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Point #1: This bait-and-switch tactic shouldn't be allowed by consumer regulations (Not in the US, but here in Brazil it would be a no-no) as in the end Amazon

Point #1: This bait-and-switch tactic shouldn't be allowed by consumer regulations (Not in the US, but here in Brazil it would be a no-no) as in the end Amazon is tricking it's use base into paying for the Fire TV as a great deal, when in the end they will pay more for streaming as those costs that Amazon is putting on the streaming services will be paid by them in the end. #2 Wouldn't this movement be (potentially) a great chance for Plex to better position itself in the legal side of streaming? Because by offering a free hub for streaming (even licensing it for hardware sellers like Dlink and others, like Boxee once did) might generate a good revenue stream for them...until somebody buys the whole team (I miss you Boxee!)

duped 3y ago
It's called the razor-and-blade model, it's not a bait and switch. RE Plex, that's basically what Android TV does, except it's better than Plex (for streaming services and device manufacturers) and has the same model as FireTV
- Timon3 3y ago
  Can you explain how? The situation here is: - Customers bought the devices without the 30% rule in effect - Amazon introduces the 30% rule - Customers will now be asked higher prices to make up for the lost revenue The razor-and-blade model is about selling one product cheap to increase sales on a complementary good. It's not about a vendor changing the situation, as is the case here.
Liquix 3y ago
Plex Inc. is not a good company. They are eager to collect and sell your data to advertisers. Jellyfin is a great alternative. Plex may share Collected Information as expressly set forth in this Privacy Policy, including the following limited situations: [...] With third parties to improve and deliver advertising to you on our behalf. Plex may also use third-party advertising companies to serve ads, which may, directly or indirectly, collect or use information about user visits to websites and mobile app usage over time and across non-affiliated websites and mobile apps to display advertisements more tailored to users’ interests on this browser or device, and those browsers or devices associated with it. More in the "Data We Collect" section: https://www.plex.tv/about/privacy-legal/ https://www.plex.tv/about/privacy-legal/
- sithadmin 3y ago
  As lousy as Plex (both the company and the product) have become, there really aren't alternatives with feature-parity available. Jellyfin is starting to get there in terms of basic media center functionality, but still faces stability and platform compatibility issues that have been long-solved by Plex. Jellyfin also lags behind in ecosystem support/integration for those of us operating media servers with heavy amounts of automation and dependencies on workflows executed by 3rd party packages.
  - noja 3y ago
    Infuse https://firecore.com/infuse https://firecore.com/infuse
    - slivanes 3y ago
      Client is available for Apple ecosystem only.
      - deleted 3y ago
        [deleted]
    - Larrikin 3y ago
      Don't all Jelly Fin solutions still lack proper intro skip. There are some hacky plugins but nothing like Plex or Netflix on the TV.
      - katbyte 3y ago
        Emby has intro skip now
  - skulk 3y ago
    Here's my data point: I use Jellyfin and I am satisfied with it. My use case: movies and TV shows, streaming from mobile, PC, or smart TV with auto-downloaded subtitles and varying stream quality. Heavy use of the "watch together" feature. (Plex watch together is horrible compared to Jellyfin.)
paul7986 3y ago
Umm no need to pay for many or any streaming service then that consumer problem is solved just watch the free outlets like YouTube. Hollywood's biggest competitor is content creators on Youtube, Tiktok, etc ... my bet is they will need to compete and many paid offerings will consolidate and become free / less expensive to compete with all the free content creators on YouTube, Tiktok and etc. If you look at where the eyeballs are the majority are on Tiktok. Personally after using Reels, Tiktok and tons more of YouTube i have a hard time watching long form content. I just want to watch stuff here and there in the background while im working or right before bed any other time Im far away from tv screen outside or with friends/family enjoying life. Further .. i use to watch documentaries on the history channel and or other places ... there's tons of solid and good content creators doing that same thing on youTube.
- jfim 3y ago
  I'm not convinced that Hollywood really competes with TikTok. Going out for a movie date sounds a lot more interesting than "let's go flop on the couch and watch TikTok/YouTube all evening."
  - kevinventullo 3y ago
    Does Hollywood still make most of its money from theater ticket sales?
    - paul7986 3y ago
      If it does look at the box office results this year or lack of them compared to the last few years ... many not opening and or close to 100 million seen in many prior years. Could be a mix things from attention spans changing in various demographics to economics to increased spending in travel to other things.
      - taeric 3y ago
        You really couldn't have picked a worse weekend to make this call. Barbie, alone, is setting record numbers that are showing a pretty good recovery for the past few years. I'm open to attention spans changing. Or demographics changing. Or both. My money, though, is pandemic hangover. I'm struggling to see how anything else comes even close in explanation power to, "we were in a pandemic."
deely3 3y ago
How we can differentiate between bait-and-switch and honest price correction?
RajT88 3y ago
PSA: VLC is available for Fire devices and is fantastic. You can stream right off SMB shares.
nazcan 3y ago
Bait and switch for who(m)? The companies offering services on these providers? Their is a simple fix - get a contract and don't assume current terms will continue without it.
princevegeta89 3y ago
I am not sure I understand the Plex example here - their free streaming service that they are pushing so aggressively involves a lot of ads and some ad revenue as well. Eventually since they have to pay FireTV the 30% cut, they might end up raising prices of Plex Pass, or discontinue their "free" streaming service?

duped 3y ago

It's called the razor-and-blade model, it's not a bait and switch. RE Plex, that's basically what Android TV does, except it's better than Plex (for streaming services and device manufacturers) and has the same model as FireTV

Timon3 3y ago
Can you explain how? The situation here is: - Customers bought the devices without the 30% rule in effect - Amazon introduces the 30% rule - Customers will now be asked higher prices to make up for the lost revenue The razor-and-blade model is about selling one product cheap to increase sales on a complementary good. It's not about a vendor changing the situation, as is the case here.

Liquix 3y ago

Plex Inc. is not a good company. They are eager to collect and sell your data to advertisers. Jellyfin is a great alternative. Plex may share Collected Information as expressly set forth in this Privacy Policy, including the following limited situations: [...] With third parties to improve and deliver advertising to you on our behalf. Plex may also use third-party advertising companies to serve ads, which may, directly or indirectly, collect or use information about user visits to websites and mobile app usage over time and across non-affiliated websites and mobile apps to display advertisements more tailored to users’ interests on this browser or device, and those browsers or devices associated with it. More in the "Data We Collect" section: https://www.plex.tv/about/privacy-legal/ https://www.plex.tv/about/privacy-legal/

sithadmin 3y ago
As lousy as Plex (both the company and the product) have become, there really aren't alternatives with feature-parity available. Jellyfin is starting to get there in terms of basic media center functionality, but still faces stability and platform compatibility issues that have been long-solved by Plex. Jellyfin also lags behind in ecosystem support/integration for those of us operating media servers with heavy amounts of automation and dependencies on workflows executed by 3rd party packages.
- noja 3y ago
  Infuse https://firecore.com/infuse https://firecore.com/infuse
  - slivanes 3y ago
    Client is available for Apple ecosystem only.
    - deleted 3y ago
      [deleted]
  - Larrikin 3y ago
    Don't all Jelly Fin solutions still lack proper intro skip. There are some hacky plugins but nothing like Plex or Netflix on the TV.
    - katbyte 3y ago
      Emby has intro skip now
- skulk 3y ago
  Here's my data point: I use Jellyfin and I am satisfied with it. My use case: movies and TV shows, streaming from mobile, PC, or smart TV with auto-downloaded subtitles and varying stream quality. Heavy use of the "watch together" feature. (Plex watch together is horrible compared to Jellyfin.)

paul7986 3y ago

Umm no need to pay for many or any streaming service then that consumer problem is solved just watch the free outlets like YouTube. Hollywood's biggest competitor is content creators on Youtube, Tiktok, etc ... my bet is they will need to compete and many paid offerings will consolidate and become free / less expensive to compete with all the free content creators on YouTube, Tiktok and etc. If you look at where the eyeballs are the majority are on Tiktok. Personally after using Reels, Tiktok and tons more of YouTube i have a hard time watching long form content. I just want to watch stuff here and there in the background while im working or right before bed any other time Im far away from tv screen outside or with friends/family enjoying life. Further .. i use to watch documentaries on the history channel and or other places ... there's tons of solid and good content creators doing that same thing on youTube.

jfim 3y ago
I'm not convinced that Hollywood really competes with TikTok. Going out for a movie date sounds a lot more interesting than "let's go flop on the couch and watch TikTok/YouTube all evening."
- kevinventullo 3y ago
  Does Hollywood still make most of its money from theater ticket sales?
  - paul7986 3y ago
    If it does look at the box office results this year or lack of them compared to the last few years ... many not opening and or close to 100 million seen in many prior years. Could be a mix things from attention spans changing in various demographics to economics to increased spending in travel to other things.
    - taeric 3y ago
      You really couldn't have picked a worse weekend to make this call. Barbie, alone, is setting record numbers that are showing a pretty good recovery for the past few years. I'm open to attention spans changing. Or demographics changing. Or both. My money, though, is pandemic hangover. I'm struggling to see how anything else comes even close in explanation power to, "we were in a pandemic."

deely3 3y ago

How we can differentiate between bait-and-switch and honest price correction?

RajT88 3y ago

PSA: VLC is available for Fire devices and is fantastic. You can stream right off SMB shares.

nazcan 3y ago

Bait and switch for who(m)? The companies offering services on these providers? Their is a simple fix - get a contract and don't assume current terms will continue without it.

princevegeta89 3y ago

I am not sure I understand the Plex example here - their free streaming service that they are pushing so aggressively involves a lot of ads and some ad revenue as well. Eventually since they have to pay FireTV the 30% cut, they might end up raising prices of Plex Pass, or discontinue their "free" streaming service?