> I can't remember the last time I wanted to watch something…
…filmed in the USA, I assume? There’s a tremendous amount of content from other countries that’s not available on any major streaming platform. I wouldn't be surprised if there were a lot of the USA movies that have never been streamed as well.
> You expect millions of hours of work to be available to you for pretty much free.
I don’t think there’s a legal way to watch the majority of movies that have ever been filmed.
If your only issue is price then I'm happy, market will decide that surely, I'm not suggesting prices be changed from what they are now just distribution monopolies would be removed.
That said, how much should I pay for an episode of a TV show from 30 years ago where the producers are dead and the other creators are mostly comfortably living in retirement having already earned their living and been paid for their work? The offspring of the people working on the show in many cases probably don't even know that their forbears did such work.
> with a payment of a few cents for each work would be possible
This is your problem. You expect millions of hours of work to be available to you for pretty much free.