[Neil Jones]

I seem to remember last year reading they'd signed a deal with all3media for some of their content too.

I remember Apple+ originally started out as just their own original content, that very quickly changed when they realised that it couldn't sustain a service on its own.

It probably will (in due course) but that will take a long time as you have to make it.

Disney of course had the advantage in this area due to the back catalogue they made over the years, which of course was added to in various flavours both at pace through new commissions and the acquisition of various other networks and their back catalogues. They probably could run Disney+ through the catalogue alone.

However Covid probably gave Disney+ a massive proverbial boost to launch when we all had to stay at home, but it has now lost all that momentum and is probably churning by now.

Its probably too soon at this point to say the streaming bubble has burst - after all it was all "OMG the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse are coming we're all going to die" when Netflix said they'd lost a few hundred thousand subscribers, but I believe they have recouped a good chunk of that with the new "Basic with Ads" option tier. I'm sure Disney+ were looking at something similar as well, but obviously haven't decided to go down that route - yet.

[Keith]

Stuff disappearing without trace really is starting to become a major, major issue with streaming. At least with physical media you still have your copies, and likely second hand ones out there too you can buy, even if they stop selling the DVD/Blu-Ray in question.

This is one reason why I get Blu-ray disks of films I like from CEX. It also covers against films/programmes making edits to streaming versions.

[James2001]

Problem is a lot of stuff, especially TV, doesn't even get physical releases any more, it's quite frustrating for those of us who don't want to rely on streaming services and the whims of the companies that own them.

[Neil Jones]

The amount of TV released on physical media is relatively minute compared to the amount of TV that's been made. Not everything can be pushed out on home media for one reason or another and even when it can its not what was broadcast - we've seen it before particularly where music was used on the TV show and it comes out on DVD and somebody's had to replace half the sound track with generic library music or some other music as it was only licenced for the TV broadcasts.

I notice Amazon have recently introduced a "Exclusive to Amazon" in their DVD & Blu-Ray section of the website - although having had a quick look there's probably nothing there that wasn't already available elsewhere though I suspect "Exclusive" is Amazon code for "discontinued"/"limited" as the stock has things like "Only 6 left in stock" on it.

But I think its safe to say physical media isn't going anywhere. MP3 and MP4 and OGG and whatever else might be the preferred but cassettes and vinyl are in favour, music CDs are probably due to come back if they never went, and I wouldn't be surprised at some point if videotapes hitch a ride on the revival train as well. Okay there are probably no players for them but...

[Brekkie]

They've effectively cut off a revenue stream for themselves too in pulling away from physical releases. Could certainly see a pushtowards digital downloads - that's something they could upsell within their aps too with an option to pay to download to keep.

[XIII]

Streaming isn't dying and we're not going back to linear and physical media but I think that we're seeing things shift a bit and even companies like Amazon are shifting towards AVOD alongside SVOD.

[thomalex]

Streaming isn't dying and we're not going back to linear and physical media but I think that we're seeing things shift a bit and even companies like Amazon are shifting towards AVOD alongside SVOD.

Certainly it isn't dying, but it seems to have peaked. There is after all only so much audience about and now we are now starting to see the rise in FAST channels and free ad supported streaming which may end up being where the mass market is at rather than monthly subscriptions.

One of the issues with streaming is you are presented with a silent grid of shows which you then have to go and find something. It's hard to just stumble across something with little effort like you can do on linear TV. FAST channels seem to be the answer to this for the online world and are a sort of automated linear TV.

[JAS84]

Problem is a lot of stuff, especially TV, doesn't even get physical releases any more, it's quite frustrating for those of us who don't want to rely on streaming services and the whims of the companies that own them.

If something has been pulled from streaming, and has no physical release, then frankly, they can't complain when you just pirate it. They should be making sure you never need to resort to that. If you're forced to pirate due to no legal avenue being available, then they're throwing good money away.

[Larry the Loafer]

There's a similar argument in the video game community, whereby some say it's morally acceptable to pirate a certain company's games if they don't give you any legal route to play them otherwise.

Then again, before the days of home video, we once had to rely on whether a movie was re-released in the cinema if we wanted to watch it. But, I suppose, when you've been used to having access to the content you like for the last 50 or so years, you can't argue too much if your customers get upset by denying them access to your programmes.

[gottago]

I remember Apple+ originally started out as just their own original content, that very quickly changed when they realised that it couldn't sustain a service on its own.

I’m pretty sure Apple TV+ is entirely original content other than Long Way Down which they made a new episode of. Maybe a few kids shows but the rest is all original.