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Too Many Video Streaming Choices May Drive Users Back To Piracy

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Re: Too Many Video Streaming Choices May Drive Users Back To Piracy

#401

Post by scarface74 »

TeMPOraL wrote: post #394
scarface74 wrote: post #363

Earlier quoted context omitted.

So are you saying that all of the media streaming companies are wasting money creating mobile apps based on the "people you know"? Is the whole industry under the delusion that their apps are needed? Should they focus on just “people you know” or the entire mobile market?

People like the ability to stream from the phone, but the same mobile apps also target tablets , which are very much used as portable TVs. Still, I don't see your problem. Given how good browsers are on mobile, a pirate streaming site isn't that much worse or less convenient on a phone than Netflix or YouTube app. You select the video you want to watch, tap Play, tap "full screen", and enjoy the show.

Well, we also have statistics on the number of phones sold per year and the number of tablets. People are buying fewer tablets than phones and that is attributed mostly to people buying larger phones.

Also, it takes some amount of extra work to create an iPad app than an iPhone app. Once again, is the entire media industry delusional or should they be taking advice from HN users?

Re: Too Many Video Streaming Choices May Drive Users Back To Piracy

#402

Post by LanceH »

sbarre wrote: post #6

"May" drive them back? This has already happened in my circles.. People who had cut the cord but all but walked away from casual piracy and signed up for Netflix and HBO (and probably Prime Video because they had Amazon Prime already) are openly talking about the fact they're definitely not signing up for more streaming services, and are seeking out torrenting again for the stuff that's being pulled from Netflix (esp…

If someone asks for payment and I don't want to watch it enough to pay them, I don't watch it.

What this has driven me to do instead is to rotate subscription services and binge seasons in a month or less. So HBO is now a 1-2 month a year subscription. Showtime, Starz, etc... one month each.

Re: Too Many Video Streaming Choices May Drive Users Back To Piracy

#403

Post by zainhoda »

criddell wrote: post #381
gbear605 wrote: post #323

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Another good option is your local library system. They almost certainly have the dvd, and for free too.

Doesn't Netflix still do DVDs by mail? That might be a good option as well.

Yes. About a year ago, I resubscribed to Netflix DVDs because the library is so much better than what's on streaming. I feel like people have forgotten that the DVD library is enormous and has basically every movie you'd ever want -- and now that fewer people use it, you don't have long wait times anymore.

Re: Too Many Video Streaming Choices May Drive Users Back To Piracy

#404

Post by holy_city »

kerkeslager wrote: post #360
an_opabinia wrote: post #211

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> People who had cut the cord... As long as you don't care about the zeitgeist... That's not really what it's about. You have no idea how utterly janky Plex and torrenting is. People on Hacker News find IT stimulating, so their experience is basically moot. It's like trying to predict trends based on a nerd's hot take of the iPod. It has always been about enforcement. Seen in this lens, the hassle of pirating movies…

> You have no idea how utterly janky Plex and torrenting is. Compare these experiences: 1. Search Netflix. Discover it's not there. 2. Search Amazon. Discover they have it, but it's not available for free as part of your subscription. 3. Search Hulu. Leave Hulu, because it's not there. 4. Finally go back to Amazon and rent the movie, not sure why you're paying for Prime if you still have to pay on top of that for hal…

I mean the assumption here is that people open up a service knowing what they want to watch beforehand and/or without knowing where to find it. Those parameters are rarer than you'd think.

Re: Too Many Video Streaming Choices May Drive Users Back To Piracy

#405

Post by js2 »

sbarre wrote: post #6

"May" drive them back? This has already happened in my circles.. People who had cut the cord but all but walked away from casual piracy and signed up for Netflix and HBO (and probably Prime Video because they had Amazon Prime already) are openly talking about the fact they're definitely not signing up for more streaming services, and are seeking out torrenting again for the stuff that's being pulled from Netflix (esp…

I have Netflix and Prime, and use iTunes for movie rentals, but I have no qualms about backfilling with Plex for TV shows and for movies not available via iTunes. Especially for shows that originally were available to me OTA or that were broadcast on a service that I had subscription to at the time they were broadcast. I'm just time shifting something I could have recorded at the time, right?

Re: Too Many Video Streaming Choices May Drive Users Back To Piracy

#406

Post by kerkeslager »

holy_city wrote: post #404
kerkeslager wrote: post #360

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> You have no idea how utterly janky Plex and torrenting is. Compare these experiences: 1. Search Netflix. Discover it's not there. 2. Search Amazon. Discover they have it, but it's not available for free as part of your subscription. 3. Search Hulu. Leave Hulu, because it's not there. 4. Finally go back to Amazon and rent the movie, not sure why you're paying for Prime if you still have to pay on top of that for hal…

I mean the assumption here is that people open up a service knowing what they want to watch beforehand and/or without knowing where to find it. Those parameters are rarer than you'd think.

So your argument is that the value-added of i.e. Netflix is that it allows people to avoid typing i.e. "crime TV shows 2019" into their browser's search bar?

Re: Too Many Video Streaming Choices May Drive Users Back To Piracy

#408

Post by TeMPOraL »

scarface74 wrote: post #401
TeMPOraL wrote: post #394

Earlier quoted context omitted.

People like the ability to stream from the phone, but the same mobile apps also target tablets , which are very much used as portable TVs. Still, I don't see your problem. Given how good browsers are on mobile, a pirate streaming site isn't that much worse or less convenient on a phone than Netflix or YouTube app. You select the video you want to watch, tap Play, tap "full screen", and enjoy the show.

Well, we also have statistics on the number of phones sold per year and the number of tablets. People are buying fewer tablets than phones and that is attributed mostly to people buying larger phones. Also, it takes some amount of extra work to create an iPad app than an iPhone app. Once again, is the entire media industry delusional or should they be taking advice from HN users?

Why do you think them making apps implies they're used a lot? It's enough that they're used some of the time by some subset of users to make it worth it to them - they get to have more control over experience, more ability to scoop data, and they can offer the ability to locally cache whole movies, which they can't do in a browser.

Re: Too Many Video Streaming Choices May Drive Users Back To Piracy

#409

Post by dawnerd »

criddell wrote: post #381
gbear605 wrote: post #323

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Another good option is your local library system. They almost certainly have the dvd, and for free too.

Doesn't Netflix still do DVDs by mail? That might be a good option as well.

It's a shame they haven't adopted UHD. That'd give me a reason to re-subscribe.

Re: Too Many Video Streaming Choices May Drive Users Back To Piracy

#410

Post by slothtrop »

merlinsbrain wrote: post #311
on_and_off wrote: post #280

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It has already happened to me as well. Look, I want a convenient way to watch movies. I would even be ready to pay more than I do right now to Netflix to have a library of ALL the movies I want to watch. 1 library, not 10, especially if they may or may not contain the movie I want to see. My honeymoon period with Netflix and co is over. - I feel that their original content has dried out : there is even more of it, bu…

If you’re willing to pay, why not rent from the iTunes Store / Amazon Prime? Pick one, they’ve had all the movies / TV shows I wanted to watch, which are not all mainstream. If there’s an exception and there’s something you don’t find it there - well, do you, but I really don’t understand how piracy is the default answer to convenience with people claiming they have the willingness to pay. Someone else commented abou…

Is there yet an option to hold a digital copy of film DRM-free forever, as with music?

I expect this wouldn't be in much demand since, at least for me, one viewing is usually plenty. Which is why the rolling updates don't bother me much. For those few that warrant repeat viewings I can get a physical copy.

The tough thing to find even with rental would be some foreign movies, e.g. Korean.

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