^ Most digital video you "buy" and store locally is locked into a particular DRM format. If the vendor goes out of business or changes their technology, you're left storing useless bits.

I wonder if an iTunes digital video purchased in 2015 will be playable in 2045.

^ Most digital video you "buy" and store locally is locked into a particular DRM format. If the vendor goes out of business or changes their technology, you're left storing useless bits.

I wonder if an iTunes digital video purchased in 2015 will be playable in 2045.

That is very true, but there are, of course, exceptions. It is very rare nowadays for downloaded music to be wrapped in DRM. Amazon and Apple don't use it in their marketplaces I know for sure (on music only - other content from these sources DOES have DRM). Movies almost invariably are (which is also why the only digital copies I own of movies were bundled free with the physical disc). If you want to get really nitpicky, most DVDs and Blu-Rays have DRM, too, it's just a bit less volatile since the devices to play this content do not necessarily have an internet connection. Plenty of online game retailers don't use DRM (GOG and the Humble Bundle are examples of this).

Probably the one exception for me is Steam. I get a lot of games on Steam, which are wrapped in DRM. I'm not sure why I make this exception. Maybe it's the crazy sales they have a couple times a year. It's almost like, if Steam goes under, I've saved so much money by buying through them as opposed to buying the same games elsewhere, that it's almost still worth paying for an "indefinite rental". Of course, with Steam, you can put the client in "offline mode" but even then, they are still tied to that PC and you will only be able to play them for the lifetime of that computer.

Meanwhile, Edison brown cylinders from 1897 still play happily today.

And I have books that are nearly 200 years old...

We had a slight panic the other day, my daughter wanted to check out some old VHS-C cassette tapes of me from when I was a child. We found that the VHS-C converter we had was no longer working. Went to Kroger, didn't have one, went to Walmart, didn't have one, went to Best Buy, didn't have one, went to Radio Shack and finally found the place that had one, and yes, only one. The person at Radio Shack informed us they no longer made the converters and the only way to really find them is on eBay and other second hand online stores.

Soon, way soon...no Radio Shack either.

Terp, who sears at the thought.

Holy smokes!! Felt like I was time traveling. Made me smile and laugh. Great post and thanks for sharing.