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

[Irlandesa]

27 minutes ago, Dani said:

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. 

Yeah.  They're not killing HBO Max but they're basically killing HBO Max.  I will probably keep it for a while to get the next seasons of shows like The Other Two and Hacks but likely not beyond that.

[Stats Queen]

2 hours ago, Dani said:

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. 

I’m so tired of these people lumping “Middle America” into one homogeneous bunch of white people who all think alike. 

[Guest]

33 minutes ago, Stats Queen said:

I’m so tired of these people lumping “Middle America” into one homogeneous bunch of white people who all think alike. 

These are the same people who include this sexist take on streaming in their big presentation. I don’t think they are all that bright. 

[SunnyBeBe]

I don’t really watch kids, family or international programs, so I doubt I would notice what they are predicting.  

[SunnyBeBe]

So, I got my old Firestick to work, however, I can only get Netflix and other apps to work.  I can’t open Prime!  Lol. There was only one other Firestick open,but it wasn’t on Prime, but another app.  Two is allowed anyway.  This is so frustrating.  I knew I should have bought a second new Firestick when they were $19.99.  

[shapeshifter]

1 hour ago, SunnyBeBe said:

So, I got my old Firestick to work, however, I can only get Netflix and other apps to work.  I can’t open Prime!  Lol. There was only one other Firestick open,but it wasn’t on Prime, but another app.  Two is allowed anyway.  This is so frustrating.  I knew I should have bought a second new Firestick when they were $19.99.  

Any chance it's a newer Prime password issue?

[SunnyBeBe]

43 minutes ago, shapeshifter said:

Any chance it's a newer Prime password issue?

I don’t think so.  It just keeps spinning, conking out, etc.  which is ridiculous.  It doesn’t ask for PW or even get to that point.  If all the other apps that are on the device work fine, then why not Prime?  It’s weird.  I found the Firestick lite online  for $19.99 again!  It gets good reviews except one person said the remote wears out quickly. Idk.  I will probably go ahead and get another one.  The old one I have now that’s not working properly is about 3 years old.  I have two working Firesticks, but need a spare. 

Edited August 29, 2022 by SunnyBeBe

[meowmommy]

2 hours ago, SunnyBeBe said:

So, I got my old Firestick to work, however, I can only get Netflix and other apps to work.  I can’t open Prime!

Golly, that's really shocking, that an Amazon product doesn't work on an Amazon product.

Think I'll stick with my house full of Rokus.

[SunnyBeBe]

8 minutes ago, meowmommy said:

Golly, that's really shocking, that an Amazon product doesn't work on an Amazon product.

Think I'll stick with my house full of Rokus.

I have found the Firestick has certain quirks that bother me.  Like, last night I tried to watch NBC live tv on the NBC App. (I sign in with my cable account.) It would not allow it.  I had to switch to Roku in order to do it.  Some apps only work on Roku, not in the Firestick.  I discovered that  by accident.  It’s not due to lack of storage either.  

[SunnyBeBe]

I think there were people around here who also wanted to locate Mary Kills People Season 3.  It was quite illusive and only available in Canada, however I just read on the show’s thread that it’s now available on Roku.  I hope that’s still true, as I intend to start watching pretty soon.  Here’s a link about it too.  
 

https://www.roku.com/whats-on/tv-shows/mary-kills-people?id=13e376ed91185e1990ea116c7029414d

[peachmangosteen]

I am loving this resurgence of weekly TV lol.

[Guest]

1 hour ago, peachmangosteen said:

I am loving this resurgence of weekly TV lol.

I imagine there are a lot of upset people but it’s a smart move. I prefer it. The binge model kills discussion. I rarely even bother posting on binge shows. 

[Bastet]

I have no self control, so when a show is dropped all at once, I binge watch, and then have to go back and re-watch at a slower pace to be able to properly reflect on and appreciate each episode.

4 minutes ago, Dani said:

The binge model kills discussion. I rarely even bother posting on binge shows. 

This is the thing that makes me happiest about the news; discussion on my shows that air/drop weekly is exponentially better than on those that drop all at once.  With weekly shows, there's a lot more discussion, and it's deeper discussion, because we can remember a lot more details of one episode than we can about the four we watched in one sitting.  With shows where the entire season is released at once, most people binge, so they can't remember what happened in which episode, so just post in the final episode's thread to make sure they're not spoiling.

[Ceindreadh]

6 minutes ago, Bastet said:

I have no self control, so when a show is dropped all at once, I binge watch, and then have to go back and re-watch at a slower pace to be able to properly reflect on and appreciate each episode.

This is the thing that makes me happiest about the news; discussion on my shows that air/drop weekly is exponentially better than on those that drop all at once.  With weekly shows, there's a lot more discussion, and it's deeper discussion, because we can remember a lot more details of one episode than we can about the four we watched in one sitting.  With shows where the entire season is released at once, most people binge, so they can't remember what happened in which episode, so just post in the final episode's thread to make sure they're not spoiling.

I don't even like it when networks show multiple episodes in the same week, either airing two episodes back to back or say Monday to Friday.  I like to have time to think about episodes and anticipate new ones. 

(that said, there are also occasions when I'm happy not to have to wait to resolve a cliffhanger!)

[Bastet]

7 minutes ago, Ceindreadh said:

and anticipate new ones. 

That's why I always kick myself when I give into temptation and binge watch a season in a couple of days -- now I have no more to look forward to until the next season.

[Mabinogia]

Economically it makes sense for them because it will lessen the number of people who wait for a show to drop then pay for one month (or get a free trial month) watch all of it then cancel. If your show runs weekly you have to keep the service for at least a couple months to get to the end if you want to be one of the first to watch it, which, for "watercooler" discussions is vital.

[Zella]

1 hour ago, Bastet said:

This is the thing that makes me happiest about the news; discussion on my shows that air/drop weekly is exponentially better than on those that drop all at once.  With weekly shows, there's a lot more discussion, and it's deeper discussion, because we can remember a lot more details of one episode than we can about the four we watched in one sitting.  With shows where the entire season is released at once, most people binge, so they can't remember what happened in which episode, so just post in the final episode's thread to make sure they're not spoiling.

As someone who is also often years behind a show and finally this year got to watch something I was discussing in real time week by week, I also appreciate everyone being on the same page because they're watching at the same time. It can sometimes be confusing to keep track of a discussion thread where everyone is at a different point in their own watch of the show. 

[shapeshifter]

3 hours ago, Zella said:

It can sometimes be confusing to keep track of a discussion thread where everyone is at a different point in their own watch of the show. 

And when a show drops all at once, it's really hard to not get spoiled if you want to participate in online discussion, because the odds of not even one person accidentally posting in the wrong thread are about nil.

[Zella]

15 minutes ago, shapeshifter said:

And when a show drops all at once, it's really hard to not get spoiled if you want to participate in online discussion, because the odds of not even one person accidentally posting in the wrong thread are about nil.

Yes very much so! And waiting until you've finished it to participate with everyone else can also mean that the discussion has entirely died by that point. 

[Irlandesa]

I prefer a Max or Freevee model with a few released each week. I'd hate a weekly model. 

[SunnyBeBe]

I’m in a state of shock and rather confused. Maybe, this is common knowledge, but I’ve never heard of it.  I had no idea I had access to many channels on Roku live tv.  WITHOUT the internet! How is this possible?  I have an external antenna, but it’s in a drawer and not connected. I keep it in case of emergency, if cable is out for an extended time.  So, how can Roku give me live tv?  This is a Roku tv.  Is there an antenna inside the tv?  
 

I’ve always noticed the Live tv app, but never used it.  I normally download my Apps on my Firestick.  They have different remotes.  Tonight my power and internet went out. I received a text from Spectrum that it would be a couple of hours to restore.  The power came back on immediately.  Afterwards, I just experimented with what I might be able to get.  My tv told me I was not connected to the internet.  My iPad said no internet.  So, I know I had none. Yet, on Roku Live tv, I had many channels.  I watched part of a movie, then several decorating shows.  There’s one on now about The Plaza Hotel in NYC.  Fascinating.  I’m going to be watching more of this App.  The service was restored, but I’m still watching Roku.  Lol. I’m going to explore the app more tomorrow to see how many I can get on Roku.  

[tessaray]

It depends on where you live and how close the towers are.  All tvs that aren't just big monitors have a tuner inside. Some people get dozens of channels with just a paperclip as an antenna. You might be swimming in over the air signals and not need an antenna. 

If I disconnect my antenna I get maybe 2 or 3 channels, 40-ish with it.  

Eta: in the old days we had 4 or 5 network channels. After the digital conversion the main channels now have anywhere from 3 to 7 or 8 subchannels. That's a lot of free tv.

[SunnyBeBe]

23 minutes ago, tessaray said:

It depends on where you live and how close the towers are.  All tvs that aren't just big monitors have a tuner inside. Some people get dozens of channels with just a paperclip as an antenna. You might be swimming in over the air signals and not need an antenna. 

If I disconnect my antenna I get maybe 2 or 3 channels, 40-ish with it.  

Interesting. I’m at least 20 miles from the nearest tv station, but the channels on Roku live don’t include that one.  Hmmm…. I’m now still on Roku watching Reelz Now.  Autopsy: The Last Hours.  

[tessaray]

1 minute ago, SunnyBeBe said:

Interesting. I’m at least 20 miles from the nearest tv station, but the channels on Roku live don’t include that one.  Hmmm…. I’m now still on Roku watching Reelz Now.  Autopsy: The Last Hours.  

Well, both FireTv and Roku sometimes put the channels like Tubi and Pluto TV in the Live TV section. If your TV has ethernet you might actually be getting internet directly, even if wifi is down.  

You should scan for OTA channels in the setup to see what's available. 

[SuprSuprElevated]

I'm curious if the end of the binge on Netflix will pertain only to new releases.  Would seem strange for them to limit viewing of already established shows.  Or not.

[ABay]

I prefer to binge or at least watch several episodes in a row so Netflix's new policy will have some impact, but not much because I typically unsub and then resub when an entire series is available. I'll just wait a little longer.

[Cinnabon]

2 hours ago, ABay said:

I prefer to binge or at least watch several episodes in a row so Netflix's new policy will have some impact, but not much because I typically unsub and then resub when an entire series is available. I'll just wait a little longer.

This. They are going to piss off many of their subscribers by changing this. But we can always just wait to watch all of the episodes at once. I switch off my streaming services to accommodate the way I choose to watch. None will get extra $$ out of me by changing the way they make shows available.

[Evie]

Some people will prefer the weekly model and some will just wait until the whole season drops. All streaming services are dealing with churn, so I'm guessing Netflix has weighed the pros and cons. It will certainly help Netflix's shows stay in the public consciousness longer. I'm a slow binge watcher, so I'm happy. I never get to participate in discussion and inevitably have the ending spoiled before I get to it. Maybe Netflix could compromise a bit and release two episodes a week (this happens with the kdramas they license) or drop three episodes at once and then one a week after like Amazon Prime. 

I would guess, if this is indeed true, they will debut it for The Crown's fifth season. That is a show and season bound to generate a lot of buzz and discussion, especially if the episodes are released weekly.

[janie jones]

They already do that with the Great British Baking Show, at least. I love it. I very rarely binge, and when I do, it's usually either because something is background noise, or because I'm trying to avoid being spoiled. It's nice to have (a version of) appointment TV again.

[Cinnabon]

Don’t believe everything you hear . . .

https://www.whats-on-netflix.com/news/no-netflix-isnt-ditching-the-binge-format/

And right after I unsubscribed again, letting them know how I felt about them abandoning the binge model. 😆 

Edited September 14, 2022 by Cinnabon

[possibilities]

Hulu is raising it's price again. I thought they just did that a few months ago.

I am very attached to Reservation Dogs, but there are only 2 episodes left, and I think they've already cancelled everything else I watched there.

Is there anything on Hulu that folks recommend I catch before I cancel?

--

For the person who asked if the shows mentioned upthread on Peacock are teen shows, I can say that Rutherford Falls is not. Not sure about the others.

I really liked Rutherford Falls. I took the $20/year deal for Peacock specifically so I could watch Rutherford Falls. I also like The Amber Ruffin Show (on Peacock) but I am a political junkie and I think Amber is one of the funniest people around. I look forward to her appearances on Late Night With Seth Meyers, too.

Is there anything else on Peacock people recommend?

--

I find it to be a draining chore to scroll through the interfaces on Peacock and Hulu, not knowing what I'm looking for and not really getting much info from the blurbs they offer with each show.

[shapeshifter]

3 minutes ago, possibilities said:

Is there anything on Hulu that folks recommend I catch before I cancel?

I floved both seasons of Only Murders In The Building.

[dargosmydaddy]

3 hours ago, possibilities said:

Is there anything else on Peacock people recommend?

I am loving the Australian dramedy Five Bedrooms (still have a few episodes to go in season 2). And We Are Lady Parts was awesome!

[RealHousewife]

I watch Peacock for Housewives & The Office. 

[Mittengirl]

I liked both The Undeclared War and Trigger Point on Hulu.

[SunnyBeBe]

I must sit down and figure out what’s working for me and what’s not.  If Hulu is going up again, I may let it go.  I’m now watching more and more of those foreign detective series where English is blurbed in on Netflix.   lol. I know it sounds lame, but they are kind of addictive.  They have a lot of British mystery too.  I’m considering Britbox,  

Ill keep Prime due to free shipping.  I’ll always keep that since the shipping pays for itself.  
 

One thing I detest about Frevee, which is through Prime, is how it cuts the show off before it ends.  Sometimes, that’s not a big deal, but tonight the ending to Silent Witness, Season 19, episode 10, the villain was escaping at the airport, and someone came up behind him…he turns to face them and Suddenly, it cuts off to next episode!  It’s infuriating.  I saw it addressed on Amazon community site, so they are aware of it.  If anyone knows what happened to the villain on the escalator please let me know. Lol. 
 

[possibilities]

Weirdly, Freevee sent me a marketing email, saying episode 10 of "Sprung" was available. But there are only 9 episodes. 9 was clearly the finale. Also, it's weird that they don't even give you an option to pay to see it ad-free.

Thanks for the recs for Peacock and Hulu stuff to watch.

I feel overwhelmed trying to figure this stuff out. 

[Irlandesa]

5 minutes ago, possibilities said:

Weirdly, Freevee sent me a marketing email, saying episode 10 of "Sprung" was available. But there are only 9 episodes. 9 was clearly the finale. Also, it's weird that they don't even give you an option to pay to see it ad-free.

It's probably because it was ordered as a 10 episode series but the 9th episode is 60 minutes long.  I'm guessing they just decided to package the final two episodes as one since the events of the episode belong together.

I highly recommend Sprung, by the way.  I enjoyed the heck out of it.

30 minutes ago, SunnyBeBe said:

 I’m now watching more and more of those foreign detective series where English is blurbed in on Netflix.   lol. I know it sounds lame, but they are kind of addictive.  

Nothing lame about it except I can't handle the dubbing usually. I prefer subtitles.  I subscribe to MHZ and PBS Masterpiece largely for those foreign shows.

[SunnyBeBe]

Does Freevee cut off all their shows before they end?  

[meowmommy]

12 hours ago, Irlandesa said:

Nothing lame about it except I can't handle the dubbing usually. I prefer subtitles. 

I don't like dubbing either, but subtitles require me to pay attention to the screen.  I usually watch most things with half an eye, being that I'm almost always either on my computer or my tablet as I watch TV.

13 hours ago, SunnyBeBe said:

Ill keep Prime due to free shipping.  I’ll always keep that since the shipping pays for itself.

I'll keep Prime, too, but if their coverage of last Thursday's NFL game is indicative how they would handle a full Sunday Ticket, I'll give up Sunday Ticket and just follow on the Red Zone channel.  I hope they don't get the contract.

[SunnyBeBe]

Update!  Ref. Freevee, ads and early cutoffs.  I just discovered that if I watch Silent Witness on Freevee on my IPad, there are NO commercials and it plays to the very end.  So, I found out what happened to the villain.  This is odd.  It’s nice, but I don’t care to watch on my iPad.  Oh well. 

[possibilities]

41 minutes ago, SunnyBeBe said:

Does Freevee cut off all their shows before they end?  

I didn't have that problem when I watched Sprung. So I'm thinking not. 

[shapeshifter]

35 minutes ago, SunnyBeBe said:

Update!  Ref. Freevee, ads and early cutoffs.  I just discovered that if I watch Silent Witness on Freevee on my IPad, there are NO commercials and it plays to the very end.  So, I found out what happened to the villain.  This is odd.  It’s nice, but I don’t care to watch on my iPad.  Oh well. 

You should be able to plug your iPad into your TV with an adapter.
Or maybe even wirelessly project it?

[Irlandesa]

1 hour ago, meowmommy said:

I don't like dubbing either, but subtitles require me to pay attention to the screen.  I usually watch most things with half an eye, being that I'm almost always either on my computer or my tablet as I watch TV.

Yeah. I have that issue too but I still make it work for shows that don't have too much dialogue or is in a language I usually understand. 

49 minutes ago, possibilities said:

I didn't have that problem when I watched Sprung. So I'm thinking not. 

Me neither. I didn't have it with Leverage either.  Or Falcon Crest when I sometimes watch it before falling asleep.

I wonder if settings can be changed on the Freevee app. 

[possibilities]

I wonder if the Freevee problem depends on what device you use? I watched on my laptop.

[SunnyBeBe]

Omg….loving Sprung…..wish there was a thread.

[Irlandesa]

1 hour ago, SunnyBeBe said:

Omg….loving Sprung…..wish there was a thread.

There is.

Edited September 19, 2022 by Irlandesa

[Spartan Girl]

Last week I got all excited because on Disney+’s list for October 2022 it said they were finally going to add the old Zorro series! My dad loved that show and he was all set to start rewatching it.

Now apparently they’ve taken it off the list.

God DAMMIT Disney! Stop holding out on the GOOD STUFF!!!!!

[SunnyBeBe]

1 hour ago, Spartan Girl said:

Last week I got all excited because on Disney+’s list for October 2022 it said they were finally going to add the old Zorro series! My dad loved that show and he was all set to start rewatching it.

Now apparently they’ve taken it off the list.

God DAMMIT Disney! Stop holding out on the GOOD STUFF!!!!!

Maybe, it’ll turn up somewhere else.  I had almost given up finding Mary Kills People final season, when it suddenly turned up on Roku!  It wasn’t even available by DVD in this country.  

[DearEvette]

Amazon Prime Video is currently running a 1.99 per month, for three months promotion for STARZ.  After the three months is up the price bounces up to 8.99 a mo. Not sure how long the promo is going to last tho.

My last quick sign up for a 1.99 promotion for STARZ just ended sometime in July.  I don't think I've ever paid full price for STARZ.  LOL.  I might just do it again, I am hearing good things about the Catherine De Medici series they have going.