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Comment by loudmax | Hacker News Reader

Agreed. They don't need to make it impossible, they just need to make it inconvenient enough so for most users, copying stuff out of DRM isn't worth the hassle.

This cuts both ways. It's more convenient to watch a movie from a file on a NAS than it is to watch a DVD, especially if the DVD has unskipable ads or is coded for the wrong region.

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> It's more convenient to watch a movie from a file on a NAS than it is to watch a DVD, especially if the DVD has unskipable ads or is coded for the wrong region.

Absolutely. One of the reasons for Netflix success is that it is so simple to use compared to alternatives. Open, click, watch.

Yes, but the question is do you even need the DRM or is the 'copy hassle' sufficient? You only need one person willing and able to subvert the DRM to make and then distribute an unrestricted version. Individuals don't need to 'unDRM' content themselves it's out there if they want and know how to get it.

I think that what DRM provides is the illusion of control. This illusion is good enough to allow Netflix and similar companies to gain access to other peoples content upon which they build a very convenient system for media consumption by anybody who can use a TV.

Sure, but again, for most people Netflix is cheap enough and simple enough that they won't even bother looking for torrents or other "illegal" versions. That in itself takes some time and know-how that the average consumer just doesn't have or want to bother with.

> They don't need to make it impossible, they just need to make it inconvenient enough so for most users, copying stuff out of DRM isn't worth the hassle.

I disagree. It merely requires one clever person to crack it and then it's available to anyone over BitTorrent within hours. Any functioning DRM scheme must make it practically impossible for everyone.

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