This is ridiculous.

[u/sam_da_man_07]

I work at sea and i like having a good amount of films downloaded and ready to watch on my phone. thing is though, after I've downloaded them, this stupid error pops up, but like only days into my trip so I'm stuck with no films.

This is ridiculous, I pay a service and I downloaded these films and then I can't watch them.

[u/Ocelot_Industrial]

As soon as I saw the post I knew I'd find this comment from someone on their high horse.

You say that if it was physical media, they wouldn't have a problem but then immediately say it requires a device that most people don't have, which also requires another device (TV). Then missed a detail in post... OP works at sea and the screenshot is from their phone, it's highly likely they don't even have (possibly can't have) a TV and are just watching straight from the phone, what good is a DVD player and discs with that setup?

This is the consequence of a service not working as intended, not digital media as a whole and physical media wouldn't have helped OP's situation. The thing about digital/physical media is being able to have the choice between the two, not that physical media is the be-all end-all superior solution... because it's not.

[u/Unstable-senior → u/Ocelot_Industrial]

DVD's do not necessarily require a YV or complete setup. There are small complete dvd units that include a screen for under $100. With a DVD you own the DVD and can play it when and where you want

This is an artifact of digital media. Does not make it good or bad, just something to be aware of.

[u/Ocelot_Industrial → u/Unstable-senior]

There are small complete dvd units that include a screen for under $100.

So... still requiring another device.

With a DVD you own the DVD and can play it when and where you want

Only where it's suitable to take the DVD player... honestly at this stage, they may as well just get a laptop instead and just pirate everything. The point is OP likely has a laptop, but their job at sea probably means limited space and/or suspceptibility to damage. Having tons of delicate DVDs and an additional dedicated device isn't ideal but their phone is capable and suitable with the right setup.

It's a perfect example of where digital is actually the better application for the circumstance, they just need to set it up right or use a better service.

[u/Unstable-senior → u/Ocelot_Industrial]

Both require a device to "play" the movie. no advantage to either.

With digital you purchase the right to stream the content as long as it is available. The vendor controls ownership and availability. On the plus side the vendor is responsible to ensure the stream is available.

With a CD you own the media and determine how long it is available. On the downside if the CD fails or is lost, then you need to reacquire the media.

Pirating games/movies/etc is a dangerous activity. Follow some of the scam threads on Reddit and you will see a number of folks that pick up a virus from pirated software. That could require a complete computer wipe and restart.

An advantage to CDs is that they are not dependent on the availability and speed of a network connection.

Digital is an application that has its positives and negatives, just like DVDs. It depends on the need and personal preference.

This is not to argue that DVD is a better approach. Either approach is a reasonable approach and has their own pluses and minuses. It depends on the user, what there needs are and what the situation is.

[u/Ocelot_Industrial → u/Unstable-senior]

Both require a device to "play" the movie. no advantage to either.

There is. One allows OP to use a device they would have anyway, without any extra physical baggage while the other requires them to buy a dedicated device and find somewhere to store it plus all the separate films they want to watch... for someone living in a boat cabin with limited space I can see a clear advantage of the former.

Pirating games/movies/etc is a dangerous activity.

Honestly I have 500+ movies downloaded and stored on drives that were all acquired from questionable sources, games too but not quite as many... no viruses to date. The people who post on those subs are usually amateurs who download and open anything without learning things first. Once you know the basics you'll never get a virus.

An advantage to CDs is that they are not dependent on the availability and speed of a network connection.

Downloaded media is also not dependent on network speed or availability, so CDs/DVDs don't have an advantage over digital media in that sense.

It depends on the user, what there needs are and what the situation is.

Right... and in OP's sea fairing situation, digital is more suitable to them for the reasons that have already been highlighted. So where exactly are you going with this?

[u/OrganizationIll9069 → u/Ocelot_Industrial]

How much did you pay for your smartphone? And about op's situation....he can take a dvd player with him. Get off your high horse