Extremely Scary Thought: Can Streaming Video Companies Edit Movies!?!? - Blu-ray Forum

Engage · 01-09-2023, 01:48 PM

Hey guys, this has been on my mind so much that I haven't been using my streaming video accounts even though I'm paying for it. I'm not paranoid or anything, but it just seems so easy for a streaming company to stream an altered version or some kind of "edition" of a particular film or TV show and a viewer would never know the difference if they haven't seen the film before...

I know streaming platforms the are all mainstream at this point. I grew up on VHS which is a solid medium so it's very different to streaming and so it feels strange to me that everyone just trusts the streaming companies?

I've been feeling really strong anxiety about this so I'd appreciate any help!

kannibaliztik · 01-09-2023, 01:59 PM

If a studio desires to edit/change their content then yes, they already do this. Example, they edited out a blackface scene in an episode of the Office, and I'm sure there are plenty of other examples. If you are worried about certain content being changed, then I'd advise just buying the disc if available, because 99% of people won't ever notice or care if a scene is changed/edited out on a streaming service.

Steedeel · 01-09-2023, 02:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Engage

Hey guys, this has been on my mind so much that I haven't been using my streaming video accounts even though I'm paying for it. I'm not paranoid or anything, but it just seems so easy for a streaming company to stream an altered version or some kind of "edition" of a particular film or TV show and a viewer would never know the difference if they haven't seen the film before...

I know streaming platforms the are all mainstream at this point. I grew up on VHS which is a solid medium so it's very different to streaming and so it feels strange to me that everyone just trusts the streaming companies?

I've been feeling really strong anxiety about this so I'd appreciate any help!

Buy discs, problem solved.

erlinmeyer · 01-09-2023, 02:59 PM

Answer to the question, yes they can edit movies. This has gone on long before streaming. Movies have been edited for content, (copy)rights, time, aspect ratio, etc. It happened with over the air broadcasting, you VHS, DVDs and Blu-ray.

Engage · 01-09-2023, 03:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kannibaliztik

If a studio desires to edit/change their content then yes, they already do this. Example, they edited out a blackface scene in an episode of the Office, and I'm sure there are plenty of other examples. If you are worried about certain content being changed, then I'd advise just buying the disc if available, because 99% of people won't ever notice or care if a scene is changed/edited out on a streaming service.

Quote:

Originally Posted by erlinmeyer

Answer to the question, yes they can edit movies. This has gone on long before streaming. Movies have been edited for content, (copy)rights, time, aspect ratio, etc. It happened with over the air broadcasting, you VHS, DVDs and Blu-ray.

Thanks so much for your help!

Is there any way for me to verify what I'm watching is genuine?

Is there a list of the most trusted streaming companies?

kannibaliztik · 01-09-2023, 03:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Engage

Thanks so much for your help!

Is there any way for me to verify what I'm watching is genuine?

Is there a list of the most trusted streaming companies?

If you think something has been edited you can just google to see if any changes were made to what you're seeing. It isn't up to the service themselves to edit anything, they just play the content provided to them by studios so if a studio edits something, all services that have that content will get the edit ( eventually )

Zillamon51 · 01-09-2023, 04:22 PM

Disney+ has already done this. They gave Daryl Hannah digital hair extensions to cover her bare butt in Splash. There may be other examples.

As for purchased content on a service like Vudu, you're probably safe. While they could theoretically alter content, I doubt they would want to deal with the customer backlash.

kannibaliztik · 01-09-2023, 04:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zillamon51

Disney+ has already done this. They gave Daryl Hannah digital hair extensions to cover her bare butt in Splash. There may be other examples.

As for purchased content on a service like Vudu, you're probably safe. While they could theoretically alter content, I doubt they would want to deal with the customer backlash.

funny enough, when they updated Splash to 4K they returned it to it's original version. From what I've read that edit wasn't even from Disney, they were just using an edited broadcast version on D+. Digital rights are so weird.

purchased content can be edited as well, though less likely it seems. The office episoode I mentioned was one of them, it was altered after already owning it for years.

JackTwist · 01-09-2023, 04:53 PM

This is an issue and one I constantly bring up to people when they scoff at my physical collection. There are three big examples that I like to reference:

1. Editing content for rating or censorship concerns - A couple of years ago I was at a buddy's place and they wanted to watch Easy A. I have seen this movie countless times and I anticipate every joke. So when they bought the digital version and we were watching it, I started chuckling at the upcoming joke with the dog and the vibrating present given to Olive about 20 minutes or so into the film. But the joke wasn't there. The closeup on the dog holding the vibrating wrapped package was gone. It's a minor change, sure. But censorship nonetheless when a digital copy is purchased with the same rating as the original release.

2. Lost music rights - There are a few different shows that have had the music changed on the digital release due to a loss of rights to the music. This means that the studio has had to find cheap alternative music to fill in the gaps. And 90% of the time, it is never a great match. For some shows this has impacted songs throughout the episodes and for others it is the actual theme song that had to be changed. A couple of examples: Married with Children, Queer as Folk, and Charmed.

3. Digital ownership revoked - It is becoming a more common story now where a digital distributor loses the rights to a studio or a movie/TV show and all of a sudden it disappears from your library. Unless they regain control of the rights to distribute, you have lost access to a movie you paid for. Per the purchase agreement, these digital copies are treated more as extended rentals.

Deadend45 · 01-09-2023, 04:55 PM

Can? Haha. Most of the streaming posts are complaints about how the movie or tv show has been altered from the original showing.

Chad Rouch · 01-09-2023, 05:41 PM

For the Star Wars Special Editions he cut the negatives intending the new versions to be his final say (until he made more changes in the digital realms).

Point being, changing movies from their original versions have nothing to do with streaming. An altered version can be released on disc just as easily. And despite the thought that buying the disc can future proof your collection and you can always watch the originals, I can't play my huge Star Wars laserdisc set with the original cuts anymore because I haven't had a working player in over 20 years.

steve_dave · 01-09-2023, 05:46 PM

Heads up:

Mill Creek has repressed their 30 Rock Blu-ray and DVD sets to remove “potentially offensive” episodes. Good luck finding the original pressings, nothing on the package indicates a change.

Disney also pressed the new Lilo & Stitch double feature Blu-ray set with the UK “pizza box” cut of the first film. The Disney+ version is also the UK cut, only way to get the original US “dryer” version are the older Blu-rays and DVDs & digital to own copies.

The Santa Clause was replaced on digital to own for everyone with the “censored” phone line version.

NeoTechnicJ · 01-09-2023, 06:01 PM

Not just censorship, but they can inject product placement in a movie as well. I dont know of any examples yet, but the technology is there.

Alan Gordon · 01-09-2023, 08:50 PM

What's worse, digital streaming can even touch you in your bathing suit area without your consent.

avs commenter · 01-09-2023, 09:12 PM

I'm literally shaking right now thinking about how a movie I bought on Itunes for $9.99 might at some point in the future be slightly different than when I originally watched it.

steve_dave · 01-09-2023, 09:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by avs commenter

I'm literally shaking right now thinking about how a movie I bought on Itunes for $9.99 might at some point in the future be slightly different than when I originally watched it.

Counterpoint: Forces of Nature still uses the old dirty master even when it finally debuted on Paramount+ today and Broken Arrow is stereo only on iTunes despite the French dub being in 5.1 surround. Movies Anywhere has the stereo version of Broken Arrow too.

So unless a studio/distributor actually makes an effort, like Disney does, you really have nothing to be afraid of.

CrowKiller · 01-09-2023, 10:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Steedeel

Buy discs, problem solved.

Yeah for the life of me, I don't understand why anyone would waste money on digital content. Complete waste of money in every conceivable way. Things can be altered. Things can be taken away. Mind boggling how people fall for that crap. Buy discs. Won't be altered. Won't get taken away by rights holders. Even if they rather stream, they can just rip their discs and set up a FREE plex server, which is what I do, for when I'm away from home. Which can be accessed anywhere with an internet connection or even locally. I paid zero for all my digital stuff, or it was stuff that happened to come with my physical copies. Other than a rental, streaming is a waste of money and only suckers buy that stuff. IMO

MassiveMovieBuff · 01-09-2023, 10:15 PM

I just encountered something like this the other day but it's in regards to a CD. I bought The Essential Cypress Hill release at a used record store near me and the songs on the actual CDs are the uncensored versions but the digital copy is the censored versions. Very scary indeed especially when you consider the state that CDs are in today. I'm a physical media person through and through.

Kevin Smith said it best on his Clerks III UHD/BD intro. "What are you going to do when the cloud ain't there one day?"

Alan Gordon · 01-09-2023, 10:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MassiveMovieBuff

Kevin Smith said it best on his Clerks III UHD/BD intro. "What are you going to do when the cloud ain't there one day?"

Get a sunburn.

MassiveMovieBuff · 01-09-2023, 10:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alan Gordon

Get a sunburn.

Getting burned is definitely a good way to put it.

01-09-2023, 01:48 PM	#1
Engage Active Member Member since:Jul 2014	Extremely Scary Thought: Can Streaming Video Companies Edit Movies!?!? Hey guys, this has been on my mind so much that I haven't been using my streaming video accounts even though I'm paying for it. I'm not paranoid or anything, but it just seems so easy for a streaming company to stream an altered version or some kind of "edition" of a particular film or TV show and a viewer would never know the difference if they haven't seen the film before... I know streaming platforms the are all mainstream at this point. I grew up on VHS which is a solid medium so it's very different to streaming and so it feels strange to me that everyone just trusts the streaming companies? I've been feeling really strong anxiety about this so I'd appreciate any help!

01-09-2023, 01:59 PM	#2
kannibaliztik Blu-ray Samurai Member since:Mar 2012 4K collection:- Blu-ray collection:- DVD collection:- Trading Score:237	If a studio desires to edit/change their content then yes, they already do this. Example, they edited out a blackface scene in an episode of the Office, and I'm sure there are plenty of other examples. If you are worried about certain content being changed, then I'd advise just buying the disc if available, because 99% of people won't ever notice or care if a scene is changed/edited out on a streaming service. Last edited by kannibaliztik; 01-09-2023 at 02:08 PM.

01-09-2023, 10:15 PM	#18
MassiveMovieBuff Blu-ray Count Member since:Apr 2014 4K collection:413 Blu-ray collection:1631 DVD collection:97 Trading Score:3	I just encountered something like this the other day but it's in regards to a CD. I bought The Essential Cypress Hill release at a used record store near me and the songs on the actual CDs are the uncensored versions but the digital copy is the censored versions. Very scary indeed especially when you consider the state that CDs are in today. I'm a physical media person through and through. Kevin Smith said it best on his Clerks III UHD/BD intro. "What are you going to do when the cloud ain't there one day?" Last edited by MassiveMovieBuff; 01-09-2023 at 10:20 PM.

01-09-2023, 02:59 PM	#4
erlinmeyer Blu-ray Ninja Top contributor Member since:Jun 2009 Location:Minnesota 4K collection:712 Blu-ray collection:5100 DVD collection:427 MA collection:1725 Digital collection:1772 iTunes collection:2591 iTunes music:732 Prime collection:1299 Blu-ray reviews: 9 Trading Score:11	Answer to the question, yes they can edit movies. This has gone on long before streaming. Movies have been edited for content, (copy)rights, time, aspect ratio, etc. It happened with over the air broadcasting, you VHS, DVDs and Blu-ray.

01-09-2023, 04:22 PM	#7
Zillamon51 Banned Top contributor Member since:Oct 2013 Location:S.E. Michigan 4K collection:374 Blu-ray collection:2062 DVD collection:664 Digital collection:929 Trading Score:11	Disney+ has already done this. They gave Daryl Hannah digital hair extensions to cover her bare butt in Splash. There may be other examples. As for purchased content on a service like Vudu, you're probably safe. While they could theoretically alter content, I doubt they would want to deal with the customer backlash.

01-09-2023, 04:53 PM	#9
JackTwist Senior Member Top contributor Member since:Jul 2010 Location:Raleigh, NC 4K collection:867 Blu-ray collection:1880 DVD collection:129 iTunes collection:2 Blu-ray reviews: 2	This is an issue and one I constantly bring up to people when they scoff at my physical collection. There are three big examples that I like to reference: 1. Editing content for rating or censorship concerns - A couple of years ago I was at a buddy's place and they wanted to watch Easy A. I have seen this movie countless times and I anticipate every joke. So when they bought the digital version and we were watching it, I started chuckling at the upcoming joke with the dog and the vibrating present given to Olive about 20 minutes or so into the film. But the joke wasn't there. The closeup on the dog holding the vibrating wrapped package was gone. It's a minor change, sure. But censorship nonetheless when a digital copy is purchased with the same rating as the original release. 2. Lost music rights - There are a few different shows that have had the music changed on the digital release due to a loss of rights to the music. This means that the studio has had to find cheap alternative music to fill in the gaps. And 90% of the time, it is never a great match. For some shows this has impacted songs throughout the episodes and for others it is the actual theme song that had to be changed. A couple of examples: Married with Children, Queer as Folk, and Charmed. 3. Digital ownership revoked - It is becoming a more common story now where a digital distributor loses the rights to a studio or a movie/TV show and all of a sudden it disappears from your library. Unless they regain control of the rights to distribute, you have lost access to a movie you paid for. Per the purchase agreement, these digital copies are treated more as extended rentals.

01-09-2023, 04:55 PM	#10
Deadend45 Blu-ray Samurai Member since:Mar 2019 Location:Canada 4K collection:- Blu-ray collection:-	Can? Haha. Most of the streaming posts are complaints about how the movie or tv show has been altered from the original showing.

01-09-2023, 05:41 PM	#11
Chad Rouch Senior Member Member since:Jul 2009 4K collection:88 Blu-ray collection:109 Digital collection:8 iTunes collection:735 Trading Score:1	For the Star Wars Special Editions he cut the negatives intending the new versions to be his final say (until he made more changes in the digital realms). Point being, changing movies from their original versions have nothing to do with streaming. An altered version can be released on disc just as easily. And despite the thought that buying the disc can future proof your collection and you can always watch the originals, I can't play my huge Star Wars laserdisc set with the original cuts anymore because I haven't had a working player in over 20 years.

01-09-2023, 05:46 PM	#12
steve_dave Blu-ray Duke Member since:Nov 2008 Trading Score:21	Heads up: Mill Creek has repressed their 30 Rock Blu-ray and DVD sets to remove “potentially offensive” episodes. Good luck finding the original pressings, nothing on the package indicates a change. Disney also pressed the new Lilo & Stitch double feature Blu-ray set with the UK “pizza box” cut of the first film. The Disney+ version is also the UK cut, only way to get the original US “dryer” version are the older Blu-rays and DVDs & digital to own copies. The Santa Clause was replaced on digital to own for everyone with the “censored” phone line version.

01-09-2023, 06:01 PM	#13
NeoTechnicJ Active Member Member since:Jul 2020 Location:Colorado, USA 4K collection:367 Blu-ray collection:629 DVD collection:1 Digital collection:798 iTunes collection:2	Not just censorship, but they can inject product placement in a movie as well. I dont know of any examples yet, but the technology is there.

01-09-2023, 08:50 PM	#14
Alan Gordon Blu-ray Ninja Top contributor Member since:Aug 2007 Location:Dawson, GA 4K collection:868 Blu-ray collection:2456 DVD collection:437 MA collection:1874 Digital collection:2065 iTunes collection:4103 Prime collection:1896 Trading Score:44	What's worse, digital streaming can even touch you in your bathing suit area without your consent.

01-09-2023, 09:12 PM	#15
avs commenter Blu-ray Samurai Member since:Apr 2018 Trading Score:8	I'm literally shaking right now thinking about how a movie I bought on Itunes for $9.99 might at some point in the future be slightly different than when I originally watched it.

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