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This is a great offering for people like my dad: he’s a smart guy who would love TED talks, and he uses Netflix daily. But he would never go out of his way to d

This is a great offering for people like my dad: he’s a smart guy who would love TED talks, and he uses Netflix daily. But he would never go out of his way to discover content such as this on his own, in part because it’s not centralised, but mostly because he really dislikes using computers. Getting this kind of stuff on Netflix is a huge boost to discoverability, and I look forward to seeing what else they will offer next—online learning, perhaps?

michaelbuckbee 15y ago
Out of curiosity, what device does your father use for Netflix? My elderly relatives have significant difficulties using any of the Netflix clients other than the iPad app.
- rkudeshi 15y ago
  My grandfather likes watching YouTube videos, but even the simple Apple TV interface was too difficult for him (remembering all the remote buttons, mostly). I know it's very simple, but it was just too much for him. However, he knows how to use his iPhone to play music and use AirPlay to stream it to a stereo (Airport Express). So I showed him how to AirPlay to an Apple TV and now he doesn't need to know anything about how to work the Apple TV (as long as he changes the input, the Apple TV will automatically wake up as soon as it receives an AirPlay stream). Basically, if your relatives like the iPad app, just have them continue to use that and then send the video to an Apple TV via AirPlay.
  - brlewis 15y ago
    To learn more about HNers' experience with Apple TV, Boxee, Roku, etc I created a poll: http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=3713059 http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=3713059
- evincarofautumn 15y ago
  He used to use a Wii, but has since switched to a PC that sits in the living room. Neither interface presents much trouble, though the inconsistency can be irritating. He does occasionally search for car and machine parts, but other than that, his Internet is basically three bookmarks: Netflix, Hulu, and (occasionally) CBS.
- pkulak 15y ago
  My mom has an older Roku box that she uses all the time. It much easier to use than most cable boxes.
nextparadigms 15y ago
Going to ted.com is not centralized enough?
- mwexler 15y ago
  IMHO, no. Centralized is where I go to get more than one type or source of content. Hence, the rise of aggregators, which are now the most popular sites online. Netflix is also an aggregator; we just don't normally think of it that way because we consume it as a service which offers content unavailable, for the most part, elsewhere online. With the decline in movies, however, I am seeing lots of content that replicates other sources (lots of TV shows), but it's still nice to have it all in one "place". I'm actually quite pleased to be able to have TED videos in my queue. I'd prefer they get a few more, you know, "flix", but in the meantime, this opens up TED content to some whole new audiences. (Of course, the next logical step is for Netflix to go straight downhill and start offering video "podcasts" by annoying youtube "stars" and become a youtube junior. I hope not, but we'll see...)

michaelbuckbee 15y ago

Out of curiosity, what device does your father use for Netflix? My elderly relatives have significant difficulties using any of the Netflix clients other than the iPad app.

rkudeshi 15y ago
My grandfather likes watching YouTube videos, but even the simple Apple TV interface was too difficult for him (remembering all the remote buttons, mostly). I know it's very simple, but it was just too much for him. However, he knows how to use his iPhone to play music and use AirPlay to stream it to a stereo (Airport Express). So I showed him how to AirPlay to an Apple TV and now he doesn't need to know anything about how to work the Apple TV (as long as he changes the input, the Apple TV will automatically wake up as soon as it receives an AirPlay stream). Basically, if your relatives like the iPad app, just have them continue to use that and then send the video to an Apple TV via AirPlay.
- brlewis 15y ago
  To learn more about HNers' experience with Apple TV, Boxee, Roku, etc I created a poll: http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=3713059 http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=3713059
evincarofautumn 15y ago
He used to use a Wii, but has since switched to a PC that sits in the living room. Neither interface presents much trouble, though the inconsistency can be irritating. He does occasionally search for car and machine parts, but other than that, his Internet is basically three bookmarks: Netflix, Hulu, and (occasionally) CBS.
pkulak 15y ago
My mom has an older Roku box that she uses all the time. It much easier to use than most cable boxes.

nextparadigms 15y ago

Going to ted.com is not centralized enough?

mwexler 15y ago
IMHO, no. Centralized is where I go to get more than one type or source of content. Hence, the rise of aggregators, which are now the most popular sites online. Netflix is also an aggregator; we just don't normally think of it that way because we consume it as a service which offers content unavailable, for the most part, elsewhere online. With the decline in movies, however, I am seeing lots of content that replicates other sources (lots of TV shows), but it's still nice to have it all in one "place". I'm actually quite pleased to be able to have TED videos in my queue. I'd prefer they get a few more, you know, "flix", but in the meantime, this opens up TED content to some whole new audiences. (Of course, the next logical step is for Netflix to go straight downhill and start offering video "podcasts" by annoying youtube "stars" and become a youtube junior. I hope not, but we'll see...)