4 ms·

I don't see how this balkanization of content - Netflix only has Netflix, Disney has Disney, NBC has NBC, etc. - is going to do anything but hurt both companies

I don't see how this balkanization of content - Netflix only has Netflix, Disney has Disney, NBC has NBC, etc. - is going to do anything but hurt both companies and consumers. Suppose that right now I can watch 70-80% of the TV shows I'd like to see by using only Netflix and Amazon Prime (the only two services I actually subscribe to). If that's reduced by moves like this to 20-30%, then the price I need to pay (even disregarding individual services raising their prices) to see the same amount of content is going to shoot up. Even if all these new streaming services are priced decently, uses will soon have to pay for two or three times as many of them to get the same content. That just seems like a great way to encourage us to stop paying at all, and to go back to either not watching as much, or (for some users, I'm sure) obtaining them illegally. One of the big issues in defeating piracy was that it was sometimes more convenient than obtaining the content legally; this change may resurrect that issue. (I'm not saying it's OK to pirate, but there are a lot of people who don't have a problem doing so; it seems reasonable consequence to infer here.)

bhhaskin 8y ago
I completely agree. To me it seem like we are in a media bubble, and I wonder how long until it all comes crashing down.
thedaemon 8y ago
You are forgetting 1 aspect. Advertisement. I gladly pay extra to not watch commercials. I agree with most of your statement. Netflix a few years ago was the only service I needed. They had tons of content from multiple providers. Today it's very few shows outside of their own content. I'm about to cancel honestly, I don't want Netflix's 90% crap content. Amazon Prime is probably the worst of the services from a content perspective even though they are the richest company. Please do yourself a favor and swap to Hulu from Amazon, at least with it you can get some of the latest TV Shows and cartoons. Per your pirate commentary: The problem I am having is finding a service that has the show or shows I want. Some of the content owners make it impossible to stream the content anywhere, even if you want to pay money! Thus, forcing us to have to go out of our way to find the products, probably illegally.
- ivraatiems 8y ago
  > You are forgetting 1 aspect. Advertisement. I gladly pay extra to not watch commercials. Yes, it's good to point that out. I think people _are_ willing to pay more to have no ads, and have on-demand access to content. I would throw in another thing I could have thrown in originally as well, which I didn't really think of - the TV equivalent of "killer apps." The reason I stick with Amazon is because they picked up a couple of shows I really, really love - The Man in the High Castle and The Expanse. I don't want to lose access to those. Similarly, I briefly subscribed to CBS All Access while the new Star Trek: Discovery season aired last year - and when Season 2 comes out, I'll likely do so again. I love Star Trek so much that I'm willing to pay the $7 per (call it $3 per episode) month just for that... but as soon as it stops coming out, I cancel.
  - anth_anm 8y ago
    For 2 shows, I'll just buy them. I'm not paying for star trek simply because I don't want to support all access.
  - Cyph0n 8y ago
    I’d add “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel”, “Sneaky Pete”, and “Patriot” to your Amazon list.
  - tsycho 8y ago
    Unfortunately, Amazon Prime now has ads. Not as much as cable TV, but still very annoying now that I am used to no ads. I watched the Illusionist last night on Prime video, and not only was there a minute of unskippable ads at the start, but there were 30 seconds of ads in the middle of the movie as well.
    - squarefoot 8y ago
      I may have an extreme position on the subject, but to me unskippable advertising is violence plain and simple.
- IOT_Apprentice 8y ago
wwasilev 8y ago
Once Criterion (https://www.criterion.com/channel https://www.criterion.com/channel) goes online, it will be that + HBO for my main viewing needs. The other streaming services will get an occasional monthly subscription just for binging.
anth_anm 8y ago
It hurts customers, but the big companies will be fine. HBO and Disney can afford to do this. They can also put things onto more combined services like Hulu. Amazon selling individual shows and movies also makes it easier. I'll probably cut Netflix the way things are going. I really only want a few of their original shows. Every time I open the app it feels like a mountain of crappy content to sift through. Amazon too, but it's prime at least. It varies though. Lately I've been watching lots of Hulu stuff. I'm fine with spending the money for a service that's worth it. Disney, maybe since I don't have kids. HBO yes. Combined services like Netflix or Hulu, for now yes. CBS no, I'm not getting their streaming service just for star trek. NBC ad supported, absolutely never. I will never use a service that shows ads.
- ivraatiems 8y ago
  > It hurts customers, but the big companies will be fine. HBO and Disney can afford to do this. I imagine they must have crunched numbers indicating they'll make more money from people signing up for this service than they do from licenses, even if fewer people use it than view the content from Netflix via license. I still believe that in the long run, though, it may be a mistake for them.
megaman8 8y ago
if I see content prices go up to much, I'll just go on youtube. there's so much free content there (with advertisement) and it's just growing more and more and more.

bhhaskin 8y ago

I completely agree. To me it seem like we are in a media bubble, and I wonder how long until it all comes crashing down.

thedaemon 8y ago

You are forgetting 1 aspect. Advertisement. I gladly pay extra to not watch commercials. I agree with most of your statement. Netflix a few years ago was the only service I needed. They had tons of content from multiple providers. Today it's very few shows outside of their own content. I'm about to cancel honestly, I don't want Netflix's 90% crap content. Amazon Prime is probably the worst of the services from a content perspective even though they are the richest company. Please do yourself a favor and swap to Hulu from Amazon, at least with it you can get some of the latest TV Shows and cartoons. Per your pirate commentary: The problem I am having is finding a service that has the show or shows I want. Some of the content owners make it impossible to stream the content anywhere, even if you want to pay money! Thus, forcing us to have to go out of our way to find the products, probably illegally.

ivraatiems 8y ago
> You are forgetting 1 aspect. Advertisement. I gladly pay extra to not watch commercials. Yes, it's good to point that out. I think people _are_ willing to pay more to have no ads, and have on-demand access to content. I would throw in another thing I could have thrown in originally as well, which I didn't really think of - the TV equivalent of "killer apps." The reason I stick with Amazon is because they picked up a couple of shows I really, really love - The Man in the High Castle and The Expanse. I don't want to lose access to those. Similarly, I briefly subscribed to CBS All Access while the new Star Trek: Discovery season aired last year - and when Season 2 comes out, I'll likely do so again. I love Star Trek so much that I'm willing to pay the $7 per (call it $3 per episode) month just for that... but as soon as it stops coming out, I cancel.
- anth_anm 8y ago
  For 2 shows, I'll just buy them. I'm not paying for star trek simply because I don't want to support all access.
- Cyph0n 8y ago
  I’d add “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel”, “Sneaky Pete”, and “Patriot” to your Amazon list.
- tsycho 8y ago
  Unfortunately, Amazon Prime now has ads. Not as much as cable TV, but still very annoying now that I am used to no ads. I watched the Illusionist last night on Prime video, and not only was there a minute of unskippable ads at the start, but there were 30 seconds of ads in the middle of the movie as well.
  - squarefoot 8y ago
    I may have an extreme position on the subject, but to me unskippable advertising is violence plain and simple.
IOT_Apprentice 8y ago

wwasilev 8y ago

Once Criterion (https://www.criterion.com/channel https://www.criterion.com/channel) goes online, it will be that + HBO for my main viewing needs. The other streaming services will get an occasional monthly subscription just for binging.

anth_anm 8y ago

It hurts customers, but the big companies will be fine. HBO and Disney can afford to do this. They can also put things onto more combined services like Hulu. Amazon selling individual shows and movies also makes it easier. I'll probably cut Netflix the way things are going. I really only want a few of their original shows. Every time I open the app it feels like a mountain of crappy content to sift through. Amazon too, but it's prime at least. It varies though. Lately I've been watching lots of Hulu stuff. I'm fine with spending the money for a service that's worth it. Disney, maybe since I don't have kids. HBO yes. Combined services like Netflix or Hulu, for now yes. CBS no, I'm not getting their streaming service just for star trek. NBC ad supported, absolutely never. I will never use a service that shows ads.

ivraatiems 8y ago
> It hurts customers, but the big companies will be fine. HBO and Disney can afford to do this. I imagine they must have crunched numbers indicating they'll make more money from people signing up for this service than they do from licenses, even if fewer people use it than view the content from Netflix via license. I still believe that in the long run, though, it may be a mistake for them.

megaman8 8y ago

if I see content prices go up to much, I'll just go on youtube. there's so much free content there (with advertisement) and it's just growing more and more and more.