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The golden age of streaming TV is over

businessinsider.com

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Re: The golden age of streaming TV is over

#21

Post by michaelt »

To really understand the golden age of streaming TV, you have to know about the Netflix/Starz deal [1]

In ~2008 Netflix delivered DVDs by post, and the only people getting their video online were pirates and anime fans. So when Netflix approached Starz to license streaming rights nobody else wanted them, and Netflix got a great price for loads of content like recent Hollywood movies. Allowing them to offer a huge catalogue to US viewers for $10/month.

By 2012, when the contract came up for renegotiation, Hollywood had worked out that streaming rights were big business - and they figured their output was worth way more than $10/month. There were $100/month cable packages that got you less than you got from a $10/month netflix membership, that's a lot of money left on the table - so of course the deal didn't get renewed.

And Netflix has never been the same since.

[1] https://money.cnn.com/2012/02/29/technology/netflix_starz/in...

Re: The golden age of streaming TV is over

#22

Post by AntoniusBlock »

synu wrote: post #20
sbarre wrote: post #3

The big takeaway (for me) from this article is that streaming services are actively removing shows from their archives to save on residual payments. So it's not just about a slowdown in new shows coming out, but also the loss of access to existing shows. For example HBO Max has entirely removed Westworld, a show that's not that old and just completed it's 4th and final season this year. So the whole idea of "I'll wat…

This may not work for everyone, but I’m quite happy again with dvds so I can watch what I want when I like.

But then you'd be stuck with 480p quality media.

Re: The golden age of streaming TV is over

#23

Post by reset-password »

b3nji wrote: post #13
sbarre wrote: post #3

The big takeaway (for me) from this article is that streaming services are actively removing shows from their archives to save on residual payments. So it's not just about a slowdown in new shows coming out, but also the loss of access to existing shows. For example HBO Max has entirely removed Westworld, a show that's not that old and just completed it's 4th and final season this year. So the whole idea of "I'll wat…

Sadly, piracy.

I'd argue that it isn't sad but in fact quite wonderful that piracy is an option. These companies don't deserve our sympathies. They are doing it to themselves.

Re: The golden age of streaming TV is over

#24

Post by Terretta »

happyjack wrote: post #7

My wife and I don't watch a ton of tv, but even with our couple of streaming services one can see how the bill starts to creep towards what traditional cable costs. I can't imagine watching commercials ever again. I still think the og (Hbo) has the winning combination.

> HBO has

"Had"

Thanks to a past life making all this streaming stuff work in the first place, we still subscribe to “ALL THE THINGS!!!”

We also tape[1] the shows we like, to more easily watch time-shifted. We could rely on provider DVRs, but when we first set this up, most didn't offer that, or only offered in terrible quality.

In recent years, we nearly stopped. In 2021, for example, I didn't tape anything. In 2022, I did again because not all brands' DVRs supported offline viewing, and we're happy about it as we now find ourselves having taped things that have been taken off the services we pay to make their libraries available. We can still watch these, even though they've been memory-holed by the brand.

If they keep this up, it will create a new market for an updated TiVo, at least as easy to use as a VCR (which the linked item is not).

PS. Note that in US, time-shifting is fair use. Getting it to work is unreasonably difficult. A consumer product that simplified this would be cool but if too easy (a) would need a war-chest to defend itself, and (b) in that defense could put fair use itself at risk.

- - -

1. i.e. https://www.silicondust.com/product/hdhomerun-scribe-4k/

Re: The golden age of streaming TV is over

#25

Post by difosfor »

I wish there was just a standard protocol for making movies and music available on the global market and then a pay per view based payment system. Cut most of the middle men and maximize availability across the world (instead of just/first to the US like is still common for some reason). I think that would result in shows reaching maximum audiences at minimal prices. For all I care put some ad filled alternatives out there for cheaper viewing while you're at it.

I do want streaming without ads. I just don't want multiple subscriptions and apps etc that are all not really good.

Re: The golden age of streaming TV is over

#26

Post by mr90210 »

AntoniusBlock wrote: post #22
synu wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This may not work for everyone, but I’m quite happy again with dvds so I can watch what I want when I like.

But then you'd be stuck with 480p quality media.

When somebody these days mentions DVD, you can count Blu-ray as well.

Re: The golden age of streaming TV is over

#28

Post by ThunderSizzle »

synu wrote: post #20
sbarre wrote: post #3

The big takeaway (for me) from this article is that streaming services are actively removing shows from their archives to save on residual payments. So it's not just about a slowdown in new shows coming out, but also the loss of access to existing shows. For example HBO Max has entirely removed Westworld, a show that's not that old and just completed it's 4th and final season this year. So the whole idea of "I'll wat…

This may not work for everyone, but I’m quite happy again with dvds so I can watch what I want when I like.

I wouldn't mind a disc if they removed all the ads from them. Put it in, play the movie. It's funny to watch something on DVD from decades ago to see ads for things released decades ago.

Re: The golden age of streaming TV is over

#30

Post by lotsofpulp »

etrautmann wrote: post #14
sbarre wrote: post #3

The big takeaway (for me) from this article is that streaming services are actively removing shows from their archives to save on residual payments. So it's not just about a slowdown in new shows coming out, but also the loss of access to existing shows. For example HBO Max has entirely removed Westworld, a show that's not that old and just completed it's 4th and final season this year. So the whole idea of "I'll wat…

I think you nailed it at the end. This likely will send people back to piracy

Or maybe they spend their time watching TikTok or playing video games or any of the other multitude of options.
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