McRat
join:2009-09-09
Corona, CA | reply to quatrix
Re: This site is like one huge megatroll said by quatrix:They know how to rile up the anti-authority, pro-piracy sheep with a click of their fingers. You need a history lesson. This happened when the import tape recorders hit the market 40 years ago. They wanted them outlawed. They weren't outlawed, and the recording industry continued to grow.
Then it happened with the VCRs. They did some crappy Macrovision fiasco that degraded the image, and reduced VCR tape sales until it was removed.
Now it's happening again. But this time, it's their own fault. Records were on vinyl, but they were expensive to produce. They shifted to CD digital format and saved money and stuck it in their pockets. Prices did not go down.
Now everything is digital BECAUSE the entertainment industry wanted that way, now they complain it's copied cheaply. Duh. That's why you adopted it.
I have no bootleg software, movies, or records. Not because I'm an angel, but because I get better value as customer by purchasing. Let me explain. A virus ridden or cracked piece of bootleg software could do far more damage than any money I could save. Since most software is buggy, I usually need the updates and tech support. My time is worth too much to deal with burning a 5gb DVD movie, and my FM radio does what I need it to do. Exactly how does BitTorrent/etc improve my life? It doesn't for me.
Nearly every time the RIAA/MPAA gets permission to do something, it makes my life more difficult as a legal customer. So screw them. If they had a good track record of making my life simplier as a customer, I'd be waving their flag. But they don't.
And they are stupid. I hate stupid people who have power. I've bought more music since iTunes came out, than I did in the 10 years prior. Why? iTunes makes it simple. I hear a song I like and I buy it. I don't have to hunt for it at Walmart. I don't have to buy 8 crappy songs to get the 2 I like. iTunes has turned me into a record buyer instead of a radio listener. And if someone needs to steal a .99c song that plays on the radio for free, perhaps the RIAA needs to help those people find jobs instead.
Not to mention that MPAA have very low morals themselves. I buy a $25 BDVD and you make it so I can't fast forward through your stupid ads or FBI warnings. Put that on the cover, eh? "WARNING: This version of the movie requires you to view stupid content first. Your IQ may be lowered."
It's time for them to adjust their business model to adapt to technology, not try and hassle all the customers instead. Or they can just release movies in the theaters and on vinyl records again and stop most of the illegal copying. Analog BABY!!! |
1 edit | I'm going to show my age here a bit, but CD's not only didn't come down in price compared to vinyl, they actually went up. In the mid-'80s, you could buy most albums for around $8.00 on LP, but the CD versions were priced around $15. The record companies said this was because there were only a limited number of manufacturing plants operating at the time, but as soon as more came online, the price of CD's would drop back to that of LP's. Everyone knew that was a lie then, and, in hindsight, we were all right. It WAS a lie.
And I'm sure the record companies want to blame lower sales on piracy. I can give them a better reason. Not only is mainstream music these days worse than it used to be, the big broadcasting companies, in an effort to squeeze more profits out of their stations, have pretty much destroyed commercial radio in this country. How does that tie in to record sales? Back in the day, people often discovered new music on the radio. You'd often have one or more DJ's who you liked because they would introduce you to new music you'd never find on your own. These guys really were experts at what they did. However, employing them cost money, so the big broadcasting chains got rid of them in favor of automation systems that were programmed by some consultant who supposedly knew what people wanted to listen to. Now you got to listen to the same "market-tested" rotation of the same songs that they played a few hours ago, over, and over, and over. In the past, stations reported their playlists, which were at least partially driven by listener requests, to companies like Billboard, which prepared top-40 lists, which stations' music directors looked at when creating their new playlists. In this way, listeners, through their calls, could affect the music on the air, pushing more popular songs to the top of the charts and weeding out the duds. Now, I challenge you to find a station that takes requests. So, if there are no requests, what input do listeners have in the programming process? None. The whole thing is driven by what the consultants, often influenced or outright paid by the record companies to play their music, say should be played. And given the record companies' track record of producing shittier and shittier music, you can see where this process ultimately leads. Do this long enough, and people stop buying your product, which is exactly what is happening. You can spend as little or as much money as you like buffing and polishing a turd, but, in the end, it's still a piece of shit. |
