could play them.)

But it doesn't seem to be likely.  Only on android, using apps like Youtube, and maybe Google Play.

In which case you can see why so many people resort to illegal file sharing methods, or even just buying blue rays/DVDs and ripping them using Handbrake makemkv etc.

Thanks for all suggestions.