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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

#321

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I also don't get why everyone is clamoring for one company to control all video entertainment distribution. Isn't that what we hated about cable? Didn't we beg for the ability to pick and choose what we actually want to pay for? Now we finally have that and people instantly want to go back? Why? 1) I don't want to pay for content I won't watch. 2) I don't want to be required to pay for content I won't watch in orde…

Amazon, Apple, Google, and Microsoft all offer paid rentals of nearly anything, on a per movie, episode, or season basis. So what you are asking for definitely exists. It’s just priced disproportionately high compared to the streaming packages that are popular these days.

$4/movie when i could get a month of X service for $8-12/month is kind of too high. Pay per episode for the TV shows I want to watch is too high almost whatever the price (who would pay anything to watch the logan's run tv series??)

Maybe we can get a frequent renter's club. $20/month for 8 movies (two a week) and 20 episodes?

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

#322

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 i…

It seems like there is some pitfall in making a recommendation algorithm that more and more people are falling in to. I don't watch TV or have Netflix, but I listen to streaming music, and I noticed something weird. I used to listen to Pandora, and it recommended a lot of different artists that I liked on hearing them for the first time. It single-handedly gave me a taste for 21st century music. But there wasn't enou…

Pandora has almost no variety at all. Even a playlist like "90s Alternative" which should have thousands of potential top songs plays the same songs every time I listen

Google Play Music has been the best for me in terms of variety, but it's buggy as hell. It freezes up if it can't play an ad for some reason, won't automatically play when bluetooth is connected (like Pandora does), and other annoying things. (I ride a motorcycle so I can't mess with my phone if something goes wrong)

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

#323
post #115

Netflix is becoming more and more of a frustrating experience. First they removed all user reviews. Then they removed ratings. (or vice versa. Whatever.) They constantly shift things around in their UI. Even things like "My List" and "Continue Watching" will spontaneously move. They hide categories, and sub-categories, making browsing and discovery a pain. They constantly throw crap at me that I don't care about and…

> they auto play previous with audio

This. I cannot explain in words how much ire that "feature" gives me.

I literally will end up just pressing arrow keys on my remote to move to the next suggestion to avoid the auto play feature.

I often resort to blog articles of "Top 10 new Netflix show" to find new content rather than use Netflix itself.

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

#324

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Netflix and HBO don't have advertisers (well, except as providers, but not as customers).

That is just wrong. The amount of product placement in Netflix original content is staggering.

sure, but how much of what you think is product placement actually is, and how much of it is just things being used in their natural context because it would be weird put something fake there.

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

#325

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Of course people would rather pay $10 a month to access everything, but that's just not sustainable. Look at Netflix's own financials. They got into content creation and they're now deep in debt despite their massive subscriber base. I also don't get why everyone is clamoring for one company to control all video entertainment distribution. Isn't that what we hated about cable? Didn't we beg for the ability to pick an…

People aren't asking for a single distribution channel in the sense of a single monolithic company owning all the IP. They do want (1) convenient apps that aggregate, such as Apple TV and Amazon Prime Video, and (2) a way to get all the content without having to pay lots of individual companies (I'm subscribing to around 5 streaming services myself). Why can't video be like music? Spotify and Apple Music aggregate pr…

> a way to get all the content without having to pay lots of individual companies

Ironic, as a decade ago the complaint was that we need a la cart pricing. Now that it's happening everyone is complaining about it being too expensive. What it seems people really want is the cable all you can eat buffet model, but at a 90% discount.

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

#327
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…

Of course people would rather pay $10 a month to access everything, but that's just not sustainable. Look at Netflix's own financials. They got into content creation and they're now deep in debt despite their massive subscriber base. I also don't get why everyone is clamoring for one company to control all video entertainment distribution. Isn't that what we hated about cable? Didn't we beg for the ability to pick an…

> Didn't we beg for the ability to pick and choose what we actually want to pay for?

Yes, and that is slowly disappearing, as everything is becoming isolated again and bundled with extra crap I don't care about.

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

#328

Earlier quoted context omitted.

People aren't asking for a single distribution channel in the sense of a single monolithic company owning all the IP. They do want (1) convenient apps that aggregate, such as Apple TV and Amazon Prime Video, and (2) a way to get all the content without having to pay lots of individual companies (I'm subscribing to around 5 streaming services myself). Why can't video be like music? Spotify and Apple Music aggregate pr…

> a way to get all the content without having to pay lots of individual companies Ironic, as a decade ago the complaint was that we need a la cart pricing. Now that it's happening everyone is complaining about it being too expensive. What it seems people really want is the cable all you can eat buffet model, but at a 90% discount.

I'm not sure it is happening though. Can I just say... pay 10$ a month for access to 10 TV shows of my chosing?

Or even better would be to pay by the minute at a rate where it ends up that 1h of TV every month is around 10$. But where the selection of shows is the entire catalogue of all shows ever.

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

#329
I feel like I might be in the minority opinion on this, but I don't enjoy any of the Netflix originals they keep pumping out. At least not enough to spend time on them. I don't like the Marvel shows, Stranger Things was okay I guess maybe, but I don't enjoy them enough like for example Game of Thrones or The Fabulous Miss Maisel or some of the others from HBO, Showtime or surprisingly Amazon. Most if not all the Netflix original content is B quality to me at best. Low production, not interesting, bad dialogue, bad stories, etc...

I have limited time. I try to spend it wisely. I'd rather use my wasted time on something far more enjoyable, like playing my NES or reading a book or movie, or even watch something of higher quality and production value (HBO is pretty reliable for that or a movie on my backlog). Or even just get out and go somewhere to see and meet people.

Right now my only subscription service is Funimation ($5/month). I like watching dubbed anime late at night too chill out before bed. Currently (re)watching Black Lagoon (it's so great!) and the Mix Simuldub. With a side of computer science books on my backlog with some related videos or courses as well as a good book which right now is Snow Crash (embarrassingly I have not read this yet).

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