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

[ABay]

A friend of mine had a similar experience with Sling TV and didn't even finish the trial because of the glitchiness.

[JTMacc99]

Cost Cuts Won't Solve ESPN's Biggest Problem

 

ESPN is axing 200-300 jobs, but it still won't solve its biggest problem.

Thanks for this. It's a well written version of the AMC story I tried to tell earlier in this thread.

 

As ESPN loses subscribers simply through some minor cord cutting, it puts a pretty substantial dent in the revenue they need to cover their expenses and still make a profit. 

 

The $6.61 mentioned in that article is from their most recent round of contract renewals. That will go up about 6-7% per year for a couple years now.  The problem is that if they lose about 3 million homes between now and the end of 2017, that will represent a dent in revenue of $6.61 X 2 (ESPN's split of fees and advertising is about 50/50, so double the fee amount to account for lost advertising revenue) X 12 months = just under a half billion dollars annually.  

 

It's not like they're just going to accept that.  They're going to figure out a way to get it back.

Edited December 24, 2015 by JTMacc99

[Kel Varnsen]

I wonder if there is a point where ESPN just says "fuck you NFL here is what we can afford to pay take it or leave it". Because I would have to imagine any other outlet that could pick up the NFL would be having the same issues.

[roseha]

A friend of mine had a similar experience with Sling TV and didn't even finish the trial because of the glitchiness.

 

I tried Sling twice, once when it first came out and later when they added TCM but canceled both times and went back to adding more cable channels instead, reluctantly.   I realized that I could get TCM added to my Time Warner account for less than I was paying Sling, and Sling won't let you record channels like TCM or watch them on demand.  I've played with going all the way down to "starter" cable at times (since there are some over the air channels I don't get well) but even then I would pay over $70 a month with internet (no phone, I use two cell phone plans, one very basic, now for my two numbers, which saves over using a landline).  I keep Netflix and Hulu Plus though I would mainly watch them when I'm out of town on my Ipad or something.  I did upgrade to commercial free Hulu Plus for about $12 a month and it's kind of fun binge-ing a show with no commercials at all.  I did it with a few episodes of American Greed (I have a kind of train wreck fascination for that show) one night when I couldn't find anything else to watch.

[Cobb Salad]

I wonder if there is a point where ESPN just says "fuck you NFL here is what we can afford to pay take it or leave it". Because I would have to imagine any other outlet that could pick up the NFL would be having the same issues.

I guess they'd have to be forced to by the cable companies who in turn would be forced by the subscribers who are left. With all the channels ESPN has they should be their own cable package for one to choose but I'd imagine they couldn't get enough subscribers to pay what they'd need currently to operate. By not having ESPN and all their associated channels would lower cable bills for a lot of us. It'll never happen while we have cable but we can dream...

[zxy556575]

Why can't any of these danged companies get their user interfaces right? My first priority is to easily find the shows I'm currently watching and pick up where I left off. None of the three I use -- Hulu, Netflix, and Amazon -- make that easy, although Netflix does it better than the other two. Amazon is the worst because you can only add shows to your watchlist by season.

 

All three have mediocre search engines and recommendation algorithms. IMDB does a good job matching similar shows after a search, so it is possible.

 

Netflix has a very nice list of all available episodes with summaries that can be accessed directly from the scroll bar at any time, even during playback, and you can easily navigate between seasons and episodes. Amazon makes you exit the player in order to view the episode list and Hulu makes you scroll down and page right > right > right.

 

Hulu has the 10-second rewind. Why can't the others add something similar? It's incredibly useful when navigating because the slider is difficult to position exactly when going forward or backwards. And Amazon doesn't even show the thumbnail screen shots when you mouseover the slider to see what's playing at any specific time. Is it a difficult technical challenge add fast-forward and reverse arrows to the players? None of the services offer that.

 

I should say I always stream on a laptop or tablet directly from the websites; perhaps the TV apps are better.

[MissAlmond]

Not sure where to put this because it's far from miscellaneous. Deadline does a great in explaining Netflix's cancellation strategy and why it's almost impossible for them to find a new home.   It might be interesting to those who are fans of any given Netflix series.   Mods, please move to appropriate forum if this is one is incorrect.  

https://deadline.com/2019/03/netflix-tv-series-cancellations-strategy-one-day-at-a-time-1202576297/

[Katy M]

16 minutes ago, MissAlmond said:

Not sure where to put this because it's far from miscellaneous. Deadline does a great in explaining Netflix's cancellation strategy and why it's almost impossible for them to find a new home.   It might be interesting to those who are fans of any given Netflix series.   Mods, please move to appropriate forum if this is one is incorrect.  

https://deadline.com/2019/03/netflix-tv-series-cancellations-strategy-one-day-at-a-time-1202576297/

Not that I was planning to anyway, but this really makes me unlikely to subscribe to Netflix. At least not to watch original programming.  It's bad enough when you like a show that gets canceleld after one season because nobody else likes it. But, Netflix seems to be cancelling popular series after a season or 2, making it more likely that there would be shows I liked that were only around for one season. 

On the total flip side of that, there are shows, just because of the nature of them, that I think should only be a season or two, that networks drag out because they're popular. That's equally infuriating.

[magicdog]

On 3/19/2019 at 6:51 AM, Katy M said:

On the total flip side of that, there are shows, just because of the nature of them, that I think should only be a season or two, that networks drag out because they're popular. That's equally infuriating.

I understand this since as long as it's a moneymaker they'll drag it out until it doesn't (like if the cast salary becomes too big or the show becomes too expensive to produce), but I see your point.  There are so many shows over the years (even back in the days of classic TV) that should have ended their runs much sooner.  

As for Netflix, the Marvel shows were cancelled not because they weren't popular, but largely due to the recent merger with Disney.  It's corporate politics that got those shows cancelled.

I came across this YT poster (I really enjoy his commentaries on both culture and pop culture) who did an interesting analysis on where streaming sits are headed - and sadly, it seems they are headed down the path cable TV did.

[krankydoodle]

From Deadline: Netflix reaches tipping point as originals now outpace acquired titles

On another subject, I've only seen a few examples of this, but it's so frustrating when seasons of a tv show are split among different streaming services. BritBox and Acorn TV have divided the seasons of Vera and Poirot between themselves, for example. I guess they're gambling that fans will just give in and subscribe to both services.

[spaceytraci1208]

So I just found Silk Stalkings on Prime and got way too excited lol 

[Katy M]

43 minutes ago, spaceytraci1208 said:

So I just found Silk Stalkings on Prime and got way too excited lol 

I don't think I've thought of that show since it went off the air.  I liked it.

[Bort]

1 hour ago, spaceytraci1208 said:

So I just found Silk Stalkings on Prime and got way too excited lol 

Aw hell. There goes the rest of my weekend.

[Jaded]

I found it a couple months ago on there. The first four seasons are included with Prime. Season 5 where you know what happens midway through isn't though. Apparently the whole series is available through one of those add on channels Con TV. I've seen that there are some episodes of it on YT too so one could probably see the first half of Season 5 there at least.

[krankydoodle]

Where All Your Favorite TV Shows Will End Up at the End of the Streaming Wars

Ugh. But at least I'll finally be able to stream Law & Order again--and for free! Though who knows how long the free part will last.

[krankydoodle]

WarnerMedia Streaming to Launch Late This Year at $16 a Mo. (and Yes, It's Absolutely Worth It)

I wasn't planning on subscribing to yet another streaming service, but the fact that it includes both HBO and Cinemax might make me reconsider.

[cleo]

I still have cable. I find it funny that if I cancelled cable and subscribed to all the streaming services that had the shows I want, it would be equivalent to or more than my current cable. 

Sometimes I feel like I am experiencing a different world from everyone else. 

[ganesh]

I have cable with HBO and Shotime, and I have Hulu and Netflix. That's plenty of content for me to keep me satisfied. My cable package comes with lightning internet and a DVR which I use all the time. Which gives also me access to watching on my tablet and browser. 

Streaming services like CBS that offer all their archive is zero interest to me. I'm looking for new content. 

[ABay]

Lately, I find that Amazon Prime has more for me than Netflix, not least because I can sign up for special channels for a month and then unsub until they have something new I want to see. Right now, I have Acorn until 6/18 and Britbox to 6/27 and eventually I'll subscribe to CBS Access for a month to see Star Trek and The Good Fight. If the individual apps were any good, I'd sub through them but Amazon has a better interface.

[ganesh]

Oh, I do have Prime too. I d/l Good Omens to watch on the plane tomorrow, and I watch Man in the High Castle. I haven't really explored Prime as much as I should. 

tbh, I like all the stand up specials on Netflix. I find crafting jokes and making a 60-90 minute narrative technically interesting. I have to lecture for that long so that might be why. 

[Anela]

I like both Netflix and Prime (although I'm not sure I like where the CEO of Netflix is donating money... that's a personal issue). My dad wants to cut cable, because the price keeps going up. he'll get the price down for a while, and then it goes up again. I wouldn't want all of them, mainly Netflix, Amazon, and this WarnerMedia that's coming up. Or Hulu. I'm not sure I like the latter still displaying ads to people who don't pay the highest monthl price. 

[palmaire]

I'd be curious to know how many people subscribe directly to Amazon Video as opposed to having it included with Prime. Not that many, I'm guessing? I can't think of any show on Prime that would entice me to pay the way I did for All Access/Trek.

I love that Amazon makes it super easy to subscribe to and cancel add-on channels, but hate that they persist in listing each season of a show as a separate entity. If I put season 1 of a series on my Watchlist and proceed through to season 2, I cannot just resume without either removing and re-adding seasons to my watchlist or else opening season 1, manually choosing the correct season, then finding where I left off. Not to mention that scrolling through multiple entries for the same show makes browsing a chore. Get it together, Amazon!

I don't have a TV provider so use Hulu primarily to catch up on network shows. CBS leaving made me click my tongue, but if others also go away under Disney I'll be reclaiming my $13.14 ad-free dollars a month.

My sister gave me her Netflix login but if she ever cancels I'd probably go back to my own subscription. I watch mostly low key home and garden shows and documentaries, but it still adds up to several hours a week.

[biakbiak]

9 minutes ago, palmaire said:

be curious to know how many people subscribe directly to Amazon Video as opposed to having it included with Prime. Not that many, I'm guessing

I don’t believe that’s an option is it? I thought they tried it briefly a few years ago but the price differences made no sense so they discontinued it.

Edited June 8, 2019 by biakbiak

[Irlandesa]

49 minutes ago, biakbiak said:

I don’t believe that’s an option is it? I thought they tried it briefly a few years ago but the price differences made no sense so they discontinued it.

I don't ever remember having that option but maybe it did exist.  I think Amazon Video (or Prime video) refers to the shows and movies you can buy in a streaming format through Amazon and they'll house it on their server for you to watch but you're actually buying the show.  They're in a different section of a person's account.

Take Friends, for instance.  You can buy individual episodes or seasons but I can't just watch it via my Prime subscription like I can through my Netflix account.

12 hours ago, cleo said:

Sometimes I feel like I am experiencing a different world from everyone else. 

I don't think you are.  I think all the different services are starting to add up but it might not quite have the impact of cable yet because the services all charge separately.  I get a sticker shock every time I see my cable bill yet I barely blink at my Acorn charge or my Netflix charge.  Heck, I only see my Amazon Prime bill once a year. 

[BaggythePanther]

I've never bothered with cable, but I do have Amazon Prime, Netflix and Hulu. And the only reason I have Hulu is because it was included with my Spotify subscription. Everyone talks about how there are so many streaming services and when put together, the price isn't much better than cable. But my family and I share streaming services, so I only pay for two but I have access to more. 

[BetterButter]

OK, here is a complete list of every damn thing that is coming to Quibi (so far)

[Guest]

15 minutes ago, BetterButter said:

OK, here is a complete list of every damn thing that is coming to Quibi (so far)

This is the first time I’m hearing about that one but that’s a lot of original content from some really big names. At this point I wouldn’t be surprised if I end up rotating through the ones that interest me switching every few months. 

On 6/8/2019 at 12:18 AM, Irlandesa said:

I don't think you are.  I think all the different services are starting to add up but it might not quite have the impact of cable yet because the services all charge separately.  I get a sticker shock every time I see my cable bill yet I barely blink at my Acorn charge or my Netflix charge.  Heck, I only see my Amazon Prime bill once a year. 

This is true for me but I also think I would have kept cable if their pricing didn’t feel so shady. That process where new customers get a better deal and older customers might be able to pay less but you have to play a bunch of games. It just left me feeling like I was constantly getting screwed. 

[biakbiak]

9 minutes ago, Dani said:

That process where new customers get a better deal and older customers might be able to pay less but you have to play a bunch of games. It just left me feeling like I was constantly getting screwed. 

Yeah the fact that you have to call up every two years and just be like um I don’t want to pay this much and then they reconfigure a package is bullshit. 

I think companies  like Amazon where you can just add the different streaming networks to a central location are going to initially see a surge but eventually people will revolt and there will be another round of consolidations.

Edited August 23, 2019 by biakbiak

[Guest]

Disney seems determined to shake up paid streaming. Four simultaneous streams, 4K, and downloading to watch offline for only $6.99. Plus you can add Hulu with ads and ESPN plus for only $6 more.

Disney+ will give subscribers four simultaneous streams and free 4K

Edited August 24, 2019 by Guest

[biakbiak]

5 hours ago, Dani said:

Disney seems determined to shake up paid streaming. Four simultaneous streams, 4K, and downloading to watch offline for only $6.99. Plus you can add Hulu with ads and ESPN plus for only $6 more.

Disney+ will give subscribers four simultaneous streams and free 4K

Exactly what should have been expected using their massive catalogue and wallets to make this a loss leader to price out a lot of the competition and than slowly raise the prices as competition dies out. It will be interesting to see how Apple positions itself because they have the massive pockets but not the catalogue that will most likely be able to sustain Disney and HBO Max and than there is Amazon where most people have Prime for the two day shipping and get shows and movies as an extra tossed in for free.

Edited August 24, 2019 by biakbiak

[supposebly]

Netflix and Amazon and I can't find the time to watch all the things I'm interested in. For me there is no reason to subscribe to another service or add anything else. It keeps adding up but they can't add time in the day so you can watch everything you pay for.

[2727]

5 hours ago, supposebly said:

I can't find the time to watch all the things I'm interested in.

Maybe I'm being unsympathetic, but the level of FOMO and angst from some young people about the proliferation of streaming services makes me shake my head. Folks need to realize that even with a full package of premium cable, they never had access to everything, and that there's no time for everything.

Hell, I'm lazy-retired and have been catching up on a lot of TV but still have more than 200 shows on my wish lists between Amazon, Netflix and Hulu.

I've also never paid for premium channels like HBO, so maybe I'm just used to missing out on a lot of the buzzy shows.

This is mostly directed at Reddit's television forum, but: calm the hell down!

[TeslaNewton]

On 8/24/2019 at 5:07 PM, 2727 said:

Maybe I'm being unsympathetic, but the level of FOMO and angst from some young people about the proliferation of streaming services makes me shake my head. Folks need to realize that even with a full package of premium cable, they never had access to everything, and that there's no time for everything.

Hell, I'm lazy-retired and have been catching up on a lot of TV but still have more than 200 shows on my wish lists between Amazon, Netflix and Hulu.

I've also never paid for premium channels like HBO, so maybe I'm just used to missing out on a lot of the buzzy shows.

This is mostly directed at Reddit's television forum, but: calm the hell down!

Same here. We have Prime, Hulu, Netflix, and Acorn. While there are scads of shows I would love to watch on BritBox, I have enough with those four services, plus Tubi (which is free). I'm not too heartbroken when something leaves a service. I have too many programs to watch on those other services.

[Gramto6]

COL (Clueless Old Lady) here, I have Prime and my Dish channels. I don't know anything about all these other channels, but if I can get Brit Box through Amazon, I just may give it a try. I love British shows but not many are available here.

[Guest]

2 hours ago, Gramto6 said:

COL (Clueless Old Lady) here, I have Prime and my Dish channels. I don't know anything about all these other channels, but if I can get Brit Box through Amazon, I just may give it a try. I love British shows but not many are available here.

You can. There’s a free 7 day trial then it’s $6.99 a month. 

https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/offers/signup/?ie=UTF8&benefitID=britbox

[Writing Wrongs]

I consistently have Amazon Prime (I share with others to keep the price down). I have Britbox and Acorn (through Roku). I have Netflix on occasion. I also watch some stuff on Tubi TV. I'm trying to get all the British shows I like.

I noticed looking through the free channels on my Roku, like Tubi and Roku Channel, they all have pretty much the same titles.

I'll probably get a monthly subscription to Disney + as well.

Edited September 10, 2019 by Writing Wrongs

[Cobb Salad]

@Gramto6 and @Writing Wrongs

There is a British TV channel on the Pluto TV app.  It is free.  

[biakbiak]

2 minutes ago, Cobb Salad said:

@Gramto6 and @Writing Wrongs

There is a British TV channel on the Pluto TV app.  It is free.  

I seriously don’t understand how Pluto works even though it’s available to me.

Apple announced its streaming service will be $4.99. Also, apparently a year free if you buy the new phone/iPad or Mac but that article doesn’t mention it. It makes a big deal of it being cheaper than Disney and Netflix but doesn’t note that content is a lot less with no catalogue and very little known about their original shows.

[Cobb Salad]

50 minutes ago, biakbiak said:

I seriously don’t understand how Pluto works even though it’s available to me.

I don’t either.  I watch it every so often then the clumsy commercial interruptions drive me away.  As Viacom acquired it earlier this year I’m waiting for them to eventually add a paywall. 

[Jaded]

Pluto doesn't like my Fire TV devices for some reason. I get lag and that spinning circle quite often. I don't have issues like that with any other streaming service or app I use. I also hate scrolling through so much stuff in Pluto and don't understand why they have channel numbers when nothing can be done with them.

[Cobb Salad]

1 hour ago, Jaded said:

Pluto doesn't like my Fire TV devices for some reason. I get lag and that spinning circle quite often. I don't have issues like that with any other streaming service or app I use. I also hate scrolling through so much stuff in Pluto and don't understand why they have channel numbers when nothing can be done with them.

I watch it on my iPad where it runs fine.  I don’t like the scrolling either - if you place your finger in the wrong spot you end up changing the channel.  There’s also no way to pick favorites either that I know of - that would help cut down on all the scrolling.  

[biakbiak]

Details about NBCU’s streaming app, Peacock, which will launch in Spring 2020.

[Cobb Salad]

26 minutes ago, biakbiak said:

Details about NBCU’s streaming app, Peacock, which will launch in Spring 2020.

Wow with all the content mentioned and the other deals briefly described in the article like Seinfeld going to Netflix in a couple of years I wonder what is going to be left to show on cable.  

With all these streaming services people are getting nickled and dimed to death.  

[biakbiak]

8 minutes ago, Cobb Salad said:

article like Seinfeld going to Netflix in a couple of years I wonder what is going to be left to show on cable.  

Netflix only has the streaming rights which is the same for most of these shows so they will still be on cable.

[foxfreakinmulder]

I don't have tv service so I have HULU and did have Netflix for years but I've watched everything on Netflix I liked and some shows 2 or 3 times, so after I finished Stranger Things I canceled. It takes Netflix too long to put on new seasons, as of today they still don't have season 4 of Better Call Saul. My daughter has given me her log-in to use since she knows I want to watch the Breaking Bad movie, while I'm waiting the only show on there I watch is Supernatural for like the 3rd time.

I did try a paid streaming service called Philo TV but I couldn't get through a movie because of all the commercials, they add an extra hour to the movie for commercials. I cancelled after 1 month. Now I'm waiting for the new Disney streaming channel.  

[MadyGirl1987]

On 9/17/2019 at 1:23 PM, Cobb Salad said:

With all these streaming services people are getting nickled and dimed to death.  

I kinda feel like there is going to be a bubble. Like with cable packages, eventually people are going to be sick of paying a lot for stuff they don’t watch and will start taking a look at what services they truly watch and utilize, cutting ones they can live without or not even subscribing in the first place.

[Guest]

Disney+ is now available for pre-order with a 7-day free trial

I really looking forward to Disney+. It’s the only streaming service I’m expecting to keep year round. 

[Kel Varnsen]

16 hours ago, MadyGirl1987 said:

I kinda feel like there is going to be a bubble. Like with cable packages, eventually people are going to be sick of paying a lot for stuff they don’t watch and will start taking a look at what services they truly watch and utilize, cutting ones they can live without or not even subscribing in the first place.

The nice thing at least with streaming services is that it becomes a lot easier to switch back and forth between the ones you want. Crave tv in Canada gets a lot of stuff from US services. So we wait a bit and then ordered it for one free month in the summer and watched Big Little Lies, Veronica Mars and the Deadwood movie. Then cancelled it. If it gets enough stuff to order again we will do the same thing. And I have a bunch of different email addresses and credit cards.

14 hours ago, Dani said:

Disney+ is now available for pre-order with a 7-day free trial

I really looking forward to Disney+. It’s the only streaming service I’m expecting to keep year round. 

Hoping to sign up, the big factor is if becomes available on Fire TV. Since I would rather not buy another streaming device.

[blueray]

Interesting above that people were talking about Pluto tv. I've watched it before. I know one time I was watching an interesting documentary on Star Wars fans, however the commercials were cutting people off in mid-sentence and it kept buffering. I remember finding the documentary somewhere else and finishing watching it, don't remember where. But at least the app is free.

Edited September 23, 2019 by blueray

[Cobb Salad]

1 hour ago, blueray said:

Interesting above that people were talking about Pluto tv. I've watched it before. I know one time I was watching an interesting documentary on Star Wars fans, however the commercials were cutting people off in mid-sentence and it kept buffering. I remember finding the documentary somewhere else and finishing watching it, don't remember where. But at least the app is free.

About Pluto TV I’ll watch it from time to time.  One of their channels was showing Star Trek II: Wrath of Khan a while back and even though I have it on DVD I still had to watch.  I’ve seen it so many times I know where some natural breaks should occur.  However on the Pluto channel the breaks were clumsy and in the middle of some of the action.  I can’t believe Viacom even paid to acquire Pluto TV but what do I know.