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76% Of Netflix Subscribers Think Netflix Can Replace Traditional TV (cordcutting.com)

An anonymous reader writes: It turns out plenty of people think Netflix is ready to replace their traditional TV. According to a survey on AllFlicks (Editor's note: the site is Netflix focused, so it's not really a neutral audience), 75.6 percent of Netflix subscribers said that the on-demand movies and TV shows streaming service has grown good enough to replace whatever the traditional TV has to offer. The participants, however, also noted that the streaming service still can't replace live sports coverage or the experience of the movie theater. In some other news, Netflix knows which picture and video you're likely to click.

160 comments

  1. Thankful by lw54 · · Score: 2, Funny

    If Netflix provided the movie theatre experience, I would cancel my service.

    1. Re:Thankful by Mr+D+from+63 · · Score: 1

      If Netflix provided the movie theatre experience, I would cancel my service.

      Ha!. I was wondering why that would even be mentioned. I suppose if they really wanted a movie experience, they'd need to do it via Oculus Rift, where you can look around at all the people disturbing you, and maybe even get stuck in a bad seat.

    2. Re:Thankful by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      If Netflix provided the movie theatre experience, I would cancel my service.

      Exactly.

      The last time I was in a movie theater was back when cellphones weren't all that common. The "movie theater experience" sucked back then, I can't even imagine going into a theater today.

    3. Re:Thankful by toonces33 · · Score: 3, Insightful

      We haven't been to a theatre in a couple of years. The "commercials" that are now common are annoying. As are other patrons who can't seem to figure out that when they ask people to turn off their cell phones that it applies to everyone.

      Of course there is also the issue that to us most of the movies suck.

    4. Re:Thankful by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      With the HTC Vive, you can get up and move to a different virtual seat.

    5. Re:Thankful by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      That would be awesome. I would finally be able to slap all the people using their smart phones without consequences.

    6. Re:Thankful by Locke2005 · · Score: 1

      No commercials during the movie, just bear in mind that the actual movie starts 20 minutes after the published start time, as they invariably run 20 minutes of previews first. Even the ticket sellers accept this as normal; show up 15 minutes after the movie has started, and they will tell you, "You haven't missed anything, still showing the previews" The ads only run before the scheduled start time; no reason for you to be in the theater then. Basically, it's a scan wherein the theater get paid to show commercials to empty seats.

      --
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    7. Re:Thankful by dpidcoe · · Score: 1

      My issue is that if I want to get there "early" (or on-time, depending on POV) to get a good seat I'm punished for it by having to watch a bunch of stupid commercials.

    8. Re:Thankful by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I guess ad watching is the cost of getting a good seat then. I much prefer to watch at home where I can control the environment.

    9. Re:Thankful by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Yes, but the bad part is that you only get seats way up front unless you go see a movie that has been out for a few weeks already.

    10. Re:Thankful by PCM2 · · Score: 2

      No commercials during the movie

      You're kidding, surely. Comedies, especially, are full of them these days.

      --
      Breakfast served all day!
    11. Re:Thankful by aardvarkjoe · · Score: 1

      They should also stick ten minutes of commercials telling you to turn off your cell phone to the beginning of every movie you watch.

      --

      How can we continue to believe in a just universe and freedom to eat crackers if we have no ale?
    12. Re:Thankful by sexconker · · Score: 1

      If I schlep out to the theater it's for a movie I really want to see (and likely one many other people want to see as well). Therefore I need to get there early to get a decent seat. The phone comes out and I ignore the awful, awful ads until the lights go down.

      Then the previews start. Previews can range from being awful ads themselves to (rarely) being a first look at something else I want to see. If it's for something else I want to see then they're not gaining anything. I was going to buy a ticket / rent the bluray anyway. If it's some shit I don't care about the preview is going to make me hate it more and actively avoid seeing it.

      They really should just bring back classic cartoons. I'd love some Bugs Bunny or Daffy Duck shenanigans before the main feature. Too bad a lot of the stuff they do would "trigger" modern audiences.

    13. Re: Thankful by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I like the previews

    14. Re:Thankful by Darinbob · · Score: 1

      So they just need to add some sticky floors, loud teenagers, stale popcorn, a half hour of previews, and someone texting during the movie?

    15. Re:Thankful by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Many theaters these days allow you to pick and reserve your seat when you buy the ticket online (what, do you still actually buy it only after driving all the way out there not knowing if there will be seats available?) Those are the only theaters that get my patronage anymore.

    16. Re:Thankful by Lumpy · · Score: 1

      They also need to make the floors sticky. EVERY theater I have been in the floor is incredibly sticky.

      Also add in the random nasty fart smell once in a while to make it a very NYC style theater experience.

      --
      Do not look at laser with remaining good eye.
    17. Re:Thankful by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Many theaters these days allow you to pick and reserve your seat when you buy the ticket online (what, do you still actually buy it only after driving all the way out there not knowing if there will be seats available?) Those are the only theaters that get my patronage anymore.

      posting anon do to mod points.

      Of course I drive there without online booking. Where we live, the movie theaters charge an online ticketing fee - charging us more for the convenience of not having their staff wait on us.

    18. Re:Thankful by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Slap? Heck, first I'd get all the men and ugly broads to leave the room... You can imagine what happens next.

    19. Re:Thankful by Applehu+Akbar · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Slap? Heck, first I'd get all the men and ugly broads to leave the room... You can imagine what happens next.

      The pretty girls would still ignore you, just as they do now.

    20. Re:Thankful by Tukz · · Score: 1

      It's funny, in my country (Denmark) you reserve a seat when buying tickets. The ticket is for a specific seat.
      I've never quite understood the standard of just picking the seat you want.

      Maybe it's exactly for the reason you mention, to get people to get there early and watch the commercials.

      --
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    21. Re:Thankful by TheRaven64 · · Score: 1

      I don't mind the trailers - if I'm in a cinema it's because I enjoy watching films, and getting a preview of the other things I might want to watch is fine. I started to hate the cinema experience when the 10 minutes of trailers became 15 minutes of ads followed by 15 minutes of trailers. And then became 15 minutes of trailers followed by 15 minutes of ads, so that you couldn't miss the ads by turning up 15 minutes before the film started. Meanwhile, projectors and decent 5.1 sound systems became cheap, and home movies moved from VHS to DVD.

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    22. Re:Thankful by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      "I don't mind the trailers - if I'm in a cinema it's because I enjoy watching films, and getting a preview of the other things I might want to watch is fine."

      One, maybe two, trailers before the film? Sure. Ok, I won't get pissed. But after 5+ and counting, I start getting pissed. I came to watch a particular movie, not learn about everything else that'll be showing in the next few months.

      But. What really pisses me off is when they mix in the occasional "piracy is not a victimless crime" infomercial. I'm there, sitting in the fucking theater. You think I'm the one who they need to be telling that shit to? I personally find it offensive to have to sit through it after paying a LOT more for admission than the movie is ultimately going to be worth.

      And that's why I limit theater trips (along with the insane costs of popcorn... and water.) to about 1 movie a year tops. And only if I have a few people to go watch a movie with. No way am I suffering half an hour of previews alone.

    23. Re:Thankful by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The local theater here starts the movie at the listed time.

      When you buy tickets, you get a seat number. You can buy tickets online and reserve a seat.

      Not all theaters are retarded, terrible experiences.

    24. Re:Thankful by tgharold · · Score: 1

      Some places in the US allow you to reserve seats, those are usually the higher priced locations.

    25. Re:Thankful by sexconker · · Score: 1

      Online tickets cost extra. I buy tickets in person 90% of the time. Tickets are available because I show up early or I show up, buy tickets for a later show, then go eat somewhere, then see the movie.

  2. 24% of Netflix subscribers like sports by Overzeetop · · Score: 2

    Amirite?

    --
    Is it just my observation, or are there way too many stupid people in the world?
    1. Re:24% of Netflix subscribers like sports by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Some unknown percentage (less than 100%) of Netflix subscribers that like sports are unaware of the streaming apps (Watch ESPN, CBS sports, etc) for sports channels.

      FTFY.

    2. Re:24% of Netflix subscribers like sports by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Those have delays - it's not live coverage or typically an option for a sports watching party since even minor technical problems ruin the experience.

    3. Re:24% of Netflix subscribers like sports by Quirkz · · Score: 2

      I like sports, but I don't need them. I mostly don't like TV, but do miss it a little, sometimes. Netflix, for $9/month does maybe 80% of what I want. Compared to the $50 I'd be paying for TV, it's an acceptable tradeoff, but not quite a full replacement. The Netflix exclusives like Daredevil and Longmire help make up a little bit of that difference.

    4. Re:24% of Netflix subscribers like sports by Archangel+Michael · · Score: 2

      That may be true. However, going from app to app to app to app to find the game(other live event) you're looking for is really lame. If Netflix was smart, they would incorporate all those other "app" experiences (when possible).

      For instance Hockey, is it in CCSN, NBCSN, ESPN, ABC, or NHL app (or somewhere else). And then trying to stream it to my TV is a whole other issue (good luck). Cable/Sat TV is really dying, it just doesn't know it yet. Netcraft may even be confirming it.

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    5. Re: 24% of Netflix subscribers like sports by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Most of those require cable tv subscription.

    6. Re:24% of Netflix subscribers like sports by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      What kind of knob watches sports at home? go to the sports pub where you can be loud with other fans and spill beer on each other.

      Sitting at home alone watching it? how sad.

    7. Re: 24% of Netflix subscribers like sports by tepples · · Score: 1

      And many cable companies provide bundled TV at little or no extra charge to Internet subscribers.

    8. Re:24% of Netflix subscribers like sports by Overzeetop · · Score: 1

      I have a tap, a full bar, and a lot of friends who like to watch the game at my place (or at least drink my beer), you insensitive clod.

      --
      Is it just my observation, or are there way too many stupid people in the world?
    9. Re: 24% of Netflix subscribers like sports by amRadioHed · · Score: 1

      Which cable companies are those? AT&T chargers a minimum of $20 fee more for TV +$15 for the mandatory equipment, and that's the crap package with mostly just OTA stations and no HD. If you want HD you're looking at a total of $45 to add on basic TV. If you actually want useful stations that's another $20-30.

      --
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    10. Re: 24% of Netflix subscribers like sports by cogeek · · Score: 1

      Comcast is an example. For me to have just 75Mbps connection they were charging me $99/mo. When I agreed to their "bundle" with basic cable, it went to 150Mbps with basic cable for $75/mo.

  3. Its coming by Mr+D+from+63 · · Score: 3, Interesting

    With ESPN now talking to HULU, we are moving closer to a break of the sports content lock that cable has held, and hopefully we'll have IPTV choices to suit our needs from true competitors. Cable is going to have to adjust. With smartphone habits overtaking TV watching anyhow, its a matter of time.

    1. Re:Its coming by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      NHL is all that matters in Canada. Get NHL on Netflix or Shomi and you have got rid of cable.

    2. Re:Its coming by reboot246 · · Score: 2

      Football fans need more than just ESPN. During the college and pro seasons I watch multiple ESPN stations, FoxSports, the NFL Network, and all of the broadcast networks that broadcast games live.

      in short, it's going to be a long time before I can drop cable.

    3. Re:Its coming by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      With ESPN now talking to HULU, we are moving closer to a break of the sports content lock that cable has held, and hopefully we'll have IPTV choices to suit our needs from true competitors. .

      All the major sports leagues charge the television networks a lot of money to broadcast their games. So you'll end up having to subscribe to Netflix AND Hulu, AND pay extra charges for each sport (NBA, NFL, etc). So you end up paying pretty much the same as you pay to watch everything on cable.

    4. Re:Its coming by Mr+D+from+63 · · Score: 1

      Football fans need more than just ESPN. During the college and pro seasons I watch multiple ESPN stations, FoxSports, the NFL Network, and all of the broadcast networks that broadcast games live..

      I think once the scales start tipping enough. Those other sports networks are gong to have to move like ESPN is doing. They can't afford to lose younger viewers, because they may not get them back. I used to think it would be locked up a lot longer but I'm starting to see the ice break.

    5. Re:Its coming by toonces33 · · Score: 2

      True. ESPN itself seems to offer mainly talking heads flapping their gums and filling time. The games themselves are what people really want to see, and those are scattered on a number of channels.

    6. Re:Its coming by xxxJonBoyxxx · · Score: 1

      >> During the college and pro seasons I watch multiple ESPN stations, FoxSports, the NFL Network, and all of the broadcast networks that broadcast games liv

      This. Eventually I just said "fuck college football - I can't even find my team anymore" and cut the cord. Now all the sports I watch either comes over the local HD broadcast or streamed through Russia/Europe (e.g., March Madness).

    7. Re:Its coming by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Name a single time any entertainment media switched formats and the price stayed the same or lowered. No sports league is going to leave cable or FTA unless it's for more money. This will mean that subscribers will be charged more. Make no mistake, anyone wishing to "free themselves" from cable or FTA sports will only be able to do it by paying more than they currently do.

    8. Re:Its coming by KingOfBLASH · · Score: 1

      Ummm. For those of us who don't watch sports, that content lock is one of the reasons to use Netflix.

    9. Re:Its coming by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You can already get ESPN on Sling.

    10. Re:Its coming by Locke2005 · · Score: 1

      Sports is a special case, because it actually requires high-quality video streaming to eliminate motion blur, so it is inherently higher bandwidth.

      --
      I've abandoned my search for truth; now I'm just looking for some useful delusions.
    11. Re:Its coming by Koatdus · · Score: 1

      I haven't had cable in years.

      I have never been much of a TV watcher but I find that between Netflix, local broadcast (over the air) tv, and the 4 sports bars within 5 miles of my house I am just fine without cable.

      Netflix and before that blockbuster (rip bb) lets me watch a movie at home once in a while.

      Sports...There are 3 teams I care about and two of them are local and likely to be on ota tv; plus sports are much more fun to watch at a sport bar with a bunch of people around you cheering, then they are to watch at home by yourself.

      I go to the theater once in a great while if there is something that I really want to see on a big screen but those are few and far between. It is a shame really because I used to love going to the movies but they have ruined the experience between the price and the crappy remakes and reboots of old movies. Is there no one left in Hollywood capable of an original idea?

      By the way, over the air tv has a MUCH better high def signal then the local cable company. When I watch something at any of my friends houses I always notice how bad the cable signal is in my area. I don't think they will be getting my money any time soon.

      --
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    12. Re:Its coming by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      All my TCP/IP content is cable. Cable has adjusted (speeds match fiber in my area). Now we are just waiting for the licensing details to work out. Lawyers.

    13. Re:Its coming by Darinbob · · Score: 0

      Sort of like CNN, lots of people flapping their gums talking about something other than the news.

    14. Re:Its coming by Overzeetop · · Score: 1

      Yeah, you can, just as long as you don't want to actually watch a popular game in any sort of decent quality. I don't know about you, but having the quality drop to 320x180 @ 15FPS isn't exactly what I'd call a quality transmission. Yeah, it's better than nothing...but just barely. Luckily, the ESPN app works with Sling as a provider, and their feed it better - though still not immune from bandwidth choking.

      --
      Is it just my observation, or are there way too many stupid people in the world?
    15. Re:Its coming by Gilgaron · · Score: 1

      We cancelled cable during football season, and found that, as college football fans, most of the games worth watching are on network TV, anyhow. The others I would listen to on the radio while doing chores. When the Big10 network was created and initially not available on TW Cable there was lots of fan bitching, but it was not at TW, it was at the Big10 for what was seen as a money grab. I would bet that if ESPN is feeling pinched, the smaller networks will feel it worse.

    16. Re:Its coming by AmiMoJo · · Score: 1

      How much football do you watch every week? Seems like you must spend a lot of time watching TV. I'm just wondering how typical you are of the average American football fan.

      --
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    17. Re:Its coming by TheSync · · Score: 1

      With ESPN now talking to HULU, we are moving closer to a break of the sports content lock that cable has held

      The only "content lock" is money. Cable and broadcast channels get guaranteed per-subscriber payments from MVPDs every month (often several dollars per sub), on top of better per ad rates than streaming built on huge audiences larger than any live streaming (tens of millions for broadcast football), which is the kind of money they need to pay for sky-high sports rights.

      As soon as streaming solutions can scale to tens of millions of reliable concurrents in HD 60 fps and the subscribers are willing to pay what is contributed in "retrans fees" from MVPDs today, the sports will move to streaming.

      Yahoo! and Twitter have already picked up streaming rights to a football game here and there, and of course MLB has been streaming for a while on their own platform.

    18. Re:Its coming by Mr+D+from+63 · · Score: 1

      The only "content lock" is money.

      Well, it certainly does always come down to money of course. ESPN has been quite reluctant to move outside its cable world because of the overall lucrative Disney contracts with cable. They knew, as did the cable companies, that sports kept a lot of subscribers, so in essence that formed a content lock of ESPN sports tied to cable. Even ESPN3 required a cable TV account.

      But, now ESPN itself is not enough to keep so many cable subscribers paying those high cable bills. So ESPN has to start moving to IPTV, thus breaking the lock. Its only a matter of time before FOX Sports moves in that direction.

      Yes, there are also technical challenges with streaming. Those will be addressed. I think a lot of customers will be OK with paying a lot less and getting lower quality video. I watch a lot on ESPN3 and, while clearly a step back from true HDTV, it satisfies my hunger for watching my teams. The technical issues will be dealt with as IPTV sports expands. There will be a lot of challenges along the way.

    19. Re:Its coming by Scroatzilla · · Score: 1

      Roku has been offering sports through its platform for a few years now.
      https://channelstore.roku.com/...
      I don't think avid TV people do too much serious research about cutting the cable cord unless they really have to. FYI, I've been cable-free (internet only) for 10+ years now, and have noticed the validity of arguments against cutting the cord rapidly diminishing. When I see commericals for Xfinity X1, I actually feel the same way about that as I do about the commericials for "free tv" that are really just selling TV antennae-- disingenuous overselling of underwhelming products. My regular antenna works just fine. ;)

  4. My answer will sound familiar but, by Stray1 · · Score: 1

    Probably the sole reason this hasn't happened completely is there is no sports option without cable. My bet is cable companies are not encouraging stations like ESPN to make a ESPN-GO like option with monthly fees.

    1. Re:My answer will sound familiar but, by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Correction... no legal option. You can watch any sports you want if you ignore the word legal.

    2. Re: My answer will sound familiar but, by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      But how? I checked several trackers and found only two games for my favorite college team. I watched every single game they've played the past three years on cable.

    3. Re: My answer will sound familiar but, by thundercattt · · Score: 1

      There are sports option. Hockey has NHLTV, NFL you can get the stream package too but are a ludicrous price.

    4. Re: My answer will sound familiar but, by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Most streams of sports suck, seriously suck. Nothing like watching a game and getting all sorts of distortion anytime a ball, puck etc moves too fast for the video encoder to do anything useful but turn it into a blur...

      Not to mention when I want to sit down and watch the game, I don't want to fuck around with my computers, that's what I do for work. I want to enjoy myself, kick back with a beer and just watch the game.

      Live sports is the main thing that keeps me from dumping cable/sat tv.

  5. Can? by hey! · · Score: 1

    Try "has" for anything but breaking news or sports.

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    1. Re:Can? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      "Can has netflix replace traditional TV?"
       
      Are you a LOLCAT or something?

    2. Re:Can? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The title alone is hilarious. I needed a good laugh.

      In the end, the group of Netflix users we surveyed thought Netflix was likely to take down pay TV in much the same way as it once took down Blockbuster and Hollywood Video.

      Don't Netflix subscribers know where their content comes from? Sure, some of it is original, but come on. How much of the content on Netflix comes from pay TV? Don't the commercials on pay TV help subsidize a lot of the content on pay TV? If pay TV were to go away, wouldn't Netflix have to either pay more and introduce commercials? I don't think pay TV will go away anytime soon. Although, I wouldn't be surprised if a a good chunk of people end up dropping it if the prices keep increasing (but not to the extent that pay TV would go away).

    3. Re:Can? by Moof123 · · Score: 5, Informative

      News has been broken for a long time. I can't tune into any of 24 hour networks without wanting to throw something at the TV due to the utter stupidity being displayed by the teleprompter monkeys. Evening local news is filled with "Is your cat going to kill you? After the break..." I'd rather get my news online where I can choose to skip past the inane crap.

    4. Re:Can? by hey! · · Score: 1

      A slow demise for traditional TV won't precipitate any sudden crisis. As new network contracted content dries up, more studios will just pitch their stuff direct to streaming services. There will be a period of coexistence between broadcast TV, cable TV, and streaming, the way cable and broadcast coexisted. Then the weakest competitor dies off, and the cable networks probably become streaming services.

      I can't imagine anyone watching synchronous TV in twenty years.

      --
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    5. Re:Can? by Darinbob · · Score: 2

      The economics never made sense. There is no possible way they are getting $10/month out of me for advertising. By paying that much in subscription I am doing more to subsidize the content than by watching the commercials. Sure, there are idiotic marketing people that think my eyeballs are worth that much money but they're delusional. I'm buying no-name brands, whatever is the cheapest, or the same thing I bought last time, and then I make it last for as long as possible. And I skipped past most the commercials anyway as I had a DVR. I never even watched the superbowl commercials. Now maybe I'm unusual, but I think getting $10/month from me is pretty damn good.

      Then look at it this way. If they did not have Netflix, then I wouldn't watch the TV. It is no longer an option of cable/satellite vs Netflix, it's nothing vs Netflix. TV companies are also delusional in thinking that everyone cutting the cord will be back if the streaming dried up. There is no mandate to watch TV, no mandate to listen to music, no mandate to watch movies, yet all those industries assume they have a captive audience.

      Even if you are right, they should still not have to rely on my charity to stay in business. I'll make decisions that are good for *me* rather than decisions that keep some of the country's most hated corporations in power.

    6. Re:Can? by TheRaven64 · · Score: 1
      There are several economic models for making TV shows:

      In the first, you produce a pilot, give it away for free and then ask for funding to produce the first season. Fans then throw in some money and once you've raised enough to cover the costs and some profit you start making it. Once you've got the first few episodes out, you start asking for funds for the second season. You encourage wide distribution by fans, because the more people who see season 1, the more are likely to want to pay for season 2.

      In the second, you make a pilot and then take it to a company that sells TV shows. They have a load of people paying them money because they want to see TV and so they might decide that they want to fund it. If they do, then they pay for it with money from the subscription service (or from direct sales of a copy of it). You're probably locked into an exclusive distribution contract with them for at least the first year, so if they decide not to renew it then there's a comparatively limited number of people who have seen it in time for your next round of funding.

      In the third, you make a pilot and then take it to a company that sells advertising space. They have a limited number of advertising slots and need to fill up the space between them with the things that are most likely to bring eyeballs to the ads. They won't fund your show just because it will make a profit for them, it needs to bring in more viewers than anything else that they could put in the same slot. They'll happily cancel your show if they can find something that's 5% more popular to replace it with.

      Of these, which do you think makes the most sense? My guess would be that it's not the third, yet that's how most TV is funded today.

      --
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    7. Re:Can? by oxbow+lake · · Score: 1

      ...and come straight to the inane crap here! :-D

    8. Re:Can? by tepples · · Score: 1

      Is the online news presented audiovisually so that you can unwind from tiring work at your day job, or do you have to expend attention reading it? My roommate watches local news, Inside Edition, and PBS NewsHour to unwind.

    9. Re:Can? by Cro+Magnon · · Score: 1

      Bingo! When I get home, I just plop into my chair, turn on the tube, and yell at Mr. O'Reilly. I've been using my brain all day and I want to just relax.

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  6. yah, right! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I used to think that, but that was before they started cutting their movie selection and wasting money on a handful of self-made shows instead. Now it's just turning into Hulu.

    1. Re:yah, right! by Mr+D+from+63 · · Score: 1

      I used to think that, but that was before they started cutting their movie selection and wasting money on a handful of self-made shows instead. Now it's just turning into Hulu.

      I never really watched much of the movie content anyhow. I watch much more TV series and original content. I am happy with them producing more, I hope a lot more.

    2. Re:yah, right! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Insightful

      they started cutting their movie selection and wasting money on a handful of self-made shows instead.

      Netflix didn't cut their movie selection, the studios did. Netflix would be perfectly happy to show you every movie ever made if they could.

      Also, their own shows are sufficiently successful (both commercially and critically) that for you to call that a "waste" is objectively wrong in every sense.

    3. Re:yah, right! by Darinbob · · Score: 1

      Never went to Hulu, never saw the need. There's so much on Netflix that when I finally run out of content then I'll worry about the few movies I can't see there. Ther'es always a movie service somewhere if I absolutely must see that movie now (I'm a few behind on the Marvel series, and yet my life hasn't ended).

    4. Re:yah, right! by Gilgaron · · Score: 1

      Without original content they couldn't control their future. They played everything perfectly: build a user base with cheap licensed content. Content owners realize that Netflix is eating their lunch by outcompeting other licensees who had been paying more and runs up the costs. Netflix trims back and uses their cash to keep their user base via original content their algorithms said would be good.

  7. Count me in by MobileTatsu-NJG · · Score: 1

    My wife and I are moving soon. Between Netflix (streaming + discs), Hulu, and Amazon we feel pretty well covered. If anybody has any suggestions for streaming news they would be well appreciated.

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    "I like to lick butts!" by MobileTatsu-NJG (#32700246) (Score:5, Informative)

    1. Re:Count me in by MobileTatsu-NJG · · Score: 1

      Damn, I hit 'Submit' too fast. I meant to say "my wife and I are moving soon and cable TV isn't." We figure the move is the best time for a change like that.

      My apologies.

      --

      "I like to lick butts!" by MobileTatsu-NJG (#32700246) (Score:5, Informative)

    2. Re:Count me in by toonces33 · · Score: 1

      Well, news is very personal. Do you want local news? That's highly dependent on what the local news outlets offer, but some people have good luck with rabbit ears.

      I know you can stream the BBC online, if that's the sort of news you want.

      I personally like channels like Discovery, History, Science, NatGeo, Smithsonian, and so forth. I haven't seen anything at all on Netflix or anything like it that offers much of anything to me. Just a handful of things here and there - maybe. But I keep hoping.

    3. Re:Count me in by Austerity+Empowers · · Score: 1

      most places you can go are covered by HD broadcast, which you can get with an antenna. The broadcast quality is far superior to most cable or satellite streams that I've seen. I use that plus Tablo for DVR to cover everything you might want.

      It's still cheaper than cable or satellite...

    4. Re:Count me in by Darinbob · · Score: 1

      How can you stream the BBC online? I've been looking for that for ages. They even yanked off Doctor Who off of all streaming services, with a hint that maybe they're going to have their own service. BBC News has not been streaming for a few years at least that I can tell. Really, the only thing I miss from satellite is BBC America.

      Discovery has gone stupid a few years back, not much to see there ("How It's Made" is on netflix). History channel is now the Nazi Space Aliens channel. National Geographic is better as a magazine.

    5. Re:Count me in by toonces33 · · Score: 1

      For one, there is an Android app on my phone that lets me stream audio.

      If you just google "bbc news streaming", you can pick over a variety of stories to watch, some of which are very current. It isn't the same as just live streaming the channel - apparently the cable companies prevent them from selling that to people in the US/Canada.

      http://www.bbc.com/news/world-...

    6. Re:Count me in by Darinbob · · Score: 1

      And the streaming doesn't work in the US... Legally anyway.

    7. Re:Count me in by Zarquon · · Score: 1

      Dr Who moved to Amazon for now, in the US at least. 1-8 are included with Prime, season 9 costs more money.

      -R C

      --
      "'Tis great confidence in a friend to tell him your faults, greater to tell him his." --Poor Richard's Almanac
    8. Re:Count me in by amRadioHed · · Score: 1

      I haven't found any good live options yet, but the PBS NewsHour is freely available every night.

      --
      We hope your rules and wisdom choke you / Now we are one in everlasting peace
    9. Re:Count me in by MobileTatsu-NJG · · Score: 1

      Thank you!

      --

      "I like to lick butts!" by MobileTatsu-NJG (#32700246) (Score:5, Informative)

  8. If they're so smart... by drinkypoo · · Score: 3, Interesting

    If they know what I'm likely to click, why don't they show it to me, instead of aggressively doing the opposite?

    --
    "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
    1. Re:If they're so smart... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I agree. Their user-interface (on PC at least) has seemed to decline more and more, showing more in pictures and less in descriptions. And yeah, at least show me something I'm interested in. And stop showing me the same title in 5 different categories.

    2. Re:If they're so smart... by grahamtriggs · · Score: 1

      The UX is *horrible*

      - random jumps of categories, when all you want to do is go to "my list".
      - "my list" on the TV app is frequently out of date
      - the TV app often shows the wrong image for the entry
      - the TV app crashes too frequently
      - apps don't always remember that you are logged in / they change the log in procedures
      - expiry dates are now completely hidden (used to be easily visible on the "My list" of the website

      Add to that, it has always been difficult / impossible to accurately see what has been added recently (thank god for "New on Netflix" - without that site, the service would be completely unusable).

      Every single change they've made to the website / apps since I signed up for the service a couple of years ago has made it worse. And there is no sign that they are actually listening to what people need from the service.

    3. Re:If they're so smart... by AmiMoJo · · Score: 1

      They are trying to broaden your interests. They only have so many shows, eventually you will exhaust them, so it's important to suggest other stuff you might like too. FWIW I've found a few shows through Netflix that are worth watching.

      --
      const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
      SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC
    4. Re:If they're so smart... by drinkypoo · · Score: 1

      They are trying to broaden your interests.

      They are failing.

      --
      "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
    5. Re:If they're so smart... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      AND GET OFF HIS YARD!

      Leave drinkypoo to his Hee Haw and Lawrence Welk shows!

    6. Re:If they're so smart... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The UX is *horrible*

      - random jumps of categories, when all you want to do is go to "my list".
      - "my list" on the TV app is frequently out of date

      Um, at the top - "Browse | My List"

      - the TV app often shows the wrong image for the entry

      The "TV app" - you mean a so-called 'smart tv'? Talk to the manufacturer, update the app (if the manufacturer allows and there's one available. Haven't seen any issues like that myself on web or android. Android works just fine, but phone manfacturer, android version, and any other number of things can mess things up on some rando 3rd party hardware/software.

      - the TV app crashes too frequently
      - apps don't always remember that you are logged in / they change the log in procedures

      More unspecified "app" issues without any details... meh. If you're using something else other than the direct netflix provided stuff, you're going to have issues. Heck, even Android's netflix app sometimes has issues due to crappy android/phone/tablet implimentations done by third parties. Just my experience though.

      - expiry dates are now completely hidden (used to be easily visible on the "My list" of the website

      Add to that, it has always been difficult / impossible to accurately see what has been added recently (thank god for "New on Netflix" - without that site, the service would be completely unusable).

      Every single change they've made to the website / apps since I signed up for the service a couple of years ago has made it worse. And there is no sign that they are actually listening to what people need from the service.

      nfi on the expiry dates - from what I've seen those generally only got used when a bulk provider is not being renewed or not allowing netflix to stream their stuff anymore. *shrugs*

      Much ado about nothing here it seems...

  9. just wait by Revek · · Score: 1

    until you hate netflix as much as you hate cable. it will happen and the schadenfreuden will be sweet.

    1. Re:just wait by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      now they have so many people hooked, Netflix will be raising rates 5 or 6% per year until it reaches $60/month.

    2. Re:just wait by Dutch+Gun · · Score: 1

      I hope you're only kidding and you're really not that bitter of a person. Anyhow, where are a few reasons that may not happen:

      First, there are no local monopolies for streaming video services, so unlike cable, it's not a "take it or leave it" offering. There's also more than one streaming service, and they have to directly compete with each other, as well as with cable. In fact, I predict you'll actually see substantial price cuts in cable services as more and more people start ditching them altogether and they get increasingly desperate. Or, they'll start charging more for ISP-related services, because they suck like that.

      Second, anyone can get almost any digital media for free using bittorrent. Streaming services offer an advantage in convenience, but if they start charging ridiculous prices like cable, people will get pushed to the digital black market.

      Third, I can never hate another company as much as I hate Comcast. No, really... they'd actually have to do something pretty amazing to top Comcast, who's managed to piss all over their customers at almost every opportunity all while charging absolutely insane rates and providing lackluster service to boot.

      --
      Irony: Agile development has too much intertia to be abandoned now.
  10. good luck netflix by FudRucker · · Score: 1

    my mom has been a terrestrial cable TV subscriber since the mid 1960's and i shown her satellite when it first got popular and she was not impressed, i shown her Roku and all the free stuff it includes and google's chromecast, and she had no interest in it, she love her basic cable, she gets 60+ channels but only watches about 5 of them, and does not care to change, she is too stubborn and set in her ways to change,

    --
    Politics is Treachery, Religion is Brainwashing
    1. Re:good luck netflix by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Yes but she will eventually die.

      There were people that didn't want to give up horses and carriages.

  11. What do you mean, think? by SuperKendall · · Score: 1

    For a long time for me, Netflix DID replace traditional TV.

    Even now it mostly does, but I have broken down and have a few things like an HBO Now subscription (now that HBO and others no longer require a tie in from your cable provider).

    Even if you loved sports, I cannot see how cable at this point is a better deal than something like the MLB subscription which through apps gives you way more than TV ever could. You'd have fewer sports to watch but get way more games and information. Personally I've been waiting forever to get great rally driving coverage through some kind of app... the WRC app now looks like it may have what I want.

    --
    "There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
    1. Re:What do you mean, think? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      If pay TV goes away, wouldn't MLB subscription cost a lot more to make up the revenue?

    2. Re:What do you mean, think? by SuperKendall · · Score: 1

      Yes of course, but who cares? Certainly not the baseball fans that buy all kinds of baseball related stuff and spend money going to games.

      Even if MLB At Bat were 4x what it is now, over the course of a year it would still cost less than taking a few people to a single game. AND you would get way better viewing of all the games.

      --
      "There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
    3. Re:What do you mean, think? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It's called the Blackout Rules and they suck! You are not allowed to watch your local team play home games. Same for NHL. That's half of the games they play. Until the blackouts stop, the apps are basically useless.

    4. Re:What do you mean, think? by amRadioHed · · Score: 1

      No local games from the MLB app, that's kind of a major problem, isn't it? Those are the games most people want to watch.

      --
      We hope your rules and wisdom choke you / Now we are one in everlasting peace
  12. The experience of a movie threater? by sheetsda · · Score: 1

    [Netflix can't replace] the experience of the movie theater.

    Oh yes, so many things I will miss about movie theaters...
    - Outrageous prices of concessions and tickets.
    - Going to the movie rather than it coming to me.
    - Inability to pause.
    - Scheduling parts of my day around when the movie I want to see is on.
    - Other people that never improve, and often detract from, the movie experience.

    Mark my words: Movie theaters are the next lunch Netflix will eat after cable TV stations and providers.

    1. Re:The experience of a movie threater? by Locke2005 · · Score: 1

      Maybe I should start a service that delivers $8 popcorn and $6 large cups of soda directly to people's homes, for those that really miss the "movie theater experience"!!!

      --
      I've abandoned my search for truth; now I'm just looking for some useful delusions.
    2. Re:The experience of a movie threater? by David_Hart · · Score: 1

      [Netflix can't replace] the experience of the movie theater.

      Oh yes, so many things I will miss about movie theaters...
      - Outrageous prices of concessions and tickets.
      - Going to the movie rather than it coming to me.
      - Inability to pause.
      - Scheduling parts of my day around when the movie I want to see is on.
      - Other people that never improve, and often detract from, the movie experience.

      Mark my words: Movie theaters are the next lunch Netflix will eat after cable TV stations and providers.

      - 4k video
      - HUGE screen
      - Full Dolby Atmos surround sound
      - The movie as it was meant to be experienced

      Yes, there can be some drawbacks but, in my opinion, the positives outweigh them. But then again, I love movies. It seems to me that you enjoy them, but for you, watching a movie is not an experience, just something to do for fun. So watching a movie on a small screen (relatively) with low resolution works for you.

      The Showcase Cinemas movie theater near me renovated this past winter and now has reserved seating with leather recliners, etc. It's a bit more expensive than general admission but the people and scheduling problems are greatly reduced.

      Oh, and who buys food at the concession stands...

    3. Re:The experience of a movie threater? by jason777 · · Score: 1

      You forgot:
      -loud/annoying people
      -dirty/broken seats
      -smelly people
      -30 mins of commericals before the movie

    4. Re:The experience of a movie threater? by ADRA · · Score: 1

      Much like a broadway show or Theatre, Movies gives people an excuse to get out of their boring hum drum lives and sit through some audio/visual experience outside of their home's comfort zone. The problem is now that home threatres have gotten significantly better over the last 15 years and movie theatres have gotten significantly worse.

      --
      Bye!
    5. Re:The experience of a movie threater? by TheRaven64 · · Score: 1

      To truly replicate the experience, you'd also need to tie it to a streaming service that doesn't allow pausing once the film has started, randomises the equaliser settings so that the audio sucks, and ensure that the delivery service wouldn't ring the doorbell until 10 minutes into the film.

      --
      I am TheRaven on Soylent News
    6. Re:The experience of a movie threater? by TheRaven64 · · Score: 1

      4K makes a difference for some people, but it doesn't do much for me. When my local cinema went digital, I could see the pixelation, which I can't on a DVD at home. As to the screen size, it's not the size as much as the field of view that matters. A projector at home filling up the wall of the living room gets me the same amount of my field of view filled as a good seat in the cinema, and far more than a bad seat. Audio also seems to hit diminishing returns. Stereo was a big difference over mono. Dolby Digital 5.1 was a noticeable jump for a lot of action things. I can occasionally tell the difference between DD and DTS, but not usually. Beyond DTS, I just can't tell the difference.

      --
      I am TheRaven on Soylent News
  13. Not sure how long it will last by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Currently if only watching on-demand content we don't have to pay the television licence in the UK, so using Netflix / on-demand providers is saving me money, for a more convenient service!

    The only downside to this is the BBC sending out letters assuming you're watching TV illegally, unless you can prove otherwise... but it's a small price to pay!

  14. Roku.. not Netflix by TechyImmigrant · · Score: 1

    Netflix has some stuff but it's full of crap that takes some wading through and there's limited access to current movies.

    The Roku can use Netflix, but it can also use many other sources. The Roku is plenty good enough to replace cable TV.

    --
    I should use this sig to advertise my book ISBN-13 : 978-1501515132.
  15. sadly true by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    As a long term pirate (20 years ish) paying for netflix seemed dumb, until my internet connection got good enough that maintaining a media server was a waste of time. At the same time I was a huge supporter of the BBC and our TV license but since subbing to Netflix (and pirating the few latest releases a year I'm interested in) I've not viewed terrestrial digital, free to air satellite or anything. I now pay 140 or so a year for something I don't use mainly to keep the licensing bully boy enforcers from nosing round my gaff.

    1. Re:sadly true by TheRaven64 · · Score: 1

      I stopped paying the license fee when the BBC launched iPlayer with DRM and vendor lock-in (in spite of broadcasting HD MPEG-2 streams uncompressed over the airwaves). I'd happily start again if they'd move to DRM-free downloads and would consider £140/year to be cheap.

      --
      I am TheRaven on Soylent News
  16. Netflix no - Media Centre yes by Harlequin80 · · Score: 1

    Netflix can't replace TV yet because there is too much content it doesn't carry. However a media centre that can aggregate your different media sources can. Especially so if your chosen sport have streaming as well. My choices of MotoGP, Cricket and NRL Rugby all stream, all of them can be supported directly by KODI.

  17. Hell by painandgreed · · Score: 1

    I thought that back when it was just three DVDs at one time; one movie and two series at any time kept me in plenty of TV watching.

  18. Wouldn't want to lose OTA broadcast by kheldan · · Score: 1

    I think it would really suck if all TV became pay TV, regardless of whether you have to pay for an internet connection to get it, or that plus paying some service like Netflix. Also, what about local news broadcasts? Local public access? OTA broadcast television and radio have always served these purposes as well as entertainment, or has everyone forgotten that? Anyway.. I dumped cable TV years ago and haven't regretted it once. I also dumped Netflix before that, because it just didn't offer enough to justify the cost -- but that was before companies like Netflix started creating their own content; still, it isn't attractive enough to me to pay for it. Between the antenna on my roof and a DVR, I've always got more than enough new programming to watch than I have time to watch it all. If streaming over the internet and paying Netflix or whoever for your entertainment works for you, great, I'm happy for you, but at the same time I don't think I'm alone in my preferences.

    --
    Are YOU using the TOOL, or is the TOOL using YOU? Think about it!
  19. Two years ago I might have agreed by darthsilun · · Score: 1

    These days I can hardly find anything I want to watch on streaming, and I can barely keep my DVD queue full.

    Hulu is a desert. I won't pay for Amazon Prime, at least not while I'm paying for Netflix. Comcast/Xfinity can't seem to make up its mind what I'm allowed to watch on my broadband-only service; I watched have of season five of Game of Thrones before they decided I wasn't really entitled to it. Yes, I am actually entitled to some things, just not very much. I almost bit when they had a Broadband+TV deal that was within a couple dollars of what I pay now, but it was one of their fscking one year deals, then the price goes up and I have to play hardball and threaten to switch to FIOS to keep them from jacking up the price.

    I use a VPN to watch BBC iPlayer, where at least some of the content is a bit better than the drivel we're given here.

    And my wife and I go to the movie theater to see new movies when there's something worth seeing, which kinda contributes to our inability to keep the DVD queue full. I guess I live in a civilized part of the country – nobody's phones ring in the middle of the movie, etc.

    1. Re:Two years ago I might have agreed by justthinkit · · Score: 1

      I wanted to use iPlayer but instead just waited until the next day for all the Snooker to make it onto YouTube.

      YouTube is / will be the ultimate winner here, not Netflix.

      Our kids figured this out years ago...

      --
      I come here for the love
  20. Anticompetitive? by SeattleLawGuy · · Score: 1

    We have moved from the old cable model--where you had to choose a core option, had a few add-on-packages you could choose on, and had a very few a-la-carte offerings. Now we have a couple of package options that are cheaper than the core options used to be: we can get the netflix package, the hulu package, the amazon package, the cbs package, etc..., all of which compete across a variety of genres.

    Meanwhile, the sports genre is only available on cable, where it can demand monopoly prices and is the primary driver of people to purchase cable. It is difficult to see it as anything more than an abuse of market power that should implicate anti-trust laws, and would in a more invasive regulatory climate. It is like if you took all comedy, and said it could only be purchased or viewed through streaming company ComedyRules, which also has a lot of non-comedy.

    In theory it is a free market and someone could bid more than the cable companies in order to be able to carry sports--but in a real bidding war nobody would be able to, because the cable company has the benefits of monopoly pricing.

    --
    Real lawyers write in C++
  21. Traditional TV by Feral+Nerd · · Score: 1

    Traditional TV is a steaming pile of crap. I watch more YouTube content created by random people with a camcorder than 'traditional TV'. In fact I'm amazed that 'traditional TV' hasn't gone the way of the dinosaurs yet. I tried to get a subscription to the local TV channel that has a monopoly on showing Game of Thrones, they told me that in order to get that channel I'd have to buy a 'value package' of 10 channel that included sports channels, a celebrity channel, a lifestyle channels... basically I'd have to pay for access to the channel I wanted and nine other channels pumping a steady stream of cultural sewage that I wouldn't watch to save my life. Short answer? No thanks! Next stop was trying to get access to the HBO directly only to be told by a very courteous and helpful HBO callcenter worker: "HBO is not available in your region". Apparently this is because of 'legal and licensing issues' which translates into: 'artificial trade barriers to rip off the consumer'. So having been frustrated at every turn in my quest to be an honest consumer and pay for the content my next stop was BitTorrent. I'll give Netflix credit for producing their own content rather than relying on the big content producers. Some of their series are pretty good and the stuff they make themselves is of course available everywhere, even in 'my region' so I got a subscription instead of downloading their stuff from BitTorrent because unlike 'traditional TV', Netflix didn't try to rip me off.

  22. No TV for me.. but not just Netflix by berj · · Score: 1

    Pretty much everything my wife and I watch comes from three sources:

    Netflix, shomi (a canada only streaming service similar to Netflix) and the iTunes store. We subscribe to all of the current TV we like (8 or so shows I think) on iTunes. We download and watch them every week whenever we want. The rest comes from streaming services. I haven't done the math but I'm pretty sure that the total cost still comes out to less per month than cable TV. Even if it were more expensive I wouldn't care since the convenience and lack of commercials are worth every penny.

    We don't much care about live sports or newscasts so there's really no need for us to have traditional cable/pay TV. It's been more than a decade since I've felt the need for a cable subscription.

  23. For Netflix subscribers it often has by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I would say that for Netflix subscribes, Netflix often already has replaced traditional TV/cable. It has for me, for my parents, for my parent's parents. I know a few people who use both Netflix and TV, but they seem to be drifting more toward Netflix for their content. The only people I know who are exclusively using TV/cable at the moment are senior citizens. That should be a bit of a wake-up call for the cable providers.

  24. 76% apparently don't watch any sports? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    No good sports on Netflix. Not even close to a TV replacement. Netflix does cartoons well, and that's it.

  25. Local News by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    That is still missing. But that is why we have OTA. ( for now anyway.. who knows how long it will last )

  26. Here is the future as I see it by mapkinase · · Score: 1

    First of all, to get that out of the way, I am tired of incessant Netflix pedaling. Very narrow selection, uncomparable to the actual selection.

    This will happen:

    Everybody will pay a fee, much like we pay now to ISPs: it will be one lump fee per month for everything.

    ISP will track every click you make and how much time you spend on content (like it or not). It will automatically identify the content as well, whether you are streaming it from HBO, Netflix or free.entertainment.biz

    Thus, ISP will have a comprehensive picture of what content is viewed for what time. It will cough up portion of the revenue to the content owner based on that figure.

    It is very similar to what is happening on TV right now, except that the measure of popularity of content is determined by rather silly and outdated Nielsen rating system.

    There is no way "free" content could be curbed under the current model. The war with pirates is futile.

    With the predicted model (note that I am not proposing it, nor advocating it, I just think that things are moving to that direction, I, like any other guy, do not like myself tracked) there will be no reason for PirateBay or VPN to avoid ISP, if I can for the same monthly Internet fee access better quality site on a legal basis.

    No shadiness, no copyright infringement, no privacy.

    --
    I do not believe in karma. "Funny"=-6. Do good and forbid evil. Yours, Oft-Offtopic Flamebaiting Troll.
    1. Re:Here is the future as I see it by argumentsockpuppet · · Score: 1

      I'm not sure I actually disagree with your prediction. That said, this seems unlikely to me.

      The ISP tracking every click I make or how much time I spend on content sounds like they have control of my computer. That seems unlikely to me. People use VPNs for work where they literally aren't allowed to share information with a third party. People use VPNs and proxies to avoid being tracked. People buy computers with the express intent of putting a different OS on the computer than what it might come with, or precisely because they can put whatever they want on it. People jailbreak iphones and put Cyanogenmod on phones sold with Android. All of the history of people interacting with the devices they purchase and companies being required to protect secret information makes me skeptical of a scenario where ISPs have enough power to track the uses of people using their service. Not to mention that ISPs fight the content providers in order to offer service to customers who want data access without oversight.

      The war with pirates is futile.

      I think the war with pirates cannot be won by anyone but the pirates.

      The alternative is that ISPs will offer devices, without competition, that take more effort to crack than the average consumer is willing to concede when a cracked device offers the same media with a similar cost in effort. I'm not sure if that idea even scares me, because if I could have access to everything I might desire at the same price as anything I could do with hardware under my own control, the effort versus the gain of having actual control of my own device doesn't sound like it would be worth it.

    2. Re:Here is the future as I see it by lgw · · Score: 1

      It is very similar to what is happening on TV right now, except that the measure of popularity of content is determined by rather silly and outdated Nielsen rating system.

      Well, for anyone with a TV connected to the internet, the new ratings system is a screenshot (well, a hash of one I'm sure) sent to the ratings company every so often, to determine directly what you're watching, even if it's a torrent. You do know that's what already happens, right?

      No shadiness, no copyright infringement, no privacy.

      We're sorry, the content you have selected is not available in your country.

      --
      Socialism: a lie told by totalitarians and believed by fools.
  27. No TV for me for 16 years by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    No Netflix either.

  28. Not as it is. by sims+2 · · Score: 1

    Not as it currently is it can't.
    For one no live anything.
    For two I can't leave it on for noise. Three episodes and wham are you still watching this?

    --
    Minimum threshold fixed. Thanks!
  29. The vital question the clowns aren't asking by bretts · · Score: 1

    ...it depends on what Netflix licenses from the content providers. Netflix is a medium; content is king. Do we know what they are willing to pay, and how much of the TV/movies will be available as a result? My thought is that now that they are on top, they will be forced to cut the number of films they license in order to remain profitable.

  30. False dichotomy by bretts · · Score: 1

    I'd rather get my news online where I can choose to skip past the inane crap.

    Online news is produced by the same people and just as vapid. Maybe you need a neutral third-party source? Too bad, they all got driven out of business because people wanted news that reflected their worldviews.

    1. Re:False dichotomy by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Print news (which is available online) isn't produced by the same people as TV news in most cases. Yes, some of it is crap, but some of it isn't.

  31. Think??? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Hahahaha think it can replace regular tv? I'm sorry but I've been using Netflix and Amazon exclusively for the last two or three years. Someone is far behind the times.

    I am extremely happy with being rid of traditional tv.

  32. Ditto by Smigh · · Score: 1

    My quest to pay for Game of Thrones went down that exact path; then they wonder why it's the most pirated show ever. Mix anti-consumer practices and evolving people's expectations, and you get your answer. I'd gladly give HBO my credit card info, if they let me.

  33. Already did for me by El_Muerte_TDS · · Score: 1

    I no longer have regular TV because there isn't anything on it for me anyway, especially not at the time I want to see it.
    Sadly in .nl the Netflix catalogue is only 33% of the US catalogue, so I still get stuff to watch via "alternate" channels.

    I only one about one other VOD service available here, and it has absolutely nothing to offer (crappy Dutch productions).

  34. Netflix by Mike+Frett · · Score: 1

    So 76% of NETFLIX users like NETFLIX. Not surprising at all, nope. If it had been 76% of Cable users think Netflix can replace traditional TV, that would've been interesting.

  35. maybe in the USA by Val314 · · Score: 1

    but its not even close to having a meaningful catalog here in Austria, Europe.

  36. I've dumped netflix. by mjwx · · Score: 2

    Since Netflix has bowed to the content conglomerates and started blocking people getting around geoblocks (100% legal where I live) I've terminated my membership.

    Wilst I've got the skill, I dont have the time, patience or willingness to spend the money on complex solutions involving running my own VPN server from an S3 container. Fuck that, I've gone back to Channel BT.

    Yes Netflix, you can tell the content owners that instead of paying for their content like I was happy to do before they started fucking around, they've forced me back to piracy, mission fucking haycomplished guys, well fucking done.

    --
    Calling someone a "hater" only means you can not rationally rebut their argument.
  37. People still watch TV? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Why?!?

  38. Can replace traditional TV? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    It already has.

  39. Movie Experience at home? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    If I wanted the movie experience at home, I could just replace my sofa with 1950s bus seats, strap a subwoofer to my face and take the batteries out the remote so I can miss half the movie if I need the bathroom/ refreshments. I could also invite some belligerent strangers to apologise to when moving, and to scatter popcorn and unnamed sticky fluids all over my fiurniture. The movie companies like to make out that the theater is some sort of social experience - for it to be that, you'd have to be able to interact or at least percieve fellow patrons. For me, other people is the worst thing about watching the movie.

    1. Re:Movie Experience at home? by Kazoo+the+Clown · · Score: 1

      And don't forget, reduce the options of what films you can watch to about a dozen lame new releases. If I want to watch an Ingmar Bergman film, the opportunities to do that in a movie theater are vanishingly small.

  40. CD to iTunes and VHS to DVD cut prices by tepples · · Score: 1

    Name a single time any entertainment media switched formats and the price stayed the same or lowered.

    I'll beat that with two, even without invoking piracy.

    Music from CD to paid download When new albums on CD were $15, albums on iTunes were $10. When new albums on CD with three good songs were $15, those three songs on iTunes were $3. Prices for some individual tracks increased 30 percent when the music stores dropped DRM around 2009, but overall, it was still cheaper than CD. Movies from VHS to DVD The studios chose to eliminate the "priced for rental" window, when a VHS movie would cost $90 or so for the first few months. DVD movies were priced for sell-through at about $30 on day one. (Forum source; I apologize for lacking the time to dig up a more reliable source.)
  41. Did that a decade ago. by Kazoo+the+Clown · · Score: 1

    I've replaced my broadcast AND movie going with DVDs in various ways-- library check-outs, rentals, Netflix, etc. Here's the thing-- I'm not interested in "Sports Coverage," News coverage is horribly biased towards useless sensationalism, equivalent to click-bait. There are way better sources of news that don't include the sensationalism (or the click-bait, which is my gauge of a serious site vs a crapvertizer). Movie theater experience is useless because all that is available is a narrow set of recent crap releases. Why would I want any of that?

  42. Data rate of sports vs. action movie by tepples · · Score: 1

    People watched sports for decades over standard-definition analog cable TV, whose usable resolution (based on luma bandwidth and Nyquist's theorem) is 320x480i at 60 fps. Does a match streamed at this resolution really have a higher peak data rate than, say, an action movie streamed 640x480p at 24 fps?

  43. If under 21, does B-dubs count? by tepples · · Score: 1

    There are 3 teams I care about and two of them are local and likely to be on ota tv

    That works for you, not so much for fans of the pro team that moved out (e.g. Rams fans in Los Angeles and St. Louis), the pro team to which their favorite player was traded (e.g. Peyton Manning fans in Indiana during his seasons with the Broncos), the team local to the place where they grew up before moving for a job to an industry hotbed, the team of the university that one of their adult children attends, etc.

    sports are much more fun to watch at a sport bar with a bunch of people around you cheering, then they are to watch at home by yourself.

    Some parents want to cheer with their minor children, even if they live in a 21-to-enter state. Or by "bar" do you include all-ages sports restaurants such as Buffalo Wild Wings? Visiting a restaurant daily (baseball) or every other day (basketball) isn't practical for everyone.

  44. Syndex blackouts by tepples · · Score: 1

    Don't these stream packages black out any match whose exclusive rights have been sold to a national or regional TV network?

    1. Re:Syndex blackouts by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Yes. And this makes the streaming packages worthless. Local games are all blacked-out. You can't stream half of the season of your local team. Some people also get screwed if they are in a region that overlaps another. Until the region/blackout mess goes away, streaming MLB and NHL is a waste of time and money. They also don't stream your local play-by-play guys so you're stuck with boring generic play-by-play. As far as I'm concerned, streaming MLB or NHL might as well not even exist.

    2. Re: Syndex blackouts by thundercattt · · Score: 1

      They do with a regional tag. For NHL for example I run a VPN and never miss a game.

    3. Re:Syndex blackouts by amRadioHed · · Score: 1

      I got the MLB TV package free from T-Mobile, and yeah all of the local games are blacked out. Also, there is no pre or post game show. The stream quality is fairly good I'd say. It is expensive though, there's no way I would have actually paid for it.

      --
      We hope your rules and wisdom choke you / Now we are one in everlasting peace
  45. Music has a captive audience by tepples · · Score: 1

    There is no mandate to watch TV, no mandate to listen to music, no mandate to watch movies, yet all those industries assume they have a captive audience.

    You may be right about TV and movies. But music has captive audiences in waiting rooms of businesses, grocery stores, etc. Part of your grocery bill goes toward royalties for the music played over the PA system when associates aren't being called to the registers.

  46. Youtube by Not-a-Neg · · Score: 1

    Youtube already replaced television. You should have cut the cord a long time ago and joined the new paradigm. Netflix is not the best replacement since the content is stale and licensed outside of the few products Netflix funds which have niche appeal. Youtube content is constantly changing and being updated several times a second with new videos. The only problem faced is finding the content that appeals to you.

    For people that need traditional media there are always Crackle, PBS, HBO Now, Hulu, iTunes, Vudu, Amazon, Google Play, and of course Netflix. Not to mention others that have been wising up like Showtime.

    Free from Xfinity since 2010. =D

    --
    -==- Buy a Mac and leave me alone!
  47. Except for live sports by TheSync · · Score: 1

    Let me know when 20 million concurrent users can reliably stream a football game in HD 60 fps over the Internet.

    No doubt this will happen, but right now the reliable numbers I hear are about 1-2 million reliable concurrent streams.

    1. Re:Except for live sports by Scroatzilla · · Score: 1
  48. Original content by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Yeah I can see that.
    I watch more Netflix original content than I do regular tv. Still watch some tv but on average yeah... all stuff I am not interested in.

    On that note Netflix... make some science/history/nature shows in a shorter format like a tv show. I love documentaries but don't always have 2 hours in a row to spend watching one.

  49. sure by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    75447885311367 options, none I want to watch. Just like tv

  50. Delay for FCC-mandated censorship by tepples · · Score: 1

    After the Super Bowl XXXVIII halftime show controversy, live sports on traditional TV are on a delay anyway to block "fuck" or a visible female nipple.

  51. Cord Cutter Convert by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    After becoming a cord cutter, I switched back to TV because of company coming over to help with my newborn twins. Having TV is just too damn convenient now.