7 ms·

I realise that they're probably just covering their asses, but it really sucks to live in a small country that none of the distributors care about. The Estonia

by terryf 11y ago

I realise that they're probably just covering their asses, but it really sucks to live in a small country that none of the distributors care about. The Estonian netflix catalogue is on the order of 500? titles... ridiculous compared to the US catalogue. In the US you have "watch on amazon prime" buttons in imdb. In Estonia, no such luck. Essentially, there is no legal way at all to watch the vast majority of movies here. And people wonder why piracy happens a lot around here...

giarc 11y ago
>no legal way at all to watch the vast majority of movies here. You could buy them.
- terryf 11y ago
  You'd think so, but unfortunately I can't, again, for some, I can, yes, but the selection is vastly reduced. Essentially, if you search for movie dvds on amazon and ship them to an US address with a US credit card, then the selection is at least 10x, if not 100x larger than when I try to buy them. Nevermind of course the time it takes to order things online and then have them ship the dvd, which I don't really want anyway, but fair enough, that's just convenience. So, the problem is not that I'm not wiling to pay for it, the problem is that nobody will take my money, because the movie studio hasn't signed a redistributor for that movie in my region.
- jimbobimbo 11y ago
  You could buy a localized version, which is not that same thing. Try watching a Schwarzenegger movie with a bad voice cast. :(
  - jon-wood 11y ago
    As opposed to the man himself's amazing range.
    - pille 11y ago
      It doesn't matter how much of a hack any actor is, it's an order of magnitude more hacky when the soundtrack is dubbed into another language.
    - SeanDav 11y ago
      He does have a certain unique style that is all Arnie. "I'll be back" just does not carry the same impact when done in a non-Arnie voice.
    - jimbobimbo 11y ago
      He has a very unique manner of speech. Pretty much any significant actor does. Localized dubs lose all that.
    - marcoperaza 11y ago
      He might not hit many notes, but he hits them damn well. "Get down!" "Get down again!"
    - cm2187 11y ago
      Schwarzenegger without the thick Austrian accent isn't Schwarzenegger.
- nommm-nommm 11y ago
  Most of the time you can't. You can't buy something that's explicitly and on purpose not available for purchase in your country. That is the whole point. Even if you were to find someone willing to import American DVDs to Estonia, the movie studios have region code lockout codes on DVD players to prevent that!
  - thaumasiotes 11y ago
    > Even if you were to find someone willing to import American DVDs to Estonia, the movie studios have region code lockout codes on DVD players to prevent that! So use a computer to play your DVDs. Region lockout works on the honor system.
    - DanBC 11y ago
      This sub thread is about legal ways to watch movies. People seem to be missing the fact that importing DVDs is not necessarily legal; and turning your DVD player to region free is arguably not legal (under the various "interfering with rights protections mechanisms" laws. To you and me "buying the DVD from some other region" is legit, while "pirate the movie" is less legit, but to the rights-holders there's not much difference. See, for example, this submission which is talking about rights holders asking Netflix to stop people buying content from a different country.
      - mirimir 11y ago
        Well then, if there are no legal ways to watch a movie, "pirating" is the only option, right? What possibilities remain? Should people take vacations to watch movies?
        maccard 11y ago
        The "right" option is the same is at always has been - don't watch the movie. (Not saying I agree or disagree, just that it is an option)
- mikekchar 11y ago
  It wasn't all that long ago that it was impossible to legally get Japanese content in the US. They just wouldn't take your money. It wasn't until scanlators and fansubbers created a large market that the Japanese producers took foreign markets seriously. Even then, I have been told by reputable sources that companies like Viz used to pay about $1000 per volume with no royalties for North American English language rights to manga. Japanese producers just didn't believe it was worth any amount of money in foreign countries. Of course that has changed dramatically now. I'm hoping as we move to a global market with digital distribution, these dinosaur companies will realize that there is no risk to handling world wide distribution themselves. But it means killing the distributors (who were the businesses that helped you get that content when nobody else was listening...).
cm2187 11y ago
Majors don't want your money. They are making so much money since the birth of internet and p2p that they can afford to turn down business.
- beedogs 11y ago
  Then they should no longer care about piracy.
- seanp2k2 11y ago
  It's much more an issue of licensing availability: http://www.broadcastingcable.com/news/currency/global-licensing-causing-challenges-netflix/146223 http://www.broadcastingcable.com/news/currency/global-licens...
  - cm2187 11y ago
    This is as silly as only selling your products through a single distributor by country. Imagine where Samsung or LG would be if they were doing that. Right now movie studios are both complaining about falling revenues and turning down paying customers.
sireat 11y ago
What was really silly that Netflix pride and joy House of Cards was not available in the Baltics on Netflix until recently.
- DasIch 11y ago
  Season 4 is still not available in Germany on Netflix.
- redler 11y ago
  It's plausible that licensing agreements prevent some content from being shown in some markets. But what could possibly be the reason for Netflix holding back its own content — content that directly drives subscription revenue — in other markets?
  - LoSboccacc 11y ago
    In Italy netflix sold house of cards right to sky before its service being available. Now netflix opened shop here but many originals are locked by the initial licensing until the end of times.
  - rtpg 11y ago
    Distribution deals happened for House of Cards... For obvious reasons distribution deals are usually exclusive per region (I spend a lot on marketing and then some other guy just starts selling the same content...)
    - redler 11y ago
      Interesting -- I didn't realize Netflix distributed their content through third parties. So in a few years they've gone from a licensee dependent on the vagaries of contracts they sign with content owners, to a content producer developing their own original material, to a licensor distributing their properties through others. It's a situation not precisely worthy of the "looked from pig to man, and man to pig" quote, nor "content is king", nor "commodify your complements"; perhaps a blend of all three.
kyriakos 11y ago
Same here in Cyprus, the catalog is pathetic. I am using an unblocker for now once it stops working Netflix will become useless to me and I'll cancel. We're too small to make a difference to Netflix even if all subscribers stop paying we're just a rounding error in their accounts. The change will come from larger markets and from EU who is trying to kill geo blocking within Europe.
- terryf 11y ago
  Yep, I already cancelled, it seems the one I was using (smartflix) won't be back soon.
  - denzil_correa 11y ago
    Smartflix has gone from 7.99$ lifetime to '2.99$ per month/ 29.99$ lifetime' to '2.99$ per month / 39.99$ per year. A lot of discontent amongst early adopters now/ I guess Netflix and other studios have managed to achieve their goal.
    - eru 11y ago
      Netflix wants you to watch and pay. It's mostly their suppliers who have weird ideas.
      - crapolasplatter 11y ago
        Exactly and they are so short sided with greed that instead of getting a little in their pockets, those people are going to go the easier route and torrent the shows.
        mirimir 11y ago
        https://popcorntime.sh/ https://popcorntime.sh/ Do use a reputable torrent-friendly VPN service. Such as AirVPN, BolehVPN, Mullvad, etc. And check for leaks: https://www.ivpn.net/privacy-guides/how-to-perform-a-vpn-leak-test https://www.ivpn.net/privacy-guides/how-to-perform-a-vpn-lea...
elcct 11y ago
At least you don't have to stare in to a potato like in Latvia. Actually an imagination of a potato just before you die...
ehnto 11y ago
I live in Australia and our catalogue is disappoining. We are practically US 2.0 and the publishers still can't figure out a way to strike a deal. Just copy and paste your contracts, replace America with Australia and away you go. /s
sound_of_basker 11y ago
Content sources typically charge per region. The more the subscribers per region, the better is Netflix chances of broadening the catalogue in that region. It is a tough problem that has several facets. Prime move, capturing a subscription base, marketing, campaigning, trials, licenses, sourcing, regional law compliance (nudity/violence etc.), infrastructure, etc. Am not saying as a consumer you are wrong. But a perspective from the other side at least partially covers the why.
AnAfrican 11y ago
I'm optimistic. For smaller and poorer markets, there are plenty of content with no distribution deal in place. So Netflix could be the only way to make any money in those markets. Those catalogues will grow bigger. Possibly bigger than the catalogues in Big market where there is competition.

by terryf 11y ago

giarc 11y ago

>no legal way at all to watch the vast majority of movies here. You could buy them.

terryf 11y ago
You'd think so, but unfortunately I can't, again, for some, I can, yes, but the selection is vastly reduced. Essentially, if you search for movie dvds on amazon and ship them to an US address with a US credit card, then the selection is at least 10x, if not 100x larger than when I try to buy them. Nevermind of course the time it takes to order things online and then have them ship the dvd, which I don't really want anyway, but fair enough, that's just convenience. So, the problem is not that I'm not wiling to pay for it, the problem is that nobody will take my money, because the movie studio hasn't signed a redistributor for that movie in my region.
jimbobimbo 11y ago
You could buy a localized version, which is not that same thing. Try watching a Schwarzenegger movie with a bad voice cast. :(
- jon-wood 11y ago
  As opposed to the man himself's amazing range.
  - pille 11y ago
    It doesn't matter how much of a hack any actor is, it's an order of magnitude more hacky when the soundtrack is dubbed into another language.
  - SeanDav 11y ago
    He does have a certain unique style that is all Arnie. "I'll be back" just does not carry the same impact when done in a non-Arnie voice.
  - jimbobimbo 11y ago
    He has a very unique manner of speech. Pretty much any significant actor does. Localized dubs lose all that.
  - marcoperaza 11y ago
    He might not hit many notes, but he hits them damn well. "Get down!" "Get down again!"
  - cm2187 11y ago
    Schwarzenegger without the thick Austrian accent isn't Schwarzenegger.
nommm-nommm 11y ago
Most of the time you can't. You can't buy something that's explicitly and on purpose not available for purchase in your country. That is the whole point. Even if you were to find someone willing to import American DVDs to Estonia, the movie studios have region code lockout codes on DVD players to prevent that!
- thaumasiotes 11y ago
  > Even if you were to find someone willing to import American DVDs to Estonia, the movie studios have region code lockout codes on DVD players to prevent that! So use a computer to play your DVDs. Region lockout works on the honor system.
  - DanBC 11y ago
    This sub thread is about legal ways to watch movies. People seem to be missing the fact that importing DVDs is not necessarily legal; and turning your DVD player to region free is arguably not legal (under the various "interfering with rights protections mechanisms" laws. To you and me "buying the DVD from some other region" is legit, while "pirate the movie" is less legit, but to the rights-holders there's not much difference. See, for example, this submission which is talking about rights holders asking Netflix to stop people buying content from a different country.
    - mirimir 11y ago
      Well then, if there are no legal ways to watch a movie, "pirating" is the only option, right? What possibilities remain? Should people take vacations to watch movies?
      - maccard 11y ago
        The "right" option is the same is at always has been - don't watch the movie. (Not saying I agree or disagree, just that it is an option)
mikekchar 11y ago
It wasn't all that long ago that it was impossible to legally get Japanese content in the US. They just wouldn't take your money. It wasn't until scanlators and fansubbers created a large market that the Japanese producers took foreign markets seriously. Even then, I have been told by reputable sources that companies like Viz used to pay about $1000 per volume with no royalties for North American English language rights to manga. Japanese producers just didn't believe it was worth any amount of money in foreign countries. Of course that has changed dramatically now. I'm hoping as we move to a global market with digital distribution, these dinosaur companies will realize that there is no risk to handling world wide distribution themselves. But it means killing the distributors (who were the businesses that helped you get that content when nobody else was listening...).

cm2187 11y ago

Majors don't want your money. They are making so much money since the birth of internet and p2p that they can afford to turn down business.

beedogs 11y ago
Then they should no longer care about piracy.
seanp2k2 11y ago
It's much more an issue of licensing availability: http://www.broadcastingcable.com/news/currency/global-licensing-causing-challenges-netflix/146223 http://www.broadcastingcable.com/news/currency/global-licens...
- cm2187 11y ago
  This is as silly as only selling your products through a single distributor by country. Imagine where Samsung or LG would be if they were doing that. Right now movie studios are both complaining about falling revenues and turning down paying customers.

sireat 11y ago

What was really silly that Netflix pride and joy House of Cards was not available in the Baltics on Netflix until recently.

DasIch 11y ago
Season 4 is still not available in Germany on Netflix.
redler 11y ago
It's plausible that licensing agreements prevent some content from being shown in some markets. But what could possibly be the reason for Netflix holding back its own content — content that directly drives subscription revenue — in other markets?
- LoSboccacc 11y ago
  In Italy netflix sold house of cards right to sky before its service being available. Now netflix opened shop here but many originals are locked by the initial licensing until the end of times.
- rtpg 11y ago
  Distribution deals happened for House of Cards... For obvious reasons distribution deals are usually exclusive per region (I spend a lot on marketing and then some other guy just starts selling the same content...)
  - redler 11y ago
    Interesting -- I didn't realize Netflix distributed their content through third parties. So in a few years they've gone from a licensee dependent on the vagaries of contracts they sign with content owners, to a content producer developing their own original material, to a licensor distributing their properties through others. It's a situation not precisely worthy of the "looked from pig to man, and man to pig" quote, nor "content is king", nor "commodify your complements"; perhaps a blend of all three.

kyriakos 11y ago

Same here in Cyprus, the catalog is pathetic. I am using an unblocker for now once it stops working Netflix will become useless to me and I'll cancel. We're too small to make a difference to Netflix even if all subscribers stop paying we're just a rounding error in their accounts. The change will come from larger markets and from EU who is trying to kill geo blocking within Europe.

terryf 11y ago
Yep, I already cancelled, it seems the one I was using (smartflix) won't be back soon.
- denzil_correa 11y ago
  Smartflix has gone from 7.99$ lifetime to '2.99$ per month/ 29.99$ lifetime' to '2.99$ per month / 39.99$ per year. A lot of discontent amongst early adopters now/ I guess Netflix and other studios have managed to achieve their goal.
  - eru 11y ago
    Netflix wants you to watch and pay. It's mostly their suppliers who have weird ideas.
    - crapolasplatter 11y ago
      Exactly and they are so short sided with greed that instead of getting a little in their pockets, those people are going to go the easier route and torrent the shows.
      - mirimir 11y ago
        https://popcorntime.sh/ https://popcorntime.sh/ Do use a reputable torrent-friendly VPN service. Such as AirVPN, BolehVPN, Mullvad, etc. And check for leaks: https://www.ivpn.net/privacy-guides/how-to-perform-a-vpn-leak-test https://www.ivpn.net/privacy-guides/how-to-perform-a-vpn-lea...

elcct 11y ago

At least you don't have to stare in to a potato like in Latvia. Actually an imagination of a potato just before you die...

ehnto 11y ago

I live in Australia and our catalogue is disappoining. We are practically US 2.0 and the publishers still can't figure out a way to strike a deal. Just copy and paste your contracts, replace America with Australia and away you go. /s

sound_of_basker 11y ago

Content sources typically charge per region. The more the subscribers per region, the better is Netflix chances of broadening the catalogue in that region. It is a tough problem that has several facets. Prime move, capturing a subscription base, marketing, campaigning, trials, licenses, sourcing, regional law compliance (nudity/violence etc.), infrastructure, etc. Am not saying as a consumer you are wrong. But a perspective from the other side at least partially covers the why.

AnAfrican 11y ago

I'm optimistic. For smaller and poorer markets, there are plenty of content with no distribution deal in place. So Netflix could be the only way to make any money in those markets. Those catalogues will grow bigger. Possibly bigger than the catalogues in Big market where there is competition.