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HBO Max taking on Netflix with human curation instead of relying on algorithms

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Re: HBO Max taking on Netflix with human curation instead of relying on algorithms

#101
post #93

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Netflix is musty , as someone said to me. After overthinking, musty indeed is the best term for most of Netflix. Last movie I saw and liked at Netflix was The two popes . Netflix doesn't carry top series like - Exit https://www.imdb.com/title/tt9612102/ - Le bureau des légendes https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4063800/ - Okkupert EDIT was/is available https://www.netflix.com/title/80092654 In the US & Canada Netflix has…

"Top series" is subjective. For me they have that: Dark. It is top of the top, just like first seasons of Lost. They also have Luter, Sherlock. Both of which are pretty good.

> "Top series" is subjective.

Couldn't agree more. Thanks for the tips. Watched all trailers, not my cup of tea.

Re: HBO Max taking on Netflix with human curation instead of relying on algorithms

#102

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If only the prices were lower to reflect that competition. There seems to be a tacit agreement that streamers will pay 6-12 USD a month per service. Netflix began at $8 with almost all popular content available (which could be streamed). Edit: cut extra word

The prices are much lower than a cable package.

Many Americans are still paying for cable they never use because comcast won't discount an internet only offer.

Re: HBO Max taking on Netflix with human curation instead of relying on algorithms

#103
post #5

Lately it feels like Netflix's algorithm is "just show Netflix produced content". Maybe I'm being nostalgic but I really miss the old shooting star recommendation system where you rated content and got similar likes from other viewers.

I read somewhere they realized that just giving a thumbs up or down on a title is much reliable than having star recommendation system

I thought it was that people were using the stars 'wrongly' according to Netflix. How one can use a star rating system wrongly is beyond me.

Re: HBO Max taking on Netflix with human curation instead of relying on algorithms

#104
post #72

Is there any halfway decent third party recommendation system? I've got a list of everything I've watched in the last year or so since I've started tracking it, plus older TV shows I've seen in full. I'd be interested in manually inputting that with ratings into some system where it can recommend what else I'd like given everyone else's data.

I've had some success with JustWatch https://www.justwatch.com/ As far as ratings go, you can 'like' or 'dislike'

I gave it a try, not much success for my taste.

Re: HBO Max taking on Netflix with human curation instead of relying on algorithms

#105
post #90

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This balkanization is a good thing. I'd far rather have the choice between many competing providers each offering a service at £8/month, than have the choice to take or leave a single expensive all-in-one subscription, like cable. It's also good that market forces are driving content-creation.

No, it is not. Not when they compete with exclusive content. It would be good if they had the same content but compete with the UI (in such case Netflix would win, and HBO would loose, as they have the worst possible UI), streaming content etc.

Not as bad as some others I have tried. Disney Plus gets on my last nerve at times. Just try to rewind like you would in other apps with a bluetooth remote.

Re: HBO Max taking on Netflix with human curation instead of relying on algorithms

#106
post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It feels to me like the balkanization of streaming services was inevitable and Netflix getting into the content game was just a logical response to remain relevant. If the catalog is what garners subscribers then a streaming service without its own catalog is basically fucked in the long term.

This balkanization is a good thing. I'd far rather have the choice between many competing providers each offering a service at £8/month, than have the choice to take or leave a single expensive all-in-one subscription, like cable. It's also good that market forces are driving content-creation.

By the time you check you might be paying more than cable. We all hoped to have a cheaper alternative to cable. Not a fragmented variation of it.

Re: HBO Max taking on Netflix with human curation instead of relying on algorithms

#107
post #89

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Duck Dynasty is widely popular with almost 9mm viewership. It has a rating of 6.3. Breaking Bad has 1.5mm viewership and an IMDB score of 9.5. If you're Netflix, do you make invest money into a show like Duck Dynasty or like Breaking bad.

Ya, I didn't cover them but there's certainly exceptions. Kids shows is a great example of a genre targeting a demographic which is likely under represented by the voting community - adults. Imdb is best viewed through the filter of "what do adults want to watch or think is good". I remember watching duck dynasty, great kids show and I loved it, but I doubt it holds up for adults. Batman beyond on the other hand won…

Duck dynasty isn’t a kids show. It’s a show that covers a family that makes duck calls. It’s the most popular non-fiction tv show ever created. I assume most people on hackernews haven’t seen an episode. I personally never watched it as it doesn’t appeal to me.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duck_Dynasty

Re: HBO Max taking on Netflix with human curation instead of relying on algorithms

#108
post #89

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Duck Dynasty is widely popular with almost 9mm viewership. It has a rating of 6.3. Breaking Bad has 1.5mm viewership and an IMDB score of 9.5. If you're Netflix, do you make invest money into a show like Duck Dynasty or like Breaking bad.

Ya, I didn't cover them but there's certainly exceptions. Kids shows is a great example of a genre targeting a demographic which is likely under represented by the voting community - adults. Imdb is best viewed through the filter of "what do adults want to watch or think is good". I remember watching duck dynasty, great kids show and I loved it, but I doubt it holds up for adults. Batman beyond on the other hand won…

I remember watching duck dynasty, great kids show and I loved it, but I doubt it holds up for adults.

Duck Dynasty is a reality TV show, not a kids show.

I can't tell if you know that and are making a jab at them or not. If you are, then I think you're proving the point well, because you think it's clearly not a show for adults, while it was the most-watched nonfiction show in history. Clearly, tastes vary widely.

Re: HBO Max taking on Netflix with human curation instead of relying on algorithms

#110
post #24

I doubt they will completely remove algorithms from the curation process. In my experience what is incredibly powerful is human curation ability multiplied by the leverage of algorithms. The most straightforward example of this is for curation candidates to be proposed by algorithms, and then finalized by humans. That approach works really well for things like creating digital maps from signals, and is employed prett…

I couldn't agree less. Netflix suggestion: horrible. Gave justwatch.com a try: nothing for me.

OTOH take 5 people selecting 15 movies every month https://cinetree.nl/over-ons: excellent selection, no algorithms. Or every week 1 or 2 top movies at https://www.vrt.be/vrtnu/a-z/#filter=categories%3Afilms. Or idfa.nl, etc, etc. None proposed by algorithms, only humans.

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