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

[Cinnabon]

24 minutes ago, SunnyBeBe said:

Well, it’s sort of easy for me if it comes to Disney and Discovery….I have zero interest in them.  I have HBOmax now, but only for movies and a few original series.  

Same. I actually have Discovery and Disney now as I got them almost free, but I have little interest in most of their programming. Not even worth the couple dollars I paid for them.

9 minutes ago, Dani said:

HBO Max is really poorly named and makes it seem like it is just HBO’s streaming service. It is actually HBO plus everything else owned by Warner Bros like TCM, DC, Looney Tunes, WB’s movie and tv catalog. 

I never could understand why they chose HBO Max. Too much confusion with Cinemax, imo. 

Edited August 4, 2022 by Cinnabon

[Just Here]

Warner Brothers Discovery had a quarterly earnings conference call on Thursday afternoon, where they announced a combined streaming service, that is set to be launched next year in the U.S.A.

THR: Warner Bros. Discovery Details New Streaming Plans: U.S. Launch of Combined Service in Summer 2023, Free AVOD Service to Follow

Quote

For starters, there will be one service, under one brand, name still to be determined. The U.S. launch will be summer 2023, with Latin America to follow later that year, and Europe and other markets following in 2024.

The service will feature the full “unique and complementary” content libraries of both services, but will use the tech stack of Discovery+, which Perrette said received more positive feedback from users than HBO Max’s interface.

Earlier in the day, Warner Brothers Discovery announced that some Magnolia shows will also stream on HBO Max, while some CNN special series will be available on Discovery+ via a CNN "hub". (THR)

[Stuffy]

They talked up HBOMax so unless something changes, they’re still going to do some scripted shows. I think there’s still going to be some cancellations and dropped content but that wasn’t announced.

They could’ve done without the man vs woman slide.  Basically HBOMax = Men and Discovery+ = women.  The only Discovery show I watch/use is Mythbusters and that’s just for some of their experiments for my science classes. Also, they had 90 Day Fiancé as a major franchise alongside their DC content, Game of Thrones, and Harry Potter. 

[Cinnabon]

5 minutes ago, Stuffy said:

They talked up HBOMax so unless something changes, they’re still going to do some scripted shows. I think there’s still going to be some cancellations and dropped content but that wasn’t announced.

They could’ve done without the man vs woman slide.  Basically HBOMax = Men and Discovery+ = women.  The only Discovery show I watch/use is Mythbusters and that’s just for some of their experiments for my science classes. Also, they had 90 Day Fiancé as a major franchise alongside their DC content, Game of Thrones, and Harry Potter. 

LOL. As a woman, I can’t stand most of Discovery’s content. But I also haven’t seen GOT, any DC content, or Harry Potter, and don’t plan to. 🤣

[shapeshifter]

I wonder if this HBO-Discovery-WB kerfuffle has something to do with season 2 of the new Perry Mason being pushed out to *maybe* October-November.

52 minutes ago, meowmommy said:

But I also have Discovery Plus, accessed through my Amazon Prime (which is another story --

Amazon tells me regarding Discovery Plus: 

• "We're sorry
  "You are not eligible to purchase this app due to geographical restrictions.
  "(Why?)"

I'm guessing that's because my daughter in Oregon has me added (legitimately) to her Amazon Prime but Discovery+ doesn't offer that? 

At this point in my life, I don't really care if I don't get to see any particular show. 
But I still like to know my options.

[Irlandesa]

11 minutes ago, shapeshifter said:

I wonder if this HBO-Discovery-WB kerfuffle has something to do with season 2 of the new Perry Mason being pushed out to *maybe* October-November.

Of the shows affected by this, I think Perry Mason is probably not one of them. 

It's not a Max original.   Regular HBO shows appear to be fine. I don't think it was pushed back.  The August rumor was just that...a rumor.

[Kel Varnsen]

7 hours ago, Dani said:

A few years back the massively in debt AT&T thought it would be a good idea to buy the massively in debt Time Warner which owned HBO. Shockingly that didn’t help either company get out of debt so AT&T recently decided to sell the now more massively in debt WarnerMedia to Discovery creating the $45 billion in debt Warner Bros. Discovery. 

That's interesting. I sort of wondered how Discovery had the ability to buy a corporate behemoth that was once Time Warner, since they seemed a lot smaller at least in my perception. But if there were/are massive amounts of debt that they had to take on I guess that makes more sense. 

My faint hope is that with all the merging of the services they can actually launch a proper HBO streaming app/service in Canada. Because right now most HBO stuff is offered through the Crave TV app (which is owned by one of the major cable companies). I have signed up a few times when my cable company has offered it for a discount, but when not discounted it is $20 a month plus tax (although it used to be $25). And the last time I used it the interface was terrible. Plus if you logged into crave from your cable box and say a streaming device you couldn't start watching a show on one and finish on the other.

[Guest]

2 hours ago, Just Here said:

Warner Brothers Discovery had a quarterly earnings conference call on Thursday afternoon, where they announced a combined streaming service, that is set to be launched next year in the U.S.A.

That was what I was expecting. Killing HBO Max didn’t make any sense. I just wonder which user interface they are going to go with or if they will create something new. 

[meowmommy]

5 hours ago, Dani said:

HBO Max is really poorly named and makes it seem like it is just HBO’s streaming service. It is actually HBO plus everything else owned by Warner Bros like TCM, DC, Looney Tunes, WB’s movie and tv catalog. 

I think because it rolled out as they pulled the existing HBO Now (standalone) and HBO Go (for cable subscribers) apps, it was easy for people like me to think it was just an amped up version of the previous product. 

I can watch TCM through my cable provider or through the TCM app.  The rest of it, I barely notice anyway.  Not a lot that interests me most of the time.  John Oliver, Hacks, the Brit pottery show, the random movie.  But I'm currently rewatching Six Feet Under.  Always good to be reminded HBO once produced good TV.

[AimingforYoko]

Paramount+ strikes deal with Walmart to be free add-on for Walmart+ subscribers.

Corporate synergy, baby!

[SunnyBeBe]

I have a Firestick that I left unused for about 6 months. When I recently tried to use it, it says I must install updates, but though I keep trying, it never updates.  There is room for it.  Any suggestions? I’ve done all the things suggested on Amazon sites.  

[shapeshifter]

Facebook keeps showing me ads offering HBO Max for 40% off with a 1-year subscription.
 

[Cinnabon]

34 minutes ago, shapeshifter said:

Facebook keeps showing me ads offering HBO Max for 40% off with a 1-year subscription.
 

It might be legitimate. I got an HBO subscription last year for 50% off for 6 months. When I went to cancel after that,they gave me another 6 months at half price.

[peachmangosteen]

It's legit. When you go to hbomax.com it says 'Save over 40% when you prepay for a year.' The offer is valid until October 30th and it is valid for new and returning subscribers.

[MaryMitch]

Here's a list of streaming services with free trials. Most are only a week, but Hulu is a month.

https://www.businessinsider.com/guides/streaming/free-trial-streaming-services

[Guest]

2 hours ago, peachmangosteen said:

It's legit. When you go to hbomax.com it says 'Save over 40% when you prepay for a year.' The offer is valid until October 30th and it is valid for new and returning subscribers.

They offered the same deal last year at this time. I took advantage of it and my year is up in a few weeks. Then you could cancel a subscription and immediately sign up with the 40% off. 

Now I have to figure out if it is worth it to sign up for another year. HBO Max is removing content, most of the shows seem to be in limbo and it’s supposed to be merged with Discovery+ in the next year. Even at 40% off it may not be worth it. 

[shapeshifter]

1 minute ago, Dani said:

Now I have to figure out if it is worth it to sign up for another year. HBO Max is removing content, most of the shows seem to be in limbo and it’s supposed to be merged with Discovery+ in the next year. Even at 40% off it may not be worth it. 

Can we be sure at this point (for example) that it will be necessary to have HBO Max to see season 2 of Perry Mason?
I mean: Suppose Perry Mason resumes in October and you don't have HBO Max anymore but do have Discovery+? 
This is too confusing for me.
I have too many other life decisions that are even more complicated to think about.
TV is supposed to be my escape.

[SuprSuprElevated]

4 minutes ago, shapeshifter said:

TV is supposed to be my escape.

Exactly.  Between trying to manage our own healthcare, our own healthcare insurance, manage the lives of our parents, and figure out where to buy and afford to pay for life's necessities...

This television mishigas is maddening.  I'm ready to make mine an aquarium.  (Remember those? lol)

[Guest]

11 minutes ago, shapeshifter said:

Can we be sure at this point (for example) that it will be necessary to have HBO Max to see season 2 of Perry Mason?

Yes. I think it’s safe to say you will need HBO or HBO Max for most of the HBO shows until the two services are merged. 
Discovery+ is much cheaper then HBO Max so I can’t see most of the content being offered on both with such a big price difference. The more educational content like CNN makes sense but not the prestige shows. 

[Irlandesa]

44 minutes ago, Dani said:

Now I have to figure out if it is worth it to sign up for another year. HBO Max is removing content, most of the shows seem to be in limbo and it’s supposed to be merged with Discovery+ in the next year. Even at 40% off it may not be worth it. 

I think it's probably worth it for another year.  I think anything that has been renewed at this point is going to stay renewed.  It might get cancelled after its next season airs but I suspect the next major change in content won't take place until the merger happens.  

The thing I'm curious about is whether or not HBOMax will eventually disengage from HBO proper or be an upcharge like Peacock is. 

But I do not think expensive HBO content will move to the cheaper Discovery+.

Edited August 20, 2022 by Irlandesa

[Cinnabon]

Looks like the HBO 40% off deal requires you to prepay for a year. 🥲 I want to be able to unsubscribe at will. And now they’re charging more to watch without ads? Ugh.

Edited August 20, 2022 by Cinnabon

[Guest]

32 minutes ago, Irlandesa said:

I think it's probably worth it for another year.  I think anything that has been renewed at this point is going to stay renewed.

I agree that the ones that have been renewed are going to stay renewed but I’m not sure that is enough for me to commit to another year. Particularly given the long gap between seasons and how many release dates are unknown. Too many that I like are on the cancelled or not yet renewed list. 

27 minutes ago, Cinnabon said:

And now they’re charging more to watch without ads? Ugh.

The tier without ads is the same price it was when it launched. 

[Irlandesa]

35 minutes ago, Cinnabon said:

Looks like the HBO 40% off deal requires you to prepay for a year. 🥲 I want to be able to unsubscribe at will. And now they’re charging more to watch without ads? Ugh.

You can still do that and depending on how many months you watch HBOMax, it still might be cheaper.  HBOMax is basically offering about 5 months free for loyalty.  And it probably looks better on their books not to have people adding/subtracting the HBO service.  If you subscribe for 7 months or more, the deal is worth it.  If not, then it's not.

And HBO didn't create an ad-free more expensive tier.  $15/month is its standard.  Last year they created the cheaper tier with ads.

[Cinnabon]

20 minutes ago, Irlandesa said:

You can still do that and depending on how many months you watch HBOMax, it still might be cheaper.  HBOMax is basically offering about 5 months free for loyalty.  And it probably looks better on their books not to have people adding/subtracting the HBO service.  If you subscribe for 7 months or more, the deal is worth it.  If not, then it's not.

And HBO didn't create an ad-free more expensive tier.  $15/month is its standard.  Last year they created the cheaper tier with ads.

I was unaware of the ad-supported tier, as I’ve had the the ad-free service for the past year at half price. And I’ve been watching HBO (on and off) since the 80s without ads. Ads on HBO just  seem so wrong to me, lol.

Edited August 20, 2022 by Cinnabon

[Irlandesa]

20 minutes ago, Cinnabon said:

Ads on HBO just  seem so wrong to me, lol.

Yep.  And I wonder what it'll be like because so many of these shows aren't built for ads.  I always think it's weird when ads pop up on Hulu.  I think it'll be even weirder on Netflix.

[Cinnabon]

52 minutes ago, Irlandesa said:

Yep.  And I wonder what it'll be like because so many of these shows aren't built for ads.  I always think it's weird when ads pop up on Hulu.  I think it'll be even weirder on Netflix.

I just read an article written by someone who tested out the new ad-supported tier. Let me look for it and I’ll post the link. 

Here it is:

https://www.cnet.com/google-amp/news/we-tried-hbo-max-ad-free-and-with-ads-is-savings-really-worth-it/

Edited August 20, 2022 by Cinnabon

[peachmangosteen]

When it was first announced, it said that the HBO original shows would still not have ads on the ad-supported tier so I'm assuming that's still true. 

[SunnyBeBe]

14 hours ago, peachmangosteen said:

When it was first announced, it said that the HBO original shows would still not have ads on the ad-supported tier so I'm assuming that's still true. 

I’m not sure.  I have HBOmax with ads for $9.99 per month and I don’t intend to pay more. In fact, I may cancel it if I do.  I don’t watch it much lately.  Also, have Prime for $14.99 per month, but is full prime and covers my shipping and other savings like AMC+ for 99 cents per month, which I think is too much for what you get. Lol 

[peachmangosteen]

9 hours ago, SunnyBeBe said:

I’m not sure.  I have HBOmax with ads for $9.99 per month and I don’t intend to pay more. 

When you watch the HBO shows (like Succession, Westworld, Game of Thrones, etc.), are there ads? 

[SunnyBeBe]

9 hours ago, peachmangosteen said:

When you watch the HBO shows (like Succession, Westworld, Game of Thrones, etc.), are there ads? 

I’m a little embarrassed, but I haven’t watched any of those except Westworld, however, I don’t think there were any commercials.  Commercials aren’t ideal, but it’s one way to keep cost down, so I choose that option.  I have Netflix too and Basic is $9.99. I don’t think it has ads.  I’m seriously considering letting go of HBOmax.  

[peachmangosteen]

1 minute ago, SunnyBeBe said:

I’m a little embarrassed, but I haven’t watched any of those except Westworld, however, I don’t think there were any commercials.  

Don’t be embarrassed, I’ve only watched Succession lol.

[SunnyBeBe]

I realize that $9.99 doesn’t sound like much, but when you add up several of those, plus my WiFi…..plus at my main house I have cable and that package is quite pricy. Then, phone and internet at my office!  And cell phone! It’s crazy how much is going to Spectrum and AT&T.   

[Ohiopirate02]

15 hours ago, SunnyBeBe said:

I realize that $9.99 doesn’t sound like much, but when you add up several of those, plus my WiFi…..plus at my main house I have cable and that package is quite pricy. Then, phone and internet at my office!  And cell phone! It’s crazy how much is going to Spectrum and AT&T.   

I'm still trying to figure out how this is cheaper than paying for cable.

[Guest]

1 hour ago, Ohiopirate02 said:

I'm still trying to figure out how this is cheaper than paying for cable.

It’s not if you try and replace everything you get with cable but most cable cutters don’t need or want to do that. I was paying nearly $70-$100 for basic cable and now I pay at most $50. I get more content that appeals to me including some premium channels that could never justify the expense of on top of the base prices for cable. Most months it’s much less than $50 because there are a few I only sign up for a month at a time. 

Plus even with cable I would still want a couple of the streaming services so it’s not really a either/or situation. 

[Cinnabon]

2 hours ago, Ohiopirate02 said:

I'm still trying to figure out how this is cheaper than paying for cable.

It’s cheaper for me. I tend to watch one or 2 streaming services at a time, then I cancel and watch others for a while. So I’m never paying for more than 2 in any given month. 

[SunnyBeBe]

5 hours ago, Ohiopirate02 said:

I'm still trying to figure out how this is cheaper than paying for cable.

I’m constantly trying to figure it out too.  So, even if you get cable, you still don’t have Prime, Netflix, HBOmax, Hulu, etc.  And a cable package is about $185.00.  Per month.  With my cable, I can get most of the channels like TLC, AMC, NBC, PBS, etc. on my second home, just by logging in with my cable account.  So, I’m getting two homes for one in that.  And, I can access my streaming channels, like HBOmax, from wherever I am.  
 

Years ago, before streaming was so popular, I had cable with Time Warner Cable, and I had all the channels they offered at the time, Showtime, HBO, Cinemax, Sundance, etc,  It was live or OnDemand.  I think it was about $200.00 per month.  That included internet too!  This was before Prime existed and Netflix was a company you ordered DVDs from through the mail!

Edited August 24, 2022 by SunnyBeBe

[Bort]

I have cable and I get access to Peacock and HBO Max. I also have Prime but that’s pretty much for the shipping, the Video is just a perk. I otherwise have no other streamers. I used to have Netflix and Hulu but I just didn’t watch them much. And I hate having to switch around from streamer to streamer. I like cable, everything is all in one place. 

[DearEvette]

Just read that that if you sign up during the month of September, new subscribers to the Peacock premium (paid) service can sign up for the commercial tier for 1.99 a month or 19.99 for a whole year. 

My viewing of NBC shows have fallen way off.  I think maybe, Grand Crew, is the only NBC show that I generally watch and it was always on Hulu. But now that NBC is removing their stuff from Hulu, this is cheap enough for me to give Peacock a try for a year.

[Ohiopirate02]

2 minutes ago, DearEvette said:

Just read that that if you sign up during the month of September, new subscribers to the Peacock premium (paid) service can sign up for the commercial tier for 1.99 a month or 19.99 for a whole year. 

My viewing of NBC shows have fallen way off.  I think maybe, Grand Crew, is the only NBC show that I generally watch and it was always on Hulu. But now that NBC is removing their stuff from Hulu, this is cheap enough for me to give Peacock a try for a year.

Peacock has gotten better with their offerings.  They now have next day episodes of Bravo shows on there so I can fast forward the annoying housewives (cough Rinna cough).  My mother is also an avid Days of Our Lives viewer, and has been using my subscription for months now.  

[peachmangosteen]

Peacock has some great originals. We Are Lady Parts, Rutherford Falls, Saved By the Bell, Girls5eva, Wolf Like Me, and The Resort are all great. One of Us is Lying and The Girl in the Woods are bad but fun.

[Broderbits]

8 hours ago, Ohiopirate02 said:

I'm still trying to figure out how this is cheaper than paying for cable.

My cable bill was around $120 month (that's not including internet) and I realized that was for a lot of stations I never watched (like sports, shopping, etc.), plus taxes, plus various extra "fees", plus charges to watch local networks. I cancelled cable over a year ago, spent around $20 for a digital antenna, and decided what streaming services I would get the most value from. Now my tv watching costs me about $50 month, not including Amazon Prime which I would have anyway. YMMV

[Cinnabon]

36 minutes ago, peachmangosteen said:

Peacock has some great originals. We Are Lady Parts, Rutherford Falls, Saved By the Bell, Girls5eva, Wolf Like Me, and The Resort are all great. One of Us is Lying and The Girl in the Woods are bad but fun.

Are these teen shows?

[Ohiopirate02]

1 hour ago, Broderbits said:

My cable bill was around $120 month (that's not including internet) and I realized that was for a lot of stations I never watched (like sports, shopping, etc.), plus taxes, plus various extra "fees", plus charges to watch local networks. I cancelled cable over a year ago, spent around $20 for a digital antenna, and decided what streaming services I would get the most value from. Now my tv watching costs me about $50 month, not including Amazon Prime which I would have anyway. YMMV

It really depends on how you watch TV.  I live with my mother, a person who always has to have a TV on in the background.  By the time I figured out how to rig a digital antenna to 3 different TVs and increased my streaming apps to account for the sports I watch,  it's not going to be cheaper than paying for cable plus internet.  

I also factor in the cost of internet into this decision.  I really only use it for streaming.  I don't work from home or game or have kids.  That $80 a month is part of the bill in my eyes at least.

[paulvdb]

14 hours ago, Ohiopirate02 said:

They now have next day episodes of Bravo shows on there so I can fast forward the annoying housewives

I guess I'm missing the appeal of that. Would it not be easier to just not watch the show instead of fast forwarding through the whole thing?

[Dani-Ellie]

11 hours ago, Ohiopirate02 said:

It really depends on how you watch TV. 

This is it, exactly. For me, my cable & internet bill was ~$175/month. My cable & internet package was actually only $120 but the rest of that $55 was from taxes and fees. For example, I was paying a ~$20/month "regional sports fee" when I don't even watch sports. I tend to watch more streaming than cable, and what little broadcast TV I still watch, I watched on Hulu the next day anyway.

So I canceled my cable and kept my internet service. I already paid for Netflix and Paramount+ anyway, Peacock comes with my Comcast internet, and we get Hulu through our mobile phone plan. I added HBO Max because it had both Rizzoli & Isles and Cold Case. Even with the addition of HBO Max, I'm still saving ~$60/month.

[SunnyBeBe]

I tried the digital antenna at the country house, but reception is sketchy.  Even the closest, strongest station has interference, which is annoying. It’s supposed to cover 100 miles, which it does, but with interference.  I suppose I could pay to get a high, outdoor mounted antenna.  I’m going to do some more research on cost and perhaps make some changes.  Oh, I keep a digital antenna on hand in case I lose cable and internet due to storms.  It’s better than nothing,  

[shapeshifter]

41 minutes ago, SunnyBeBe said:

I tried the digital antenna at the country house, but reception is sketchy.  Even the closest, strongest station has interference, which is annoying. It’s supposed to cover 100 miles, which it does, but with interference.  I suppose I could pay to get a high, outdoor mounted antenna.  I’m going to do some more research on cost and perhaps make some changes.  Oh, I keep a digital antenna on hand in case I lose cable and internet due to storms.  It’s better than nothing,  

I first got a window antenna when a coworker/work-daughter who lived in downtown Chicago raved about it.

I lived 30 miles north of Chicago and 60 miles south of Milwaukee Wisconsin, and I did get 50-60 stations (about a dozen clear and unique) with my Mohu Leaf antenna even though my window was at ground level and faced a neighbor's brick house with tall trees. 

In Rochester NY, when I could put the antenna in an upstairs window facing SE, on a rare, good day, I could still get a dozen channels.
My neighbor cut down his huge tree right after I moved. I'm curious how much that would have improved the reception.

In my current condo in Rochester, the window is facing north and there are brick condos all around. I get a random selection of up to 5 stations (1 is always Fox), plus a handful of religious stations.

I imagine if I lived in a real house where I was permitted to put an antenna on my roof, it would work at least as well as the Chicago suburbs, unless I was further away from family and hospitals than I want to be.

+++++++++++++++++++

But I am logged into my son-in-law's former TV (now mine) with his Roku account, and so get access to everything they have, plus another daughter's Hulu and Prime.

The fine print says it's all legal. 

If/when they tell me to cut it out, that's fine.

Oh, and I managed to get Spectrum to give me free Internet for a year. 

++++++++++++++++++++

Meanwhile:

16 hours ago, DearEvette said:

Just read that that if you sign up during the month of September, new subscribers to the Peacock premium (paid) service can sign up for the commercial tier for 1.99 a month or 19.99 for a whole year. 

I just put this on my calendar. I will probably do it. 
Amber Ruffin's show's new episodes are no longer available on free Peacock, and I'm pretty sure there were some others I missed. 
I'll wait and see if I want to do it. 

In general I don't sign up for even really good deals unless I really want what they're offering, because I don't want to have to keep track of when they suddenly become not so great deals.

Edited August 25, 2022 by shapeshifter

[Ohiopirate02]

2 hours ago, paulvdb said:

I guess I'm missing the appeal of that. Would it not be easier to just not watch the show instead of fast forwarding through the whole thing?

I don't fast forward through the whole thing, only the scenes featuring the individual housewives I don't like.  These scenes are 100% contrived and do nothing to advance the plot.  By watching the next day on Peacock, I also cut out the commercials and intros and only devote about 35-40 minutes of my time instead of a whole hour.  I get the meat of an episode without all the filler.  

[SunnyBeBe]

Free internet!  Omg, you must be a great negotiator, Shapeshifter!  Congrats on that. 
 

I want a bunch of trees down on my property, but it’s too costly to do at once.  If they came down, I might get better reception.  In fact, I get the channel clear, but then interference starts…..then it’s clear….then it’s not.  It’s too aggravating to watch it long term that way.  In an emergency, it’s tolerable tough.  
 

I also hate it when I sign up and forget to cancel.  I got an email about my Philo subscription! I forgot to cancel and only signed up for this one thing that didn’t even pan out!  So annoying.  I cancelled it, but $29.00 wasted.  Lesson learned.  

Edited August 25, 2022 by SunnyBeBe

[Guest]

Laid-Off HBO Max Execs Reveal Warner Bros. Discovery Is Killing Off Diversity and Courting ‘Middle America’

Looks like it would have been better if they had killed HBO Max. At least it answers my question if it is worth it to renew by subscription.