I cancelled all my content subscriptions and I'm back to torrenting. I barely watch anything made my Netflix regardless. I think either Dark or the 3rd season of Stranger Things was the last time. Snyder's SciFi movie wasn't much good either. By now the streaming services are en route to become as terrible as whatever they were set out to replace. Once one of them started heavily advertising their own productions everywhere inside their apps I would've cancelled any remaining subscription at the latest.
Netflix to Acquire Warner Bros
341–350 of 1001 posts
Re: Netflix to Acquire Warner Bros
#342Any consolidation like this seems like a negative for consumers. But at least it wasn’t bought by Larry Ellison, as was considered very likely (assuming this merger gets approved, in the current administration you never know). From a Hacker News perspective, I wonder what this means for engineers working on HBO Max. Netflix says they’re keeping the company separate but surely you’d be looking to move them to Netflix…
> But at least it wasn’t bought by Larry Ellison
There are already noises about FCC or DOJ leaning on things in order to 'correct' that.
Re: Netflix to Acquire Warner Bros
#343Earlier quoted context omitted.
Is it actually worse than the status quo though? I'm not so sure. I hate this era of consolidation but Warner and HBO have already degraded, so this may be the least bad outcome here.
Yeah, HBO has moved decidedly down market. Apple is at least trying to fill their old niche. It seems quite telling that the only company truing to do the whole “prestige TV” thing is a kind of side-project for a hardware company. At least nobody can buy them, though.
> Apple
do we really want big tech to also control our media?
Re: Netflix to Acquire Warner Bros
#344Earlier quoted context omitted.
Surely the move now would be to rename the app to Netlfix Max
To keep it more in line with other brands: - Netflix Max: basic subscription with ads, no 4K - Netflix Max Ultra: basic subscription with ads, but with 4K - Netflix Pro Max: standard subscription without ads, no 4K - Netflix Pro Max Ultra: standard subscription without ads, with 4K You can add a Mobile VIP package for one extra viewer outside your house, but only for Pro plans.
Let's be honest, all the netflix plans will have ads just like they do now. They might not interrupt your show while you're in the middle of it, but you'll get ads no matter what. Ads as soon as the credits roll, a barrage of full screen ads if you pause a show for more than 10 seconds, full screen ads the moment you open the app, etc.
Re: Netflix to Acquire Warner Bros
#345Earlier quoted context omitted.
More like how did these companies drop the ball so bad. Most notably Sony which produced TVs, Computers, DVD players, Media Centers. They owned a movie studio and record label. They also have in house expertise with cloud content distribution via PlayStation. Unfortunately for them around the time of Netflix's ascent they were embroiled with all kinds of financial issues but still the mind boggles
> Most notably Sony which produced TVs, Computers, DVD players, Media Centers. They owned a movie studio and record label. They also have in house expertise with cloud content distribution via PlayStation. I feel like some of those very diversified company tend to be the one who struggle to evolve and adapt because some part of their business are worried about being cannibalized by the new business opportunity (like…
Silo-ing is the biggest brake on human progress
Re: Netflix to Acquire Warner Bros
#346Ads. This is how you get ads in streaming services.
Re: Netflix to Acquire Warner Bros
#347I hope that this means that the Netflix app on AppleTV will finally become a “first class citizen.” The Netflix app has always been treated badly by Apple. No idea why, but it means that I can’t have Netflix content in the “What’s Next” queue (among other things, like Netflix actors’ work not showing up in show information).
Oh you think Apple is treating Netflix bad? No no no. Netflix refuses to play game, because they want to keep their data to themselves. Apple would LOVE Netflix to integrate into the app.
Ah. That makes sense.
Thanks for the elucidation.
If that's the case, then we'll probably lose another app or two.
:'(
Re: Netflix to Acquire Warner Bros
#348https://theonion.com/just-six-corporations-remain-1819564741...
Lockheed-Northrop-Boeing-Pepsico is an excellent joke all on its own damn.
Re: Netflix to Acquire Warner Bros
#349Any consolidation like this seems like a negative for consumers. But at least it wasn’t bought by Larry Ellison, as was considered very likely (assuming this merger gets approved, in the current administration you never know). From a Hacker News perspective, I wonder what this means for engineers working on HBO Max. Netflix says they’re keeping the company separate but surely you’d be looking to move them to Netflix…
> Any consolidation like this seems like a negative for consumers This is a very common narrative to this news. But coming into this news, I think the most common narrative against streaming was essentially "There is not enough consolidation." People were happy when Netflix was the streaming service, but then everyone pulled their content and have their own (Disney, Paramount, etc.)
Netflix was also still in the “grow users at all cost” phase. They have since moved to “grow revenue at all costs.”
Everyone likes a service when it’s subsidized by VC dollars. Until they inevitably start turning the screws.
Re: Netflix to Acquire Warner Bros
#350Earlier quoted context omitted.
What happens to HBO Max? Will you be able to watch all that with a regular Netflix subscription? Seems the business doesn't make sense unless New co revenue >= Netflix + HBO revenue Also: is Netflix going to take the theatrical and traditional TV businesses seriously at all?
I imagine it’ll end up looking very much like the Disney + Hulu + ESPN bundle. Minor savings but still more expensive than an individual subscription. > traditional TV business This was actually excluded from the deal. CNN, TNT, Discovery and the rest are being spun off into their own company. Presumably to wither and die.
No, that was going to happen next year, but it never did and this deal has been agreed for the whole company.
WB pitched that to make it easier for them to be acquired by shunting all the debt to the channels entity - but it was unlikely the debt owners were ever going to go for that as presented, there would have been quite a significant chance of the channels group going under and them losing all the money.
But ultimately it turned out that enough entities were willing to bid now, before that split, that there was no point continuing to work out how to do it. Netflix will, presuming this deal completes, be the owner of CNN/TNT/Discovery at al.
Now, I am very sure they will look to sell several parts of those off - there is absolutely no way Netflix leadership wants to continue to own TNT - but that will have to come later.