5 ms·

Netflix Hammers the Last Nail into Linear TV's Coffin

25 points by mfiguiere 3y ago

gnicholas 3y ago
Slightly OT: has anyone played any video games on NFLX? I recently learned they have GTA titles, which I thought would be interesting to play, but I still haven't gotten around to finding out how to access games (looks like they're standalone apps, and you log in with your credentials?), let alone downloading any of them. I'd be interested to know what others have found. Am I missing out on something that I've apparently been paying for?
- c0wb0yc0d3r 3y ago
  I haven't held a sub at Netflix for some time now, but when I did, you'd just download the games from the (android) app store. No idea what the situation is for iOS. Of the games I've played, none were noteworthy.
  - ortusdux 3y ago
    Yeah, you install via the app store and then log in using netflix credentials. I'm a big fan of Into the Breach, and their android port is a netflix exclusive. It currently has 2.8 stars on the android store with many users complaining about not having a netflix account. I have been unable to play it on more that one occasion because I did not have service.
  - epiccoleman 3y ago
    I have to disagree here! Netflix has released/published/made free with Netflix creds several games that are quite good and which had generally good reputations. A few standouts: * Into The Breach (great Android port) * Moonlighter * Poinpy * Dead Cells * OXENFREE * World Of Goo Many of these were already available, but all those on the list were/are indie darlings and pretty good games. For the most part they're putting out good stuff, not just the typical mobile trash. Full games list here: https://help.netflix.com/en/node/121442 https://help.netflix.com/en/node/121442
    - dudus 3y ago
      Dead Cells alone costs $30 on Switch. Netflix offers it for free. It's the full game with all available expansions including the recent one that references Castlevania. The difference is that you get it on Android or iOS. If you buy a gamepad and are able to output to a decent sized monitor or have a tablet, you have a great gaming experience worth dozens of hours. I think Netflix can really find success expanding into gaming. For now they seem to be working very much Undercover, but they've been adding a ton of content there. I'm sure they're building it up and at some point they'll throw some marketing behind it.
    - soulofmischief 3y ago
      OXENFREE is such an underrated gem. Dead Cells was quite enjoyable as well.
- pronoiac 3y ago
  On iOS, you only have to logon to the main app. Game installs and launches are normal - App Store, Home Screen - and they can detect the account from the main app. It looks like they've added "which profile?" selection. I tried out Laya's Horizon, but my main device isn't powerful enough to play it, so it's been a while.
- 1123581321 3y ago
  On iOS you download them from the app store and then log in with Netflix. There are links to them from within the Netflix app, too. I'd at least recommend trying Into the Breach, if you haven't played it elsewhere yet. Great game. I'm not a regular Netflix subscriber so the exclusivity annoys me.
  - gnicholas 3y ago
    Good to know! Is this game (and NFLX games in general) best on iPad, or is iPhone OK?
    - 1123581321 3y ago
      I think it's way better on iPad, but I don't really like landscape-oriented iPhone games. Most of the action happens on a square grid so I think portrait could work...
- ViktorRay 3y ago
  You install the games directly from the iOS App Store. Then you log in via your Netflix account and can play them. If you already have the Netflix app on your iPhone and you are already signed in, you can go into the Netflix app and see a list of all available Netflix games. Just pick one and it will download in the background. You also won’t have to sign in again when you open the game this way. Also the iOS App Store sometimes has paid versions of the Netflix games. Don’t get those by accident. Make sure to download the free Netflix versions because otherwise you’ll have to give money to Apple lol
  - darknavi 3y ago
    Cat Soup has a Netflix version. It has no ads, which is great. It also doesn't have any of the buffs that ads give you, making the game a lot less fun lol. IMO a bad "adless" port without much thought.
portmanteaufu 3y ago
https://archive.is/XUlbC https://archive.is/XUlbC
wolverine876 3y ago
I wonder what kind of viewership they have compared to top linear TV shows? In the US, that's almost all National Football League games. I think last weekend one had ~ 40 million viewers (if I understand the statistics correctly).
- viscanti 3y ago
  93 of the top 100 highest viewed TV shows in 2023 were NFL games. It is almost entirely football now.
  - ninkendo 3y ago
    I wonder when the NFL is going to finally abandon all the various single-game exclusivity deals and just say “the only way to watch NFL games is through the NFL app.” Cable would die overnight. The NFL could basically charge what they wanted, and people would pay (a cable plan already costs $60+ a month and many people only subscribe during the season anyway.) Whatever the NFL is raking in through these exclusivity deals for individual games, and whatever Comcast/whatever is paying them, I’m sure they can find a price point for a single unified NFL app that will make them more money.
- darth_avocado 3y ago
  40 million for NFL is an exception, not the norm. It was mostly because of the playoffs. Viewership in traditional TV is much lower than sports events. There are only a few non sport programming that come in top 100 when it comes to traditional TV and those are programming the Voice, 60 mins etc. But the numbers for those are around 6-7 million. Even the peak GOT was at 16-20 million, which was all time high for HBO.
- mkmk 3y ago
  They recently started releasing per-show viewing data. You can download a spreadsheet at the bottom of this press release. https://about.netflix.com/en/news/what-we-watched-a-netflix-engagement-report https://about.netflix.com/en/news/what-we-watched-a-netflix-... This is interesting because many actors and other industry players complained that they had no idea if the streaming shows they were working on were big or not, and the streaming companies held out on the data for a long time (and perhaps continue to do so).
deleted 3y ago
[deleted]
ajb 3y ago
Walked down a street recently where ~50% of the TV aerials were on their way to falling off. Even saw one that had fallen into a tree the other day. Terrestrial is clearly dying, wouldn't be surprised if satellite is too.
- StillBored 3y ago
  I put an antenna in my attic a couple of years back to get local ATSC broadcasts because it's a good source for PBS and local news/etc. It works marginally better than the built-in one and just as good as the monstrosity the neighbor has way up a pole. So, is this just a case of digital TV killing the marginal signal stations that were available 30+ years ago if one didn't mind watching 50% static/snow? These days its an all-or-nothing proposition, one either gets crystal clear picture, or its unwatchable. And it turns out that massive complicated antenna configurations don't do much for bringing in otherwise unavailable stations.
- philjohn 3y ago
  Had my aerial removed last year - the little broadcast TV I watch is via Sky TV satellite, the rest is via streaming.
downrightmike 3y ago
The costs were paid off so long ago, the cable companies could easily compete if they got rid of most of the ads.
- akira2501 3y ago
  The recurring costs go to the content providers on a per subscriber basis. This is why channels are often bundled together as part of the deal making on this price. The ads are placed by the content providers to pay for the production. There are several content providers that require payment up front and they do not have ads.
- didgetmaster 3y ago
  I wish every program that contained ads; had to give the user a signal to noise ratio as part of its listing. Some programs only show ads 5-10% of the time. Others have nearly as many ads as content and are unwatchable. Unfortunately, you may not have any idea which is which until you have wasted 15 minutes watching.
  - smitty1110 3y ago
    Could we also cap the loudness of Ads while we're at it? It's frankly absurd how loud some of these things are. It's like they're trying to make sure you hear the pitch even if you're on the other side of the house...
    - dotnet00 3y ago
      That's probably genuinely the intent considering that ad breaks are often an excuse to go to the bathroom/kitchen and thus are less eyes on the screen.
tiffanyh 3y ago
> The streaming giant added 13.1 million subscribers over the last three months, beating its own forecast of 9 million, and nearly 30 million new subscribers flocked to the platform in 2023 It’s like the author isn’t aware that over the last year Netflix got super aggressive on cracking down on shared accounts … and giving promos for shared account people to get a discounted new account.
- EdwardDiego 3y ago
  Hey, someone's OKR got met, C-suite don't care how. And tbh, if some of that growth was achieved by converting coat-tail riders to paying customers, that's a good outcome, a fair few pundits predicted that it would have the opposite effect.
- booleandilemma 3y ago
  Netflix got super aggressive on cracking down on shared accounts Did they? I still share my account with a few people. I haven't noticed them being super aggressive.
  - tcmart14 3y ago
    If I recall this was based more on region/country. I could be totally wrong, but I think it more of, they got more aggressive in certain places, but not all places. I vaguely remember seeing a mention of Canada being one[1]. [1] https://mobilesyrup.com/2023/07/20/netflixs-password-sharing-crackdown-beyond-canada-us/ https://mobilesyrup.com/2023/07/20/netflixs-password-sharing...
  - taftster 3y ago
    They are doing it strategically to spread out the effect of uptick in new subscribers. Don't want to shoot their wad in one single action. Better to let the effects of the crackdown roll out over a few years.
  - deaddodo 3y ago
    It's regional and based on user likelihood to convert. So NA and parts of Euroland (particularly the anglophone regions) are being targeted most heavily right now. They avoided the blanket rollout specifically to alleviate exactly what the person above you suggests. It was strategic and is, generally, working...but will probably be far less successful (numerically) when they get to LATAM, Eastern Europe, most of Asia and do a blanket rollout on the rest of the current countries.
CM30 3y ago
Honestly, it's not surprising. I mean, what is the use case for 'linear television' anymore? Is it even something you could sell to someone in an age where streaming and video sharing sites and platforms are a dime a dozen and offer content that's far more interesting? Even the idea of sitting down to watch a show at a certain time just feels archaic in this day and age.
- jprete 3y ago
  The benefit of linear TV was that everyone was on the same schedule so all the post-viewing social aspects worked better. It also helped the social aspects that there were three or four networks with all major content, so the odds were very good that any particular person watched the same thing as you did. Almost the only substantial TV or movie discussions I've witnessed in the last ten years were about fandom-style properties - Game of Thrones, Stranger Things, the MCU, Star Wars. TV and movies in general are rarely discussed. If you share a fandom with someone you can talk about the fandom, if not then the two of you may as well be from different planets regarding media.
ChrisArchitect 3y ago
Related from a few days ago: Netflix is turning into cable TV https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=39111600 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=39111600
AlbertCory 3y ago
If you go to Amazon and search "tv antenna" you find lots between $20 and $70. They're very small, too. One of these days I'll go up on the roof and take down the old analog monstrosity and just leave the pole & new antenna. Besides NFL, all the really big sporting events (MLB, NBA, Olympics) are still on broadcast, although usually not the quarterfinals & other minor games. As is PBS, the local news, and most of the classic TV shows. Not often but sometimes, Cheers, Taxi, and The Bob Newhart Show are more appealing than the streaming garbage. I've been hearing about the death of broadcast TV for 20 years now. It's not happening, and neither is the death of print magazines. https://theconversation.com/magazines-were-supposed-to-die-in-the-digital-age-why-havent-they-217371 https://theconversation.com/magazines-were-supposed-to-die-i...
- drmpeg 3y ago
  Antennas don't know the difference between analog and digital signals. If it's a large antenna and not in too horrible shape, it will most likely significantly outperform any small antenna from Amazon.
  - AlbertCory 3y ago
    Yeah, this has come up before on HN. But being able to take down that relic of the 50's will be totally worth it.
    - drmpeg 3y ago
      Okay, but if you still live in Silicon Valley be aware that many of the VHF channels are active (RF channels 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 12 and 13). 12 is ABC and 13 is NBC. The ATSC 3.0 lighthouse is on 7.
      - AlbertCory 3y ago
        all of them perfect via OTA on my TV.
- mrangle 3y ago

25 points by mfiguiere 3y ago

Slightly OT: has anyone played any video games on NFLX? I recently learned they have GTA titles, which I thought would be interesting to play, but I still haven't gotten around to finding out how to access games (looks like they're standalone apps, and you log in with your credentials?), let alone downloading any of them. I'd be interested to know what others have found. Am I missing out on something that I've apparently been paying for?

c0wb0yc0d3r 3y ago
I haven't held a sub at Netflix for some time now, but when I did, you'd just download the games from the (android) app store. No idea what the situation is for iOS. Of the games I've played, none were noteworthy.
- ortusdux 3y ago
  Yeah, you install via the app store and then log in using netflix credentials. I'm a big fan of Into the Breach, and their android port is a netflix exclusive. It currently has 2.8 stars on the android store with many users complaining about not having a netflix account. I have been unable to play it on more that one occasion because I did not have service.
- epiccoleman 3y ago
  I have to disagree here! Netflix has released/published/made free with Netflix creds several games that are quite good and which had generally good reputations. A few standouts: * Into The Breach (great Android port) * Moonlighter * Poinpy * Dead Cells * OXENFREE * World Of Goo Many of these were already available, but all those on the list were/are indie darlings and pretty good games. For the most part they're putting out good stuff, not just the typical mobile trash. Full games list here: https://help.netflix.com/en/node/121442 https://help.netflix.com/en/node/121442
  - dudus 3y ago
    Dead Cells alone costs $30 on Switch. Netflix offers it for free. It's the full game with all available expansions including the recent one that references Castlevania. The difference is that you get it on Android or iOS. If you buy a gamepad and are able to output to a decent sized monitor or have a tablet, you have a great gaming experience worth dozens of hours. I think Netflix can really find success expanding into gaming. For now they seem to be working very much Undercover, but they've been adding a ton of content there. I'm sure they're building it up and at some point they'll throw some marketing behind it.
  - soulofmischief 3y ago
    OXENFREE is such an underrated gem. Dead Cells was quite enjoyable as well.
pronoiac 3y ago
On iOS, you only have to logon to the main app. Game installs and launches are normal - App Store, Home Screen - and they can detect the account from the main app. It looks like they've added "which profile?" selection. I tried out Laya's Horizon, but my main device isn't powerful enough to play it, so it's been a while.
1123581321 3y ago
On iOS you download them from the app store and then log in with Netflix. There are links to them from within the Netflix app, too. I'd at least recommend trying Into the Breach, if you haven't played it elsewhere yet. Great game. I'm not a regular Netflix subscriber so the exclusivity annoys me.
- gnicholas 3y ago
  Good to know! Is this game (and NFLX games in general) best on iPad, or is iPhone OK?
  - 1123581321 3y ago
    I think it's way better on iPad, but I don't really like landscape-oriented iPhone games. Most of the action happens on a square grid so I think portrait could work...
ViktorRay 3y ago
You install the games directly from the iOS App Store. Then you log in via your Netflix account and can play them. If you already have the Netflix app on your iPhone and you are already signed in, you can go into the Netflix app and see a list of all available Netflix games. Just pick one and it will download in the background. You also won’t have to sign in again when you open the game this way. Also the iOS App Store sometimes has paid versions of the Netflix games. Don’t get those by accident. Make sure to download the free Netflix versions because otherwise you’ll have to give money to Apple lol
- darknavi 3y ago
  Cat Soup has a Netflix version. It has no ads, which is great. It also doesn't have any of the buffs that ads give you, making the game a lot less fun lol. IMO a bad "adless" port without much thought.

portmanteaufu 3y ago

https://archive.is/XUlbC https://archive.is/XUlbC

wolverine876 3y ago

I wonder what kind of viewership they have compared to top linear TV shows? In the US, that's almost all National Football League games. I think last weekend one had ~ 40 million viewers (if I understand the statistics correctly).

viscanti 3y ago
93 of the top 100 highest viewed TV shows in 2023 were NFL games. It is almost entirely football now.
- ninkendo 3y ago
  I wonder when the NFL is going to finally abandon all the various single-game exclusivity deals and just say “the only way to watch NFL games is through the NFL app.” Cable would die overnight. The NFL could basically charge what they wanted, and people would pay (a cable plan already costs $60+ a month and many people only subscribe during the season anyway.) Whatever the NFL is raking in through these exclusivity deals for individual games, and whatever Comcast/whatever is paying them, I’m sure they can find a price point for a single unified NFL app that will make them more money.
darth_avocado 3y ago
40 million for NFL is an exception, not the norm. It was mostly because of the playoffs. Viewership in traditional TV is much lower than sports events. There are only a few non sport programming that come in top 100 when it comes to traditional TV and those are programming the Voice, 60 mins etc. But the numbers for those are around 6-7 million. Even the peak GOT was at 16-20 million, which was all time high for HBO.
mkmk 3y ago
They recently started releasing per-show viewing data. You can download a spreadsheet at the bottom of this press release. https://about.netflix.com/en/news/what-we-watched-a-netflix-engagement-report https://about.netflix.com/en/news/what-we-watched-a-netflix-... This is interesting because many actors and other industry players complained that they had no idea if the streaming shows they were working on were big or not, and the streaming companies held out on the data for a long time (and perhaps continue to do so).

deleted 3y ago

[deleted]

ajb 3y ago

Walked down a street recently where ~50% of the TV aerials were on their way to falling off. Even saw one that had fallen into a tree the other day. Terrestrial is clearly dying, wouldn't be surprised if satellite is too.

StillBored 3y ago
I put an antenna in my attic a couple of years back to get local ATSC broadcasts because it's a good source for PBS and local news/etc. It works marginally better than the built-in one and just as good as the monstrosity the neighbor has way up a pole. So, is this just a case of digital TV killing the marginal signal stations that were available 30+ years ago if one didn't mind watching 50% static/snow? These days its an all-or-nothing proposition, one either gets crystal clear picture, or its unwatchable. And it turns out that massive complicated antenna configurations don't do much for bringing in otherwise unavailable stations.
philjohn 3y ago
Had my aerial removed last year - the little broadcast TV I watch is via Sky TV satellite, the rest is via streaming.

downrightmike 3y ago

The costs were paid off so long ago, the cable companies could easily compete if they got rid of most of the ads.

akira2501 3y ago
The recurring costs go to the content providers on a per subscriber basis. This is why channels are often bundled together as part of the deal making on this price. The ads are placed by the content providers to pay for the production. There are several content providers that require payment up front and they do not have ads.
didgetmaster 3y ago
I wish every program that contained ads; had to give the user a signal to noise ratio as part of its listing. Some programs only show ads 5-10% of the time. Others have nearly as many ads as content and are unwatchable. Unfortunately, you may not have any idea which is which until you have wasted 15 minutes watching.
- smitty1110 3y ago
  Could we also cap the loudness of Ads while we're at it? It's frankly absurd how loud some of these things are. It's like they're trying to make sure you hear the pitch even if you're on the other side of the house...
  - dotnet00 3y ago
    That's probably genuinely the intent considering that ad breaks are often an excuse to go to the bathroom/kitchen and thus are less eyes on the screen.

tiffanyh 3y ago

> The streaming giant added 13.1 million subscribers over the last three months, beating its own forecast of 9 million, and nearly 30 million new subscribers flocked to the platform in 2023 It’s like the author isn’t aware that over the last year Netflix got super aggressive on cracking down on shared accounts … and giving promos for shared account people to get a discounted new account.

EdwardDiego 3y ago
Hey, someone's OKR got met, C-suite don't care how. And tbh, if some of that growth was achieved by converting coat-tail riders to paying customers, that's a good outcome, a fair few pundits predicted that it would have the opposite effect.
booleandilemma 3y ago
Netflix got super aggressive on cracking down on shared accounts Did they? I still share my account with a few people. I haven't noticed them being super aggressive.
- tcmart14 3y ago
  If I recall this was based more on region/country. I could be totally wrong, but I think it more of, they got more aggressive in certain places, but not all places. I vaguely remember seeing a mention of Canada being one[1]. [1] https://mobilesyrup.com/2023/07/20/netflixs-password-sharing-crackdown-beyond-canada-us/ https://mobilesyrup.com/2023/07/20/netflixs-password-sharing...
- taftster 3y ago
  They are doing it strategically to spread out the effect of uptick in new subscribers. Don't want to shoot their wad in one single action. Better to let the effects of the crackdown roll out over a few years.
- deaddodo 3y ago
  It's regional and based on user likelihood to convert. So NA and parts of Euroland (particularly the anglophone regions) are being targeted most heavily right now. They avoided the blanket rollout specifically to alleviate exactly what the person above you suggests. It was strategic and is, generally, working...but will probably be far less successful (numerically) when they get to LATAM, Eastern Europe, most of Asia and do a blanket rollout on the rest of the current countries.

CM30 3y ago

Honestly, it's not surprising. I mean, what is the use case for 'linear television' anymore? Is it even something you could sell to someone in an age where streaming and video sharing sites and platforms are a dime a dozen and offer content that's far more interesting? Even the idea of sitting down to watch a show at a certain time just feels archaic in this day and age.

jprete 3y ago
The benefit of linear TV was that everyone was on the same schedule so all the post-viewing social aspects worked better. It also helped the social aspects that there were three or four networks with all major content, so the odds were very good that any particular person watched the same thing as you did. Almost the only substantial TV or movie discussions I've witnessed in the last ten years were about fandom-style properties - Game of Thrones, Stranger Things, the MCU, Star Wars. TV and movies in general are rarely discussed. If you share a fandom with someone you can talk about the fandom, if not then the two of you may as well be from different planets regarding media.

ChrisArchitect 3y ago

Related from a few days ago: Netflix is turning into cable TV https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=39111600 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=39111600

AlbertCory 3y ago

If you go to Amazon and search "tv antenna" you find lots between $20 and $70. They're very small, too. One of these days I'll go up on the roof and take down the old analog monstrosity and just leave the pole & new antenna. Besides NFL, all the really big sporting events (MLB, NBA, Olympics) are still on broadcast, although usually not the quarterfinals & other minor games. As is PBS, the local news, and most of the classic TV shows. Not often but sometimes, Cheers, Taxi, and The Bob Newhart Show are more appealing than the streaming garbage. I've been hearing about the death of broadcast TV for 20 years now. It's not happening, and neither is the death of print magazines. https://theconversation.com/magazines-were-supposed-to-die-in-the-digital-age-why-havent-they-217371 https://theconversation.com/magazines-were-supposed-to-die-i...

drmpeg 3y ago
Antennas don't know the difference between analog and digital signals. If it's a large antenna and not in too horrible shape, it will most likely significantly outperform any small antenna from Amazon.
- AlbertCory 3y ago
  Yeah, this has come up before on HN. But being able to take down that relic of the 50's will be totally worth it.
  - drmpeg 3y ago
    Okay, but if you still live in Silicon Valley be aware that many of the VHF channels are active (RF channels 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 12 and 13). 12 is ABC and 13 is NBC. The ATSC 3.0 lighthouse is on 7.
    - AlbertCory 3y ago
      all of them perfect via OTA on my TV.
mrangle 3y ago