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It’s not a zero-sum game for Apple TV+, Netflix, and Disney+

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Re: It’s not a zero-sum game for Apple TV+, Netflix, and Disney+

#51

Post by ce4 »

chipotle_coyote wrote: post #43
CivBase wrote: post #37

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> But if I watch one Netflix show, I can't just subscribe to that show, I must pay for a ton of stuff I'm not remotely interested in. When I want a song, I've always just bought it. I still do. I can do basically anything with the file other than redistribute it. I can even play music while offline! I only use streaming services like Spotify and YouTube for songs I don't regularly play. I'm very frustrated I don't ha…

> I want an "iTunes for movies". You... know that iTunes sells movies, right?

This is probaby not what he meant, movies on iTunes, Google movies, etc all have DRM while music doesn't. He just wants to "do basically anything with the file other than redistribute it."

Re: It’s not a zero-sum game for Apple TV+, Netflix, and Disney+

#52

Post by londons_explore »

im3w1l wrote: post #38
alain94040 wrote: post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's amazing how we have gone full circle in the last 15 years or so. In the old days, people complained about their cable tv bill: why do I have to pay for 250 channels when I only watch 5 of them? Let me pay only for what I watch. Now that the future is here, people are complaining that they need to sign up for too many streaming services. Why can't I just pay once for a bundle and get everything I need? I'm just a…

The complaint about bundling has the implicit assumption that if you'd pay for only 5 out of those 250 it would be a lot cheaper, but that's not really true. Cost of providing those 245 channels is basically zero, so there are no savings they could pass on. Anyway with these streaming services, it's not so much that people want to pay for a bundle. It's more that micromanaging a lot of subscriptions is a chore. If th…

The days of online services having an API and interoperating are largely over in a post-Cambridge Analytica world. No company wants another potentially shady company getting between them and the customer and ruining their reputation or misusing their data.

Re: It’s not a zero-sum game for Apple TV+, Netflix, and Disney+

#53

Post by ce4 »

parasubvert wrote: post #44
CivBase wrote: post #37

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> But if I watch one Netflix show, I can't just subscribe to that show, I must pay for a ton of stuff I'm not remotely interested in. When I want a song, I've always just bought it. I still do. I can do basically anything with the file other than redistribute it. I can even play music while offline! I only use streaming services like Spotify and YouTube for songs I don't regularly play. I'm very frustrated I don't ha…

There... is an iTunes for movies. I mean, I own hundreds of iTunes movies, some of which I purchased 13 years ago. Microsoft, Google, and Sony all have equivalents.

You're not owning them. You own a license to watch on Apple's terms and as long as iTunes is around. Microsoft shut down the drm servers and killed their clients' ebooks in April:

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=20318852

Re: It’s not a zero-sum game for Apple TV+, Netflix, and Disney+

#54

Post by paranoidrobot »

chipotle_coyote wrote: post #41
BurningCycles wrote: post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>why do I have to pay for 250 channels when I only watch 5 of them? Let me pay only for what I watch. But that is still the case. If I could only pay for the shows I watch, I would not complain. But if I watch one Netflix show, I can't just subscribe to that show, I must pay for a ton of stuff I'm not remotely interested in. You still have Netflix, Disney+ and all the cable channels you need to subscribe to if you wa…

> An actual 'A la carte' situation is that of the consumer being able to actually handpick the shows they want and only pay for those. This will never happen due to the industry being absolutely hostile to the idea... We've been able to do this with a substantial number of shows for years, though, by buying individual episodes or "season passes" on Amazon and iTunes. Maybe people just don't know, maybe people think t…

The problem with buying Season Passes is that they're usually a terrible option for many reasons.

They're usually not available until well after the season premiered (12+ months later), roughly at the same time that the DVD/Bluray comes out.

The quality of them is iffy, at best - SD or HD at poor bitrates. Fine for watching on a tablet or laptop, marginal at best on a TV/Surround system.

They're tied to watching on that specific platform, and you're fucked if you wanted to watch on another platform, and if that platform goes away so do all your purchases.

They're region locked, so if you went overseas for a bit, you can't access them.

They're often either as expensive, or more, than the physical Bluray.

Re: It’s not a zero-sum game for Apple TV+, Netflix, and Disney+

#55

Post by kinkrtyavimoodh »

zeroonetwothree wrote: post #12

They are so cheap that I am just subscribed to everything. I know I’m fortunate to be able to afford that but compared to what Americans are spending on everything else it’s surely not a lot for the value you get. Still cheaper than I used to pay for cable ($100)

Exactly. I hate this fragmentation but it's still cheap enough that I can't be too pissed. Even if you have 4 video streaming services (Netflix Prime HBO Disney) and 2 music ones (Spotify and Youtube Red) and assuming you split them all with another family, it's only a monthly total of about 45-50 dollars. That's like a decent dinner for two in the Bay Area or one movie outing, for example. We spend so readily on mediocre brick and mortar experiences while nickel-and-diming on things that provide so much convenience and value.

Re: It’s not a zero-sum game for Apple TV+, Netflix, and Disney+

#56

Post by test1235 »

kinkrtyavimoodh wrote: post #55
zeroonetwothree wrote: post #12

They are so cheap that I am just subscribed to everything. I know I’m fortunate to be able to afford that but compared to what Americans are spending on everything else it’s surely not a lot for the value you get. Still cheaper than I used to pay for cable ($100)

Exactly. I hate this fragmentation but it's still cheap enough that I can't be too pissed. Even if you have 4 video streaming services (Netflix Prime HBO Disney) and 2 music ones (Spotify and Youtube Red) and assuming you split them all with another family, it's only a monthly total of about 45-50 dollars. That's like a decent dinner for two in the Bay Area or one movie outing, for example. We spend so readily on med…

>assuming you split them all with another family

I'm surprised the t+c's allow you to do that

Re: It’s not a zero-sum game for Apple TV+, Netflix, and Disney+

#58

Post by shmerl »

It's pretty simple. Exclusives are bad for the user, period.

Exclusives might still work, if the store that's offering them is selling something. I.e. you can buy something exclusive, and while it's annoying that you are forced to use only specific store for it, at least you pay just for what you bought.

Exclusivity isn't compatible with renting, or it least it won't scale. How many renting services will users be paying for? I bet not many. So let them start selling video, and preferably without any exclusivity.

Re: It’s not a zero-sum game for Apple TV+, Netflix, and Disney+

#59

Post by Razengan »

alain94040 wrote: post #27
illuminati1911 wrote: post #2

"For months now, journalists, industry insiders, and consumers have opined on who will “win” the streaming wars and why." The more streaming services there will be, the more likely it is that only thepiratebay and torrents will win.

It's amazing how we have gone full circle in the last 15 years or so. In the old days, people complained about their cable tv bill: why do I have to pay for 250 channels when I only watch 5 of them? Let me pay only for what I watch. Now that the future is here, people are complaining that they need to sign up for too many streaming services. Why can't I just pay once for a bundle and get everything I need? I'm just a…

> I'm just as guilty as everyone else, I don't have a good answer...

BitTorrent and VLC.

Re: It’s not a zero-sum game for Apple TV+, Netflix, and Disney+

#60

Post by Lammy »

starky wrote: post #46
illuminati1911 wrote: post #2

"For months now, journalists, industry insiders, and consumers have opined on who will “win” the streaming wars and why." The more streaming services there will be, the more likely it is that only thepiratebay and torrents will win.

Yup, I got rid of Netflix because they often didn't have what I wanted to watch, and only have Amazon Prime Video because I don't pay any extra for it with my Prime subscriptions. Not to mention that not every streaming service is available in Canada. If I have to worry about where to find the show I want to watch or whether it is available in my country, then I may as well just go straight to a source that I know wi…

> because I don’t pay any extra for it with my Prime subscription.

I see their advertising is effective. The price of Prime was even increased recently to help fund video production.

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