Netflix goes bat@#%@ insane, it's $16 a month now if you want to keep 1 DVD + streaming, $18 for 1 B (1 Viewer)

[Douglas Monce]

Fascinating that Netflix is built on Amazon. I didn't know that. Since Amazon is moving into the content business, that seems risky. If Amazon Prime and Kindle are getting hurt by Netflix, they could turn them off.

That would violate their contract with Netflix and would end up costing them in court. Besides they make money from Netflix success that they have to do almost nothing to earn.

Doug

 

[MattAlbie60]

(And btw, Sam, you ARE: There's one pipe-throwing Headline Hound on every board, who answers and re-answers his own posts with Today's Top Hot-Off-the-Press Link, and then thinks he's a "rebellious outlaw troll" when the regular posters tell him to stuff a sock in it, calm down, Sparky, and quit taking over the darn thread already. Every board.)

What do you think the Home Theater Forum is, exactly?

I personally enjoy Sam's contributions to the thread. He has linked to some very interesting pieces that I would not have otherwise found/read.

So if anything, your opinion and my opinion cancel each other out.

 

[Sam Posten]

Thanks for the kudos Matt. I get that there are folks out there who find me boring or obstinate, mostly because their brands of choice tend to differ from those I've adopted it seems, but the tools are out there for them to have a Sam free HTF if they want, for whatever reason. It's more fun to complain and keep on hatin' than to hit that ignore button tho.

Never would I compare myself to the great Howard but....

Researcher: The average radio listener listens for eighteen minutes. The average Howard Stern fan listens for - are you ready for this? - an hour and twenty minutes.
Pig Vomit: How can that be?
Researcher: Answer most commonly given? "I want to see what he'll say next."
Pig Vomit: Okay, fine. But what about the people who hate Stern?
Researcher: Good point. The average Stern hater listens for two and a half hours a day.
Pig Vomit: But... if they hate him, why do they listen?
Researcher: Most common answer? "I want to see what he'll say next."

/grin

Also note that it's interesting to see how many of our reactions to this situation have changed over time. I still wish I got the value out of a Blue and Stream pack from Netflix but that hasn't come back. I think the value of the streaming is fine for what it is now but that can change as we've seen.

Where I'm still in the same spot is that the -company- netflix is kooky. Their leader seems to be as blunt or worse than Jobs. And they are terrifically bad at managing customers expectations, even when their choices make sense for their future viability.

Nobody doubted that Streaming was the future for Netflix. What we doubted and continued to doubt was that Netflix could continue to provide the value that we had come to expect. And the level of service. And the neat surprises like streaming itself was at the start.

 

[Mike Frezon]

I thought we had all just settled on the fact that Sam is a "nutter" and that's that!

And this is his thread, after all...

 

[Michael Elliott]

http://www.digidev.tv/

I just came across this site, which has some pretty good stuff if you like more odd or old pictures. The silent film station has a lot of Image and Flicker Alley releases. For those who enjoy trash there's a Synapse page as well as one for Something Weird. I signed up for the free trial on all three and think I will keep each of them. It's just $5 a month and offers some pretty good stuff that Netflix doesn't carry. The Something Weird page is clearly the best as they offer all sorts of titles. David Shepard said that if the silent station does well enough that they'll start throwing some un-released stuff on there.

 

[Sam Posten]

This has definitely become a problem for me. Worse, Youtube is almost unusable on FIOS.
http://gigaom.com/2013/06/17/having-problems-with-your-netflix-you-can-blame-verizon/

 

[MattAlbie60]

I have FiOS and my YouTube is fine. The caveat, however, is that the PS3 YouTube app is completely worthless and buffers about once every three seconds (literally). On computers it's fine, though. Odd.

 

[Sam Posten]

It's horrid for me on everything, especially PC and OSX

 

[Sam Posten]

On the other hand..... THIS seems like it's really up my alley:
http://www.engadget.com/2013/06/28/netflix-mad-hands-on/

Powered by Jellyvision, the guys behind You Don't Know Jack.

 

[DaveF]

This has definitely become a problem for me. Worse, Youtube is almost unusable on FIOS.http://gigaom.com/2013/06/17/having-problems-with-your-netflix-you-can-blame-verizon/

so I'm not crazy!Fios performance, especially 8p-10p weekends, especially YouTube can be terrible!

 

[DaveF]

"Time Warner Cable and Comcast are other large providers that has allowed degradation of the online video experience on its networks — after all the logic is that as people start to have a bad Netflix experience, they start to look for alternatives — perhaps the ISP’s own pay TV offering."The risk is people look for an alternative ISP.

 

[Sam Posten]

As much as I like FIOS I will be first in line should Google fiber come to my town.

 

[DaveF]

I find Fios indistinguishable from Comcast xfinity, that i had last year. And no different from TWC, save faster, from two years ago. It's fine, but not impressive given the apparent performance problems at prime time.

 

[Sam Posten]

Here it is, the all or nothing moment for having Netflix and other movie providers be able to insert DRM into the HTML5 spec or not:
http://gigaom.com/2013/07/18/netflix-presses-ahead-with-html5-as-free-software-activists-call-for-boycott/

Yes it would be cool to have netflix in a browser without 3rd party dongles.

But this slippery slope would have too much collateral damage, I hope it fails.

 

[Al.Anderson]

I don't know Sam, I'm certainly no fan, but I think I'll take HTML5 over Flash. I hate flash cookies.

But give us more of what you see as the collateral damage.

 

[Sam Posten]

The fundamental issue is that it seems like a really bad idea for specific corporate interests to worm their way into open standards in ways that cap the knees of the WHOLE REASON FOR THAT STANDARD to exist. HTML is designed to let information be freely available anywhere, any time. DRM is worse than the opposite of that. It's designed for corporate gatekeepers to hide their treasures so you can't get them without paying. It's like saying "Hey here's a the freeway system for public use" and then letting GM charge you a nickle for every mile you ride on top of that highway in a their vehicle. Maybe a bad analogy but you get the idea.

Realize that I am not a zealot about this, I only have my gut to tell me which way I lean. If you want the zealot's take on it, which lays it out in stark terms, start here:
https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2013/03/defend-open-web-keep-drm-out-w3c-standards

Arguments pro and con, taking your side in that "well shit its better than flash, right?":
http://news.slashdot.org/story/13/05/11/1210208/drm-in-html5-better-than-the-alternative

More good info:
http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130505/16411122954/fight-over-drm-html5-should-represent-last-stand-drm.shtml

 

[Sam Posten]

Awesome awesome article on the politics in play behind the Youtube and Netflix buffering issues. Follow da moneys....

http://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2013/07/why-youtube-buffers-the-secret-deals-that-make-and-break-online-video/

 

[Chris Gerhard]

Actually, I think they are trying to get everyone to switch to their streaming only service, eventually discontinue the DVD plans, then switch to a tiered streaming plan.I'm currently evaluating my options, and since most DVD's and Blu-ray discs from Netflix are "Rental Only" discs, with forced trailers and no extras, I'm on the fence at this point. Amazon just offered me a renewal on my Student Prime membership, which was free the first year but did not include video streaming, and if I renew is $40 and now includes streaming. But that means keeping both the PS3 and the Panny BD60 attached to my HT setup, since the PS3 can't do Amazon, and the BD60 can't do Vudu, Hulu+, Netflix, or CinemaNow.

I thought any PS3 can handle Amazon Instant Video including Amazon Prime Instant Video.

http://www.theverge.com/2012/4/3/2921798/sony-ps3-amazon-instant-video

 

[Sam Posten]

Yup, it can, as can Xbox.

 

[EarleD]

I cancelled cable and just use Netflix streaming and couldnt be happier. I have Comcast internet and have no problems at all. Of course I dont watch tons of TV. I figure if I can't find something on NF to watch, I probably don't really want to watch TV.

I have a 55" LCD and most everything looks good to me. I don't stress whether its in WS or not, it just something to watch for a couple of hours in the evening.

Oh I have a 50mb internet connection