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Ask HN: How can Netflix and Amazon Prime be this bad at recommending content?

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Re: Ask HN: How can Netflix and Amazon Prime be this bad at recommending content?

#51

Post by roboy »

teknofobi wrote: post #40

Because priority number one is getting you to watch their originals, so that you will keep subscribing as the market for movies produced outside the streaming services gets more competitive. The big events gets featured on the home page, for anything you are probably better of searching for directors or reading reviews, and then finding where you can see it.

Yeah I’ve noticed this as well, and I have liked quite some of their original content … But if it gets to the point that they’re failing to keep me as a custoner at all, something must be amiss …

Re: Ask HN: How can Netflix and Amazon Prime be this bad at recommending content?

#53

Post by thewebcount »

ZeroGravitas wrote: post #32

I got a tip from someone here and shifted to tracking what I want to watch with a seperate system trakt.tv. This lets it recommend across different services and removes incentives to promote their own content (I'm assuming someone at Amazon and Netflix is trying to goose their own stats by boosting the content they self create, or that they pay the least for) A link (and a free recommendation for an interesting show)…

FWIW, I typed in track.tv into my browser and it loads up with a blank page. I have JS turned on, so that’s not the issue, but I do also have ad blockers. This is with Orion on the iPad, if that makes a difference. Sounds interesting, but if I can’t physically get to it, it’s going to be hard to use.

Re: Ask HN: How can Netflix and Amazon Prime be this bad at recommending content?

#54

Post by roboy »

peterhi wrote: post #29

For Amazon the issue for me has always been that aside from the things I shop for myself I get asked to buy things for other people or presents for family members Amazon doesn't know who I bought something for so making sense of why I have bought 4 padlocks (my father in law), a set of sauce pans (wife), a light novel (myself) and rechargeable batteries (myself)

Yeah, but I consciously watch things my wife likes with her on her account exactly due to this ;)

Re: Ask HN: How can Netflix and Amazon Prime be this bad at recommending content?

#55

Post by soco »

Lio wrote: post #44

I think Netflix needs an "I really don't like this or programmes like it" option. ...come to think of it so does YouTube. I'd love to be able to search for a particular genre and exclude everything that comes up.

In my Netflix I can thumb down content.

Re: Ask HN: How can Netflix and Amazon Prime be this bad at recommending content?

#56

Post by rs999gti »

jstummbillig wrote: post #34

Is it thinkable that after "hundreds of hours binging series and movies" you have simply exhausted the options? Me, I haven't found a second The Wire yet, no matter how often a recommender claimed I have.

Have you seen https://www.hbo.com/we-own-this-city

Baltimore and the same Wire producers and actors.

The only con is it is only one season.

Re: Ask HN: How can Netflix and Amazon Prime be this bad at recommending content?

#57

Post by hauxir »

benrapscallion wrote: post #19
otikik wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What is min corn and min strawberry?

Clicking one of the results, it seems to mean Average Tomatometer and Average audience score … both from Rotten Tomatoes.

yeah i had to change those unfortunately because i got a dmca for using the signature tomato and popcorn icons.

Re: Ask HN: How can Netflix and Amazon Prime be this bad at recommending content?

#58

Post by owlninja »

Lio wrote: post #44

I think Netflix needs an "I really don't like this or programmes like it" option. ...come to think of it so does YouTube. I'd love to be able to search for a particular genre and exclude everything that comes up.

Hitting "not interested" seems to work for me.

Re: Ask HN: How can Netflix and Amazon Prime be this bad at recommending content?

#59

Post by Fire-Dragon-DoL »

boffinism wrote: post #6

If you spent 20 mins looking, it's not their recommendation system that's failing. It's that you don't like their content (or how their content is portrayed). The recommendation system is the thing that shows you stuff without you needing to browse for 20 mins.

I haven't been watching anything for a couple of years because I have two children and that limits tv a lot. However, the recommendation system still sucks.

They haven't recommended me lockwood and co on Netflix, we stumbled on it because it was popular (and we binged watched it one night when both were asleep).

So I do think it sucks. Recommendation seems to consider similarity, but not "quality" : they give equal treatment to their products, and the consequence seems to be that they show often garbage mixed in with good stuff...

Re: Ask HN: How can Netflix and Amazon Prime be this bad at recommending content?

#60

Post by workingdog »

coenhyde wrote: post #26

IMO Netflix and Amazon Prime's problem is they don't surface their good content enough. They mix it with their shitty content. They should make it stand out. HBO are good at this. When they make something good, that they know is good, they will rub your face in it with large high quality images. I don't have time to shift out the good from the bad with Netflix.

HBO keeps tying to get me to watch Velma. It's hot woke garbage wrapped in bad story telling.
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