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

[Ailianna]

On 5/20/2021 at 1:10 AM, Dani said:

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. 

Thank you for answering! Is that $30 for all premium movies or just the one? Sorry to ask so many questions but you are actually explaining it clearly, which is more than I've previously seen.  Thank you!

[Guest]

4 hours ago, Ailianna said:

Thank you for answering! Is that $30 for all premium movies or just the one? Sorry to ask so many questions but you are actually explaining it clearly, which is more than I've previously seen.  Thank you!

It’s $30 dollars for each movie rather than a new subscription tier with a monthly fee. So if you wanted to buy Cruella you would pay the $30 once had have it for the three months before it released to everyone else. Buying one doesn’t mean you have to buy the next one.  

Assuming the movie theaters don’t have to shut back down, Black Widow will probably be the last movie offered through premiere access. I wouldn’t be surprised if they offer it occasionally but it probably won’t be a regular thing. 

[BetterButter]

Hell Freezes Over? Steven Spielberg’s Amblin Partners In Deal To Make Movies For Netflix

[Anela]

I found out today, thanks to Katja Herbers on instagram, that those with Amazon Prime can get deals with some of the streaming services before midnight tonight. 99c a month, or for two months, for things like Paramount+. I just have to remember to cancel in two months, because I can't afford more payments.

[badhaggis]

2 hours ago, Anela said:

I found out today, thanks to Katja Herbers on instagram, that those with Amazon Prime can get deals with some of the streaming services before midnight tonight. 99c a month, or for two months, for things like Paramount+. I just have to remember to cancel in two months, because I can't afford more payments.

Thanks for the tip!

[biakbiak]

On 6/22/2021 at 6:16 PM, Anela said:

just have to remember to cancel in two months, because I can't afford more payments.

It’s been my experience you can cancel immediately and you still get the whole deal.

[Danny Franks]

On 6/21/2021 at 11:09 PM, BetterButter said:

Hell Freezes Over? Steven Spielberg’s Amblin Partners In Deal To Make Movies For Netflix

I'm yet to watch a Netflix movie and consider it as good as a comparable cinematic release. It's either the writing, the effects, the direction, the costumes or something completely different,.

I don't think Netflix have the best quality control with this stuff, so what they end up with is a lot of Syfy quality material.

[meowmommy]

On 6/22/2021 at 6:16 PM, Anela said:

I found out today, thanks to Katja Herbers on instagram, that those with Amazon Prime can get deals with some of the streaming services before midnight tonight. 99c a month, or for two months, for things like Paramount+.

I used it to get two months of Discovery+, ad-free.  I don't particularly like the interface using Amazon Prime, but hey, the price was right.  And because I had placed a Prime order with "no-rush" shipping for which they gave me a $1.00 credit, they used the credit to pay the 99 cents instead of charging me. 

[SVNBob]

On 6/22/2021 at 8:16 PM, Anela said:

I just have to remember to cancel in two months, because I can't afford more payments.

You might want to think about subscribing to the Privacy.com service, and using one of their virtual cards set with a very low limit (like just enough to get the deal) to sign up.  That way, if you forget to cancel, the card they'll try to charge won't have any money on it and it won't affect you otherwise.

[willco]

On 6/24/2021 at 6:08 AM, Danny Franks said:

I'm yet to watch a Netflix movie and consider it as good as a comparable cinematic release. It's either the writing, the effects, the direction, the costumes or something completely different,.

I don't think Netflix have the best quality control with this stuff, so what they end up with is a lot of Syfy quality material.

I pretty much agree with you on that, I haven't found much that is Netflix made that I thought was very good, however I just watched a new one that was recently added called "The Woman in the Window" with Amy Adams. I thought it was pretty good (it's kind of a take on "Rear Window " with Jimmy Stewart. ) It only has an Imdb score of 5.7 so I must have liked it more than a lot of people !

[Anela]

On 6/25/2021 at 3:01 AM, SVNBob said:

You might want to think about subscribing to the Privacy.com service, and using one of their virtual cards set with a very low limit (like just enough to get the deal) to sign up.  That way, if you forget to cancel, the card they'll try to charge won't have any money on it and it won't affect you otherwise.

Thank you. I'll look it up. At the moment, I have a reminder set to go off, the day before it charges me a full payment. 

[Quof]

Using a method of payment you know is not valid is fraud, like writing a cheque you know will bounce.  

[Katy M]

3 hours ago, Quof said:

Using a method of payment you know is not valid is fraud, like writing a cheque you know will bounce.  

I think the idea is to pay for the original service leaving the empty card for renewal. When it comes time for renewal their automated system will try to charge the card. It will decline.  Then it will send out an automated email to update the card. When that is not done they will cancel the renewal.  No fraud involved as the renewal is not considered renewed until the payment goes through.

[Guest]

2 hours ago, Katy M said:

I think the idea is to pay for the original service leaving the empty card for renewal. When it comes time for renewal their automated system will try to charge the card. It will decline.  Then it will send out an automated email to update the card. When that is not done they will cancel the renewal.  No fraud involved as the renewal is not considered renewed until the payment goes through.

Yes. Although, this method does not always work if you sign up through a third-party service. Apple will put a negative balance on your account. 

[krankydoodle]

I was happy to see that Paramount+ finally added a watchlist feature to their platform and was going through their movie collection since they recently added a bunch (some greats but also a lot of junky looking ones) when I get an error saying I had reached my limit and had to remove items from my watchlist before I could add more. Why?!? 😖

[Jaded]

19 minutes ago, krankydoodle said:

I was happy to see that Paramount+ finally added a watchlist feature to their platform and was going through their movie collection since they recently added a bunch (some greats but also a lot of junky looking ones) when I get an error saying I had reached my limit and had to remove items from my watchlist before I could add more. Why?!? 😖

Their way to add things is clunky too. P+ is like a streaming service that never made it out of beta status in quite a few ways.

[SunnyBeBe]

I recently watched tv on a friend’s tv and Firestick.  It was considerably easier to navigate than mine. It’s new, but I just purchased my tv and Firestick  last year. I’m surprised at the difference.  

[ratgirlagogo]

We signed up for Amazon Prime last year during the pandemic because we were buying so many things online that we would have bought in stores.  It has some good stuff on it ( if you like straight- to - video horror movies as much as I do, Amazon has you covered).  I've seen some cool documentaries, I did like Mrs. Maizel and Knives Out and Bosch.  If it weren't connected to the free delivery stuff I don't know that we'd bother.

I signed up for Peacock in April when the WWE Network (of which I was a non-paying member) got folded in - the deal was that all WWE Network members could join Peacock for four months for $2.50 a month, half of the normal Peacock price and a quarter of the Network price.  So far the wrestling content is more than worth it for a wrestling nut like myself- the WWE library goes back the early 80's and contains the other promotions WWE absorbed.  I'm gorging myself on old WCW and ECW.

But the rest of the Peacock programming so far is  disappointing.  The show I was most looking forward to was Rutherford Falls, which was one of the few shows in TV history to feature  contemporary Native American life - the last two I remember in the last 30 years are Northern Exposure and Longmire.  I watched two episodes and it was so bad - so disappointing since I could see that the same excellent cast could have made an excellent show with better writing.  Unless the price rises drastically I'll probably still keep it for the wrestling, but it's a bit of a bust other than that.

Edited July 3, 2021 by ratgirlagogo
typos

[peachmangosteen]

I'm glad I got the Peacock deal they had awhile back that was like $10 for 4 months because I liked Rutherford Falls and Girls 5eva well enough and I absolutely loved We Are Lady Parts, which if anyone hasn't watched that yet do yourself a favor and get on it! Plus they have a lot of Olympics content and I'm sure more to come when the Olympics actually start. But in general I don't think it's worth the price.

I had HBO Max because, again, they had a deal but it's run out. I'll probably reup though with Gossip Girl and The White Lotus starting soon.

Paramount+ I got right when it came out for the year deal and I have quite a few things I watch on there. I will continue to get it every summer for Big Brother and if the continue The Challenge on there.

Hulu I've gotten a few times this year to watch certain shows and I'll probably reup when Only Murders in the Building starts.

Netflix I always get because it's usually the one that most consistently has things I wanna watch every month.

In general, I get the stuff if there's a deal and just on the months there is something specifically I wanna watch.

[peachmangosteen]

Has anyone tried the HBO ad-supported plan? If so, how many ads are there and how long are they?

[Jaded]

On 7/2/2021 at 10:35 AM, SunnyBeBe said:

I recently watched tv on a friend’s tv and Firestick.  It was considerably easier to navigate than mine. It’s new, but I just purchased my tv and Firestick  last year. I’m surprised at the difference.  

My Insignia Fire TV that I got in 2019 still hasn't gotten the layout update that's been so slow in rolling out for some Fire TV related devices. I have two older Fire TV boxes that still work which are apparently too old to receive the layout update which is fine with me as long as they continue to work. I only use one of the two regularly since the other one is hooked up to the Insignia TV still from when I was comparing the two. 

[SunnyBeBe]

I get Prime video due to the free delivery that I really use.  I have found that I have to search for things.  I recently discovered Clarkson’s Farm on Prime.  It’s a jewel, if you like that kind of thing.  Also, you get Prime Music, which has a lot to offer.  They even have some music videos, as well as a huge catalog of music.  

[Guest]

5 hours ago, peachmangosteen said:

Has anyone tried the HBO ad-supported plan? If so, how many ads are there and how long are they?

I have ad-free HBO Max so I’m not speaking from personal experience but HBO says that it is 4 minutes of ads per hour. HBO original programming does not have any ads. 

In my mind, the biggest disadvantage with the ad-supported tier is that you don’t get the Warner Brothers same day premieres. 

[peachmangosteen]

1 hour ago, Dani said:

I have ad-free HBO Max so I’m not speaking from personal experience but HBO says that it is 4 minutes of ads per hour. HBO original programming does not have any ads.

Even on the ad-supported plan? 4 minutes per hour is not bad but it might still be irritating enough for me that the $4.99 savings isn't enough lol. But if the HBO originals don't have ads then there's no problem for me since I don't care about the movies.

 

 

[biakbiak]

2 minutes ago, peachmangosteen said:

Even on the ad-supported plan? 

Yes.

Moreover, it’s not running ads in core HBO programming to re­­­main consistent with the premium cabler’s heritage.

[Guest]

19 minutes ago, peachmangosteen said:

Even on the ad-supported plan? 4 minutes per hour is not bad but it might still be irritating enough for me that the $4.99 savings isn't enough lol. But if the HBO originals don't have ads then there's no problem for me since I don't care about the movies.

 

 

Yes but HBO Max originals do have ads. So Mare of Easttown or Game of Thrones won’t have ads but The Flight Attendant or the Friends reunion special does.

 

Edited July 4, 2021 by Guest

[peachmangosteen]

Thanks for the info. I appreciate that they're not doing ads on the HBO shows. I'll probably try out the ad-supported plan and see how it goes. 

[badhaggis]

On 7/4/2021 at 9:18 AM, SunnyBeBe said:

I get Prime video due to the free delivery that I really use.  I have found that I have to search for things.  I recently discovered Clarkson’s Farm on Prime.  It’s a jewel, if you like that kind of thing.  Also, you get Prime Music, which has a lot to offer.  They even have some music videos, as well as a huge catalog of music.  

I love this show too! Have you seen a forum for it? 

[SunnyBeBe]

28 minutes ago, badhaggis said:

I love this show too! Have you seen a forum for it? 

I looked but didn’t see one for Clarkson’s Farm.  I suppose you could start one.  I wasn’t sure how many would be watching.  

[badhaggis]

10 minutes ago, SunnyBeBe said:

I looked but didn’t see one for Clarkson’s Farm.  I suppose you could start one.  I wasn’t sure how many would be watching

I did get a topic started.

[BetterButter]

Why Comcast Could Snap Up Roku

[SunnyBeBe]

1 hour ago, BetterButter said:

Why Comcast Could Snap Up Roku

🤑🙄

[meowmommy]

16 hours ago, BetterButter said:

Why Comcast Could Snap Up Roku

Nooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!

[ABay]

Fuck Comcast. One of the happiest days of my life was when I cancelled those price-gouging bastards. If they buy Roku I'll have to find another way to get Netflix and Amazon Prime onto my TV.

[SunnyBeBe]

Okay.....I’m really ticked off.  Suddenly NBC live is screwed up. Sound is all messed up sounds like a foreign language.  Video messed up too!  I thought it was Firestick issue, but it’s doing it on Roku too!   What’s up!  Anyone else have this issue? I sign in with my cable account, get code to sign it and yes it’s unwatchable.  Has worked fine for over a 🤬

Edited July 19, 2021 by SunnyBeBe

[SunnyBeBe]

I have deleted and reinstalled and no change!  Infuriating.....

It does the same on my iPad too.

Other networks live works fine.

Edited July 19, 2021 by SunnyBeBe

[Ailianna]

Disney+ just logged me out for no reason on a fire tv. I logged back in, but now its just a blank dark blue screen. It said to try again later but its just that blank screen. Everything else seems to be working in terms of other apps. What's going on with Disney+? I checked my tablet and small tv and I had to reply in to both. Tablet could now watch and small tv I didn't try so I wouldn't get another blue screen. Thanks!

[Llywela]

7 hours ago, Ailianna said:

Disney+ just logged me out for no reason on a fire tv. I logged back in, but now its just a blank dark blue screen. It said to try again later but its just that blank screen. Everything else seems to be working in terms of other apps. What's going on with Disney+? I checked my tablet and small tv and I had to reply in to both. Tablet could now watch and small tv I didn't try so I wouldn't get another blue screen. Thanks!

I have had similar issues with Disney+, which decided one day to simply stop working on the browser I usually use and has never recovered. The page simply doesn't load but remains blank. I have to use a completely different browser to access the site now (can't get it on my TV for boring technical reasons).

[Guest]

23 hours ago, Ailianna said:

Disney+ just logged me out for no reason on a fire tv. I logged back in, but now its just a blank dark blue screen. It said to try again later but its just that blank screen. Everything else seems to be working in terms of other apps. What's going on with Disney+? I checked my tablet and small tv and I had to reply in to both. Tablet could now watch and small tv I didn't try so I wouldn't get another blue screen. Thanks!

Something similar happened to me. I had to clear the data on the app and it started working again. 

[SunnyBeBe]

This week it’s CBS who’s pulling a pretty lousy trick.  When you try to get CBS live on the app, it sends you a code to login with your provider. I have spectrum cable too, so I log in with that account and it’s always worked until now. Now when you go on your phone to log the code, it goes to a page that advertises Paramount+    It says it’s free, so sign up, but there is no way out unless you sign up.  So, effectively you are not allowed to utilize what you are already paying for without getting free trial period Paramount.  I started to do it, but backed out due to principle.  😆  It has to be illegal.

[AimingforYoko]

Disney+ hits 116m subscribers, beating estimates.

Netflix has 209m, Disney's reached 55% of that in 21 months.

[supposebly]

2 hours ago, AimingforYoko said:

Netflix has 209m, Disney's reached 55% of that in 21 months.

I wonder if it's going to last. I might be an outlier here but I wouldn't want all Disney, all the time content. And the shine of the MCU stuff is going to fade eventually, which I think is probably one of the major factors driving that increase. I think more variety will be the better business model in the long run.

[Zella]

2 hours ago, supposebly said:

I might be an outlier here but I wouldn't want all Disney, all the time content.

You can come sit by me. The idea of a Disney-specific streaming site has never made sense to me, though I have a lot of friends who gladly subscribed. I stopped watching Disney movies fairly early on in childhood and don't have the nostalgia for them that a lot of my peers have, and I don't like superhero movies. There is just no incentive for me to pay money for yet another streaming service.

In fact, the proliferation of multiple specific streaming services is pushing me back to DVDs. 

[DearEvette]

I just ended my Disney subscription. I had it bundled with my Hulu in time for Hamilton.  But frankly I am not the audience for its content.  It is all Marvel or Disney kids/ movies stuff.  And I found myself scrolling to find something to watch more than watching.  I ended it and got Apple+ instead which is 4.00 a month cheaper (really cheap in comparison to some) and has content I am more the audience for,.

[Guest]

5 hours ago, supposebly said:

I wonder if it's going to last. I might be an outlier here but I wouldn't want all Disney, all the time content. And the shine of the MCU stuff is going to fade eventually, which I think is probably one of the major factors driving that increase. I think more variety will be the better business model in the long run.

They should have a more variety in the long run. Internationally they have already expanded to include a much wider range of content. It doesn’t make sense for them to do the same thing in the US until the have complete ownership of Hulu, which should happen in 2024. 

[SunnyBeBe]

Does anyone know if a Firestick wears out?  😆 I’m trying to figure out why I’m continually having streaming issues. It seems there’s new one each week.  

[jah1986]

On 8/13/2021 at 4:31 AM, SunnyBeBe said:

Does anyone know if a Firestick wears out?  😆 I’m trying to figure out why I’m continually having streaming issues. It seems there’s new one each week.  

I don't know if they wear out but I think there is a limit on how much content it can handle. I just had to stop using mine and go back to Roku.  

[GHScorpiosRule]

On 8/13/2021 at 4:31 AM, SunnyBeBe said:

Does anyone know if a Firestick wears out?  😆 I’m trying to figure out why I’m continually having streaming issues. It seems there’s new one each week.  

 

52 minutes ago, jah1986 said:

I don't know if they wear out but I think there is a limit on how much content it can handle. I just had to stop using mine and go back to Roku.  

I’ve had mine for over 7 years with no major issues. Any time that I did have a problem it was because the software had to be updated. Or a glitch and I would just restart/reboot.

[Bastet]

On 8/13/2021 at 1:31 AM, SunnyBeBe said:

Does anyone know if a Firestick wears out?  😆 I’m trying to figure out why I’m continually having streaming issues. It seems there’s new one each week.  

Mine is ancient, possibly first generation, and I have to restart it at least once a week because it claims the wireless router isn't working, but it is.  In the right mood, I could be convinced Amazon is doing it intentionally, hoping I'll give in to those "upgrade to a new version" banners.

[Bort]

1 hour ago, Bastet said:

Mine is ancient, possibly first generation, and I have to restart it at least once a week because it claims the wireless router isn't working, but it is.  In the right mood, I could be convinced Amazon is doing it intentionally, hoping I'll give in to those "upgrade to a new version" banners.

The processors on the old ones can’t handle the software upgrades. I have a smart tv that was one of the first ones ever made. Now it’s just a big dumbass tv, because none of the apps work anymore, it’s too old. Tv part still works though.