The link that leads to iTunes Match in international stores still functions, surprisingly, allowing you to view the relevant sign-up page without issue, as you can see in the screenshot below. But signing up still doesn’t actually provide access to the service.

But even if you followed that link and signed up early like I did, Apple has you covered: The company is reportedly issuing refunds to customers who attempted to get in early. According to reports on Twitter, contacting iTunes Support about an ability to use the service results in a reversal of charges. It’s not clear whether charges will be reimbursed without first contacting Apple directly.

ITunes Match allows users to scan and match their entire music library in order to access it from anywhere on Apple’s servers. It launched in the U.S. to mixed reviews, and it was recently introduced in Brazil, too, alongside the launch of the iTunes Store there. While Apple doesn’t appear quite ready to launch it internationally, it is clearly headed in that direction, since it already has different pricing in place for the service’s annual subscription fees, specific to each market.

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iTunes Match is a $25 per year subscription service, through which Apple matches tracks in its extensive iTunes Store catalog to ones in your own personal library, regardless of their original source, and makes available 256 Kbps AAC DRM-free tracks for download on any device associated with your Apple ID. If Apple can’t match a track from your library, it’ll upload your original file instead, making sure that everything is available to all devices. Apple initially said it would deliver iTunes Match by the end of October, and obviously missed that timeline by a couple of weeks.

To sign up for iTunes Match, all you need to do is install iTunes 10.5.1, which is available now through Apple.com, and then click on the iTunes Match link on the iTunes Store main page. To sign up, you’ll need an Apple ID and an active payment method on your account to pay the initial $24.99 fee for the first year of service. Be aware that the initial scan and upload of your library could take up to a few hours depending on how many tracks you have.

Also note that as of this writing, iTunes Match has temporarily suspended new sign ups and is advising users to “check back in an hour,” due to overwhelming demand. Note also that your iOS devices will need to be running iOS 5 or later to use the service, and there’s a 10 device and 25,000 song limit.

How is the service working for you so far, if you managed to get in, and who’s planning to sign up, once Apple opens up registration again?

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According to the Los Angeles Times, Apple is in talks with movie studios to finalize deals that would allow users to buy through iTunes once, and then access movies on any device, likely via a past purchases section of the store like the one that currently exists for apps, books, music and TV shows. We’ve heard about such negotiations in the past, but the new report suggests the talks are nearing completion, and will result in a cloud-based movie distribution system to go live either late in 2011 or early in 2012.

Apple currently accounts for two-thirds of digital movie sales and rentals through its iTunes Store, according to IHS, so it makes sense that movie studios would be interested in working out some kind of arrangement with Apple, especially with sales of physical media dwindling.

Nearly all major movie studios, with the exception of Disney, have signed on to a project called Ultraviolet, which provides digital, cloud-based copies of movies to customers who buy them in physical formats. Despite this apparent iTunes competitor, however, the L.A. Times reports that studio executives would be happy to see Apple join the efforts.

Apple has a strong bargaining position, and studios will have a tough time selling customers on Ultraviolet with iTunes already so entrenched, despite lots of studio support and many hardware partners. With iTunes in the Cloud already in place, and TV shows now on board, I expect it’s only a matter of time (and sales numbers that show Apple’s hardware platform is the right place for content producers to be) before movies come to the cloud, too.

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According to the Springwise.com ideas-spotting blog, a Sainsbury’s store in London is providing shopping carts equipped with an iPad holder in partnership with Sky Sports. The idea is that shoppers will bring their own iPad, having downloaded the Sky Go iPad app (which allows Sky subscribers free mobile access to several channels of sports), dock it in the cart’s holder and not miss a moment of the game when they have to run out for food or beer. There will also be a battery for charging the iPad, with a solar panel and speakers.

Does that sound slightly dangerous to you too? Well Sky and Sainsbury’s have apparently also considered this. Springwise writes that, “to prevent any accidents that might result, the new trolleys also feature a front bumper complete with a sensor that beeps if the user strays too close to other shoppers.”

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Developers were granted early access to iTunes Match Monday afternoon, via a sign-up page included in a newly released version of the iTunes 10.5 beta. Our sources say Apple appears to have cut off new iTunes Match registrations for the time being, saying that it will be expanding its initial pool of testers over the next few days. Developers still have to pay the $24.99 yearly subscription fee, which allows you to store up to 25,000 songs on Apple’s servers, but the period between now and the service’s public release, as well as an additional three months of service will be free of charge. Developers are also warned that any music stored during the beta period will be deleted at the end of testing.

In addition to the ability to download music directly to up to 10 devices (including a maximum of 5 computers) associated with a user’s iTunes account, iTunes Match provides another feature that hasn’t been specifically advertised by Apple: the ability to remotely stream tracks from the cloud instead of having to download them first.

That iTunes Match is now live for testing is good news, since it means we’ll hopefully see it arrive on time this fall alongside iOS 5 and iCloud. The website Insanely Great Mac has a video of iTunes Match streaming in action, which you can see below. It’s a feature that many thought was missing from Apple’s music service when compared to similar offerings from Google, Amazon and Spotify. It’s still possible the streaming aspect won’t make it into a final release version of iTunes Match, but if it does, Apple will have an even stronger contender on its hands than most people anticipated.

Note that iTunes Match will be U.S.-only when it launches in fall, probably due to issues with obtaining international licenses for all the music streamed. Apple will no doubt be trying to roll out the service to other markets through negotiations with major record labels, a process which could be helped along if the U.S. launch goes well.

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• Updated: 4 reasons Pandora could win the fight for digital music

According to two separate sources speaking to AppAdvice, in the coming weeks, Apple will launch iTunes Replay, which will work by providing a little arrow next to TV show and movie content available in the iTunes store that qualifies for the service. Content marked with the arrow will be able to be downloaded multiple times to different devices and likely streamed to some as well. The blog reports that some content will be limited to only five subsequent downloads, likely dependent upon rights negotiations with content providers, but that users will also be able to use iTunes Replay with previously purchased content, so long as it was bought after Jan. 1, 2009.

If Apple has been working on such a service, it makes much more sense that we’d see it actually released to the public now, in 2011, rather than in 2009. First, digital video sales is a completely different landscape. Netflix has prompted aggressive growth of streaming distribution, and Blockbuster has since declared bankruptcy, putting a huge dent in physical rentals. TV Everywhere initiatives by cable companies have also helped make device-independent digital distribution more commonplace. Also, mobile video is a much more influential force, so providing greater access to iOS devices is in the best interest of content sellers.

Apple’s recent actions also indicate that the time for iTunes Replay to go public may have finally arrived. With the introduction of iCloud, users (in the U.S.) can now automatically download purchases made on one device, an iPhone for instance, onto another, like their Mac or iPad. And thanks to the latest Apple TV update, iTunes customers can already stream some TV content to that platform directly after purchase. Broadening the availability of multiple downloads and streaming of TV and movie content on iOS, Mac and TV is a logical next step.

I have no doubt that Apple would love to offer something like this to iTunes customers. The only question remains, Are film and TV content providers ready to take that step? If rights negotiations began back in 2009, when this service first hit the radar, then that is definitely possible, especially given all that’s happened in the meantime.

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The new TV show streaming feature lets users buy episodes directly from Apple TV and stream them from Apple’s servers. It also grants users access to TV shows previously purchased through iTunes without the need to download them to your iTunes library first. (It looks like all shows are available, but there’s no official word yet on whether all content providers are on board.) It’s a nice feature addition that Apple is probably hoping will encourage more users to buy content rather than rent, and it likely also represents one of the new uses of Apple’s massive data center in North Carolina. It also seems to be U.S.-only for the moment. In other words, any TV shows you’ve purchased from iTunes are now stored, and streamable, from the cloud.

Vimeo is also now available in the “Internet” section of Apple TV. Like YouTube, Vimeo provides access to a huge library of user-uploaded video content, but the site focuses more on creative artistic projects and auteur short films. You can now navigate Vimeo’s library on Apple TV, check your video inbox and mark videos for later viewing. Vimeo introduced an iPhone app earlier this year that allows shooting and editing, as well as uploading of mobile video.

Apple’s additions to the Apple TV are coming somewhat sporadically and slowly, but it is doing a great job of improving the appeal of the device and providing a stronger supporting content library. Here’s hoping the feature additions keep trickling out.

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Now any content available to be viewed in the Ustream iPhone application can also be viewed on the big screen or a connected projector, so long as you have an Apple TV to beam content to. That means the whole office can gather around the boardroom table to view a conference taking place halfway round the world, without the need for a more complicated computer setup. Users following online learning tutorials can also watch more comfortably from any display connected to their Apple TV, which could include a hotel room television, since the Apple media streaming box is only about the size of a deck of cards.

Ustream has also become a popular site for people to use for delivering entertainment content, like the bizarre Sheen’s Korner, from actor Charlie Sheen, or smaller productions from enterprising amateurs like Nat&Marie. AirPlay support adds another way for users who are looking for alternatives to traditional cable programming to get content to their living room, without the need for expensive HTPC equipment.

The app also boasts a lot of bug fixes, according to Ustream, so hopefully that will address some of the other issues people have been reporting about an inability to load many live streams. I’m looking forward to being able to tune in to conferences without having to either be glued to the computer or hunched over my iPhone or iPad. Do you think this will have any effect on your viewing habits, educational or otherwise?

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The new Hitachi offering joins the Seagate GoFlex Satellite  as yet another device that is trying to make external storage relevant to user who are increasingly using mobile devices to consume content. Like the GoFlex, the G-Connect offers 500 GB of storage, and the ability to simultaneously stream to multiple devices. The G-Connect offers some nice advantages over the GoFlex, however, like the ability to stream to up to five devices, instead of just three, and an Ethernet port that lets it plug into a wired Internet connection and act as a wireless access point. But it also carries a major drawback: it lacks an internal battery, so unlike the GoFlex, you’ll have to plug the G-Connect into a power source if you want to use it, which for some might limit its utility as a mobile support device. Still, when a power source is available, as they often are on trains, planes and coffee shops, it should greatly expand the media library available to your iOS devices.

When iOS 5 arrives, iPads and iPhones will finally be cut loose from their PC tethers. That will mean that users can depend on them as their only computing devices, if they wish. But owing to the limited local storage options on iOS devices, they might run up against space constraints when doing so. iCloud aims to help with some of that, by making music, apps and books available on-demand from Apple’s servers, so that you can delete them as needed when you’re running out of room, and grab them again when you need them. But that solution depends on relatively unfettered access to an active Internet connection. Users without mobile data plans for their devices, or those with caps like Verizon’s new tiered plans will have a harder time taking full advantage of a cloud computing future.

Devices like the G-Connect and the GoFlex could be just the start of a flood of supplemental hardware designed to provide a local alternative remote streaming for users who either don’t have the bandwidth to take advantage of the latter, or who’d rather own their content than rent access to it from content providers. External local wireless storage also offers more privacy, which is a selling point for some.

While I expect the general thrust of computing in general to continue to favor remote cloud options, I think the personal cloud stands a good chance of developing at a similar pace at the same time, albeit on a smaller scale. Physical storage is cheap and getting cheaper, while the same can’t necessarily be said for broadband access. As Apple and other device manufacturers move to make the cloud the centre of its universe, it’s only natural that a percentage of consumers will opt to find an alternative centre for their own gadgets that allows them to remain autonomous and possibly save money.

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Forty-six percent of iTunes users surveyed by The NPD Group for its upcoming “iTunes User Report” expressed interest in signing up for a paid cloud music service, were Apple to offer one. Of course, since Monday, we’ve learned Apple does intend to offer such a service, in the form of iTunes Match. iTunes Match will scan a user’s local iTunes library, and provide access to high quality AAC files of songs found for direct download to any device associated with their iTunes account. Scanned music doesn’t necessarily have to come from the iTunes Store, either, which is a cause for concern for some, and excitement for others.

It’s easy to say that users are interested in iTunes Match because it seems like it could amount to a possible amnesty regarding pirated music, but the details of Apple’s scan-and-match service weren’t known when NPD posed its question. Instead, it seems more likely the motivation stems mainly from the convenience a subscription cloud music service provides, owing to the success of mobile devices like the iPhone and iPad.

NPD entertainment industry analyst thinks the survey is a good indication that Apple chose the right time to launch a fee-based service that provides cloud music access to iTunes users:

It’s notable that even before Apple’s announcement this week, nearly half of iTunes users had some interest in a paid cloud-based music service. As device penetration continues to grow, and as consumers demand easier access to their music from multiple devices, we can expect interest in these services from Apple and others to continue to rise.

That nearly half of iTunes users said they were willing to pay for cloud music access is very promising for Apple, considering how much of a shift it represents from the current way of doing things. It’s even better news for the company that younger iTunes customers appear even more amenable to the idea: 57 percent of teens aged 13 to 17 responded positively to the idea, indicating that there’s a good chance cloud music adoption will grow with time.

The only hurdle might be that NPD’s analysis found that the ideal average price for paid iTunes cloud music service is $17 per year, which is a fair bit shy of the nearly $25 Apple is asking. Also, NPD’s question to iTunes users did include the word “streaming” in its definition of a cloud service. iCloud and iTunes Match don’t provide streaming per se, but they do provide access to your entire library from any device where you have internet access, another condition set by NPD, and, as Cult of Mac points out, streaming just isn’t that useful to most Americans because of bandwidth data caps.

If Apple can sign up anywhere near half of the 160 million iTunes users it had at last official count, iTunes Match will be a considerable success. Are you planning on contributing to that success?

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The OnLive Player app can be used with OnLive’s streaming gaming service, which handles all the heavy lifting for graphics-intensive games on remote servers, and beams the action over an active broadband connection to your device. OnLive has already released a Viewer app to preview its iPad service, but the fully interactive playable version arrives this fall, the company announced at E3.

The key to the OnLive Player app’s appeal lies in its versatility. It allows you to use the tablet as both screen and touch / motion controller, just like you do for most native iPad games, or as a standalone controller for games displayed on an external source, or as a screen for use with a new wireless universal gamepad.

Thanks to the iPad 2′s ability to output its display via the Apple Digital AV Adapter, and even over AirPlay when iOS 5 arrives this fall, it could act as both portable and home gaming console all in one convenient device with the Player app arrives. Not to mention the app will be available for the iPhone and iPod touch, as well as Android handsets and tablets, too. If OnLive or another partner built a case/controller combo for those device and targeted top-tier mobile games developers, an iPhone running OnLive could compete with the likes of Sony’s new PlayStation Vita  (formerly known as the NGP), especially if we get updated hardware in the fall.

Nintendo and Sony are both addressing the threat posed by versatile tablet and smartphone devices by integrating hallmarks of that hardware into its next-gen devices: touchscreens, cellular data connections and two-screen media viewing are all on the docket. But unlike traditional gaming companies, OnLive is free to make use of the tech consumers are already using, instead of trying to reinvent the wheel and sell them a brand new device that looks and feels a lot like the ones they already have. Of course, OnLive has to deal with the rising costs of bandwidth, so we’ll have to see how that drama continues to play out before declaring it a winner.

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The patent, discovered by AppleInsider, describes a hybrid system whereby users can sync a portion of their music locally to their iOS device, with the remainder to be streamed remotely. The advantage would be that the device would have a sort of pre-loaded buffer of each song ready to go, so that playback would be instantaneous when users select a song, while in the background the bulk of the track is streamed from the cloud. It’s a smart approach, and one that bears some similarity to the system described behind HP’s planned music service for its upcoming TouchPad tablet.

Also included in the patent is the suggestion that users can either choose to stream from their own library on a home computer or remote server, or directly from a larger content source, which AppleInsider interprets as Apple’s iTunes music library. If Apple is successful in securing license agreements with music labels, that option could definitely be on the table.

It isn’t clear from the patent whether the partial syncing would be required for cloud music streaming, or just an option that users can enable or disable at their leisure. Certainly, it’s more appealing as an optional setting, since having it disabled would reduce the need to physically tether your iOS device to your computer for syncing.

There has been lots of talk about how Apple might be able to offer a more attractive cloud streaming option than its competitors Google and Amazon, but specific details about what perks it could introduce have been vague and speculative so far. This patent reveals some very specific advantages. Being able to choose from a variety of streaming sources and the ability to start playback instantly with no waiting, regardless of your data connection’s quality, are all noteworthy options not offered by either Amazon or Google.

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Like Amazon, which launched its own cloud music locker service in late March, Apple has yet to secure any new or additional licenses with record labels, but those labels are said to be in talks with Apple in the hopes of working out a new arrangement prior to the service launch, according to three of Reuters’ sources. Apple hasn’t revealed any firm dates to those partners, says the sources, but they also say it will launch ahead of Google’s own cloud music storage offering.

Apple could be using Amazon’s unlicensed push into cloud media storage as a negotiating tool to help expedite the launch of its own service. While Amazon has since begun holding talks with labels, possibly to sidestep threats of legal action from the music industry, it has set a precedent Apple could follow if labels are making demands the Mac-maker isn’t comfortable with.

Apple’s North Carolina data center is also set to go live this spring, according to past statements by company COO Tim Cook. That facility is likely to provide the infrastructure required to launch a remote music storage option for Apple’s many of iTunes customers.

Apple has yet to reveal anything regarding its plans for cloud-based music, but it acquired streaming music company Lala in 2009 and shuttered the company’s business in 2010, leading many to speculate it intended to use the company’s expertise to launch its own similar service. A streaming service that preserves Apple’s pay-per-track and album music sales strategy, but also makes that music available to any connected Mac or iOS device, makes sense as Apple faces growing competition from online subscription media service providers and the launch of similar options from competitors like Amazon.

It’s been a long time coming, but let’s hope these latest rumors prove true. With the growth of the App Store and the introduction of more advanced apps with larger file sizes, I’m really starting to feel the pinch of iOS device storage limitations. Keeping my music in the cloud would help considerably, though tiered data plans might make people think twice about taking full advantage.

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Until Laird’s release, the private key for iTunes music streaming was unknown to all but Apple and its official third-party partners, so only a select group of devices could stream music. AirPlay video, on the other hand, can be streamed to unofficial software for the Mac, and to third-party apps available in the App Store. Other software could stream to AirPlay-enabled devices, but not from them.

Shairport means that software solutions that can stream music from iTunes or iOS devices will be fairly easy to create, and should likely be made available for Macs, PCs, and possibly consoles and other mobile devices. Apple recently introduced Home Sharing to iOS devices, which allows you to do pretty much what Shairport allows, but only between iTunes and an iDevice capable of running the latest software. The company seems to acknowledge that its users are eager to unlock the potential of its streaming service, but is unwilling to deliver a truly open solution that would make sharing media with any device quick and painless.

Apple doesn’t want AirPlay to be open because in limiting its availability, it encourages sales of its own devices (many people I know have their homes set up for wireless sound throughout using multiple Apple TVs and AirPort Expresses), and because if it loses control over licensing, it also loses the ability to properly vet hardware partners and their products. Sub-standard experiences with AirPlay will affect Apple’s reputation, even if third-party hardware or software is actually to blame. Apple may also encounter resistance from record labels regarding the acceptable licensed use of music sold through the iTunes store when it comes to AirPlay music streaming.

But Apple would be better off leaving this gate alone, now that it’s been opened. In fact, it should go one further and make AirPlay itself freely available to all. AirPlay is a unique advantage for iOS devices, but like MobileMe, it’s one that only a small percentage of iDevice users can currently take full advantage of, so it probably doesn’t factor that strongly in a potential customer’s buying decision. If, however, a user knew that AirPlay would probably work with their TV, stereo, and any and all home computers, it might become much more important to them. Quality control will of course be an issue, but if AirPlay becomes omnipresent on third-party consumer devices, the quality of the experience using it on specific hardware will gradually become attributable to the device maker, and not to Apple.

At the very least, Apple should take a hands-off approach to dealing with this latest attempt to open up software it intends to be closed. iOS and iTunes users want AirPlay to be more useful in more places, and Shairport makes that a reality, without any major work or renegotiation of licensing terms on Apple’s part.

The original version of this article incorrectly identified the software as Shareport.

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Apple Made the PC; Apple Killed the PC

When News Corp. CEO Rupert Murdoch launched The Daily, the iPad-specific daily newspaper, he said in an interview that Steve Jobs was responsible for the invention of the personal computer, then the laptop, and now the ongoing destruction of both. Murdoch may not be entirely right about the specifics here (no doubt Steve Wozniak would argue that he should at least share credit for the “invention” of the PC, though the MITS Altair and Tandy tape-based computers predated any Apple efforts), but he’s right that Apple was instrumental in the early popularization and spread of personal computing. And he’s also correct that Apple’s iPhone and iPad are strong catalysts in how the very notion of computing is being re-shaped right now.

Post-PC (Sooner or Later)

Steve Jobs recently coined a term that describes the new phase of computing ushered in by smartphones, tablets and other connected devices: post-PC. The use of the term spawned countless debates about whether or not we can claim to be actually living in a post-PC era yet, or about whether Jobs can use that term to describe the use of devices that are still, in many ways, very dependent on PCs for syncing and media management. But whatever your opinion on whether we’re or not we’re truly entering the post-PC era, it’s clearly the direction in which we’re headed, judging by the iPad’s continued success, the ongoing worldwide growth of smartphones, and efforts by all of Apple’s competitors to successfully break into the tablet market.

The Cloud: Apple’s Biggest Challenge

As the post-PC market evolves, Apple faces possibly its greatest challenge yet: deploying strong cloud-based service offerings. Amazon just this week introduced its Cloud Player and Cloud Drive, beating Apple to the punch with a cloud-based music “locker” type offering that the Mac-maker has apparently been trying to negotiate with record labels. Google is also ahead of Apple in terms of cloud services, thanks to its free Google sync services including Gmail, Google Docs, Google Reader and many others. These provide single sign-in setup for Android device owners, whereas iPhone and iPad owners currently have to pay for MobileMe to get many of the same features on their devices.

Apple also has yet to reveal any firm plans or intentions to offer any kind of streaming subscription for music or other media, despite many reports of the company’s attempts to set up partnerships that would make such services a reality. Streaming media services are on the rise, both in terms of number and subscribers, and Apple risks being left behind as major players like Amazon and Google begin moving in that direction.

The Revolution Co.

Apple throws the word “revolutionary” around quite a bit (almost as much as PR folks, in fact), but it would be a mistake to dismiss this as mere marketing hyperbole. The company has consistently introduced products that change the face of the consumer electronics industry, and few, if any, could’ve predicted their arrival beforehand. That means that, to some degree, trying to pin down Apple’s future plans will always be a slippery task.

Of course, it’s almost impossible to discount the role of Steve Jobs, who, no matter what your personal opinion regarding his medical prognosis, cannot lead the company forever. Will Apple lose the ability to be a motivating force for market upheaval when he’s gone? I say no, because Apple has a corporate culture based, from the top-down, on fostering innovation and creativity. Maintaining that at such a high rate of success for 35 years is not something any one person can manage through force of will alone. Apple’s executive team works together to do this, and will continue to do so.

What do you think Apple’s next 35 years have in store?

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Air Video isn’t the only remote video streaming app to get AirPlay support. StreamToMe also recently updated its app to include AirPlay support for iOS 4.3 users. I prefer Air Video because it can function both as a streaming and remote conversion tool, as it is creating a second, streaming-optimized  file which can be automatically added to your iTunes library for later use. StreamToMe offers other great features, however, like music and photo streaming from your iTunes and iPhoto libraries. You can’t stream movies bought in iTunes using either thanks to DRM measures, but there are ways around that for the truly dedicated.

Whichever you choose, you get video streaming over Wi-Fi and 3G to your iPhone, iPod touch or iPad, even when you’re outside your home network (with the help of a simple companion application on the computer where your media is housed). And with iOS 4.3, you can stream that stream (stay with me here) from your device directly to a screen or projector connected to an Apple TV.

Other iOS video apps haven’t been so quick to embrace the new functionality. As Janko noted after Apple’s press event last week:

[I]f you’re looking to get additional TV content on your television via AirPlay, you’ll be disappointed. Hulu’s iPad app won’t support AirPlay for the time being, and Comcast and HBO also are on the fence. Netflix, which is usually keen on supporting as many platforms as possible, isn’t interested in AirPlay — and don’t hold your breath for AirPlay becoming part of the ABC app.

That list isn’t likely to get any shorter as the launch proceeds. For many of these subscription streaming apps, the question of whether or not to support AirPlay becomes a thorny legal one that involves licensing and specific platform rights. In many cases, neither rights-holders nor licensees may yet even have a good idea of what they can and can’t do regarding AirPlay.

That could be just how Apple wants it. Despite persistent rumblings that Apple wants to get into the streaming game (and its first steps in that direction with the latest all-streaming Apple TV revision), the company still does the bulk of its media sales business by selling individual, locally-stored files to users. AirPlay reinvigorates this older model of content distribution in the face of the looming shift towards more cloud-based solutions.

It’s good news, too, for users who are uncomfortable with that shift and prefer truly owning (rather than merely leasing) content. Air Video and StreamToMe are ideal solutions for users with extensive physical media libraries who’ve taken the time to back up that content in digital formats. The hesitation of video streaming services to embrace the new tech is also a great reminder why local libraries are still relevant: Every new platform and technology requires new, exhaustive licensing negotiations and agreements.

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