| What about smaller businesses? Startup and local enterprises have far less choices than the giants like Netflix, Google, Apple and cable companies. - HW box: insane venture for a small businesses - Desktop app: Good luck with adoption! Unless you're Apple and have a way to force your iTunes-equivalent down your users' throats. Also, lots of work specific to desktop apps. - Mobile app: Again, good luck with adoption. You'll need a way to show the content on larger screens. Also, lots of work specific to each mobile platform. - Blu-Ray: let's assume not an option - Browser app: Less adoption friction as it will work on any device with a modern browser (including Smart TVs and game consoles). Lots of work, but can be used for every platform (including native apps by using web views). Browser apps are clearly the best choice for smaller businesses, except for one problem: no DRM. Content producers/middlemen see non-DRM content as a piracy risk (a questionable decision) and therefore write requirements for a certain level of "content protection" into their licensing agreements. Smaller businesses have less bargaining power and it is unlikely they could negotiate out such a clause (or convince the middleman of the stupidity of DRM and how it rarely actually prevents piracy). EME will enable smaller distribution businesses, increasing competition and giving consumers more choice. |
> EME will enable smaller distribution businesses, increasing competition and giving consumers more choice.
Illusion of choice. Because the small businesses have smaller bargaining power, they will do whatever their partners will demand them to do. That does not mean that there would be wider choice of content; quite contrary. There would be only more distributors without any power to offer better service. The content producers/middlemen would use them as a tool to protect their position, making sure no other ITMS happens.