Netflix Canada Discussion

[MrCallahan]

Originally Posted by Jimmy Stang

Put me in the camp of "believe it when I see it". I totally understand why the content owners are pushing for this, and why Netflix puts a half-assed effort at "cracking down" to appease them.

They'll tweak a few settings, put out a few media releases "hey look, content owners, we're CRACKING DOWN!", and then the DNS/VPN providers will find a workaround. At least that's my guess and hope.

I'll be more disappointed when/if I can't access my UK TV channels, which is another benefit of Unblock-Us for me.

That's exactly where I sit as well. Believe it when I see it, which is hopefully never

Or, another perspective! Once Netflix has enough original content and are releasing multiple series/movies every quarter and are comfortable with the amount of content they have, then maybe they'll crack down more on proxies, since they are confident their original content would be enough to prevent users from leaving.

[Russic]

Originally Posted by CliffFletcher

Do you really think consumers are getting screwed when it comes to TV and movies? Compared to when? When you consider the wealth of content we have available, and how cheap it is, this is the best time ever to be a consumer.

Would you rather go back to the 80s, when it cost $5 ($10.30 in today's money) to rent a movie from a local videostore, and you had 6 TV channels to choose from (8 if you include community television)? Or the 90s, when it was $4 to rent a movie ($5.75 in today's dollars), and cable cost somewhat less than today but you still only had about 40 channels to choose from (and TV was mostly crap)?

Let's compare with today, when for $35 for basic cable and another $9 for Netflix you get an enormous amount of content - easily 20x the content available even 10 years ago. Fill in the gaps with iTunes, with at $6 a movie is no more expensive than Blockbuster was 15 years ago and has a far larger selection. All accessible with the click of a button, in high definition, and without leaving your couch.

This is the golden age of entertainment, in cost, accessibility, breadth and quality of content, and value. I can't imagine someone unhappy with today's offerings being satisfied with anything less than all TV shows and movies ever filmed accessible instantly for free.

I think about this often. I still remember Friday nights being when we we'd all head to the video store. I'd wager my dad spent at least $15 per week on 3-5 movie rentals. Factoring in inflation that's close to $23/week on a few movies. Can you imagine spending $100/month on media of any kind?

[darklord700]

nm

[Cecil Terwilliger]

Originally Posted by CliffFletcher

Do you really think consumers are getting screwed when it comes to TV and movies?

That is a really vague question that I don't know how to answer. I think that consumers are getting screwed by telecom companies.

Compared to when? When you consider the wealth of content we have available, and how cheap it is, this is the best time ever to be a consumer.

Compared to the past. And I disagree that it is that much cheaper. There is more and overall we get more for cheaper but there is also a lot more crap. Fact of the matter is if I like 5 TV shows and they are each on a different service then I pay a lot more than I did in the 80s when everything was available on basic cable, because that is all that existed.

Would you rather go back to the 80s, when it cost $5 ($10.30 in today's money) to rent a movie from a local videostore, and you had 6 TV channels to choose from (8 if you include community television)? Or the 90s, when it was $4 to rent a movie ($5.75 in today's dollars), and cable cost somewhat less than today but you still only had about 40 channels to choose from (and TV was mostly crap)?

It is still mostly crap and I'm not sure if your prices are accurate. Again, in the 80s and 90s you had one choice for entertainment (cable/sattelite) and 99% of all programming was available on one of the big four networks. Specialty channels like HBO did exist and we sometimes missed out on that stuff but basic cable today provides maybe 5% of all programming. And if we think of the best shows on TV in the 80s or 90s you would be able to watch virtually every single of the "best" shows on basic cable.

Let's compare with today, when for $35 for basic cable and another $9 for Netflix you get an enormous amount of content - easily 20x the content available even 10 years ago. Fill in the gaps with iTunes, with at $6 a movie is no more expensive than Blockbuster was 15 years ago and has a far larger selection. All accessible with the click of a button, in high definition, and without leaving your couch.

I never said we don't have access to more, I said that the programming is becoming more and more spread out. And it isn't becoming cheaper if you want to watch all the best shows, which 20 years ago was relatively easy.

This is the golden age of entertainment, in cost, accessibility, breadth and quality of content, and value. I can't imagine someone unhappy with today's offerings being satisfied with anything less than all TV shows and movies ever filmed accessible instantly for free.

It absolutely is a golden age. But we are paying for it like we are paying for gold.

[MrMastodonFarm]

Nah, you're just being entitled.

Right now if you just got Netflix you'd have millions of hours of entertainment for 7.99. You're complaining that you can't get EVERYTHING.

Yeah, it sucks you have to have Shomi, Crave, hbo go, rent digitally to truly get it all, but even that isn't going to run you much compared to monthly cables bills with movie packages.

[Cecil Terwilliger]

Originally Posted by MrMastodonFarm

Nah, you're just being entitled.

Right now if you just got Netflix you'd have millions of hours of entertainment for 7.99. You're complaining that you can't get EVERYTHING.

Yeah, it sucks you have to have Shomi, Crave, hbo go, rent digitally to truly get it all, but even that isn't going to run you much compared to monthly cables bills with movie packages.

Hmmm. I feel like this is getting turned into a discussion about quality of content or availability of entertainment.

What I'm trying to say is that I think this golden age does have some downsides. I don't like having to require access to 10 different providers and services to watch my 10 favorite shows. This isn't a matter of how good it is to have access to millions of titles. It's about how the simpler times of everything in one place was kinda nice. I don't think this has to be a black and white issue. Framing this discussion as "well then you prefer the 80s/90s" isn't really fair. It's more "boy, modern tv is great but here are a few things about it that kind of suck".

[undercoverbrother]

Originally Posted by Russic

I think about this often. I still remember Friday nights being when we we'd all head to the video store. I'd wager my dad spent at least $15 per week on 3-5 movie rentals. Factoring in inflation that's close to $23/week on a few movies. Can you imagine spending $100/month on media of any kind?

Don't forget having to rent the VCR as well. Came in a big suitcase.

[MrCallahan]

Originally Posted by undercoverbrother

Don't forget having to rent the VCR as well. Came in a big suitcase.

oh man, I remember doing that for the SNES, and spending all weekend trying to beat whatever game I rented before having to return it.

[CliffFletcher]

Originally Posted by Cecil Terwilliger

I don't like having to require access to 10 different providers and services to watch my 10 favorite shows. This isn't a matter of how good it is to have access to millions of titles. It's about how the simpler times of everything in one place was kinda nice.

Actually, I agree with you on the matter of fragmented providers. Before I got Apple TV and Netflix I was in the strange position of having far fewer movies available to watch than I had 20 years ago. It's worse for my parents, who can't just walk over to Blockbuster any more and rent a couple movies. Shaw on Demand has a terrible selection. I could set them up with an Apple TV, an iTunes account, and a Netflix subscription, but that would be a fair chunk of change for tools they wouldn't understand how to use. Cobbling together access to a movie and TV show selection comparable to a decent-sized Blockbuster circa 2002 is a genuine pain in the ass. I just think once you've got it sorted, you have a massive selection at a good price.

[peter12]

Cecil with two very solid posts.

Netflix is the illusion of content. When you drill down past the front page, it is really just a handful of stale blockbusters, a handful of art films, and a bunch of B-movies. It is nice for the television specials.

Personally, I mourn the disappearances of local rental shops like Bird Dog Video or Casablanca because of the amazing selection curated by a couple of film buffs over 20 or 30 years.

Netflix is okay for vegging out. I miss the days when you could actively explore film through the rental store.

[polak]

you folks need Kodi.

[CliffFletcher]

Originally Posted by peter12

Personally, I mourn the disappearances of local rental shops like Bird Dog Video or Casablanca because of the amazing selection curated by a couple of film buffs over 20 or 30 years.

It is definitely harder today to find movies that are obscure, foreign, or from before 1980.

[Flash Walken]

Originally Posted by CliffFletcher

It is definitely harder today to find movies that are obscure, foreign, or from before 1980.

My wife and I were looking for Alan Rickman content we'd never seen before last night after hearing of his death.

We had to settle for "Bottle Shock" which is a terrible movie from 2009.

Should've just watched Azkaban again.

[darklord700]

Originally Posted by polak

you folks need Kodi.

You can only watch Kodi from your computer right (not including output from a laptop to TV)?

[peter12]

I would never have discovered Werner Herzog if it wasn't for Bird Dog Video. Not even a little chance. Nor would I have discovered "The Good, The Bad, and the Weird," a Korean spaghetti western set in Japanese-occupied 1930's Mongolia.

[polak]

Originally Posted by darklord700

You can only watch Kodi from your computer right (not including output from a laptop to TV)?

Nope you can install it onto an app box too.

[MrMastodonFarm]

Originally Posted by peter12

I would never have discovered Werner Herzog if it wasn't for Bird Dog Video. Not even a little chance. Nor would I have discovered "The Good, The Bad, and the Weird," a Korean spaghetti western set in Japanese-occupied 1930's Mongolia.

It's not the digital ages fault you don't have friends.

[peter12]

Originally Posted by MrMastodonFarm

It's not the digital ages fault you don't have friends.

Do you think it's my fake German accent?

[darklord700]

Originally Posted by peter12

Nor would I have discovered "The Good, The Bad, and the Weird," a Korean spaghetti western set in Japanese-occupied 1930's Mongolia.

Just netflixed it, thanks my bird dog video.

[peter12]

Originally Posted by darklord700

Just netflixed it, thanks my bird dog video.

Mail me $5!