5 ms·

If it's solved, why is the UI for any other content streamer as seamless on my roku as the Netflix one. All the others, I might as well be using a 13 channel ro

If it's solved, why is the UI for any other content streamer as seamless on my roku as the Netflix one. All the others, I might as well be using a 13 channel rotary dial still. Even Prime sucks, just try rewinding or fast forwarding a minute and see how frustrating that is.

ativzzz 5y ago
The problem is, for consumers, these minor technical issues don't matter as much as the content on the platforms. Yes, Netflix works much more smoothly than HBO, but we don't choose Netflix over HBO because of the quality of the video streaming app, but for the shows we actually want to watch.
- ariwilson 5y ago
  I don't think this is true; I definitely choose YouTube / Netflix over e.g. Amazon Prime just to browse for new shows as the UI/recommendations are way better. This affects my watch time significantly.
  - sokoloff 5y ago
    100% agree. I’m watching these over 99% of time on an Amazon FireTV device and YouTube and Netflix both have a better UI/UX than Prime video. It’s not even close. FireTV device is an excellent value. Prime video? Well, it’s free with Prime at least…
- ssully 5y ago
  I understand this is an anecdote, but out of the apps I use, I probably go to Netflix or HBO first, then Hulu, and Amazon Video last. I honestly try to avoid Amazon's video app as much as possible because of how poor the navigation and discoverability is.
  - wheelinsupial 5y ago
    I try to avoid Amazon Prime Video because of the practices they use. It’s basically becoming a cable service now. Ads before the video plays, content locked up behind additional pay channels, which have the TV ads play during the content, and getting teasers of the first season of first few episodes only to find out the rest of the series is on a pay channel.
    - FilMo 5y ago
      That is the reason I haven't prescribed for Amazon Prime Video. I really hate when I can't see the next episodes cause they are locked. I sometimes prefer visiting external sources to avoid this. One of the latest I used, for example, is https://lookmovie.io https://lookmovie.io. I can watch here the latest movies and shows and I knew what I'm choosing and that I can end up watching the whole season.
- fshbbdssbbgdd 5y ago
  I go to Netflix when I want to watch TV but don’t have anything in particular in mind partially because of the more pleasant UX. I only venture onto the other services when motivated to watch a particular show. I sometimes cancel these memberships after finishing a show because I’m not getting any value.
  - bradknowles 5y ago
    I find Netflix to be extraordinarily frustrating and annoying, because of their insistence on auto-playing video constantly based on whatever I momentarily hover over or pause on. I have to dash through shit way too fast to try to get somewhere that they won’t auto-blast me with whatever high volume video shit they want to force down my ocular neural pathways.
    - fshbbdssbbgdd 5y ago
      That feature can be oppressive. You can disable it if you log in to the website (you may need to sign out and back in on your streaming device for the setting to take effect). My guess is that it appeals to the average “turn on the TV and watch whatever is on” consumer, and Netflix probably prioritizes retaining them.
      - jamesfinlayson 5y ago
        I discovered that setting by accident on the website - pretty annoying that you can't set it through the TV (but more views is better so make it hard to change).
        ipaddr 5y ago
        Are more views better? They cost more money but provide advertising. People paying monthly and churn is more important.
        jamesfinlayson 5y ago
- Msw242 5y ago
  I disagree. Netflix is a dramatically more polished experience. I'm not even going to touch channel specific libraries like peacock because hbomax/Hulu are already painful enough.
- jboy55 5y ago
  As someone who seemingly in the past 6 months has subscribed to them all. The worst technically (Hulu on Android TV), has got the most interesting content, and has just passed Netflix as my go-to streaming channel. HBO, Prime, Disc+, Hulu, Vudu, Apple TV, they might as well use the same software.
  - bradknowles 5y ago
    Hulu is only of interest to me if it is truly ad-free, a feature that I willingly pay for. If I pay for ad-free and then they serve me incessant ads anyway, I get really pissed off. So, I don’t watch Hulu. If something is only available on Hulu, then I just don’t watch it. I’ll happily watch Disney+, though.
    - jboy55 5y ago
      I pay for no-ads, and I can't recall seeing any ads.
- ipaddr 5y ago
  But we do. There are a lot of shows I didn't see last time I subscribed to hbo that I would love to but selecting the next episode involved going through the UI over and over again it becomes an active activity. There is nothing I want to see on netflix but I keep it and end up watching something because the ui is a lot easier to start and keep watching something.
conductr 5y ago
This are highly subjective design choices. Hence why they are perpetually unsolved. For me, Netflix on fire Tv is by far the worst experience I encounter lately. I had to relocate the icon because if I accidentally click into it, it takes me 5 minutes to get back to Home Screen. Yes I timed it. Amazon has given apps ability to control the exit app UI and naturally apps do not want to let you exit. They hide and make it difficult to get to the exit app “button” and then still ask “are you sure?” But just getting into Netflix, there is a loading screen, a profile selection screen, a loading screen, then the last screen I was on (or home), then I have to scroll to the navigation bar, go all the way down to “exit netflix”, yes I’m sure, loading screen, then finally back home on fire tv. It takes 5 minutes and I never streamed any content. The Disney+ app is nearly as bad. It’s just faster so doesn’t take as long but requires a lot of remote control clicks. They actually make me choose a profile when we only have 1 profile.
- r00fus 5y ago
  Perhaps you need a new streaming device. My 3-year old AppleTV4 it's near-instantaneous. Both Netflix and Disney+ are great, even Prime is good.
  - bradknowles 5y ago
    Yeah, I think the device makes a huge difference. Amazon Prime on AppleTV is not horrible. It’s not the best UI out there, but it’s loads better than Hulu, and I like it much better than Netflix because it doesn’t try to constantly scream at me while I’m trying to find something to watch.
  - conductr 5y ago
    I’d blame the device if other apps weren’t noticeably faster with similar UI/features. But it’s mostly that they’ve hijacked system level defaults, like what the intent of a remote control back button push is and obviously make it difficult to escape the app. Performance is salt in the wound.
kevin_thibedeau 5y ago
Look at the Roku API and see how primitive it is. Either Netflix cares enough to make it polished or they're getting special access to private APIs.

ativzzz 5y ago

The problem is, for consumers, these minor technical issues don't matter as much as the content on the platforms. Yes, Netflix works much more smoothly than HBO, but we don't choose Netflix over HBO because of the quality of the video streaming app, but for the shows we actually want to watch.

ariwilson 5y ago
I don't think this is true; I definitely choose YouTube / Netflix over e.g. Amazon Prime just to browse for new shows as the UI/recommendations are way better. This affects my watch time significantly.
- sokoloff 5y ago
  100% agree. I’m watching these over 99% of time on an Amazon FireTV device and YouTube and Netflix both have a better UI/UX than Prime video. It’s not even close. FireTV device is an excellent value. Prime video? Well, it’s free with Prime at least…
ssully 5y ago
I understand this is an anecdote, but out of the apps I use, I probably go to Netflix or HBO first, then Hulu, and Amazon Video last. I honestly try to avoid Amazon's video app as much as possible because of how poor the navigation and discoverability is.
- wheelinsupial 5y ago
  I try to avoid Amazon Prime Video because of the practices they use. It’s basically becoming a cable service now. Ads before the video plays, content locked up behind additional pay channels, which have the TV ads play during the content, and getting teasers of the first season of first few episodes only to find out the rest of the series is on a pay channel.
  - FilMo 5y ago
    That is the reason I haven't prescribed for Amazon Prime Video. I really hate when I can't see the next episodes cause they are locked. I sometimes prefer visiting external sources to avoid this. One of the latest I used, for example, is https://lookmovie.io https://lookmovie.io. I can watch here the latest movies and shows and I knew what I'm choosing and that I can end up watching the whole season.
fshbbdssbbgdd 5y ago
I go to Netflix when I want to watch TV but don’t have anything in particular in mind partially because of the more pleasant UX. I only venture onto the other services when motivated to watch a particular show. I sometimes cancel these memberships after finishing a show because I’m not getting any value.
- bradknowles 5y ago
  I find Netflix to be extraordinarily frustrating and annoying, because of their insistence on auto-playing video constantly based on whatever I momentarily hover over or pause on. I have to dash through shit way too fast to try to get somewhere that they won’t auto-blast me with whatever high volume video shit they want to force down my ocular neural pathways.
  - fshbbdssbbgdd 5y ago
    That feature can be oppressive. You can disable it if you log in to the website (you may need to sign out and back in on your streaming device for the setting to take effect). My guess is that it appeals to the average “turn on the TV and watch whatever is on” consumer, and Netflix probably prioritizes retaining them.
    - jamesfinlayson 5y ago
      I discovered that setting by accident on the website - pretty annoying that you can't set it through the TV (but more views is better so make it hard to change).
      - ipaddr 5y ago
        Are more views better? They cost more money but provide advertising. People paying monthly and churn is more important.
        jamesfinlayson 5y ago
Msw242 5y ago
I disagree. Netflix is a dramatically more polished experience. I'm not even going to touch channel specific libraries like peacock because hbomax/Hulu are already painful enough.
jboy55 5y ago
As someone who seemingly in the past 6 months has subscribed to them all. The worst technically (Hulu on Android TV), has got the most interesting content, and has just passed Netflix as my go-to streaming channel. HBO, Prime, Disc+, Hulu, Vudu, Apple TV, they might as well use the same software.
- bradknowles 5y ago
  Hulu is only of interest to me if it is truly ad-free, a feature that I willingly pay for. If I pay for ad-free and then they serve me incessant ads anyway, I get really pissed off. So, I don’t watch Hulu. If something is only available on Hulu, then I just don’t watch it. I’ll happily watch Disney+, though.
  - jboy55 5y ago
    I pay for no-ads, and I can't recall seeing any ads.
ipaddr 5y ago
But we do. There are a lot of shows I didn't see last time I subscribed to hbo that I would love to but selecting the next episode involved going through the UI over and over again it becomes an active activity. There is nothing I want to see on netflix but I keep it and end up watching something because the ui is a lot easier to start and keep watching something.

conductr 5y ago

This are highly subjective design choices. Hence why they are perpetually unsolved. For me, Netflix on fire Tv is by far the worst experience I encounter lately. I had to relocate the icon because if I accidentally click into it, it takes me 5 minutes to get back to Home Screen. Yes I timed it. Amazon has given apps ability to control the exit app UI and naturally apps do not want to let you exit. They hide and make it difficult to get to the exit app “button” and then still ask “are you sure?” But just getting into Netflix, there is a loading screen, a profile selection screen, a loading screen, then the last screen I was on (or home), then I have to scroll to the navigation bar, go all the way down to “exit netflix”, yes I’m sure, loading screen, then finally back home on fire tv. It takes 5 minutes and I never streamed any content. The Disney+ app is nearly as bad. It’s just faster so doesn’t take as long but requires a lot of remote control clicks. They actually make me choose a profile when we only have 1 profile.

r00fus 5y ago
Perhaps you need a new streaming device. My 3-year old AppleTV4 it's near-instantaneous. Both Netflix and Disney+ are great, even Prime is good.
- bradknowles 5y ago
  Yeah, I think the device makes a huge difference. Amazon Prime on AppleTV is not horrible. It’s not the best UI out there, but it’s loads better than Hulu, and I like it much better than Netflix because it doesn’t try to constantly scream at me while I’m trying to find something to watch.
- conductr 5y ago
  I’d blame the device if other apps weren’t noticeably faster with similar UI/features. But it’s mostly that they’ve hijacked system level defaults, like what the intent of a remote control back button push is and obviously make it difficult to escape the app. Performance is salt in the wound.

kevin_thibedeau 5y ago

Look at the Roku API and see how primitive it is. Either Netflix cares enough to make it polished or they're getting special access to private APIs.