I think what I hate most about streaming is that they donât want to tell me what they offer. Instead, I see their options through a series of tiny windows, most of which show me the same 50 choices in different orders. âOur picks for youâ always mostly overlaps with âTrendingâ, which mostly overlaps with âNew and Noteworthyâ, etc. And it often seems to be the case that each of these tiny windows is kinda promising, but nothing on there quite catches my eye. So I check out the 20 options in that window and want to see options 21-40, and thereâs no way to do it. But I can see a different promising category with 13 of the same choices!
It surprises me how frustrating I find database navigation for dummies.
What finally got me to abandon Netflix was finding genres hidden away in the browser, that would simply never be presented to me normally, no matter what I chose. The âsecret category codesâ people talked about was just the tip of the iceberg.
It didnât seem to matter what I chose to watch, I would be recommended the same shows as everyone else, and found myself either watching them out of boredom or apathy. If I have such a massive range to choose from, why am I bored or apathetic about it? The paralysis of choice certainly played a part, but most of the time it was because most of the catalogue was not presented to me, and never would be. Going back to showing me ads (and Amazonâs hilarious âyou pay for Prime but you still have to pay to watch thisâ) just cemented my belief I should never stop sailing the high seas.
@OhBollox: You and I have talked a little about this before, and I have progressively found myself going back to the high seas more and more. Which is soâŚflabbergasting. The streamers themselves are who drive people back to that, while the studios all denounce it. Get it together people!
Your description of the recommendation experience is completely accurate. Itâs the same across all streamers and on retail sites as well. I get suggested the same dozen books on amazon regardless of what book Iâm looking at. At this point, I think we have to just stop pretending: they arenât actual ârecommendations.â What we see is clearly not based on anything that has to do with each of us, theyâre simply books and movies that are being marketed to everyone. Presumably publishers and studios are paying the distributors to promote their stuff as ârecommendations for you.â
I would please like to go back to living in a world where Orwell is fiction.
I donât sail much myself, but I do understand the sentiment. I long ago grew tired of the streaming services and use my library for a lot of my entertainment needs. There are very few shows that donât eventually get some sort of physical release and the only drawback is waiting.
The one thing I donât understand is: none of these companies seem to include a âI donât want to see this buttonâ which renders most efforts to curate what you want to see pointless. But if such a button was included, they could more easily customise things to show me, and have me watch/buy more. The fact they donât allow me to do this is alienating and itâs part of the reason why I always end up abandoning their services. I am paying to see what I want, I donât want to pay for what they want to show me.
This is essentially the problem that we all had with cable TVâŚ
I never bothered to develop the habit of using the like/dislike buttons, but Iâve assumed that disliking something would do that job. Does it not?
Disliking something dropped it from view for that browse, but never seemed to remove anything.
Would love to dump Netflix and its obnoxious $23 a month, but the wife and kids watch stuff on there and Iâm trying to live a life with less stress, not more, so I suppose under $300 a year for peace and quiet is worth it.
It absolutely makes sense for families; as a single misanthrope I only have to please myself.
Netflix is still most most watched streaming channel. I almost always have something on there I want to watch.
I told my family it was gone whether they like it or not, and weâve survived.
Only costs me $6.99 a month. Donât want to pay for no ads and we all watch TV together.
When Ive got my kids theyâll occasionally suggest we watch netflix. When I remind them I dont have netflix, they look at me like Ive just said theres no tv at all in my house
Ah yes. Magnificently bonkers episode.
Monarch. As far as I can discern, this is a complete non-event, with even Wyatt Russellâs face failing to stir up my usual feelings of repugnance. It was a mistake to try and make this a family drama.
Just finished Succession because I never watch anything when it actually airs any more, and holy shit was that fantastic. I donât normally go for shows about horrible people, but this one managed to make almost all of them sympathetic figures at one time or another, IMO. Simultaneously wish there was more to watch and love that the show ended before it overstayed its welcome.
Not cutting edge, but weâve just finished the first season of The OA. I bounced off it hard the first time, but having given it time it is an incredible piece of storytelling. Compelling, very confident to move at a slow tempo, confident to not show you everything. Of course Netflix killed it two seasons into a 5-season arc.