To Subscribe Or Not To Subscribe, That Is The Question: Paid Streaming Services

[SunnyBeBe]

Well, I set up my Roku tv at my vacation house.  I also use my Firestick on it.  I’ve tried a few paid streaming channels, as well as most of the free ones, like PBS.  I’ve tried Netflix, HBO, Showtime, etc... I found that when I got frustrated browsing for movie options, I had much better success when I went to my iPad and googled movies on that app.  I then find great options that the interface doesn’t display.  It’s ridiculous.   This is especially true of Amazon Video.  
 

So, it appears that I have come full circle.  I’ll keep Amazon Video because I use Amazon Prime quite a bit.  And I love, love Amazon Music.  And, I’ll keep all the free streaming channels.....But I miss my regular cable!  It’s overpriced, but I miss it. When I start staying at my vacation house more often, I’m going to get regular cable. Sigh...lol.

[Ceindreadh]

Is there any way to get proper search results on Amazon video?  
Any time I try to search for a specific title, it throws up all these different answers, none of which seem to relate to the title in question. 
I mean, Netflix, if they don’t have that title will show other titles with words in common or maybe a different title with the same actor(s), but Amazon results just make no sense. 

[SunnyBeBe]

I’m not sure if that has happened to me that often, but I haven’t had Netflix in a while.  I am frustrated  a lot with most of  the streaming channels, though.  They keep displaying the same stuff all the time. I discovered that they have much more content, but you have to go online to get it.  When I actually know the name of the film it usually will show up, if I do name search or ask Alexa to locate it.

I would think after all the films, series, concerts, etc. that I watch it would know me by now, but that’s not the case.  I am also amazed how quickly a film will disappear.  You’d think it might hang around in case you want to rewatch it or double check a scene, but no way....it’s gone.  I wish these companies would invest some time into making the interface more organized and accessible.  

[Zella]

4 hours ago, Ceindreadh said:

Is there any way to get proper search results on Amazon video?  
Any time I try to search for a specific title, it throws up all these different answers, none of which seem to relate to the title in question. 
I mean, Netflix, if they don’t have that title will show other titles with words in common or maybe a different title with the same actor(s), but Amazon results just make no sense. 

I have better luck with Amazon on a computer than on a Roku. I will usually search for stuff on the laptop and then once I find whatever it is I want to watch, I'll add it to my Watchlist, so it is easier to navigate to on the Roku. That thing is NOT user-friendly in that regard at all. 

[Quof]

I'm just finishing my second free 30 day trial of Amazon Prime in the last 120 days (whatever, Amazon, why would I buy the cow if you are handing out the milk?).   I simply can't find enough of interest to justify paying for it. And I agree the search feature sucks.

[meowmommy]

1 hour ago, Zella said:

I have better luck with Amazon on a computer than on a Roku. I will usually search for stuff on the laptop and then once I find whatever it is I want to watch, I'll add it to my Watchlist, so it is easier to navigate to on the Roku. That thing is NOT user-friendly in that regard at all. 

I was frustrated that movie reviewers on the Washington Post would just tell us that a movie was on 'various platforms' instead of noting where it's available, and then one of the commenters provided this link.  You can search within streaming providers to see what they have, or look up any movie or TV show you want and it will tell you who's currently offering it and whether it's free or paid.

[Zella]

Just now, meowmommy said:

I was frustrated that movie reviewers on the Washington Post would just tell us that a movie was on 'various platforms' instead of noting where it's available, and then one of the commenters provided this link.  You can search within streaming providers to see what they have, or look up any movie or TV show you want and it will tell you who's currently offering it and whether it's free or paid.

Yes, that's a useful site! One of the issues I've had with Roku, though, is even if I know something is on Amazon, the search function is particularly onerous to try to use to locate that particular show or movie. That's why it's been easier for me to locate it on my laptop and add it to the Watchlist, so I can navigate to the Watchlist on the Roku and not try to use the search function. 

[Bastet]

8 hours ago, Ceindreadh said:

Is there any way to get proper search results on Amazon video?  
Any time I try to search for a specific title, it throws up all these different answers, none of which seem to relate to the title in question. 

I have spent some serious time staring at my TV in confusion, trying to figure out the formula by which some of the titles got included in my search results.  Like you said, Netflix's "thought" process is intuitive, but Amazon's is frequently bizarre.

[ABay]

Netflix and Amazon search features both make me want to scream "hire a librarian, dumbasses!" but Hulu is beyond help.

[janie jones]

On 1/21/2021 at 12:44 PM, Bastet said:

I have spent some serious time staring at my TV in confusion, trying to figure out the formula by which some of the titles got included in my search results.  Like you said, Netflix's "thought" process is intuitive, but Amazon's is frequently bizarre.

You know how if you're shopping on Amazon, when you're looking at an item, there's a section on the page that's like "people who looked at this item also looked at these other items," and sometimes it's other versions of the thing you're looking at, but it's also random other stuff that people just happened to also be shopping for? It's probably the same thing that happens when searching for titles to stream.

[meowmommy]

On 2/17/2021 at 3:37 PM, janie jones said:

You know how if you're shopping on Amazon, when you're looking at an item, there's a section on the page that's like "people who looked at this item also looked at these other items," and sometimes it's other versions of the thing you're looking at, but it's also random other stuff that people just happened to also be shopping for? It's probably the same thing that happens when searching for titles to stream.

Amazon has got to have about the worst search algorithms in online shopping.  I usually find it easier to Google what I'm looking for, and find a link to an Amazon listing that has the item.

[krankydoodle]

I just signed up for CBS All Access to take advantage of the $30 annual subscription deal and didn't realize there's no watchlist feature (unless I'm missing something). What an irritating and bizarre omission. I hope that's something they add when they rebrand as Paramount+.

[jah1986]

On 2/20/2021 at 5:22 PM, krankydoodle said:

I just signed up for CBS All Access to take advantage of the $30 annual subscription deal and didn't realize there's no watchlist feature (unless I'm missing something). What an irritating and bizarre omission. I hope that's something they add when they rebrand as Paramount+.

I have CBS All Access and definitely have a watch list. It's not near the top, you have to scroll down a bit to see it.

[krankydoodle]

40 minutes ago, jah1986 said:

I have CBS All Access and definitely have a watch list. It's not near the top, you have to scroll down a bit to see it.

There's a "Keep Watching" section on the homepage that just lists things I've already started. But when I click onto a show or movie page, there doesn't seem to be a way to add it to a queue to save and watch later.

[jah1986]

8 minutes ago, krankydoodle said:

There's a "Keep Watching" section on the homepage that just lists things I've already started. But when I click onto a show or movie page, there doesn't seem to be a way to add it to a queue to save and watch later.

Oh, I understand. Yes, you're right. I'm going to look at that more closely when I get home, especially since their movie section changes regularly.

[krankydoodle]

Ha, I was going to say maybe it doesn't matter because there doesn't seem to be much I really want to watch anyway. At least I'll finally be able to finish Another Period, watch Corporate and various Star Treks, and revisit Spongebob. I wonder why The Maxx isn't available when other MTV cartoons like Aeon Flux and Clone High are. Anyway, I hope they beef up their movie selection next month because it's kind of lacking right now IMO.

[AimingforYoko]

On 2/20/2021 at 11:31 AM, meowmommy said:

Amazon has got to have about the worst search algorithms in online shopping.  I usually find it easier to Google what I'm looking for, and find a link to an Amazon listing that has the item.

My favorite is when they send spam suggestions of "You may be interested in this item" of items in my Wish List. Their crack team had to dig deep for those.

[BlackberryJam]

I’d like a 24 hour Mars Rover streaming channel.

Just me?

[SunnyBeBe]

I recently found some good shows on Hulu, so have decided to keep it. All others, except for Amazon, I’ve cut loose.  
 

Is anyone watching Discovery Plus?   I refuse to pay for it  as a matter of principle.  

Edited February 23, 2021 by SunnyBeBe

[Guest]

4 minutes ago, SunnyBeBe said:

Is anyone watching Discovery Plus?   I refuse to pay for it  as a matter of principle.  

I watch it occasionally. I have it for free through Verizon. 

Edited February 23, 2021 by Guest

[cynicat]

6 hours ago, SunnyBeBe said:

Is anyone watching Discovery Plus?   I refuse to pay for it  as a matter of principle.  

I was annoyed about the whole idea at first, and resisted but then decided to check out the free trial.  For $5/month, it's totally worth it for me.  I didn't realize how much I watch just these channels and there's a lot of content that isn't found elsewhere.  If you're into all the TLC, ID, Food network, A&E...it's a good option.  

[andromeda331]

12 hours ago, BlackberryJam said:

I’d like a 24 hour Mars Rover streaming channel.

Just me?

I'd watch that. But maybe they could add in any of the other probes that are out there. Show what New Horizon saw at Pluto and others. 

[BlackberryJam]

1 hour ago, andromeda331 said:

I'd watch that. But maybe they could add in any of the other probes that are out there. Show what New Horizon saw at Pluto and others. 

Juno's photos of Jupiter...

I want all the live science.

[andromeda331]

10 minutes ago, BlackberryJam said:

Juno's photos of Jupiter...

I want all the live science.

That would be so great. The Dawn probe of Ceres and Vesta. I love planets, moons and the rest of it so much. I'd love to streaming site showing all that. I really wish there was a way to throw a camera on Voyager 1 and 2 that would last a very long time. To see what it sees as it travels the farthest away from Earth.

[Stats Queen]

On 2/22/2021 at 10:48 PM, BlackberryJam said:

I’d like a 24 hour Mars Rover streaming channel.

Just me?

I want to watch when the USA, UAE and China “rovers” get together for a drink.

Edited February 24, 2021 by Stats Queen

[janie jones]

On 2/22/2021 at 7:41 PM, AimingforYoko said:

My favorite is when they send spam suggestions of "You may be interested in this item" of items in my Wish List. Their crack team had to dig deep for those.

Someone felt "why don't you just buy this" doesn't sound as nice.

[Quof]

See, I like it when Amazon says "Wait, before you check out, wouldn't you like to add some Pepperidge Farm cookies to your order?"   And I think "Damn, you're right.  I would."

[krankydoodle]

I was disappointed to see that apart from the URL and logo, not much else seems to have changed now that CBS All Access is Paramount+. I don't know why they didn't wait to launch until they had more content to offer. I'm looking forward to watching the Real World New York reunion show, but that's about it.

[SunnyBeBe]

What’s the deal with CBS all access?  I got NBC all access by using my cable account log in and it’s free, but with CBS there’s still a monthly charge.  I don’t understand why. 

[Guest]

3 hours ago, SunnyBeBe said:

What’s the deal with CBS all access?  I got NBC all access by using my cable account log in and it’s free, but with CBS there’s still a monthly charge.  I don’t understand why. 

Most of the networks have one app for cable subscribers and one premium app that is an added cost. CBS was confusing because the names were very similar. The CBS app is the version for cable subscribers. CBS All Access was their premium version and it just became Paramount Plus. 

6 hours ago, krankydoodle said:

I was disappointed to see that apart from the URL and logo, not much else seems to have changed now that CBS All Access is Paramount+. I don't know why they didn't wait to launch until they had more content to offer. I'm looking forward to watching the Real World New York reunion show, but that's about it.

I agree. I had hoped they would at least revamp the UI. There does seem to be any reason this launch took them months when they didn’t even add a watchlist. 

Edited March 5, 2021 by Guest

[SunnyBeBe]

Oh, ok. So, on the Amazon or Roku interface how would you get the regular CBS app that’s free for cable subscribers on that tv? (I’m doing this at a location that is not in the home with cable service). 

[Guest]

22 minutes ago, SunnyBeBe said:

Oh, ok. So, on the Amazon or Roku interface how would you get the regular CBS app that’s free for cable subscribers on that tv? (I’m doing this at a location that is not in the home with cable service). 

It should show up when you search for CBS but it will probably be after the sports and news apps. Look for this icon. 

[jah1986]

So we had CBS All Access, but when it switched over to Paramount we had to sign in again and our user information doesn't work now. Anybody else run in to this problem?

[krankydoodle]

I hope you've resolved the problem by now. I was able to use my CBS login on the Paramount+ site on my computer without any issue. The CBS app had already been swapped out for the new one on my Roku and I didn't even have to login again. If nothing else, at least the launch has been smoother than HBO Max's. 

[peachmangosteen]

6 hours ago, krankydoodle said:

The CBS app had already been swapped out for the new one on my Roku and I didn't even have to login again.

I still only have the All Access app on roku/tivo stream 4k. It is showing me the Paramount+ shows and whatnot though. Weird.

[Guest]

20 hours ago, peachmangosteen said:

I still only have the All Access app on roku/tivo stream 4k. It is showing me the Paramount+ shows and whatnot though. Weird.

That happened for me on my TiVo steam 4K. I had to go to the App Store and search for the new app which seemed to update the icon. For some reason searching for Paramount Plus brings up a different Paramount app. The new app only came up when I searched for CBS. It was a very weird transition. 

Edited March 7, 2021 by Guest

[peachmangosteen]

9 hours ago, Dani said:

That happened for me on my TiVo steam 4K. I had to go to the App Store and search for the new app which seemed to update the icon. For some reason searching for Paramount Plus beings up a different Paramount app. The new app only came up when I searched for CBS. It was a very weird transition. 

Ah, OK. Thanks for that. 

[jah1986]

On 3/6/2021 at 12:11 PM, krankydoodle said:

I hope you've resolved the problem by now. I was able to use my CBS login on the Paramount+ site on my computer without any issue. The CBS app had already been swapped out for the new one on my Roku and I didn't even have to login again. If nothing else, at least the launch has been smoother than HBO Max's. 

Yes, took a while but it did resolve itself, thanks.

[SunnyBeBe]

On 3/4/2021 at 8:45 PM, Dani said:

It should show up when you search for CBS but it will probably be after the sports and news apps. Look for this icon. 

I found it and downloaded with code sent to my iPad and it works sort of....I can get shows, but not not live tv.  It tries to give live CBS, but fails and says Error.  I’ve figured a way to get CBS news live so I can get Sunday Morning Show.   Will work on it later. 
 

I was dismayed to hear about another pay for network...AMC PLUS!  I heard you can get Walking Dead episodes in advance there.  Another thing I won’t be buying is AMC Plus.  I guess all networks will have the option of PLUS.  So infuriating.  

[BetterButter]

HBO Max will get a cheaper, ad-supported tier in June

[meowmommy]

15 hours ago, BetterButter said:

HBO Max will get a cheaper, ad-supported tier in June

HBO with ads?  That just sounds sacrilegious.

And, especially after six months of waiting for HBO Max finally to work on Roku, I'm not thrilled with their content.  I got in on the roll-out special, but it expires in May and I'm not in the least sure their offerings are worth $16/month.

[AimingforYoko]

On 3/13/2021 at 9:07 AM, meowmommy said:

I'm not in the least sure their offerings are worth $16/month.

But, but....Snyder cut!

[SunnyBeBe]

On 3/11/2021 at 12:25 AM, SunnyBeBe said:

I found it and downloaded with code sent to my iPad and it works sort of....I can get shows, but not not live tv.  It tries to give live CBS, but fails and says Error.  I’ve figured a way to get CBS news live so I can get Sunday Morning Show.   Will work on it later. 
 

I was dismayed to hear about another pay for network...AMC PLUS!  I heard you can get Walking Dead episodes in advance there.  Another thing I won’t be buying is AMC Plus.  I guess all networks will have the option of PLUS.  So infuriating.  

I think I resolved the problem.  I researched online and found that others shared this problem. Turns out something about the Firestick doesn’t work well with CBS Live. It gives an error message.  So, I downloaded CBS app on Roku. I have both on same tv. Long story.  It works fine on live on Roku.  Just a little inconvenient to switch over, but free is free. I’ll take it. Lol

[Quof]

I can't get Discovery + in Canada, and I'm totally okay with that. Until I saw this: Cocktails with Barefoot Contessa and Melissa McCarthy

[Ohiopirate02]

4 hours ago, Quof said:

I can't get Discovery + in Canada, and I'm totally okay with that. Until I saw this: Cocktails with Barefoot Contessa and Melissa McCarthy

The last thing I need is to pay for another streaming service, but that is too hard to resist.  

[SunnyBeBe]

If I pay Spectrum $4.99 a month, will they please STOP airing those Discovery+ promos?  Lol....make it stop!

[SunnyBeBe]

Does anyone have any idea why Morgan Wallen’s music videos are still being displayed on Amazon Music?  Predominantly displayed at that.  I’m not amused. 

Edited April 7, 2021 by SunnyBeBe

[AimingforYoko]

HBO Max offers $10 ad-supported tier.

$10/month to watch commercials? Sign me up! Seriously, how do they handle the HBO content, since those shows do not have natural ad breaks?

[Ailianna]

Can someone explain Disney+ premium? I'm already paying for the service. Then I have to pay $30 to see a movie? For how long? How many views? Forever? Or wait two months and it's included? I'm very confused.

[Guest]

6 hours ago, Ailianna said:

Can someone explain Disney+ premium? I'm already paying for the service. Then I have to pay $30 to see a movie? For how long? How many views? Forever? Or wait two months and it's included? I'm very confused.

Basically, it’s $30 for early access until it’s added for everyone. So far, that’s been three months to watch as much as you want. For Cruella you would have it to watch from May 28th until August 27th when it is added for everyone. I imagine Black Widow will follow the same schedule.