Jump to content

Streaming Services (business / market / service, not content-focused)


SpaceChampion
 Share

Recommended Posts

2 hours ago, john said:

Prime Video is also one of the worst functioning apps I’ve ever used.  It’s insane.  The layout sucks in the first place, the way you can scroll through, the way they recommend shows.  Everything seems calculated to the worst user experience.  And then half the time it breaks anyway.  I have to reboot my TV about every second time I use it.

So, living in a country without a dedicated Amazon, we have this Prime Video service, which is just the shows and no other prime services.  However, we discovered this month that they’ve now added the one day delivery to the deal.  Which is nice and everything but I don’t really need it, feel guilty about the impact of it and would generally prefer they just had the content only package.  They’re probably going to keep adding services and raise the price though.

Other than that (and Netflix), we have HBO Go, which is pretty good in Europe, it tends to hoover up all the content you can’t get elsewhere, as well as HBO shows.  Does seems a bit indulgent already, with Disney+ it would definitely be too much stuff.

Well competition is not always good for the costumer. You just have to look at gaming. Steam and GOG are decent software the others are all complete and utter garbage. You can not even change the game installation language in many cases. Windows store is the worst by far but it offers the best deals if you have both a PC and Xbox as the game pass ultimate is an incredible offer. I had to change my OS to English to get some games in English... 

In all honesty I would prefer a netflix monopoly myself. 

I think I would have the get Sky to get most of the HBO content here in Austria. 

I think fragmentation will just push people back towards piracy.

 

Edit: I think amazon wants to push its own hardware. The app stopped working on my LG TV for two months at some point and amazon just told me to contact LG. I know people who got a firestick because of similar problems. 

I used it on the Xbox during that time which worked. 

Edited by Wolfgang I
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Quote

I am intrigued by this bundle offer. The part I'm unclear on is if Disney+ is everything Disney is offering and if all if it is included in this bundle, and if not, what is? Because I seem to remember talk that Disney was going to have at least two streaming services, one would be kid-focused one that has all the animated stuff and one would be the more adult-focused one. Is that still the plan or is there just one giant thing now?

There was never going to be an "adult-focused Disney channel" as that's not their brand. The kid and family stuff will be on Disney+ and what adult stuff there will be, will be on Hulu.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Werthead said:

There was never going to be an "adult-focused Disney channel" as that's not their brand. The kid and family stuff will be on Disney+ and what adult stuff there will be, will be on Hulu.

There was definitely talk of it at one time, for all the stuff they own/have distribution rights to through studios like Fox, Fox Searchlight, Mandeville Films, Mayhem Pictures, NatGeo, UTV, Fox STAR, A&E etc. Plus the former studios and distribution deals that in some cases still have rights retained to them, like Dreamworks, Touchstone, Hollywood Pictures, Caravan Pictures, Bruckheimer films, Spyglass, etc.

It may just have been rumors. But the story I heard around 8 months ago was talk of up to five services, which would usually be bundled but that you could go a la cart on. One for truly kid animation stuff, one for PG-13 family stuff, one for mature audiences (saying adult just sounds like porn), one for foreign language stuff, and one for sports (maybe? I can't remember the fifth). Clearly that's not the plan anymore because the animated films and PG-13 family stuff are all on Disney+, but I thought there was still a second service and that it wasn't just Hulu.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I’m another of the view that the fragmentation/Balkanization of streaming will be terrible for consumers and will just lead us eventually back to some sort of bundling.  It’s the very same as the evolution of cable TV.  Unfortunately we have to go through it because each provider wants the chance to be the winner, and they certainly don’t want to just concede the space to Netflix any longer.  The loss of DVD sales and rentals has had a huge impact on movie studio finances (and therefore their preference for relatively low risk action blockbuster sequels), and streaming will similarly affect the finances of syndication for TV studios. 

Personally, I have Netflix and Amazon (because we’d have Amazon Prime anyway) on top of our TV cable/phone/internet bundle.  I recently canceled HBO and Starz, and turned on Shotime instead to try Billions (kinda meh).  I expect we’ll start rotating through subscriptions to binge their best content and then move on.  I guess grazing is a fitting model for the mindlessness of TV consumption.  We don’t watch much TV but I want to have available some good viewing options whenever I do sit in front of the TV.  None of individual streaming services look worthy of maintaining long term subscriptions.  I do notice that we also spend at least $20 per month on one-off movie streaming rentals, usually from Amazon.  Those are mostly for family movie night with our son at the weekend.

On Amazon specifically, their interface and infrastructure is weak.  They emailed me recently to say they will no longer “support” our Roku, and offered us a discount on a Fire stick instead.  It does still work on the Roku, but they’re basically disowning any future problems or eventual breakdown.  They have definitely moved to a model of pushing more and more content behind additional subscription channels, which basically reflects the ongoing land grab for content rights.  More and more content is being pulled back from low cost general distributors like Netflix and Amazon and instead moved behind some niche paywall.  I don’t think that is Amazon’s fault particularly, but they clearly orient their service to show you what you cannot have, and therefore push you to make additional purchases all the time. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 8/9/2019 at 3:46 PM, Fez said:

There was definitely talk of it at one time, for all the stuff they own/have distribution rights to through studios like Fox, Fox Searchlight, Mandeville Films, Mayhem Pictures, NatGeo, UTV, Fox STAR, A&E etc. Plus the former studios and distribution deals that in some cases still have rights retained to them, like Dreamworks, Touchstone, Hollywood Pictures, Caravan Pictures, Bruckheimer films, Spyglass, etc.

It may just have been rumors. But the story I heard around 8 months ago was talk of up to five services, which would usually be bundled but that you could go a la cart on. One for truly kid animation stuff, one for PG-13 family stuff, one for mature audiences (saying adult just sounds like porn), one for foreign language stuff, and one for sports (maybe? I can't remember the fifth). Clearly that's not the plan anymore because the animated films and PG-13 family stuff are all on Disney+, but I thought there was still a second service and that it wasn't just Hulu.

I didn't phrase that well, there was certainly a rumour there would be a divide, but the divide would be between a Disney-branded service and a non-Disney-branded one (I think Hulu was mooted at the time). Disney would never put their core name on an adult-oriented service.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Here's a new, corrupt, gouging strategy from amazllia prime, that I, at least, haven't encountered previously -- but there's not a lot to watch on amazon prime anyway.

I picked up on a CBS series titled Blood and Treasure (terrible title, just for starters -- can never remember it).  It was reliably, mildly entertaining, in the mode of White Collar, but still, global location porn, if you know what I mean, and just fine for the cooking dinner plus wine time of the day.

Blood and Treasure is advertised all the way through as an amazon prime show, i.e., amazon prime subscribers get to watch it without paying anything more than the subscription.

Guess what?  Get to the final episode, episode 12, and suddenly one must pay to see it.

OK.  WTF, amazilla??????

Think this is going to happen with their big gambles on Tolkien, etc. -- at a certain point, suddenly subscribers who have come for this specifically, at the crucial points, are going to be withheld those crucial episodes unless they pay MORE?

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

40 minutes ago, Zorral said:

Here's a new, corrupt, gouging strategy from amazllia prime, that I, at least, haven't encountered previously -- but there's not a lot to watch on amazon prime anyway.

I picked up on a CBS series titled Blood and Treasure (terrible title, just for starters -- can never remember it).  It was reliably, mildly entertaining, in the mode of White Collar, but still, global location porn, if you know what I mean, and just fine for the cooking dinner plus wine time of the day.

Blood and Treasure is advertised all the way through as an amazon prime show, i.e., amazon prime subscribers get to watch it without paying anything more than the subscription.

Guess what?  Get to the final episode, episode 12, and suddenly one must pay to see it.

OK.  WTF, amazilla??????

Think this is going to happen with their big gambles on Tolkien, etc. -- at a certain point, suddenly subscribers who have come for this specifically, at the crucial points, are going to be withheld those crucial episodes unless they pay MORE?

 

That is hilariously cynical and abusive of the trust of their customers.  I expect it to show up in Kindle books any day now: the book will be free on Kindle, but the last chapter costs $10.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

5 hours ago, Zorral said:

Here's a new, corrupt, gouging strategy from amazllia prime, that I, at least, haven't encountered previously -- but there's not a lot to watch on amazon prime anyway.

I picked up on a CBS series titled Blood and Treasure (terrible title, just for starters -- can never remember it).  It was reliably, mildly entertaining, in the mode of White Collar, but still, global location porn, if you know what I mean, and just fine for the cooking dinner plus wine time of the day.

Blood and Treasure is advertised all the way through as an amazon prime show, i.e., amazon prime subscribers get to watch it without paying anything more than the subscription.

Guess what?  Get to the final episode, episode 12, and suddenly one must pay to see it.

OK.  WTF, amazilla??????

Think this is going to happen with their big gambles on Tolkien, etc. -- at a certain point, suddenly subscribers who have come for this specifically, at the crucial points, are going to be withheld those crucial episodes unless they pay MORE?

 

Jesus. I never thought they could sink that low. I mean.. I did. But it’s nice giving people the benefit of the doubt. 

Amazon scum.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I often turn off my Netflix or prime video subscription and just keep one or the other to save money, I've never found a problem with it.  What I do have a problem with is Amazon not picking up where I stopped watching, and I also seem to have to actively choose 4k content to watch in 4k where Netflix just streams whatever the TV can handle. 

Amazon also should allow downloads based on length, not number of titles, if you have a child, their programmes are about 15 mins long, but each one counts as one download.  I also get pissed off by Netflix only offering 4 devices without add ons. 

These problems are minor compared to Disney Life, it is without doubt the worst service in the world.  I literally have to delete it and reinstall it on a weekly basis, on every device I own, which then means you have to re download all your content if you use it to watch off line.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

6 hours ago, Zorral said:

Here's a new, corrupt, gouging strategy from amazllia prime, that I, at least, haven't encountered previously -- but there's not a lot to watch on amazon prime anyway.

I picked up on a CBS series titled Blood and Treasure (terrible title, just for starters -- can never remember it).  It was reliably, mildly entertaining, in the mode of White Collar, but still, global location porn, if you know what I mean, and just fine for the cooking dinner plus wine time of the day.

Blood and Treasure is advertised all the way through as an amazon prime show, i.e., amazon prime subscribers get to watch it without paying anything more than the subscription.

Guess what?  Get to the final episode, episode 12, and suddenly one must pay to see it.

OK.  WTF, amazilla??????

Think this is going to happen with their big gambles on Tolkien, etc. -- at a certain point, suddenly subscribers who have come for this specifically, at the crucial points, are going to be withheld those crucial episodes unless they pay MORE?

 

I just checked this in disbelief, it looks like you have to pay to watch every episode in HD, but in non HD they are free, did you not just click on the wrong one?

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

6 hours ago, BigFatCoward said:

I just checked this in disbelief, it looks like you have to pay to watch every episode in HD, but in non HD they are free, did you not just click on the wrong one?

No, because I had watched the 11th episode and expected to watch 12 -- and there it was, the notification that I had to pay for it.

Mildly amusing, but trust me, Blood and Treasure wasn't at all worth paying for the final episode.  :lmao:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've noticed a similar Amazon trick. I was finally getting around to catching up on hell on wheels and noticed most of it isn't free any more. Final season has first two episodes on prime while you have to pay for individual episodes for the end of the show. So if i hadn't checked this I'd wind up having to pay £2-2.50 for the remaining 5 episodes! How on earth can they have the rights for 2 episodes and not the last 5???

I need to check if this is a one off or whether it's happening with other non Amazon originals. AMC shows that are complete might be most likely candidates.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Amazilla really PUSHES the pay for view program, rather than providing content that is worth watching.  They have so much as described above -- a season or two, then pay for the others.  Midsomer Murders is one of those.

I read this AM on Deadline that Amazon Prime streaming had been going down for the last 2 - 3 days.  Help lines etc. were all swamped.  Nobody knows a thing about what was happening or going on.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I’d find it disgusting but it’s actually amusing. 

The streaming market is getting more competitive by the day. Netflix wouldn’t be pulling this crap so why would customers put up with that level of service from Amazon. If Amazon are serious about their product , as they seem to be from the investment in TV shows then you’d expect them to pay attention to their customers.

However Amazon in general, from its site to its business practices, seem manipulative and bordering on evil. None of this surprises me.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

New development in the amazilla Blood and Treasure CBS (single) season prime streaming: NOW the pay-for-veiw, final episode, is available again, without a fee.  And >!< -- it is the HD version.

What is going on?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We have amazon prime for delivery reasons, and we generally toggle between subscribing to Hulu and Netflix.  We've had Hulu for over a year now, and there isn't anything on there I'm terribly attached to at the moment.  Might be time to cancel and see what Netflix has. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, Zorral said:

Amazilla really PUSHES the pay for view program, rather than providing content that is worth watching.  They have so much as described above -- a season or two, then pay for the others.  Midsomer Murders is one of those.

I read this AM on Deadline that Amazon Prime streaming had been going down for the last 2 - 3 days.  Help lines etc. were all swamped.  Nobody knows a thing about what was happening or going on.

Maybe crashing from the success of "the boys". It seems it's already when of their watched shows.

 

1 hour ago, Heartofice said:

Either they are watching this forum or it’s a glitch 

Let's see if I get the end of Turn. If I do customer services or their AI is watching us :)

59 minutes ago, Maithanet said:

We have amazon prime for delivery reasons, and we generally toggle between subscribing to Hulu and Netflix.  We've had Hulu for over a year now, and there isn't anything on there I'm terribly attached to at the moment.  Might be time to cancel and see what Netflix has. 

I think this is the main issue with Amazon and customers indifference. A lot of us have prime mainly for the delivery service and see the TV and film content as a bonus. As such I wouldn't be willing to ditch the delivery in order to make a point about the streaming service. I guess if the price goes up or they separate the two things (the latter wouldn't surprise me) then I'd maybe make a point of switching off.

If Netflix pulled half the shit Amazon has I'd switch off but I'm not relying on netflix for free same day deliveries.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Has anyone made an app where you open it, put in a movie or tv show and it searches all the streaming services (or maybe just the ones the user subscribes to) and finds it and plays it? That would be great. I'm not sure if it would be possible without a lot of cooperation between the services (do any of them have APIs outside developers can use?) but it would be great. 

Edited by RumHam
Link to comment
Share on other sites

11 hours ago, RumHam said:

Has anyone made an app where you open it, put in a movie or tv show and it searches all the streaming services (or maybe just the ones the user subscribes to) and finds it and plays it? That would be great. I'm not sure if it would be possible without a lot of cooperation between the services (do any of them have APIs outside developers can use?) but it would be great. 

I usually google "film/tv show streaming UK" and there's usually a top hit saying if and where it is available.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest
This topic is now closed to further replies.
 Share

×
×
  • Create New...