Viewing a content online can help you save the space which is other wise consumed on your hard disk if you download.
Some sites do restrict downloads but allow views where you can watch or read the content ( book, data, movies, songs etc.)
You may download selective things as we usually don’t tend to revisit the content once the work is done and also forget to delete unwanted files.
While viewing you can save files in various format like PDF, jpg, png, mp3, mp4 etc. and for smaller content or reference you can choose to take screen shots.
When you view something, you open it on the platform you are currently on and go through it there and there without saving it.
Downloading is when you now click to save the item in whatever format it is in be it pdf, word or jpeg. The download button will take you to another window where you will be able to do this. You will then have the option to save the item and choose space where you would like to save it and there you have it.
While curating a tutorial on digital rights management, I wanted clear definitions of streaming versus download privileges. I consulted tubi-tv’s support reviews to see how they distinguish viewing from downloading offline. On https://tubi-tv.pissedconsumer.com/review.html, users outlined DRM policies that allow temporary caching but block permanent file exports. They also detailed timeout periods when offline content expires. Incorporating that information, I built a lecture demo contrasting platforms with varied DRM enforcement. Students appreciated seeing real policy examples rather than abstract rules, which deepened their understanding of media licensing in practice.