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

#401

Post by pkulak » Wed, Oct 12, 2016, 5:02 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.

Umm... there are about 100 services that will rent/sell you a movie online. I use Amazon for all my movie rental needs. Works great.

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

#402

Post by scarface74 » Wed, Oct 12, 2016, 5:02 PM UTC

the_gastropod wrote: post #97

scarface74 wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's not that strange. There is only one real avenue to make money off of music -- selling it, either digitally or physically -- besides a subscription service. The movie industry can make money during different "windows". Theatrical releases, PPV from cable companies, iTunes, Amazon, etc., physical rentals, DVD and digital sells, subscription movie services (HBO, Showtime...) and regular cable TV.

I think think you're making a distinction where there isn't one. For example, you can license music to TV shows, political campaigns, commercials, movies, and video games. Radio stations must pay royalties for playing songs. There are plenty of revenue streams for music outside of "selling it digitally or physically" and a subscription service.

How many songs actually get licensed for movies and tv shows out of the millions of songs that are on Spotify? Political campaigns do not have to have a license to use music. Artists have been complaining about political parties using their music forever.

Radio stations have to pay royalties to the songwriters and musicians but not the singers.

No matter how bad or unpopular a movie is, a studio will always make some money on a theatrically released movie, with each of the distribution mechanisms.

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

#403

Post by empath75 » Wed, Oct 12, 2016, 5:03 PM UTC

dragonwriter wrote: post #328

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…

Do people not binge watch movies on Netflix because of something inherent in the form, or because Netflix doesn't make continuous play of related sets of movjrs, especially serial franchises (where it would make sense just as it does for TV series) possible, both because it doesn't support it as the default (or even an optional) mode in the UI as it does for TV series and because it also rarely has whole franchises i…

Serialized fiction has a fundamentally different structure from feature films. Even in film series, you don't typically have the sort of multi-layered narrative with cliffhangers that keeps people going from one to the next. Star Wars ends with the good guys winning and the death star blowing up. There's no reason to straight to Empire Strikes Back.

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

#404

Post by anonymousDan » Wed, Oct 12, 2016, 5:04 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.

In the Uk at least you should check out cinema paradise, great range of films (especially independent and world cinema). Furthermore if there's something you want and they don't have just ask them and they'll get it in. Reasonable price too.

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

#405

Post by brown9-2 » Wed, Oct 12, 2016, 5:04 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.

I'm not particularly ashamed to say I turn to unlicensed torrents for this purpose, but I would prefer if it weren't necessary.

It's not necessary if you accept the cost that the makers of these films want to charge you.

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

#406

Post by azinman2 » Wed, Oct 12, 2016, 5:04 PM UTC

dhimes wrote: post #396

ARCarr wrote: post #367

Earlier quoted context omitted.

http://www.filmstruck.com/

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

It says it has the entire criterion collection and it's launching this fall.

But where are all the Woody Allen movies?!!

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

#407

Post by peeters » Wed, Oct 12, 2016, 5:05 PM UTC

ftrflyr wrote: post #390

peeters wrote: post #279

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yeah but you really don't need "UX designers" to tell you any of that, nor can UX designers fix it.

> Really don't need "UX designers" to tell you any of that 1.) Really? Would love for you to elaborate more. If you don't have a team trying to improve the user experience (i.e. user experience designers) then who will? Will you just wait for you users to tell you there is a problem? If so, then you aren't actively meeting the needs of your users insofar as you are not meeting their goals. 2.) If you are going to dow…

Ok, apparently I touched on quite a nerve here.

1.) I never said you don't need UX designers, I said you don't need UX designers to tell you that your video shouldn't stutter in the middle of playback.

2.) I didn't downvote you, nor did I respond to you.

3.) Yes, exactly. They can tell you there's a problem and monitor whether it's being solved but it's up to the engineers to fix it. Furthermore, I reject your implication that engineers nor anyone who isn't a UX designer (e.g. a PM) is sticking up for the customer. I wasn't belittling UX designers, but you're sure as hell belittling others.

Sorry you have had such a bad experience that you need to attack a strawman to stick up for UX designers. I know the value of UX designers. I stand by my opinion that they don't need to have ANYTHING to do with fixing a video buffering problem, or recognizing that it is a problem.

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

#408

Post by cybernytrix » Wed, Oct 12, 2016, 5:06 PM UTC

karpodiem wrote: post #353

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.

'I'm not particularly ashamed to say I turn to unlicensed torrents for this purpose, but I would prefer if it weren't necessary.' No studios will collectively give a tech company the majority of the licenses to make this possible - so torrents it is.

Renting a movie is less than what you will spend in Starbucks (most of them).

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

#409

Post by cybernytrix » Wed, Oct 12, 2016, 5:06 PM UTC

karpodiem wrote: post #353

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.

'I'm not particularly ashamed to say I turn to unlicensed torrents for this purpose, but I would prefer if it weren't necessary.' No studios will collectively give a tech company the majority of the licenses to make this possible - so torrents it is.

Renting a movie is less than what you will spend in Starbucks (most of them).

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

#410

Post by fluxquanta » Wed, Oct 12, 2016, 5:07 PM UTC

ftrflyr wrote: post #55

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.

Completely agree. I travel a ton. When I subscribe to Netflix and Hulu and pay them for using their services, I expect to be able to use that service wherever I go. To tell me because I am in Panama I cannot use their services makes me seriously question why I am paying for the service to begin with. The solution, cancel both of them and be done with streaming TV / Movies altogether.

On a related note, a couple of weeks ago I wanted to meet up at a friend's house to watch the Overwatch ELeague finals airing on TBS (basically a competitive video game event on national tv). They did air a bare bones version on Twitch.tv but without commentary and filler stuff. He doesn't have cable but I have a PlayStation Vue subscription which includes TBS, and we wanted to watch the whole production to see what competitive video games on national TV would be like. So I get to his house in the next town over and try to login to my Vue account. That's when we get a message saying that they detected my login location was not my house, and that the only way to access the service was to permanently change my home location. I verified in the TOS that if I agreed to change my home location there's no going back.

In the end we just watched the Twitch stream, which meant I didn't get to access the service I pay for just ten miles from home, and TBS didn't get our eyeballs on their advertisements. Seems like a bad policy on their part.