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Netflix CEO may have missed the real reason why US subscriber numbers plunged

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Re: Netflix CEO may have missed the real reason why US subscriber numbers plunged

#71
post #38

I think Netflix needs to invest in quality over quantity. I agree, its hard to find something I want to watch. There is definitely choice fatigue. If they had 1/3 as many shows but those shows were 3 times better. I am sure I would have no problem.

I'm back to a send-CD service like Netflix started with. I love this mode: I maintain a list of movies I'd like to watch. I have two of them available to watch in the evening. No Ads. No continue seduction.

Re: Netflix CEO may have missed the real reason why US subscriber numbers plunged

#72
post #59

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Signal-noise ratio is how I'd put it, too. There's a lot of stuff it recommends to me over and over that I have no interest in watching, like generic mockbusters and Korean soap operas.

It could really use a YouTube-style "not interested" button. It's so stubborn that it feels like it's trying to force shows on me instead of helping me find what I want to watch.

It used to have this. The recommendation engine used to actually be good.

Re: Netflix CEO may have missed the real reason why US subscriber numbers plunged

#73

There is a lot of what I'd consider "noise" popping up on Netflix that they won't let me filter out. I don't care for most dubbed shows, and I haven't had any luck with any of the foreign imports. No way to filter them out that I'm aware of, so half of the "New shows" don't appeal to me I wouldn't give up Netflix for cable, it's more likely to be Prime only, or something with quality content that I wouldn't watch as…

> I don't care for most dubbed shows

I don't know of any show on Netflix that I've watched that has an audio dub but doesn't also have the original language available as an alternative audio track. What are you watching?

Re: Netflix CEO may have missed the real reason why US subscriber numbers plunged

#74

There is a lot of what I'd consider "noise" popping up on Netflix that they won't let me filter out. I don't care for most dubbed shows, and I haven't had any luck with any of the foreign imports. No way to filter them out that I'm aware of, so half of the "New shows" don't appeal to me I wouldn't give up Netflix for cable, it's more likely to be Prime only, or something with quality content that I wouldn't watch as…

Exactly. Sorry if this comes off as a rant, but contrary to the article, I've never been overwhelmed with any choice on Netflix myself, just frustrated by poor discoverability, their teasing shows they didn't even have the rights to anymore (e.g., The Expanse), and to top it off, being full of filler content that's just unwatchable for me with no obvious way to remove it or create a custom bookshelf. I had cable grow…

What irks me the most is when I search verbatim for the name of something, and it's on the 3rd page of results, hidden by completely unrelated stuff.

Re: Netflix CEO may have missed the real reason why US subscriber numbers plunged

#75
Netflix is just getting more expensive and less interesting to me. With all of the content I like being taken off to be hosted on network exclusive streaming platforms that I refuse to pay for - I'll probably eventually just cancel Netflix as well going back to the tried and true method of just buying bluray box-sets of the content I want to watch.

Or piracy.

I think the critical mistake that all these megacorps are making is that people don't actually want to pay for a bazillion streaming services. That's the reason we cut the cord in the first place. People hated being locked into packages and this is basically the same thing - you need the "NBC" package for The Office or the "CBS" package for Star Trek. I can't be bothered to spend all that money.

Netflix was worth it because it made accessing so much content easier than piracy, but with everything getting pushed into a walled garden "package" approach again...piracy will be easier again.

I get HD over the air with less than a dozen chanels, and that's often enough to keep me distracted if I'm not feeling up to playing a videogame or watching a movie.

Re: Netflix CEO may have missed the real reason why US subscriber numbers plunged

#76
post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Given that there's hardly anything to watch Subjective, I find lots of things to watch and enjoy. > produce at least something GoT/Breaking Bad-grade Again, subjective. I enjoyed Breaking Bad, but did not enjoy GoT. Other people liked the vice-versa. Other people liked neither. It sounds like you want Netflix to cater specifically to your tastes. I imagine pricing restructure might happen if the exodus is extreme,…

> It sounds like you want Netflix to cater specifically to your tastes. Given that they have the technology to stream any movie ever made to my house, and given the availability of more data about each of us than we probably even know about, is catering specifically to each of our tastes unreasonable? I mean, why do you have the things in your house that you have, if not to cater to your tastes?

I worded that poorly, and concede it's not really a strong point.

Re: Netflix CEO may have missed the real reason why US subscriber numbers plunged

#77
My problem with Netflix isn't the slate of shows and movies it has in its catalog. It's definitely not as nice as it used to be, but there are a jillion and a half shows and movies out there.

My problem is that Netflix has taken note that we watch anime a few times a week, which doubtless means we want every single band/carousel/whatever to be about anime. New Anime, Critically Acclaimed Anime, Popular Anime, Watch it Again Anime, Anime Where Characters Wear Hats, Anime Where Characters Float in Hats, and Anime About Hat Making.

For the love of all let me get some other options in the fucking list before I lose my mind. I like comedies, action movies, sci-fi, documentaries, and historical dramatizations or historical fictions too, you know. Not everything has to have a talking cat in it.

Re: Netflix CEO may have missed the real reason why US subscriber numbers plunged

#78
post #75

Netflix is just getting more expensive and less interesting to me. With all of the content I like being taken off to be hosted on network exclusive streaming platforms that I refuse to pay for - I'll probably eventually just cancel Netflix as well going back to the tried and true method of just buying bluray box-sets of the content I want to watch. Or piracy. I think the critical mistake that all these megacorps are…

>People hated being locked into packages and this is basically the same thing - you need the "NBC" package for The Office or the "CBS" package for Star Trek. I can't be bothered to spend all that money.

At this point it is very tempting to go back to good, old-fashioned torrents of TV shows.

Re: Netflix CEO may have missed the real reason why US subscriber numbers plunged

#80
post #75

Netflix is just getting more expensive and less interesting to me. With all of the content I like being taken off to be hosted on network exclusive streaming platforms that I refuse to pay for - I'll probably eventually just cancel Netflix as well going back to the tried and true method of just buying bluray box-sets of the content I want to watch. Or piracy. I think the critical mistake that all these megacorps are…

People hate it but it obviously works, otherwise they would not be doing it. What you need is a religion (or some other sort of huge corporation or union of people) around consuming content that everyone religiously follows that forces the corporations hands. Individually all you can do is pirate or buy.
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