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The bottom is dropping out of Netflix

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Re: The bottom is dropping out of Netflix

#411

Post by Stunting »

christophilus wrote: post #350
Stunting wrote: post #291

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You're stealing income, specifically from me and all of my coworkers. Perhaps you think that you're only stealing from Producers and A list actors, but there are entire departments that receive residuals on a production. - On screen performers, stunt performers like myself and actors who grind out a comfortable living. Those residuals also go to qualifying for health insurance through earnings. You are directly steal…

I don't pirate (out of principle), but I also basically don't stream because I'm a Linux user and your streaming platforms suck big fat ones. If you want people to "stop stealing our shit", you should really address how crappy the distribution system is. - Can't get it in __ country - Can only watch it on __ closed-source devices - Can't watch it offline - A is only available on platform 1, B is only on platform 2, a…

This is a valid complaint. I would tell you that on the many streaming services available for free like youtube, vimeo, etc. There is probably a small filmmaker who is making the type of show you enjoy. Finding them, providing value by first clicks and shares and eventually with income as they grow will encourage more filmmakers to make things you like.

Re: The bottom is dropping out of Netflix

#412

Post by pineconewarrior »

nevi-me wrote: post #232
halfnormalform wrote: post #168

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Quoted post unavailable.

It doesn't matter how you rationalise it. Someone created content with the intention of it being consumed for a fee. You downloaded it, likely from someone who illegally copied/reproduced it. Maybe I didn't "steal", but I contributed to criminal activity. Sure, copyright laws can seem absurd, but if you disagree with the laws, consider the ethics. How would you feel if you have a business, I steal from you, and then…

It really doesn't matter how you rationalize it either, within the frame of capital everything is immoral

Re: The bottom is dropping out of Netflix

#413

Post by danans »

noncoml wrote: post #410
danans wrote: post #322

I doubt most of the subscription loss is attributable to reasons that most HN types go on about (the rants about wokeness, not enough scifi, carousel UI, pirating etc...). What's probably going on is after after a few years of pandemic isolation and Netflix binging, the arrival of pandemic triggered inflation, and overall higher employment rates, people just have less interest, time, and money to binge watch longer f…

( inappropriate )

Pure software engineer, actually.

Re: The bottom is dropping out of Netflix

#415

Post by dml2135 »

nevi-me wrote: post #232
halfnormalform wrote: post #168

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Quoted post unavailable.

It doesn't matter how you rationalise it. Someone created content with the intention of it being consumed for a fee. You downloaded it, likely from someone who illegally copied/reproduced it. Maybe I didn't "steal", but I contributed to criminal activity. Sure, copyright laws can seem absurd, but if you disagree with the laws, consider the ethics. How would you feel if you have a business, I steal from you, and then…

> How would you feel if you have a business, I steal from you, and then go give random people your content? This especially when it starts to drive into your revenues.

I would consider that if I am selling a product that has absolutely no scarcity, such as digital files, I have a few approaches.

- Introduce artificial scarcity with something like DRM

- Create a business model focused on the service of providing the product, rather than the product itself

I would not try to accuse my potential consumers of a crime in order to fix the flaws in my business model.

Re: The bottom is dropping out of Netflix

#416

Post by samstave »

Stunting wrote: post #366
delusional wrote: post #335

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Whatever chief executive that decided to create their own streaming platform for a price that's too high is stealing your money. They are the ones that made it more convenient to pirate.

Ah, now that is a point. I don't expect consumers to take on my personal union politics. That is the duty of the workforce and their union.. Which is more powerful if consumers don't steal money out of their pocket. Pay for cool things and you'll get more cool things.

Make "cool things" overly priced, especially in a fucked up inflationary market manipulated by corruption and influence, where for the last several years everything costs more which is tangible and required to survive, (food, shelter, transport, employment)

Then the ephemeral luxuries, such as entertainment, begin to take a more relaxed position on our moral compass when one compares paying for entertainment services, vs, using funds for food.

Re: The bottom is dropping out of Netflix

#417

Post by ncallaway »

CabSauce wrote: post #210
dj_mc_merlin wrote: post #185

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The purpose is to be a signal to the distributor: "fix your payment model or we're not paying". I pirated for a long time. When Netflix became a thing, I stopped pirating (since it was easier). Now I pirate again. If a new company came along with a good model, or the industry as a whole decided this streaming debacle is stupid, I would definitely stop pirating and give my money to someone. Until then, why would I pay…

Wouldn't the appropriate choice be to not pay for the service AND not pirate? That seems like the best way to send the message. Pirating gives the impression that you want to view their content but not pay for it. So they should invest in locking down their content, not improve their experience.

That sends the wrong message.

If you're interested in the content, but dislike the delivery mechanism, ignoring the content entirely sends the signal: "I am not interested in the content you're producing". The companies will attempt to address that signal by changing the content, to try and find content that attracts larger audiences.

Piracy sends a different signal: "I am interested in the content, but not the price or the delivery mechanism". The companies will attempt to address that signal differently. Maybe they lower the price. Maybe the ease the friction on the delivery mechanism. Maybe the increase the friction on the delivery mechanism (by adding DRM). But the signal from piracy sends a more clear message to the content companies that ignoring the content.

Re: The bottom is dropping out of Netflix

#418

Post by kemiller »

hardwaregeek wrote: post #268
cercatrova wrote: post #101

It's easier just to pirate than keep up with all these streaming services. - You get the benefit of high quality (true 4k, not stream compressed "4k") and no buffering. - Plex, Radarr, Sonarr automatically downloads and categorizes your content for you, you can just sit back and enjoy your content. - Edit: Plex et al are not the *only* ways to download content, not sure why some replies are thinking so. I too can typ…

I don't know how to phrase this nicely, but this is precisely the type of Hacker News nerd-blindness that I find amazing. It's "easier"? Is it? For young children who want to watch their kids shows and don't know what 4k means? For grandparents who want to see some k-dramas and have no clue about DRM or geo-locked? Sure, Netflix has issues and it's made some bad decisions, but let's not delude ourselves here. The gro…

It's not that everyone can or wants to run their own Plex setup, it's that the Plex model, once set up, is much more consumer-friendly: Get the shows you want, don't care about the distributor. It's probably naive to think that would work for a bunch of reasons (Who exactly runs this? Are they a for-profit monopoly now? Who will fund the content if there's no monopoly rent?) but I don't think it's crazy to imagine a service that works more like it. We went to all the effort of unbundling cable and now we just have a different set of bundles. It's a little better, but they've fallen back on old habits.

Re: The bottom is dropping out of Netflix

#419

Post by noelsusman »

CuriouslyC wrote: post #269
CabSauce wrote: post #160

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Sure. It's also stealing. And doesn't provide any money for future shows that you might enjoy. Don't get me wrong, I've done it for some things that I wanted to watch, but wasn't willing to pay for. But let's not pretend that everyone torrenting is a reasonable solution.

It's not stealing, it's copyright infringement, and it's an act of protest. I paid for Netflix for years when the streaming catalog was good, but now the streaming video market feels like an anti-consumer predatory cash grab.

Then vote with your wallet and don't watch the content. You don't get to steal it just because you disagree with their distribution methods.

Re: The bottom is dropping out of Netflix

#420

Post by ben-schaaf »

Stunting wrote: post #354
ProAm wrote: post #336

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Stop stealing our shit. While I agree with your sentiment, you can also make a better product. This is an easy fix with some of the smartest minds in the industry. People showed Netflix early on they were willing to PAY for ease of use.

100 percent agree. Voting with dollars is the fastest and best way to make better products. The big studios know how many people are watching their stuff via theft. They are going to keep producting low end crap with studio friendly sponsorships, because piracy will have taught them that is a better business model. Pay of the things you want to see and you'll see more of them.

> Pay of the things you want to see and you'll see more of them.

Where can I pay for a streaming service with no geo-blocking, no DRM quality limitations on Linux, offline viewing and all the shows/movies I want to watch? Seems the only way to vote with my wallet is to refuse to pay, which morally isn't really different to piracy.

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