Carbon Chemist

Tag: streaming

  • Funimation Digital Libraries Were Supposed to Last ‘Forever.’ Soon They’ll Disappear

    Funimation Digital Libraries Were Supposed to Last ‘Forever.’ Soon They’ll Disappear

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    How long is “forever”? When it comes to digital media, forever could be as close as a couple of months away.

    Funimation, a Sony-owned streaming service for anime, recently announced that subscribers’ digital libraries on the platform will be unavailable after April 2. For years, Funimation had been telling subscribers that they could keep streaming these digital copies of purchased movies and shows, but qualifying it: “Forever, but there are some restrictions.”

    Funimation’s parent company, Sony, bought rival anime streaming service Crunchyroll in 2021. Since then, it was suspected that Sony would merge the offerings together somehow. This week, we learned how, as Funimation announced that its app and website would close on April 2, and Funimation accounts will become Crunchyroll accounts. Most of Funimation’s catalog is already on Crunchyroll, Funimation’s announcement claimed.

    But in addition to offering video streaming, Funimation also dubbed and released anime as physical media, and sometimes those DVDs or Blu-rays would feature a digital code. Subscribers to the Funimation streaming service could add those digital codes to Funimation and then stream the content from the platform.

    With Funimation claiming that customers could access these digital copies “forever,” I could see why someone might have thought this was a reliable way to access their purchased media. For people lacking the space, resources, or interest in maintaining a library of physical media, this was a good way to preserve treasured shows and movies without spending more money. It also provided a simple way to access purchased media online if you were, for example, away on a trip and had a hankering to watch some anime DVDs you bought.

    But soon, people who may have discarded or lost their physical media or lack a way to play DVDs and Blu-rays won’t have a way to access the digital copies that they were entitled to through their physical copy purchase.

    Funimation’s announcement says:

    Please note that Crunchyroll does not currently support Funimation Digital copies, which means that access to previously available digital copies will not be supported. However, we are continuously working to enhance our content offerings and provide you with an exceptional anime streaming experience. We appreciate your understanding and encourage you to explore the extensive anime library available on Crunchyroll.

    Regarding refunds, Funimation’s announcement directed customers to its support team “to see the available options based on your payment method,” but there’s no mention of getting money back for a DVD or Blu-ray that you might not have purchased had you known you couldn’t stream it “forever.”

    The Meaning of “Forever” in the World of Streaming

    Funimation’s support page for digital copies (which, as of this writing, says it hasn’t been updated in four years) notes that Funimation’s idea of forever includes restrictions and links to Funimation’s Terms of Use. Those terms state that Funimation can “without advance notice … immediately suspend or terminate the availability of the Service and/or content (and any elements and features of them), in whole or in part, for any reason.” It also says that the Funimation website, apps, service, and all of its content are owned by Funimation and its partners.

    So even if you, understandably, thought you were buying a “forever” digital copy, the wordy truth is that you never really owned it. Yet, it wouldn’t be surprising to hear that someone relying on digital copies to preserve their purchased media didn’t properly understand (or read) those terms before discarding their physical copies.

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  • Where to Stream 2024’s Best Picture Oscar Nominees

    Where to Stream 2024’s Best Picture Oscar Nominees

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    No matter which movie snatches Best Picture at this year’s Oscars, “Barbenheimer” will still go down as the winner. Last summer’s box office face-off between Christopher Nolan’s historical drama about a troubled male genius and the atomic bomb, and Greta Gerwig’s blockbuster comedy about women working together and neon rollerblades, was one for the ages. Barbie ultimately ended up making more moolah, but soon Oppenheimer will have a chance to get the glory at the 96th Academy Awards.

    Whether you want to win your office’s Oscar ballot competition or are just curious to see some of 2023’s best movies, you still have time to watch every major nominee before the Oscars air on March 10. While most of the movies up for the top award can be streamed right now, three are not yet available online: American Fiction, Poor Things, and The Zone of Interest. Here’s where to stream the rest of the 2024 Oscar nominees for Best Picture—no IMAX 70mm projector required.

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    Oppenheimer

    Oppenheimer is up for the most awards with a total of 13 nods, including Nolan for directing and Cillian Murphy for actor in a leading role. The historical drama focuses on the development of nuclear weapons in the New Mexico desert during World War II. Clocking in with a three-hour run time, Oppenheimer is surprisingly not the longest movie up for Best Picture—that honor goes to Killers of the Flower Moon—but it is the most likely to walk away with at least one trophy.

    Barbie

    While Barbie is up for eight awards, the bigger discourse online is about who didn’t receive a nomination for their involvement with the movie: Margot Robbie. The actor, who also served as a producer on the film, was not nominated for her portrayal of the iconic plastic doll. Gerwig also was not nominated for directing. Despite the lack of recognition in certain categories, nothing can discount the fact that Barbie grossed over $1 billion worldwide and remains the biggest theatrical success of last year.

    Killers of the Flower Moon

    Directed by Martin Scorsese, Killers of the Flower Moon centers on the tragic murder of members of the Osage Nation in Oklahoma in the 1920s. Lily Gladstone’s nomination for lead actress is one of the very few times that the Academy has recognized the work of Native Americans while also marking Scorsese’s 10th nod for directing. Now that Killers of the Flower Moon is available to stream at home, you’re free to stop for as many intermissions as your heart desires.

    Past Lives

    In addition to Best Picture, Past Lives is also nominated for its screenplay written by Celine Song, who directed the romantic drama. Anchored by Greta Lee’s subtle performance in the lead role, Past Lives chronicles the tension between two people who used to be romantically involved and are reuniting after years apart.

    The Holdovers

    Almost two decades after his last nomination for a role in Cinderella Man, Paul Giamatti is once again nominated for Best Actor for his performance in The Holdovers. In the film, Giamatti plays a boarding school teacher who bonds with students and staff as they’re all stuck together over winter break.

    Anatomy of a Fall

    Anatomy of a Fall is a French drama about a woman on trial after her husband mysteriously falls to his death. Sandra Hüller is nominated for her leading role in the film. She stars in The Zone of Interest as well, which is also up for Best Picture. Justine Triet, who directed and cowrote Anatomy of a Fall, is the only woman nominated for Best Director at this year’s Oscars.

    Maestro

    Maestro is up for seven awards, including nods to Bradley Cooper and Carey Mulligan for their leading performances. This movie about the complicated life of conductor Leonard Bernstein was directed and cowritten by Cooper.

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  • The Hulu and Disney+ Password Crackdown Is Coming. Here’s What You Need to Know

    The Hulu and Disney+ Password Crackdown Is Coming. Here’s What You Need to Know

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    Hulu and Disney+ subscribers have until March 14 to stop sharing their login information with people outside of their household. Disney-owned streaming services are the next to adopt the password-crackdown strategy that has helped Netflix add millions of subscribers.

    An email sent from “The Hulu Team” to subscribers this week and viewed by Ars Technica tells customers that Hulu is “adding limitations on sharing your account outside of your household.”

    Hulu’s subscriber agreement, updated on January 25, now states that users may not share their subscription outside of their household, with household being defined as the “collection of devices associated with your primary personal residence that are used by the individuals who reside therein.”

    The updated terms also note that Hulu might scrutinize user accounts to ensure that the accounts aren’t being used on devices located outside of the subscriber’s residence:

    We may, in our sole discretion, analyze the use of your account to determine compliance with this Agreement. If we determine, in our sole discretion, that you have violated this Agreement, we may limit or terminate access to the Service and/or take any other steps as permitted by this Agreement (including those set forth in Section 6 of this Agreement).

    Section 6 of Hulu’s subscriber agreement says Hulu can “restrict, suspend, or terminate” access without notice.

    Hulu didn’t respond to a request for comment on how exactly it will “analyze the use” of accounts. But Netflix, which started its password crackdown in March 2022 and brought it to the US in May 2023, says it uses “information such as IP addresses, device IDs, and account activity to determine whether a device signed in to your account is part of your Netflix Household” and doesn’t collect GPS data from devices.

    According to the email sent to Hulu subscribers, the policy will apply immediately to people subscribing to Hulu from now on.

    The updated language in Hulu’s subscriber agreement matches what’s written in the Disney+/ESPN+ subscriber agreement, which was also updated on January 25. Disney+’s password crackdown first started in November in Canada.

    A Disney spokesperson confirmed to Ars Technica that Disney+ subscribers have until March 14 to comply. The rep also said that notifications were sent to Disney+’s US subscribers yesterday; although, it’s possible that some subscribers didn’t receive an email alert, as is the case with a subscriber in my household.

    The representative didn’t respond to a question asking how Disney+ will “analyze” user accounts to identify account sharing.

    Push for Profits

    Disney CEO Bob Iger first hinted at a Disney streaming-password crackdown in August during an earnings call. He highlighted a “significant” amount of password sharing among Disney-owned streaming services and said Disney had “the technical capability to monitor much of this.” The executive hopes a password crackdown will help drive subscribers and push profits to Netflix-like status. Disney is aiming to make its overall streaming services business profitable by the end of 2024.

    In November, it was reported that Disney+ had lost $11 billion since launching in November 2019. The streaming service has sought to grow revenue by increasing prices and encouraging users to join its subscription tier with commercials, which is said to bring streaming services higher average revenue per user than non-ad plans.

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