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Netflix’s big power clash and rivalries behind the crash

hollywoodreporter.com

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Re: Netflix’s big power clash and rivalries behind the crash

#91
post #6

This chart [1] was making the rounds a while back. Whether you totally agree with its methodology or not, it certainly suggests that many people consider a huge swath of Netflix' content average at best. And for someone like me who doesn't watch a huge amount of video, that's not a great look. Tastes differ of course but my tastes aren't that out of the mainstream. And I'd rather a streaming service had a modest numb…

I don't know about other people, but finding something to watch on Netflix is frustrating, there's so much poor quality shows. The recommendations are not good (tbf that's most streaming services) and there's no option for granular filtering. For example, I hate dubs, I would like to pick shows where the original audio is some particular language, I don't get why that isn't there? In contrast, on HBO Max / Disney+, u…

> I would like to pick shows where the original audio is some particular language, I don't get why that isn't there?

I’m somewhat confused by your sentiments here, if you search “French”/”Spanish”/etc Netflix will bring up a list of movies and shows in those languages, it’s one of my main uses of Netflix these days.

Re: Netflix’s big power clash and rivalries behind the crash

#92

If anyone from netflix is reading, the reason I don't watch as much as I used to is because of the automatic previews. I used to just leave netflix open all day and randomly pick things when I felt like watching. I can't do that anymore. Though I do really appreciate how easy it is to suspend/cancel. I'll be back for stranger things, but who knows how long I'll stay.

On a web browser, go to https://www.netflix.com/settings/playback/

You can disable autoplay of previews, and you can disable autoplay of the next episode in a series.

Re: Netflix’s big power clash and rivalries behind the crash

#93
post #34

This is great insider reporting! Most people have no clue how shows gets selected and blame “wokness” for troubles at Netflix. In reality, the cost-cutting high-volume risk-averse leadership took over initial leadership of opposite nature. Transition from “ gut-driven, risktaking, maverick culture” to “prudent and frequently indecisive” is exactly the story of many other areas. Well put.

> Most people have no clue how shows gets selected and blame “wokness” for troubles at Netflix.

Well, the people blaming "wokeness" aren't connected to reality anyway, so I doubt that any evidence will change their mind.

But it's ironic if the reign of an "anti-woke" Chapelle loyalist is what tanks them.

Re: Netflix’s big power clash and rivalries behind the crash

#94

If anyone from netflix is reading, the reason I don't watch as much as I used to is because of the automatic previews. I used to just leave netflix open all day and randomly pick things when I felt like watching. I can't do that anymore. Though I do really appreciate how easy it is to suspend/cancel. I'll be back for stranger things, but who knows how long I'll stay.

Autoplaying previews has really made me averse to browsing Netflix for new shows. I mostly head directly to the content I want to see.

Re: Netflix’s big power clash and rivalries behind the crash

#95
post #8
post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What should happen, if we're doing "shoulds", is that it shouldn't be permitted for one company to own both distribution and production, nor for such companies to create long-term exclusivity agreements with one another.

I really think services like YouTube are going to win out. For every hour of video I've watched on Netflix or Hulu I've probably watched 40 on Youtube. The variety of content there is absolutely incredible and so much of it is very deep educational content.

I absolutely detest YouTube and the only reason I sometimes use an Invidious instance to access it is that people basically don't put video anywhere else anymore.

Re: Netflix’s big power clash and rivalries behind the crash

#96

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That graph isn’t showing that. Sure, Netflix produces way more content than competitors but they also have more shows in the far right (outstanding and exceptional) than their competitors.

There is a disconnect between what I want and what providers are trying to offer me. I want quality content with powerful search. Providers seem to think I want a huge unsearchable library from which they will make recommendations. Netflix has lots and lots of great original content, but given a random show, it's far more likely to be average or less (versus, say, HBOmax).

I had HBO and tried to watch every show. There are plenty of ho-hum shows. An HBO show has a theme and style their own which makes getting into a show a lengthy affair only to realize it's not what you really want. Netflix sums up the show in a preview making it easier.

Re: Netflix’s big power clash and rivalries behind the crash

#97
post #34

This is great insider reporting! Most people have no clue how shows gets selected and blame “wokness” for troubles at Netflix. In reality, the cost-cutting high-volume risk-averse leadership took over initial leadership of opposite nature. Transition from “ gut-driven, risktaking, maverick culture” to “prudent and frequently indecisive” is exactly the story of many other areas. Well put.

> (It was also Holland who warned Sarandos, to no avail, that continuing to order specials from one of his comedy heroes, Dave Chappelle, would lead to internal strife and bad press.)

Given that the journalist goes out of her way to include this, it's not a mystery why "wokeness" is not mentioned in the article :)

Re: Netflix’s big power clash and rivalries behind the crash

#99

If anyone from netflix is reading, the reason I don't watch as much as I used to is because of the automatic previews. I used to just leave netflix open all day and randomly pick things when I felt like watching. I can't do that anymore. Though I do really appreciate how easy it is to suspend/cancel. I'll be back for stranger things, but who knows how long I'll stay.

I'm Curious if there's going to be a noticeable Stranger Things dropoff. Though there will probably be a big uptick for Squid Game season 2. Apparently season 1 was worth $1 billion dollars for Netflix.

Usually when they do 2nd seasons is because they want to squeeze more views/profit from the show, most times at the expense of quality.

Re: Netflix’s big power clash and rivalries behind the crash

#100
post #34

This is great insider reporting! Most people have no clue how shows gets selected and blame “wokness” for troubles at Netflix. In reality, the cost-cutting high-volume risk-averse leadership took over initial leadership of opposite nature. Transition from “ gut-driven, risktaking, maverick culture” to “prudent and frequently indecisive” is exactly the story of many other areas. Well put.

This isn't "insider reporting". If you don't how the media works, when the article says "Sources close to Holland" or a "Holland loyalist"...it is Holland (usually journalists will make an effort to disguise that, but the precise events being "quoted anonymously" here make obvious that the main source for the story was one person i.e. when the "anonymous" source quotes a conversation that occurred with two people in…

> They seemed to think they could significantly increase output without decreasing quality.

An executive is quoted, on their strategy, as saying “We succeed if 1 in 10 shows is a hit.” I think it’s pretty clear they didn’t think they were pumping out pure winners.

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