Netflix DVD May Not be Dead Yet

[Ben]

Interesting that as much as Netflix wants to dump their DVD side, they may have to keep it going. I've posted on various aspects of this before regarding my twofold interest in them keeping DVDs: 1) Slow Internet and 2) I love older movies and stuff that nobody streams anywhere, but are still widley available on DVD.

I complained before about Netflix dropping a bunch of streaming stuff in favor of their "Netflix Originals". Now they may be losing a bunch of streaming content because everybody and their brother is starting their own streaming service. So, as per the article, very popular shows like The Office will likely leave Netflix and you'll have to pay NBC to watch it streaming, or else get it via DVD.

This is another thing that gets my goat - everybody wants to hold their own content and make me pay them to watch it. Nothing wrong with the "pay me", other than I'm absolutely not going to have 27 different streaming accounts, both because of the money and the hassle.

Using The Office as an example, I like to rewatch an episode here and there when I'm bored. If it's available on Netflix streaming or Amazon Prime, I'll continue to do that. If I suddenly have to now start (and pay for) a new streaming service just for that show, forget it. If I really have a The Office craving, I'll save it up and binge the DVDs once every year or two.

I really like a somewhat "centralized" ability to stream, currently between Netflix and Amazon. I know I'm getting old, but I can't see even millennials thinking it's cool to have to manage dozens of streaming services just because they may have one or two shows on each of them to watch. But then maybe younger people see doing that the same way I used to see driving to the video store to rent DVDs (or gasp! VHS tapes). 

https://bgr.com/2018/12/23/netflix-dvds-possible-resurgence/

[charby]

I've always believed if you showed commercials, then your content should be free to watch.

Network TV streaming should be free.

[lupinus]

Yeah I'm the same way. The only one I might consider would be the likes of show time or hbo since they're considered more premium channels regardless of how you get them. And even that's highly iffy. I might pick up HBO for the last season of GoT, but it's doubtful I'll keep it past that.

But CBS, NBC and the like? Not gonna happen. Simply not going to juggle or pay for a million accounts.

Sent from my Pixel XL using Tapatalk

[Ben]

Yeah I'm the same way. The only one I might consider would be the likes of show time or hbo since they're considered more premium channels regardless of how you get them. And even that's highly iffy. I might pick up HBO for the last season of GoT, but it's doubtful I'll keep it past that.

I did that for GoT - used my free month of HBO Now on Amazon, then cancelled it. There's gotta be a ton of other people doing that, which should give them some indication of what people think regarding many multiple accounts. About the only way that will work, is if they go to some kind of aggregate model, similar to what Amazon somewhat does now. I just click on the streaming service I want from within Amazon, and it all gets billed to Amazon. Though with people not paying attention, that could quickly and easily turn into "How did this happen?!?" $200/mo streaming bills.

I also agree about the networks doing pay services. They already make money off the commercials, plus the DVDs, plus licensing to Netflix, etc. Seems like they're somewhat killing a golden goose if they start their own rinky dink streaming services, that will pretty much just have their own stuff on them.

[MillCreek]

^^^Exactly the reason why I am not paying a monthly fee to CBS just to see the new Star Trek series. I will wait until it shows up on Netflix years hence.

[Ben]

^^^Exactly the reason why I am not paying a monthly fee to CBS just to see the new Star Trek series. I will wait until it shows up on Netflix years hence.

Me too on that. And I have to say, at this point I truly don't care if I ever watch it or not. If anything, they've removed my interest in part of a sci-fi universe that I have always followed.

[MillCreek]

This reminds me of another thing that really grinds my gears: Archer is now only available via a pay channel of FX.  I can no longer watch it for free via Xfinity and it is not on Netflix or Amazon Prime.

[Ben]

This reminds me of another thing that really grinds my gears: Archer is now only available via a pay channel of FX.  I can no longer watch it for free via Xfinity and it is not on Netflix or Amazon Prime.

Yeah, that sucks. Good/bad news, it looks like this will be the final season, so it won't matter much longer.

I really like the show, so in the past I always just bought the seasons on Amazon and parked them in my digital library.

[charby]

This reminds me of another thing that really grinds my gears: Archer is now only available via a pay channel of FX.  I can no longer watch it for free via Xfinity and it is not on Netflix or Amazon Prime.

Archer is on Hulu Fyi

[Ben]

Archer is on Hulu Fyi

I'm boycotting Hulu for being David Hogg fanbois. 

[MillCreek]

I am boycotting Hulu for requiring me to pay if I want to watch A Handmaid's Tale.

[JN01]

^^^Exactly the reason why I am not paying a monthly fee to CBS just to see the new Star Trek series. I will wait until it shows up on Netflix years hence.

Me too.  I wonder if it ever will show up on Netflix in the US though.  Crappy that the rest of the world can see it on Netflix, but not us.

[charby]

I'm boycotting Hulu for being David Hogg fanbois. 

If we boycotted every business that offended us personally, we'd all be naked and hungry.

Hulu is like my TIVO, I don't have cable or a DVR, so I can watch network TV shows I missed the next day on Hulu. Digital over the air TV is sketchy at times where I live, so recording a show via the aerial can be a failed attempt. I'm at least 25 miles from the closest tower, with the rest being in Austin or Rochester, MN.

[Ben]

If we boycotted every business that offended us personally, we'd all be naked and hungry.

Yes, I know. I've said the same thing 100 times here. Luckily Hulu provides nothing for me that I can't get more easily and with a better interface elsewhere. :)

[BlueStarLizzard]

*shrug* It's going to bite them all in the ass.

I'd guess that most of this is going to end with all the individual channels going back to a third party streaming service once they realize they aren't going to get the kind of subscriptions they think they will. Amazon *might* come out a winner if they can wrangle more paid "channels" from the channels trying to go off on their own.  

The whole point of streaming for the consumer is convenient and cheap. Switching between different services isn't convenient and paying for a lot of them isn't cheap.
Hell, it already annoys me to switch between Netflix and Amazon when I'm looking for something to watch.