24th April, 2025.
Right: it’s official.
I am now the proud owner of a physical copy of The Rubber-keyed Wonder: a documentary about the ZX Spectrum, one of the UK’s seminal 8-bit computers.
The fact I’m also waiting for Penguin’s annotated version of Terry Pratchett’s Night Watch?
Is probably incidental.
At any rate … ?
The first of two discs is ripping as I speak.
Whilst I was sorely tempted to stream the thing through Apple’s TV.app — the film’s also available in the UK, through Amazon Prime — that raises issues.
I’m always concerned — as are many — that ‘buying’ a digital product to stream doesn’t give you permanent ownership of that product.
If the streamer’s license runs out?
You lose access to it.
Granted, Apple has a bit of blurb on its page about the film: that if you download it to a compatible device, they can’t remove it from the device, and you don’t need an internet connection to view it.
I’m assuming Amazon have similar terms.
Even with those provisos?
That — to me, at least — that sounds like the streamers can still remove streamed content: even if they can’t or don’t remove downloaded content.
There’s also the fact the Apple and Amazon seem to only offer the film itself for rental/purchase.
But not whatever’s on the second disc that came with the physical copy I’ve bought.
That … ?
As far as I can see, that mix of extras and physical ownership makes purchasing decision, wise.
~≈📀≈~
