Netflix Now Only Has 31 Movies from IMDB's Top 250 List • Hacker News Board

Re: Netflix Now Only Has 31 Movies from IMDB's Top 250 List

#331

Post by emerod » Wed, Oct 12, 2016, 4:11 PM UTC

drzaiusapelord wrote: post #207

roboguy12 wrote: post #85

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Last weekend my wife and I wanted to watch the movie Goat. It was pretty recently in theaters, so we didn't expect it to be on Netflix. We searched HBO Now, Hulu, Starz, and all of the other video streaming services that we have (and pay money for!). We found two options - rent it on Google Play Movies, or rent it through Amazon Prime. Now, we wanted to Chromecast it, and Amazon (to the best of my knowledge) does not…

That's funny as my wife and I have probably streamed hundreds of items with our Chromecast from various sources including the Play Store and have never had the slightest issue. We do have quality issues with Netflix sometimes, but its pretty rare and seems to be related to choppy wifi connections due to interference (since moving to 5ghz wifi we haven't had issues - which may be coincidental). Online services have is…

I agree, it's an anecdotal rationalization, as is yours. Yet, it's also true that creators actively frustrate efficient use of distribution platforms in support of their bad business models.

Re: Netflix Now Only Has 31 Movies from IMDB's Top 250 List

#332

Post by MrZongle2 » Wed, Oct 12, 2016, 4:11 PM UTC

wyldfire wrote: post #4

Netflix is clearly making heavy investments in what we've tended to call "Television" programming. It's often deep dramas that are very engrossing, much more so than TV offered a decade or two ago. Netflix likely sees higher returns here. Movies are quickly becoming the "short story" of the cinematic world, IMO (though those countless sequels and prequels are an exception). When done well they have a strict beginning…

I couldn't agree more. I think about "Daredevil" season one: 13 episodes, each almost an hour long. We saw more character development in a single season (of both the titular character and Vincent D'Onofrio's excellent Kingpin) than in years of Marvel movies.

If an episode's story needs to run a bit longer, it runs longer. Commercial breaks don't affect pacing. Nobody has to worry about sponsors being upset about content, an episode being interrupted by breaking news or postponed due to a sporting event.

I'd like Netflix to have a larger movie catalog, but if they continue to crank out quality long-form stories I'm quite happy to remain a subscriber.

(Now we just need them to secure the rights for Patrick O'Brien's Aubrey/Maturin novels)

Re: Netflix Now Only Has 31 Movies from IMDB's Top 250 List

#333

Post by InclinedPlane » Wed, Oct 12, 2016, 4:11 PM UTC

dmalvarado wrote: post #76

My younger colleagues at work simply can't believe that I still have a DVD plan with Netflix. I'm not that old! In response, I can't believe THEY are satisfied with what's available on streaming. Netflix isn't interested in paying royalties for blockbuster films. In house content makes so much more sense.

It reminds me of the common trope of the internet containing "all of human knowledge". An average library has as good a claim to that as does the internet. There's so much stuff that is simply not available for free and a far vaster volume of stuff that is not even digitized let alone available on the internet. Wikipedia is a good way to gain some superficial knowledge about something but it is nothing compared to a few good books on a subject.

Re: Netflix Now Only Has 31 Movies from IMDB's Top 250 List

#334

Post by pbhjpbhj » Wed, Oct 12, 2016, 4:12 PM UTC

ensiferum wrote: post #293

wildmusings wrote: post #274

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Or you can pay a reasonable price to rent on iTunes and Amazon Prime. Stop pretending that you pirate because it's a "better experience". You pirate because it's cheaper to steal other people's hard work than to pay a fair price for it.

I don't download or condone downloading copyrighted material. Just saying that that famous oatmeal comic still rings very true.

It's only copyright material you aren't licensed to use that is potentially tortuous.

"Big Buck Bunny" out whatever is copyright but the free and open license allows you to download it and consume it.

Seems pedantic but IMO it's an important point.

Copyright is automatic, restrictive licensing isn't.

Re: Netflix Now Only Has 31 Movies from IMDB's Top 250 List

#335

Post by JoeAltmaier » Wed, Oct 12, 2016, 4:13 PM UTC

justifier wrote: post #321

JoeAltmaier wrote: post #296

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No, that's the definition of 'entitled'. When just because its hard to get something, that taking it becomes justified.

Again, just a distraction To be an issue of entitlement the person would have to say something that sets them apart, akin to: it's ok for me to pirate but for everyone else its bad; Whereas the gp was just describing their process without applying any opinion on the ethics of others doing the same an excuse is just an excuse, the special treatment is what makes it entitled Have you ever pirated anything? If you have…

Nah. Entitlement is the belief that one is due something unconditionally. Its ego at heart; an entitled person probably has no opinion on what is due others.

Re: Netflix Now Only Has 31 Movies from IMDB's Top 250 List

#336

Post by hobofan » Wed, Oct 12, 2016, 4:13 PM UTC

pmoriarty wrote: post #329

paol wrote: post #318

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If that's the case, that leaves the problem (from the consumer's point of view) of where to get access to a complete(ish) catalog of films. Netflix actually achieved this back in the disc-by-mail days. So we're actually moving backwards. I'm not particularly ashamed to say I turn to unlicensed torrents for this purpose, but I would prefer if it weren't necessary.

"Netflix actually achieved this back in the disc-by-mail days." Netflix's DVD service still exists.[1] They have a fantastic selection, compared to their streaming service. [1] - https://dvd.netflix.com/

(In the USA)

Re: Netflix Now Only Has 31 Movies from IMDB's Top 250 List

#337

Post by 7Z7 » Wed, Oct 12, 2016, 4:15 PM UTC

dhimes wrote: post #159

JoeAltmaier wrote: post #110

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yeah I'm not sympathetic. The alternative to finding (and failing to find) a service to watch the show could possibly be - not watching it? The conclusion 'naturally we then had to steal it' isn't entirely justified. Shoplifting is easy and convenient too. Next time you forget your wallet at the corner store. Just sayin.

Actually, I'm ok with "pirating" it if they tried to legally get it first. Also, I personally probably wouldn't ask for a refund if I was going to watch it anyway- figuring that what I was doing was morally right I was just hacking the implementation- and the content creators would get their fair share. I, like you, am disturbed by the "if it's easy to steal then it's ok to steal" argument. It really hurts people who…

My only problem with that is that you have not only paid for the content, but you've paid for the service as well. If you have to provide the service (in the form of finding a equivalent quality of work, receivable in a not inconvenient amount of time, and take the risk of potentially being flagged as a pirate on your ISP or sued by a rights holder), then it gets more complicated. The content creator certainly isn't getting 100% of the fee you've paid - so ultimately you are rewarding both the content creator and the shitty-service provider.

You may be OK losing the provider's portion to assure the creator is paid.

Re: Netflix Now Only Has 31 Movies from IMDB's Top 250 List

#338

Post by IshKebab » Wed, Oct 12, 2016, 4:16 PM UTC

bcrescimanno wrote: post #304

TL;DR: A former Netflix employee isn't surprised because films very little business sense for Netflix. Former Netflix employee here--though I left in late 2013. I remember sitting at a company meeting and Reed Hastings explaining that AAA film content was never going to be the bread-and-butter for Netflix for several reasons. Most importantly: Between traditional, "linear" television and Netflix, the experience that…

People may spend more time binge watching TV than watching films on Netflix. But they should be concentrating on customer satisfaction, not racking up viewers.

My girlfriend already jokes that if you search for a film on Netflix they realise and immediately remove it. Then you get the dreaded "Films related to X" search result.

It's really really bad if Netflix gets a reputation for having a small catalogue, even if most of it is rarely watched.

It's kind of like Linux vs Windows. Linux has 90% of the apps you need. But when you need Solidworks or Altium or GTA 5 or whatever you think "pff screw this I will use windows". With Netflix it has lots of stuff but when you search for Die Hard or 12 Angry Men or whatever... well let's just say I treat Netflix as a moral way of paying for Bittorrent.

Re: Netflix Now Only Has 31 Movies from IMDB's Top 250 List

#339

Post by dexterdog » Wed, Oct 12, 2016, 4:16 PM UTC

dhimes wrote: post #159

JoeAltmaier wrote: post #110

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yeah I'm not sympathetic. The alternative to finding (and failing to find) a service to watch the show could possibly be - not watching it? The conclusion 'naturally we then had to steal it' isn't entirely justified. Shoplifting is easy and convenient too. Next time you forget your wallet at the corner store. Just sayin.

Actually, I'm ok with "pirating" it if they tried to legally get it first. Also, I personally probably wouldn't ask for a refund if I was going to watch it anyway- figuring that what I was doing was morally right I was just hacking the implementation- and the content creators would get their fair share. I, like you, am disturbed by the "if it's easy to steal then it's ok to steal" argument. It really hurts people who…

The problem is that it is easier to pirate than it is to do anything else because of the stranglehold that distributors are trying to place on the goods that the creatives are making. The distributors add a negative value to the product that becomes extra cost for the consumer to get his payment to the creator.

Re: Netflix Now Only Has 31 Movies from IMDB's Top 250 List

#340

Post by wildmusings » Wed, Oct 12, 2016, 4:17 PM UTC

pbhjpbhj wrote: post #334

ensiferum wrote: post #293

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't download or condone downloading copyrighted material. Just saying that that famous oatmeal comic still rings very true.

It's only copyright material you aren't licensed to use that is potentially tortuous. "Big Buck Bunny" out whatever is copyright but the free and open license allows you to download it and consume it. Seems pedantic but IMO it's an important point. Copyright is automatic, restrictive licensing isn't.

>Copyright is automatic, restrictive licensing isn't.

You're wrong there. The "default" state of affairs for copyright is that the author retains all rights.