Netflix keeps getting more annoying

Started by Tpek, August 07, 2019, 05:19:16 PM

Previous topic - Next topic

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Tpek

Of all the various services around the internet, Netflix has always been one of the most annoying ones, now it's getting even worse.

Their selection of movies and shows is pretty small, and most of these are blocked to those outside the U.S for little to no reason (this includes Netflix exclusives which you can watch nowhere else).
Sometime ago they changed their entire interface to make their content discovery system terrible as a way of hiding how little content is actually available.
And to top all of that they actually charge me more money than they do Americans, despite the fact they are giving me way less content.

And now they decided to once again, unjustifiably, raise their prices (they just raised them last year).
Still without actually bothering to add much content, or at least unlock more content to those outside the U.S.

Some of the decisions on what to lock and what not are pretty huge evidence of how arbitrary their system is.
As an example, despite having an exclusivity deal with CW and having all the latest seasons of various CW's DC Comics shows, the show Arrow is in Israel always one season behind. This is especially annoying as the shows regularly tie into one another and you can't just watch one show (CW most likely intended it to be so).
Another example is the Back to the Future series. When Netflix brought us the movies they only unlocked the first 2 for us, even though the trilogy always goes together these days. Only a month or so ago they actually bothered to bring the third.

And worse of all, there is no real customer service (only basic tech support) or any real contact address to communicate with them. No way to ask why is the situation so, or have them look into the possibility they made a mistake in what content is available.

jamus34

I only skimmed your post Tpek but I mostly agree.

Being US based I do not have the locked content issues you do but more and more I am becoming annoyed at Netflix's business practices.

A) poor selection of network shows and losing rebroadcast rights to 3rd party shows they do have - this sucks but probably inevitable. I don't watch much in the way of terrestrial tv shows do not a big loss to me.

B) movies - with exception to doing pretty good in early acquisition of Disney movies the selection has been pretty mediocre.

C) 1st party movies and shows - overall I don't have a lot of interest in most of the stuff they are making and they cancelled a lot of the shows I did like. I'm also really getting tired of their force-feeding of political leanings in their product. In the least it's tiring and in the worst cases it's blatant propaganda.

Overall the reason I keep Netflix is a very large selection of kids shows. The price increases are starting to outweigh this and the Disney streaming service with Hulu bundle can cover 2 of these for me.


I will probably switch Netflix to a 6 months off / two months on going forward.
Insert witty comment here.

Tpek

Quote from: jamus34 on August 08, 2019, 01:34:00 PM
I'm also really getting tired of their force-feeding of political leanings in their product. In the least it's tiring and in the worst cases it's blatant propaganda.

This is pretty much how all of Hollywood/American movies/shows industry is.
It's also in comic books as well.

Huw the Poo

I also have Netflix, also am not in the US, and also not very impressed with it at all.

Did you know that Netflix comes from the Russian:

Net = no, flix = films I want to watch

DoctorQuest

I guess there is a matter of taste involved here. My wife and I find plenty to watch on Netflix at the moment but, yes, that could change going forward.

We really liked "The Crown" and "Lost in Space" so I think we'll stick with it to see how the next seasons of those shows look. I still think it's a good deal compared to what I was paying for cable with the plethora of channels I never even thought of watching.
"Everything you read on the internet is true." - Benjamin Franklin

"Zero-G and I feel fine....." - John Glenn

"I reject your reality and substitute my own." - Adam Savage, inventor of the alternative fact.

Tpek

Quote from: Huw the Poo on August 08, 2019, 03:09:41 PM
I also have Netflix, also am not in the US, and also not very impressed with it at all.

Did you know that Netflix comes from the Russian:

Net = no, flix = films I want to watch

I remember I took my tablet with me on my latest trip to London.
The entire catalogue of CW shows was completely missing there, while on the other hand, animated Marvel movies and shows were available. :P

Silent Disapproval Robot

Disney announced the pricing and contents of their new service.  I think it'll take a huge bite out of Netflix's customer base.  It's US only so far though.  They're offering their library which has the Star Wars and Marvel stuff along with all the other Disney library as well as Hulu. 

I have Netflix Canada and Amazon Prime, both of which suck pretty hard for content.  Netflix used to be OK but they keep raising prices while losing content.  The stuff they're making themselves is hit or miss and, like everything else Hollywood, keeps pushing the same social and political agenda.

Huw the Poo

If I watched TV (and lived in the US) I'd probably like Netflix more.  I first got it mainly for the films - oh, silly naive me!  The film selection in the UK is absolutely dire, and it gets worse as films I have queued to watch just disappear without warning.

It really is bad.  "Surely they have <classic film from years ago>" - nope!  "OK well how about this pretty popular film that was in cinemas one or two years ago?"  - nope again!  But here's series 1-5 of some classic show, and we might even get series 7-9 of the show at some point - you never know!

Unfortunately wife+kids get much more use out of it than me so I'm unlikely to be able to cancel the account in the foreseeable future.

Sir Slash

I saw a post that said Disney was going to do it's own version of the Netflix version of Daredevil but with all new characters. Yeah to DD :bd:, but Boo to the changing the characters.  >:(
"Take a look at that". Sgt. Wilkerson-- CMBN. His last words after spotting a German tank on the other side of a hedgerow.

al_infierno

Quote from: Huw the Poo on August 08, 2019, 05:12:43 PM
It really is bad.  "Surely they have <classic film from years ago>" - nope!  "OK well how about this pretty popular film that was in cinemas one or two years ago?"  - nope again!  But here's series 1-5 of some classic show, and we might even get series 7-9 of the show at some point - you never know!

A few years ago they had a really good selection of classic films from the 80s through today.  Now the selection is pretty sparse.  However, Netflix is still very good for finding Ken Burns documentaries like his Civil War and Vietnam docs.  There's also a pretty good Korean War doc on there.
A War of a Madman's Making - a text-based war planning and political survival RPG

It makes no difference what men think of war, said the judge.  War endures.  As well ask men what they think of stone.  War was always here.  Before man was, war waited for him.  The ultimate trade awaiting its ultimate practitioner.  That is the way it was and will be.  That way and not some other way.
- Cormac McCarthy, Blood Meridian


If they made nothing but WWII games, I'd be perfectly content.  Hypothetical matchups from alternate history 1980s, asymmetrical US-bashes-some-3rd world guerillas, or minor wars between Upper Bumblescum and outer Kaboomistan hold no appeal for me.
- Silent Disapproval Robot


I guess it's sort of nice that the word "tactical" seems to refer to some kind of seriousness during your moments of mental clarity.
- MengJiao

jamus34

Quote from: Tpek on August 08, 2019, 02:29:08 PM
Quote from: jamus34 on August 08, 2019, 01:34:00 PM
I'm also really getting tired of their force-feeding of political leanings in their product. In the least it's tiring and in the worst cases it's blatant propaganda.

This is pretty much how all of Hollywood/American movies/shows industry is.
It's also in comic books as well.

Understood.

The world in the 2010's - if you have someone that is willing to listen to you then make sure they clearly hear your political leanings.

I can filter the noise for the most part but Netflix tries to continually shove it in your face.
Insert witty comment here.

DoctorQuest

Quote from: jamus34 on August 08, 2019, 01:34:00 PM
I'm also really getting tired of their force-feeding of political leanings in their product. In the least it's tiring and in the worst cases it's blatant propaganda.

Any examples you can give? And exactly how are they "force-feeding" you?
"Everything you read on the internet is true." - Benjamin Franklin

"Zero-G and I feel fine....." - John Glenn

"I reject your reality and substitute my own." - Adam Savage, inventor of the alternative fact.


al_infierno

^ I don't really have a horse in this race but why do buzz words like "woke" pop up in almost every article you linked?  What does "trying to look woke" even mean?  Sounds very sensationalist to me.  Just my $.02.
A War of a Madman's Making - a text-based war planning and political survival RPG

It makes no difference what men think of war, said the judge.  War endures.  As well ask men what they think of stone.  War was always here.  Before man was, war waited for him.  The ultimate trade awaiting its ultimate practitioner.  That is the way it was and will be.  That way and not some other way.
- Cormac McCarthy, Blood Meridian


If they made nothing but WWII games, I'd be perfectly content.  Hypothetical matchups from alternate history 1980s, asymmetrical US-bashes-some-3rd world guerillas, or minor wars between Upper Bumblescum and outer Kaboomistan hold no appeal for me.
- Silent Disapproval Robot


I guess it's sort of nice that the word "tactical" seems to refer to some kind of seriousness during your moments of mental clarity.
- MengJiao