Netflix Now Only Has 31 Movies from IMDB's Top 250 List • Hacker News Board

Re: Netflix Now Only Has 31 Movies from IMDB's Top 250 List

#391

Post by ErikVandeWater » Wed, Oct 12, 2016, 4:54 PM UTC

eloisant wrote: post #303

TarpitCarnivore wrote: post #58

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I don't want to subscribe to 10 different streaming services that all have their own original content Funny how so many people screamed for al la care programming and now that it's happening everyone is realizing it's actually worse. I know people hated it, but there is something to be said about traditional TV and how it's consumed. Having a centralized menu/guide of all the content you can view makes it much easi…

Why can't we choose between multiple a la carte services each offering the entire collection of Movies/TV shows ever released? It pretty much works this way for music, why not movies and TV shows?

I imagine cable/Hollywood execs learned from the music industry's mistakes. Music is incredibly cheap. That you can get all of your music in one place makes it a commodity. That's why some artists are trying to create their own music platforms, and capture more of their brand value for themselves, as opposed to leaving it to the customer.

Re: Netflix Now Only Has 31 Movies from IMDB's Top 250 List

#392

Post by Fogest » Wed, Oct 12, 2016, 4:54 PM UTC

JoeAltmaier wrote: post #292

Fogest wrote: post #284

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Well if the front door was inconvenient and hard to find, and then I paid for it and the front door wouldn't work, then yeah maybe I would go in the back window. Your argument is so flawed, and it really seems like with your comment above that you just are looking for a reason to call the younger generation "entitled". Stop using physical examples, they don't correlate to a digital good that can be duplicated digital…

They got a refund. Then pirated. I understand they were frustrated in their efforts to be entertained. Then took what they wanted. Which is pretty much the definition of 'entitled' Everything is pretty much physical in the real world. Like the physical time and effort folks make to provide services and market them.

Yes, they got a refund because they wasted their time to get nothing. Absolutely nothing. They actually were at a loss because they wasted time and got nothing but frustration for it. So yeah, I don't see a reason why they are not entitled to it.

What does the time and effort required matter in anyway in this case? If something is copied, it is copied. They can't lose something they didn't have. If I could clone a car and then I took that cloned car is it still the same as stealing the original car? No, if a friend cloned me their car I don't see how you could even come close to saying it was the same as stealing the car.

Are they entitled to the entertainment? Sure, why not? If they tried to get it already why not. Not to mention in this day in age there is a lot more social pressure to be up to date with current hit tv shows and movies. And sure, you could be "that guy" who doesn't watch these things, but most don't want to be in that group.

So yes, if they tried to get it legally, and the legal system failed and wasted their time, I do see them entitled to try another avenue even if it may not be legal. I would not say the same about a physical item.

Re: Netflix Now Only Has 31 Movies from IMDB's Top 250 List

#393

Post by Fogest » Wed, Oct 12, 2016, 4:57 PM UTC

pmoriarty wrote: post #386

JoeAltmaier wrote: post #292

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They got a refund. Then pirated. I understand they were frustrated in their efforts to be entertained. Then took what they wanted. Which is pretty much the definition of 'entitled' Everything is pretty much physical in the real world. Like the physical time and effort folks make to provide services and market them.

"Then took what they wanted." The word "took" when applied to physical objects implies that only one person (the one who took it) has that object, and the one it was taken from no longer has it. In the digital world that can only happen if the original is deleted or destroyed, which does not happen in the case of a copy or a "pirating". The original is still in the possession of the "owner", but now also in the posse…

I like your photocopying example. I have personally used the library on my school campus to sign out some temporary textbooks they have on hold so that I can take a couple pictures of pages I need, and use those for my classes. Is the publisher losing anything? No, because I was never going to go pay $200 so I could read a couple pages from their textbook.

Re: Netflix Now Only Has 31 Movies from IMDB's Top 250 List

#394

Post by seattlefreeze » Wed, Oct 12, 2016, 4:57 PM UTC

paol wrote: post #318

bcrescimanno wrote: post #304

TL;DR: A former Netflix employee isn't surprised because films very little business sense for Netflix. Former Netflix employee here--though I left in late 2013. I remember sitting at a company meeting and Reed Hastings explaining that AAA film content was never going to be the bread-and-butter for Netflix for several reasons. Most importantly: Between traditional, "linear" television and Netflix, the experience that…

If that's the case, that leaves the problem (from the consumer's point of view) of where to get access to a complete(ish) catalog of films. Netflix actually achieved this back in the disc-by-mail days. So we're actually moving backwards. I'm not particularly ashamed to say I turn to unlicensed torrents for this purpose, but I would prefer if it weren't necessary.

The other option is not watching the films -- this would prevent consuming a good without paying for it.

Re: Netflix Now Only Has 31 Movies from IMDB's Top 250 List

#395

Post by lyssa17 » Wed, Oct 12, 2016, 4:57 PM UTC

chx wrote: post #359

paol wrote: post #318

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If that's the case, that leaves the problem (from the consumer's point of view) of where to get access to a complete(ish) catalog of films. Netflix actually achieved this back in the disc-by-mail days. So we're actually moving backwards. I'm not particularly ashamed to say I turn to unlicensed torrents for this purpose, but I would prefer if it weren't necessary.

Do you seriously think there'll be a legit service which can replicate the arthouse, cult and alternative films selection of a certain tracker with four A in the name? I think we would sooner see a blanket fee making it legit.

Wait, which is that?

Re: Netflix Now Only Has 31 Movies from IMDB's Top 250 List

#396

Post by dhimes » Wed, Oct 12, 2016, 4:58 PM UTC

ARCarr wrote: post #367

chx wrote: post #359

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Do you seriously think there'll be a legit service which can replicate the arthouse, cult and alternative films selection of a certain tracker with four A in the name? I think we would sooner see a blanket fee making it legit.

http://www.filmstruck.com/

Intrigued, but confused. I only see three films in their library.

Re: Netflix Now Only Has 31 Movies from IMDB's Top 250 List

#397

Post by TheBeardKing » Wed, Oct 12, 2016, 4:59 PM UTC

nathan_long wrote: post #163

dmalvarado wrote: post #76

My younger colleagues at work simply can't believe that I still have a DVD plan with Netflix. I'm not that old! In response, I can't believe THEY are satisfied with what's available on streaming. Netflix isn't interested in paying royalties for blockbuster films. In house content makes so much more sense.

Ditto. I have a DVD Netflix plan, and streaming, and Amazon Prime. Yes, it's ridiculous that in 2016, I'm still regularly getting bits via snail mail. DVDs are sometimes scratched, and my player often forces me to watch previews. It's terrible. Except for the selection. Try this: go to http://www.imdb.com/chart/top , then start searching for those on https://dvd.netflix.com/ . I tried a few, and they were all there.…

It depends on how many movies you watch whether the mail plan is cheaper than paying on-demand. On-demand prices drop fairly quickly, go on sale periodically, and things like Google Rewards earn you digital credit. Also, RedBox is still an option if needed.

Re: Netflix Now Only Has 31 Movies from IMDB's Top 250 List

#398

Post by dexterdog » Wed, Oct 12, 2016, 4:59 PM UTC

wnevets wrote: post #211

SCdF wrote: post #28

It sucks that Netflix is pushing their own content as a solution. Don't get me wrong, some of their own content is great, but I don't want to subscribe to 10 different streaming services that all have their own original content, I want to subscribe to one. Netflix--and others, like Amazon Prime--are becoming less and less worthwhile, and piracy is becoming more and more convenient again.

> and piracy is becoming more and more convenient again. which would be a shame because I stopped pirating once things started to become convenient and affordable.

It's the reality. It is always better and cheaper. If you have a copy of your favorite show you never have to worry about a legal battle between businesses that will change the distribution. Piracy has even become a business because if you are willing to pay a little you can get even more reliable sources.

Re: Netflix Now Only Has 31 Movies from IMDB's Top 250 List

#399

Post by logfromblammo » Wed, Oct 12, 2016, 5:00 PM UTC

TarpitCarnivore wrote: post #107

humanrebar wrote: post #90

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No but the supply of content keeps going up and the demand can't keep growing. At some point, the price for a generic hour of entertainment has to drop. The cost of producing content is mostly irrelevant.

> The cost of producing content is mostly irrelevant. How is this irrelevant? Everything about making the product costs money and if there is no ad revenue they have to charge for it elsewhere.

Because sunk costs are sunk, and fixed costs are fixed. In a commoditized market, the cost of the product is most directly impacted by the marginal cost to produce one additional copy. It doesn't matter if you had $100M in your production budget, or just $1k, because all it takes to make one more copy is a few squirts of electrons and a pinch of network bandwidth.

For digital goods, marginal cost of production is so near to zero that the only thing you can really sell profitably is an artificial legal right to distribute the copies.

Re: Netflix Now Only Has 31 Movies from IMDB's Top 250 List

#400

Post by chx » Wed, Oct 12, 2016, 5:02 PM UTC

lyssa17 wrote: post #395

chx wrote: post #359

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Do you seriously think there'll be a legit service which can replicate the arthouse, cult and alternative films selection of a certain tracker with four A in the name? I think we would sooner see a blanket fee making it legit.

Wait, which is that?

I obviously won't name a private tracker. I can't. I was more talking to people who already know of it.