Sugar coating may not have been necessary; however, a reply that adds to a discussion may have been better. That comes from teaching. I often find myself asking students to not simply say things like, "I hated this, it was boring." I want to know what about it that was not liked. Then pros and cons can be discussed. Asking a rhetorical question followed by a one word summary with nothing following is what caused my detailed retort.
My retort was not meant to be abrasive, nor do I believe that it was. I do believe that we should look favorably on this opportunity that we are being given, rather than dismissing it, as you did.
We, as a community, have been asking for this for years. We have been quite some time now that if it seen as cost prohibitive to manufacture DVDs of theatrical performances, then why not make them available for online viewing. I think it is an exciting thing for this to be happening, and that it seems counterproductive to dismiss it so easily.
It is also very easy to watch on TV, given that Broadway HD is available on Roku and Apple TV, as well as many smart TVs and other streaming devices. In many cases that will likely offer a better viewing experience since PBS showings of such material are often littered with pledge breaks that can break up the viewing experience.
As we know, these videos are expensive and often difficult to produce. If you can think of better ways to get the video to as many people as possible, and still possibly break even on the venture, I look forward to continuing the discussion.
