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IRL (In Real Life) => Music, TV, Movies => Topic started by: Tpek on August 07, 2019, 05:19:16 PM

Title: Netflix keeps getting more annoying
Post by: Tpek on August 07, 2019, 05:19:16 PM
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.
Title: Re: Netflix keeps getting more annoying
Post by: jamus34 on August 08, 2019, 01:34:00 PM
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.
Title: Re: Netflix keeps getting more annoying
Post by: 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.
Title: Re: Netflix keeps getting more annoying
Post by: 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
Title: Re: Netflix keeps getting more annoying
Post by: DoctorQuest on August 08, 2019, 03:21:07 PM
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.
Title: Re: Netflix keeps getting more annoying
Post by: Tpek on August 08, 2019, 04:13:19 PM
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
Title: Re: Netflix keeps getting more annoying
Post by: Silent Disapproval Robot on August 08, 2019, 04:50:34 PM
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.
Title: Re: Netflix keeps getting more annoying
Post by: Huw the Poo on August 08, 2019, 05:12:43 PM
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.
Title: Re: Netflix keeps getting more annoying
Post by: Sir Slash on August 08, 2019, 06:47:25 PM
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.  >:(
Title: Re: Netflix keeps getting more annoying
Post by: al_infierno on August 08, 2019, 06:54:39 PM
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.
Title: Re: Netflix keeps getting more annoying
Post by: jamus34 on August 08, 2019, 07:10:47 PM
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.
Title: Re: Netflix keeps getting more annoying
Post by: DoctorQuest on August 08, 2019, 09:08:24 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.

Any examples you can give? And exactly how are they "force-feeding" you?
Title: Re: Netflix keeps getting more annoying
Post by: Silent Disapproval Robot on August 08, 2019, 10:44:41 PM
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/netflix-stick-with-entertainment-and-keep-the-woke-feminist-tweets-to-yourself (https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/netflix-stick-with-entertainment-and-keep-the-woke-feminist-tweets-to-yourself)

https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/susan-rice-ex-obama-official-appointed-to-netflix-board-of-directors (https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/susan-rice-ex-obama-official-appointed-to-netflix-board-of-directors)

https://www.breitbart.com/entertainment/2019/07/18/netflix-lost-130000-american-subscribers-last-quarter/ (https://www.breitbart.com/entertainment/2019/07/18/netflix-lost-130000-american-subscribers-last-quarter/)

https://nypost.com/2019/04/16/netflixs-new-chick-flick-ban-is-a-half-assed-ploy-to-look-woke/ (https://nypost.com/2019/04/16/netflixs-new-chick-flick-ban-is-a-half-assed-ploy-to-look-woke/)

https://www.oneangrygamer.net/2018/09/the-witcher-netflix-staff-decide-to-get-woke-for-social-justice-on-social-media/68205/ (https://www.oneangrygamer.net/2018/09/the-witcher-netflix-staff-decide-to-get-woke-for-social-justice-on-social-media/68205/)

https://www.breitbart.com/entertainment/2019/05/28/netflix-threatens-to-boycott-georgia-if-abortion-heartbeat-law-goes-into-effect/ (https://www.breitbart.com/entertainment/2019/05/28/netflix-threatens-to-boycott-georgia-if-abortion-heartbeat-law-goes-into-effect/)

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2019/05/30/myth-woke-corporation/?noredirect=on (https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2019/05/30/myth-woke-corporation/?noredirect=on)


Title: Re: Netflix keeps getting more annoying
Post by: al_infierno on August 08, 2019, 11:20:13 PM
^ 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.
Title: Re: Netflix keeps getting more annoying
Post by: DoctorQuest on August 09, 2019, 09:54:43 AM
Quote from: Silent Disapproval Robot on August 08, 2019, 10:44:41 PM
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/netflix-stick-with-entertainment-and-keep-the-woke-feminist-tweets-to-yourself (https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/netflix-stick-with-entertainment-and-keep-the-woke-feminist-tweets-to-yourself)

https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/susan-rice-ex-obama-official-appointed-to-netflix-board-of-directors (https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/susan-rice-ex-obama-official-appointed-to-netflix-board-of-directors)

https://www.breitbart.com/entertainment/2019/07/18/netflix-lost-130000-american-subscribers-last-quarter/ (https://www.breitbart.com/entertainment/2019/07/18/netflix-lost-130000-american-subscribers-last-quarter/)

https://nypost.com/2019/04/16/netflixs-new-chick-flick-ban-is-a-half-assed-ploy-to-look-woke/ (https://nypost.com/2019/04/16/netflixs-new-chick-flick-ban-is-a-half-assed-ploy-to-look-woke/)

https://www.oneangrygamer.net/2018/09/the-witcher-netflix-staff-decide-to-get-woke-for-social-justice-on-social-media/68205/ (https://www.oneangrygamer.net/2018/09/the-witcher-netflix-staff-decide-to-get-woke-for-social-justice-on-social-media/68205/)

https://www.breitbart.com/entertainment/2019/05/28/netflix-threatens-to-boycott-georgia-if-abortion-heartbeat-law-goes-into-effect/ (https://www.breitbart.com/entertainment/2019/05/28/netflix-threatens-to-boycott-georgia-if-abortion-heartbeat-law-goes-into-effect/)

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2019/05/30/myth-woke-corporation/?noredirect=on (https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2019/05/30/myth-woke-corporation/?noredirect=on)


Thank you. I will do my best to look these over.
Title: Re: Netflix keeps getting more annoying
Post by: Huw the Poo on August 09, 2019, 12:03:11 PM
I saw that "chick flick" tweet, holy shit.  Everyone knows what chick flick means, it's just a handy way to describe films like Legally Blonde and shit like that.  Anyone who thinks that audience isn't 99% female is deluding themselves, and anyone who claims to be offended by the term chick flick has chosen to be offended for the sake of causing conflict.

I have no time at all for these people.
Title: Re: Netflix keeps getting more annoying
Post by: Tpek on August 09, 2019, 03:15:51 PM
Quote from: Huw the Poo on August 09, 2019, 12:03:11 PM
Anyone who thinks that audience isn't 99% female is deluding themselves

LoL, the whole point of the term is to denote that this is a movie whose target audience is women.
Title: Re: Netflix keeps getting more annoying
Post by: Huw the Poo on August 09, 2019, 03:18:27 PM
Exactly.  Why would anyone take offense at that?  I wouldn't be offended if someone called action films "bloke films" or something.
Title: Re: Netflix keeps getting more annoying
Post by: Tpek on August 09, 2019, 06:20:00 PM
Quote from: Huw the Poo on August 09, 2019, 03:18:27 PM
Exactly.  Why would anyone take offense at that?  I wouldn't be offended if someone called action films "bloke films" or something.

Btw, do you have the CW DC Comics shows, like Arrow, Flash, Supergirl and the like?
Or is it still unavailable in the UK?
Title: Re: Netflix keeps getting more annoying
Post by: Huw the Poo on August 09, 2019, 07:17:44 PM
Quote from: Tpek on August 09, 2019, 06:20:00 PM
Btw, do you have the CW DC Comics shows, like Arrow, Flash, Supergirl and the like?

No, no and no.  Respectively.

Honestly, the UK selection is shite.
Title: Re: Netflix keeps getting more annoying
Post by: airboy on August 17, 2019, 09:20:35 PM
There are a lot of business maneuvers going on in USA streaming services.

Disney is setting up their own channel.  They revoked the ability of Netflix to carry much Disney stuff and canceled all new Netflix Marvel stuff (Daredevil was the only one I cared about).

The major USA networks are setting up their own streaming services.  They took away/will take away soon Friends & The Office - two of the top shows of Netflix.

DC had previously removed their stuff from Netflix and have set up their own streaming service with one notable new series - Doom Patrol.

We are coming into 2020 and we are seeing about 5+ major streaming services in the USA competing against Netflix.

How all of this will shake out is unknown.  I have my doubts that people will subscribe to a half dozen streaming services - at least for long.  Netflix has lost/is losing a large proportion of their top shows.

In the USA at least, Amazon Prime has a pretty good online movie rental service with a large catalogue.  Netflix's catalogue got clobbered in 2019 and 2020 looks worse for content.  I know little of international streaming availability - but the USA maneuvers have been well documented in the business press.  The Wall St. Journal reported that the Netflix USA subscriber losses were due to losses in content and upcoming losses in content - not political BS.  Not saying that there may be some political BS - but you can't lose that much content and expect to hold viewership numbers.

Title: Re: Netflix keeps getting more annoying
Post by: Tpek on August 27, 2019, 09:15:27 AM
I subscribed to Amazon Prime to try it out for a bit and see if their TV adaptation of The Boys is any good (spoiler alert: it's not, it's pretty mediocre).
And honestly, why does it feel like all those video content services are competing to fail instead of win?
It feels like an Olympic marathon where all the runners are trying to get to the last place instead of getting the gold medal, one runner runs as slow as possible, the other runs backwards, several other just run in random direction, and one even grabs a gun to blow his own feet off.

Amazon has even less content than Netflix (which is an achievement all by itself), and almost all of their exclusive content is garbage. They have the mediocre and boring adaptation of The Boys, they have the worst possible way to adapt Preacher (the show is the most Un-Preacher like thing I had ever seen), and even made their own cheap knockoff of Black Mirror (which has been grabbed by Netflix) called Electric Dreams.

They actually had one good show, The Tick. A show that surprised me with how fun and entertaining to watch it ended up being. They have 2 seasons of it that really leave a craving for more.
Only it turns out that of all the utter garbage AP has, it was The Tick they decided to cancel... their ONE GOOD SHOW!
Title: Re: Netflix keeps getting more annoying
Post by: Gusington on August 27, 2019, 09:23:06 AM
Did Netflix The Punisher get cancelled as well? If I cancel my subscription I have 4 sisters and their families who will be very disappointed.

Stay woke, byotches.
Title: Re: Netflix keeps getting more annoying
Post by: Sir Slash on August 27, 2019, 10:10:02 AM
Yes, all the Marvel Netflix shows are cancelled. There's a new, 3rd. season of Jessica Jones on but nothing else new. The last seasons of Daredevil and Punisher were good but beginning to lose their MoJo somewhat in my opinion anyway. There's talk of a new DD for Disney's upcoming service with new characters playing the parts.
Title: Re: Netflix keeps getting more annoying
Post by: Gusington on August 27, 2019, 10:14:23 AM
 :'(
Title: Re: Netflix keeps getting more annoying
Post by: airboy on August 27, 2019, 12:14:48 PM
I got back from the gym and the wife told me The Tick was cancelled.  Bastards - that was a really good show.
Title: Re: Netflix keeps getting more annoying
Post by: jamus34 on August 27, 2019, 03:06:16 PM
As soon as Disney streaming goes live Netflix is gone for me.

To get the content of Hulu (more for the wife than me), kids shows and to a very minor degree sports is worth cancelling Netflix (and Hulu since I have that already anyway)

I will probably pick Netflix up a month or two a year to binge the stuff that interests me but don't think I'll be missing much.
Title: Re: Netflix keeps getting more annoying
Post by: Tpek on August 27, 2019, 03:54:50 PM
Quote from: airboy on August 27, 2019, 12:14:48 PM
I got back from the gym and the wife told me The Tick was cancelled.  Bastards - that was a really good show.

Thing is, it wasn't just a good show. It was Amazon's best show (IMHO), which is all the more reason Amazon are being stupid about it.
Title: Re: Netflix keeps getting more annoying
Post by: MetalDog on August 28, 2019, 11:31:41 PM
Didn't watch The Tick, but, Good Omens was really good.  And i agree that their content choices are super weak.