Seeking opinions on streaming services.

[Hockeynut!]

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[PensFanInDC]

Damn it Netflix!

[dodint]

This is why physical media is ultimately better than streaming services for stuff you actually care about. Not that I don't get my $9/mo worth.

[MalkinIsMyHomeboy]

I admire what Netflix is attempting to do but man, there's just way too much redtape involved in the film/tv business.

[PensFanInDC]

This is why physical media is ultimately better than streaming services for stuff you actually care about. Not that I don't get my $9/mo worth.

I disagree. Physical media is expensive and takes up space (unless you dump everything onto a server or external HD). The cost of 1 piece of physical media costs as much as a month of streaming Netflix.

[eddysnake]

1.5 more seasons of Dr Who to get through in 2 weeks and I'm caught up. challenge has been accepted.

(Martha has been the worst Who Girl so far)

[nocera]

This is why physical media is ultimately better than streaming services for stuff you actually care about. Not that I don't get my $9/mo worth.

I disagree. Physical media is expensive and takes up space (unless you dump everything onto a server or external HD). The cost of 1 piece of physical media costs as much as a month of streaming Netflix.

I think the point dodint is making is that relying on Netflix for a specific show/movie is silly considering it can be removed from Netflix at any time. I watch a lot of shows/movies on Netflix, but the ones I really like or know I'll want to watch multiple times, I buy for myself. It doesn't necessarily have to be a physical copy. Though, I prefer a Blu-Ray version with a digital download.

[PensFanInDC]

This is why physical media is ultimately better than streaming services for stuff you actually care about. Not that I don't get my $9/mo worth.

I disagree. Physical media is expensive and takes up space (unless you dump everything onto a server or external HD). The cost of 1 piece of physical media costs as much as a month of streaming Netflix.

I think the point dodint is making is that relying on Netflix for a specific show/movie is silly considering it can be removed from Netflix at any time. I watch a lot of shows/movies on Netflix, but the ones I really like or know I'll want to watch multiple times, I buy for myself. It doesn't necessarily have to be a physical copy. Though, I prefer a Blu-Ray version with a digital download.

I can see that. I have purchased maybe 6 DVD or Blu Ray discs in the last 4 years. I rarely watch stuff more than once and that is probably a product of the new fad of binge watching TV shows. Movies; yes there are some I will watch multiple times and I do own those. (Princess Bride, Clue, Star Wars (IV-VI), BTTF Trilogy, Labyrinth...)

[PensFanInDC]

Also, for kids, having physical media is insane at least at my son's age. Netflix has everything I need for that and if titles change it's not big deal. I have seen homes with entire shelving units dedicated to kid's DVDs. No thanks...

[pittsoccer33]

I think if you have kids that owning your own digital copies would be even more valuable. If I had a kid I'd buy one of those kidproof tablets or a used netbook and load it up with their favorite stuff.

When I was little I wanted to watch the same stuff over and over - Thundercats, Silver Hawks, Dumbo's Circus, and Welcome to Pooh Corner. When the first two went off the air in Pittsburgh my dad had a friend in Johnstown (where a station was still syndicating them) who recorded tapes full of Silver Hawks for me.

My mom wrote letters to anyone and everyone asking them to put Silver Hawks back on the air. If we had Netflix I'm sure they wouldve got a letter too. Had she had access to a DVR like we do now she couldve been easily recording them and archiving them to shut me up on car trips.

I like the idea of ripping 1:1 onto a server and maintaining full unaltered quality. Then I can use Plex to transcode it in real time into something I can stream to a portable device.

[Factorial]

My mom wrote letters to anyone and everyone asking them to put Silver Hawks back on the air.

The millennial generation for you.

[pittsoccer33]

You could also rip your kids movies to lower quality .mp4 or .mkv files on an external hard drive and plug it into almost any newer tv. Then add a kid's remote that is programmed to only do a few things, like access the tv's usb media player and then select the show/movie they want to watch. Most of them will let you add a JPG file to act at the cover:

Spoiler:

[dodint]

Yeah. Probably shouldn't have said 'physical media' but rather 'personally owned' media. I do have some purchased digital content, mostly mp3s.

The rub with Netflix is that it's good at serving up interesting stuff, but it's only about 1/10 times I search for something specific and find it.

[pittsoccer33]

My mom wrote letters to anyone and everyone asking them to put Silver Hawks back on the air.

The millennial generation for you.

A millenial parent would tweet at the station. My mom had to mail letters.

[dodint]

Also, for kids, having physical media is insane at least at my son's age. Netflix has everything I need for that and if titles change it's not big deal. I have seen homes with entire shelving units dedicated to kid's DVDs. No thanks...

Well, duh, don't have kids. Problem solved.

You're welcome.

[pittsoccer33]

Netflix's searching is beyond horrible. I get the sense that there are thousands of things to watch instantly, but finding them is next to impossible if they aren't on your device as recommended.

They're big on the recommendations, not searching. I want to search by fiction/nonfiction and then by subject (dinosaurs, pirates, ancient egypt, NASA, etc)

[DelPen]

Netflix's searching is beyond horrible. I get the sense that there are thousands of things to watch instantly, but finding them is next to impossible if they aren't on your device as recommended.

They're big on the recommendations, not searching. I want to search by fiction/nonfiction and then by subject (dinosaurs, pirates, ancient egypt, NASA, etc)

I search on the website and add to me queue, less headaches even jumping through the extra hoops. Wonder if searching through a fire TV is any better?

[PensFanInDC]

I want to search by fiction/nonfiction and then by subject (dinosaurs, pirates, ancient egypt, NASA, etc)

This is a very odd way to search for a movie....

[pittsoccer33]

well like for example, after the Boston Bombing I found myself really interested in the geo-politics of that whole former Soviet area (like Chechnya). It would have been nice to search for non-fiction docs about it. But the search would bring up stuff like The Peacemaker and The World is Not Enough.

[PensFanInDC]

I hear ya but this is Netflix. I am willing to bet most users want to binge watch Orange is the New Black over a documentary on geo-politics. A search function that gets as specific as "documentaries about NASA made before 1997 and directed by a woman born in a month ending in Y and on an even day" is a bit much I think.

[nocera]

Leave the search for titles, actors, directors. I'd be happy if I could actually browse every available movie in the genre rather than seeing the top 20 or whatever they show. I'd also like to customize my queue into categories rather than just one long list of movies.

[eddysnake]

Netflix's searching is beyond horrible. I get the sense that there are thousands of things to watch instantly, but finding them is next to impossible if they aren't on your device as recommended.

They're big on the recommendations, not searching. I want to search by fiction/nonfiction and then by subject (dinosaurs, pirates, ancient egypt, NASA, etc)

this helps. you can search by genre, then break it down within the genre

http://instantwatcher.com/

this helps what's coming out and expiring too

http://whats-on-netflix.com/

[dodint]

As mentioned above by another poster, I find the best stuff in browser and then watch it on my PS4.

[nocera]

As mentioned above by another poster, I find the best stuff in browser and then watch it on my PS4.

I don't have the stats in front of me, but I really doubt the majority of users still use a PC for watching Netflix. They need to create a better search/browse function for over the top players.

[Digitalgypsy66]

As mentioned above by another poster, I find the best stuff in browser and then watch it on my PS4.

I don't have the stats in front of me, but I really doubt the majority of users still use a PC for watching Netflix. They need to create a better search/browse function for over the top players.

True on both points, but I organize/search using the PC and watch Netflix...on just about every other kind of device. Android phone, iPad, Chromecast, BluRay, PS4, even the Wii back a few years ago.