Netflix Is Overrated

I keep telling you Netflix is a shit factory, churning out shit nonstop. Even if I could torrent their shit shows, I still didn't want to waste my time and energy doing so.

Netflix as a company is primarily focused on their original content. If you don't want to watch that, then yeah don't subscribe.

Well arent you a paragon of good taste OP

Netflix was good when it was the only game in town. There's a huge competition for content now that everyone has a streaming service. Disney and CBS pulling content really hurt the independent streamers.

The best thing to watch on Netflix right now is the Circus of Books documentary.

Well then watch something on an UNDERRATED streaming service, OP. I hear Crackle's poppin'.

People like to keep up on what's popular with heteros.

R6 thinks netflix and crackle are the only streaming services

Netflix original American series all vaguely seem the same. I can't put my finger on it. Their documentaries are worst in this respect. They do have a lot of good foreign series that were originally produced elsewhere. Fortunately it is easy to torrent those.

R3 stirring cream into his sweet tea tucking in for a long, languid Sweet Magnolias binge.

I dunno. We watched the cinematic Deep Impact on it the other night. Tea Leoni is such an amazing actress with incredible range. I could feel her fear jumping at me through the screen.

Also WHET Leelee Sobieski?

I haven’t watched a Netflix series in a while, but today I watched the first episode of The Eddy and I absolutely love it. Set in Paris, so much of it is in French, set in a jazz club, so lots of music, starring the great Andre Holland.

Just because you don't believe in Netflix doesn't mean you're correct, you fucking Jesus freak.

I really liked Never Have I ever recently. I do wish they were a bit more discerning in their quality but that’s not the business they are in it seems. I only have that and Amazon Prime

A streaming service is perfect for people with mainstream tastes who are only interested in new stuff.

Netflix seems to have a lot of Japanese animation. I watched a couple animated series but not a fan of low budget foreign dubbed shows. I picked up CBS Access and considering dropping Netflix for a couple of months.

They constantly put out garbage. When was they last time they put out something decent?

It has to be on purpose.

I cancelled months ago. They’ve shifted so much towards “original content “ (aka shitty content) and they rarely have any good recent movies that were in the theater.

They were better when it was focused on DVD’s because they had almost anything on DVD. Streaming is all shit.

R6 delayed post from 2014

I questioned the future profitability of Netflix and was called a retard in a similar thread. Apart from having really dedicated shills, I still feel like the writing is on the wall. I fail to see how original content from Netflix can be distinguished from content on any other current or future streaming service. Prime is still the best for legacy content. Netflix appears to be investing a lot in stars, where few exist anymore, and in reality and documentary series which may be interesting if you were channel surfing but hardly could be considered appointment TV.

OP was hoping for the full run of "She's The Sheriff" and left disappointed. Netflix is definitely not for people whose lips move when they read subtitles - too much foreign language programming.

They have so much content a completely crappy search. Unless you know exactly what you want, you're on your own.

[quote] hardly could be considered appointment TV.

You sound like you've been catapulted here from 1998.

R21 Yes, Netflix is for the ELITE

A lot of people are very offended if you say anything disparaging about Netflix and In-n-Out burger.

[quote] Without them, the selection is not that different from what's available on Hulu, Amazon Prime or YouTube.

Umm not really.

[quote] They constantly put out garbage. When was they last time they put out something decent? It has to be on purpose.

Sex Education is very good. The 2nd season was even better than the first. Umbrella Academy is pretty good. I enjoyed House of Flowers and Elite. The Catherine the Great series is fairly entertaining.

R26 don't type Umm

Yah, bye-bye, we won't miss ya.

People cut the cord because they were protesting being force fed cable packages. Netflix got a big head start so it could coast for awhile longer, but I don't understand how the original cable model is different than asking customers to pay for multiple subscription services just to watch a couple shows they like.

R28 this makes no sense unless you ARE netflix

Netflix is going in the only direction they see as viable. CBS and Disney were just the beginning. As more content owners get into streaming, Netflix’s appeal will continue to diminish.

I never understood why HBO never opened their vaults for their streaming service. They have decades worth of content that is comparable to Netflix.

HBONow has been available for years r32 and now they are doing an even bigger push with the launch of HBOMax r32.

Netflix right now is still flying high and doing great as a company r20 when you look at the numbers. Even just culturally look at how they dominate the conversation, the Tiger King documentary came out and that is all the world was talking about.

R8 can't get jokes.

Money Heist is very good. Several gay characters too

When I was in high school I used Netflix to borrow DVDs that I couldn't get at Blockbuster Hollywood Video, mostly foreign language films and a lot of independent and genre Cinema.

Netflix DVD service is shit now too. Library is an inch deep, they don't ship on Saturdays anymore, and it takes forever for new releases to show up.

We need gay netflix. A streaming site dedicated to gay film. Nothing but gay films, docs and TV. While in Switzerland years ago I saw a great gay Danish film on TV. I think it was made in the 80s.

I'd like a site where I can find these gems

The Dekko channel on Amazon Prime tries to be that r39.

Watching Schitt's Creek on Netflix and it's wonderful. I'm loving Unorthodox too. I liked House of Cards. I think Netflix is pretty great.

r39- Roku has a gay channel.

Someone commenting here is either a Netflix employee or owns Netflix stock.

To that person, I say the following: I have watched 30 minutes of Netflix since the lockdown kicked in. It is a complete waste of money. And I am still too lazy to actually figure out how to cancel it.

I like the Japanese anime. Otherwise, blah

[quote]HBONow has been available for years [R32] and now they are doing an even bigger push with the launch of HBOMax

And they think so highly of themselves they are charging $14.99 a month for it. "Friends" didn't come cheap, ya know.

[quote]Netflix DVD service is shit now too. Library is an inch deep, they don't ship on Saturdays anymore, and it takes forever for new releases to show up.

You’re kidding? Well, I guess I’ll forget about looking into that again (it was great 10 years ago). I don’t know why places have to keep fucking everything up. They can’t get it through their heads not everyone is impressed with what they have on streaming.

Oh well. I’ll just stick with Amazon Prime and I’ll go back to buying used DVDs on eBay for anything that’s not available on streaming.

Or try the library, r46.

[quote]They constantly put out garbage. When was they last time they put out something decent?

To you. I like many of their shows on there (as do many other people) and I just finished watching "Dead to Me" Season 2.

[quote]I questioned the future profitability of Netflix and was called a retard in a similar thread. Apart from having really dedicated shills, I still feel like the writing is on the wall.

Probably because people have been questioning the "future profitability" of Netflix for over a decade now but they're still here?

Of course, it makes sense that anyone would. They've burned through money every year for the past few years.

However, since they've successfully focused on making more of their own content instead of buying it from everyone else they've finally stopped losing much money. (They will also cancel your series in a New York minute if it's too expensive.)

There's actually less of a chance that they're going to have issues in the future if they continue on their current path than 3, 5 or 8 years ago. (If not for COVID they were on track to actually turn a profit next year as they went from -3 to a projected - 1 billion this year in the past three years but COVID has thrown everyone into chaos as companies can't produce original content during this time.)

R47 The library is still closed I’m my state due to COVID restrictions.

I'm one of the last people in the world who has never had a Netflix subscription but was thinking of getting one (finally), so I find this thread highly interesting.

The Criterion Channel is all I need for my streaming desires! A good mix of classics, foreign films, hidden gems, etc.

That's a shame, r49. Ours is open for curbside service.

[quote]but I don't understand how the original cable model is different than asking customers to pay for multiple subscription services just to watch a couple shows they like.

It's not And it's going to get to a point where there will be multiple streaming services, each with a limited amount of content, so that you will buy "packages" to get what you need. And it will be just as expensive as cable.

I'm just wondering how long before stuff starts getting pulled off of Amazon Prime to compensate?

I’m with R18 et. al. There’s no original programming I really think is worth the monthly fee, and fewer movies than before, plus I always have the option to get DVDs from the library. Also, I’m getting to the point where I want to just read. I guess I’m getting old.

I was reading an article about amazing movies everyone should stream during quarantine and 90% of them were on Hoopla and Kanopy - free services that libraries offer.

[quote] I'm not interested in any of the new scripted shows that Netflix produces.

Then for God's sake, don't purchase it!

Another problem solved!

I would rather see more independent streaming services that cater to special interests as long as they are priced around $5 month. Makes more sense than paying $15 a month for something where 90% is stuff you would never watch.

Netflix! Should you massage my kale with sea salt and avocado and lemon, so too should you massage the kale of the extras!

As mentioned above Netflix has a shit search function. For instance you can't type in an actor's name to see which of his films are available. Stupid.

I'm on a free trial now enjoying French TV shows. But no recent top french films and not enough good gay content. I'll be gone soon.

The old Netflix interface was very good. It's gotten worse over the years in order to emphasize their original programming and hide the fact that they were purging so many titles.

Keeping Up With The Heteros

[quote] The typical Netflix show is getting quite a bit worse

[quote] I like the Japanese anime.

You mean tentacle porn, don't you.

I agree R22. They have way too much content and it's hard to sift through it all to find something to watch. The other night I spent an hour trying to find something and just gave up. I mostly rely on my family or friends to recommend something to watch. I love Ozark and Sex Education and the first season of Dead to Me but Season 2 is complete shit.

I still get the DVD mail service because they do have older films that I like to watch, although their catalog is not what it used to be.

The appeal of the DVDs were the extra features and commentary, which are mostly unavailable on streaming services.

R64 The Criterion Channel has extra features and commentary for the films they've released on blu-ray/dvd available on the streaming site. Not so for the films they license from other studios though, which makes sense.

Here are the Netflix codes. you can't find most of these shows on the main menu. This is much easier to navigate.

Tubi currently has about 200 gay movies...free with a few "pee-break" commercials mixed in.

Thanks, R66!

One thing Netflix is spectacularly bad at is predicting what I'm going to like based on what I've already watched. I actively dislike practically everything they tell me to watch. So this will be extremely useful.

R68, you are so correct.

I think if they are pushing a particular show (like Tiger King) they just tell everybody they will like it, whether their algorithm says they will or not.

These days Netflix is all about eyeballs, and not happy customers. It's like the local rentboy when he needs money for drugs.

I just want them to stop the auto-previews. I never browse their content anymore because of them and just dart straight to whatever I learned elsewhere looked interesting and is only available on Netflix.

As a result, I‘ve spent a lot more time on accidental discoveries on Hulu, HBO, Kanopy and I got a 3 month free trial of Mubi. I did binge ‘Feel Good’ on Netflix last week and thought it was good and really fucking funny. But then they tried to force me to watch Ozark and I haven’t reopened the app since.

Fascinating - thanks for sharing, OP.

R70 you can turn off auto-play in your account settings

R72, it doesn’t fucking work for Roku, AppleTV, any fucking smartbox. That only works if you watch movies on your laptop and why the fuck would anyone do that if they don’t have to?

Thanks for the update OP. We have been losing sleep waiting to hear your thoughts on Netflix!

I ain't liking netflix

R73 fucking works on my fucking Apple TV

R73 I figured it out. It's not like changing the default language. You have to do it on every platform. Once you change the settings, log out and log back in and the changes will take effect.

They still have a lot of gay movies, I've watched many, but there are still many to go

R75 is deplorable trash linking to a deplorable propaganda website!

I remember when people laughed at CBS All Access since at time all the other networks were putting up first run shows on their websites for free. People who cut the cord could watch everything they wanted, minus sports and cable news. Now, they all seem to be adapting to the CBS All Access model. As an added "fuck you" they not only won't allow you to stream their shows on Hulu, they will make them streaming exclusives.

There is still a lot of crap on Netflix, but I still consider it superior to network and cable television -- not counting HBO. I certainly don't miss paying an outrageous fee for a cable 'bundle' or being hostage to network's bad programming.

[quote] I'm just wondering how long before stuff starts getting pulled off of Amazon Prime to compensate?

They'll be removing stuff from Prime, Netflix, and Hulu.

[quote] Oh well. I’ll just stick with Amazon Prime and I’ll go back to buying used DVDs on eBay for anything that’s not available on streaming.

They won't be releasing any new shows on dvd, blu ray, or Itunes. Hulu may still be good for network programming but most new streaming services makes their shows exclusive.

Look at the number of threads on Data Lounge about big network TV. I haven't bothered with big network TV for six years or so. But different people like different things.

I moved from the U.S. to Europe and my monthly TV subscription costs plummeted. I subscribe now only to Netflix and HBO (€14/month between them.) I also have a couple of accounts for pay-per-view films that I have used only once or twice; and everyone gets 50-something channels free, plus there are documentary and endless other free channels available with smart TVs, many of them covering a some Hulu content, though, again, I very rarely bother. I can't be bothered with torrents or exploring rabbit holes on YouTube (the interface is terrible.) Disney and CBS will have fuck all that interests me; and Amazon I avoid because, well, it's Amazon and their original series are crap and they somehow manage never to have the film I want anyway. HBO I have been watching a lot thanks to Covid-19 but I will let the subscription lapse at some point and then resume it months later.

It's true that Netflix's search function is quite poor, but I search online and add titles to my viewing list.

Why not iTunes r82? You have a source for that?

Hulu, Prime and HBO Now are better.

Stuff like the Mandalorian is only available on Disney+. Wanted to check out Why Women Kill but it was only on CBS All Access. Apple Series are also exclusive with no purchase option. That seems to be the trend going forward with original shows.

[quote]That seems to be the trend going forward with original shows.

You don't say.

Binge watching season 5 of House of Cards. Kevin Spacey may be a predator but man he's a dam good actor. Talent trumps bad deeds. All he did was fondle some closeted teen gayling. I kid, but people really do need to lighten up.

R88, he’s been good at times but I thought he was awful in House of Cards.

Hulu and Prime have just as many interesting options to watch, and a lot that Netflix doesn't have.

I rented Blake Edwards ' S.O.B. on Amazon Prime per DL recommendations, watched half of it and went to bed. Next day the film was no longer available. WTF? Now its available again but I have to pay again.

These sites are bloodsuckers.

I was in the middle or corona-rewatching True Blood when Amazon Prime said it's now $3.99 per episode.

[quote]It's true that Netflix's search function is quite poor, but I search online and add titles to my viewing list.

One of the guys from Netflix is pretty active on Twitter and claimed months ago they were working on ways to better make sure people know what's on there. I think that's why we eventually got the Top Watched videos section but even that is skewed by whether or not Netflix promotes the damn show.

I also think this resulted from "One Day at a Time" getting cancelled and there was a lot of outrage as a result. They said the show wasn't getting the numbers they wanted but there were plenty of people who didn't know about the show. Also who would even know what the numbers are? (Luckily Netflix allowed the show to move to another network's streaming service which they normally don't do.)

The interface is still MILES away from where it used to be.

[quote]That seems to be the trend going forward with original shows.

In a way that's always happened with shows being exclusive (like HBO as the net person posted.) Netflix lost all their Marvel shows because Disney got their own service and Netflix didn't want to pay an absorbent licensing fee to keep making them.

One trend I've picked up is that certain cable tv networks are aligning themselves with certain streaming services. Comcast will give you Peacock for free. If you have DirecTV with AT&T you can get HBO and HBO Max for free.

I suspect we'll next get a new way to measure the success of shows besides Nielsen. There are too many damn streaming networks. Also I predict some of them will consolidate into packages. (Sound familiar?) Hulu and ESPN 2 are already available with Disney+.

I really do see a scary day when they all lock you in for months at a time with contracts. Right now I can order CBS Access and watch Star Trek then cancel it. One day I doubt they'll let you do that.

Netflix was dead to me the minute they went over $10/mo. Cancelled and learned to torrent. Never going back! Thanks for the push, Netflix!

r43- how can you watch for 30 minutes and know that all the offerings on Netflix are bad? Schitt's Creek alone is worth it.

[quote]We need gay netflix. A streaming site dedicated to gay film. Nothing but gay films, docs and TV.

We can but dream.

I use Hulu way more than Netflix. I get overwhelmed with the sheer amount of Netflix content and give up.

Netflix still has the best user interface. Hulu is second, then (lagging significantly) HBO, then (bottom of the barrel) Amazon.

Somebody needs to make an aggregator app where you enter what services you have, and it puts all the content in one spot. Id pay for that.

[quote]Somebody needs to make an aggregator app where you enter what services you have, and it puts all the content in one spot. Id pay for that.

That would be good. I've had umbrella search engines that showed the major providers that have X series or Y film, and they're helpful to a point.

Where I always fall short is in looking for recent or relatively recent films, small or obscure things that fall through the cracks. Or that would let me follow a title of, say, a BBC series and alert me when it was available on Netflix or another provider.

I never had Netflix, I think is a waste of money.

R97, yeah, that’s existed for years. If it’s something you’d “pay for”, you’d think you would have actually bothered to look for it at some point in the last decade, but clearly not.

R97 - The interface isn't great, but at least you can see which services carry which show, and whether you can stream or will need to rent.

Thanks, R101. I had used that in the U.S. and it while it didn't always turn up results, it was at helpful some of the time. Having forgotten the name, I couldn't relocate it or a good equivalent. It nicely sorts out that I'm in Spain and what is available from what Spanish source.

Amazon is the worst. I wish there was a way to only show free/included content. Everything I search for requires an add-on subscription or is pay per view. I watch on an Amazon Fire Stick too.

Maybe some big film studios need to come together and form a streaming platform for all the non-Disney theatre released movies?

Perhaps buy the Blockbuster name and use it, or perhaps calls it Studio?

Blockbuster!

A business that failed 7 years ago, 9 years after its market reached a peak in 2004 and began a sharp decline. A name synonymous with rewind fees and "why do they still exist?"

The big studios could join with Disney for a platform-streaming platform called "I Will Never Want To Watch That"

R103 Amazon Prime has by far the worst streaming features, everything about it sucks (rewind function/sub titles, etc) Besos is a hack.

R106-Amazon Prime is POORLY organized. If you search for new movies they throw in titles that are 7 minutes long.

With all the money Bezos has, I fall to grasp why the Prime interface is so fucking terrible. Fastforwarding/rewinding in particular is horrid.

I have a Prime queue a mile long, and if I click on a specific title to see more information about it and then back back out, it takes me ALL the fucking way back to the first video on my queue! It's fucking maddening and excusable.

[quote]One trend I've picked up is that certain cable tv networks are aligning themselves with certain streaming services. Comcast will give you Peacock for free. If you have DirecTV with AT&T you can get HBO and HBO Max for free.

That's because Comcast owns NBC/Peacock and AT&T owns HBO.

I just have always wanted Amazon Prime to have its own website separate from the main website with its own URL.

I don't know why that's so hard.

R109 Amazon pays pretty low wages for a tech company. Much of their employee compensation comes in the form of stock options. Logically, the employee's main goal is to perform at the lowest level necessary to not get fired, since you are not compensated much more for performing above the minimum.

That means they attract a specific type of programmer - ones who can produce large amounts of low quality code vs. those who produce less code of a much higher quality.

From what I understand, Amazon is one of htose companies that acts like the "privilege" to work for them should be good enough for the employee. They pretty much tell you for any job that you interview for "you are expected to give up your life to work for this company. You need to be willing to do that." And yes, the wages aren't exactly record-breaking.

It's different on the app, but if you view Amazon Prime on a computer, there is a tab to click on that reads "Included with Prime" and only lists programming that comes with your account.

[quote]Amazon is the worst. I wish there was a way to only show free/included content

On my Mac in Amazon Prime, there is a "Free to Me" tab, which you would think would show offerings included with your prime subscription.

When I click on it, about 40% of the TV shows and movies have a "rent now" button.

r97- get a Roku. It has a feature where if you, say, search for a TV show or Film or Actor, it will tell you every platform that it is available on and you can click on the one you want to watch it on right there. In other words, it's exactly what you're asking for.

r99- if you've never had it, how do you know it's a waste of money. It's the same as me saying that you're a waste of money.

Don't know why people are pissed that movies cost money on Amazon (and Apple). Without them offering those films as rentals, there'd be no way to get them except by purchasing the DVD. Not sure why someone thinks they are due the earth moon and stars because they use a fire stick.

Netflix hasn't added any good movies in years and I'm afraid it will only get worse. Latest "blockbuster" they've added and suggest in almost every category....wait for it....Battleship.

I share an account with 3 other people so I only pay like 4 bucks a month. I wouldn't pay $15 for this shitty movie selection. I enjoy some of their foreign series like Shitsel, Babylon Berlin or UK dramas. But the Netflix Originals are often bad and a waste of time.

There is something worth binging every month.

[quote] Money Heist is very good. Several gay characters too

I'm trying to watch it but the acting is so terrible it's distracting. Does it get better? I just finished The Bureau, which was great, and I don't know if I can stick it out with Money Heist.

Their movies are all unwatchable.

Dark was fantastic, all three seasons. Good writing, great acting, amazingly well paced and plotted.

Watch it now, bitches! Watch in German with English subtitles though - the voice acting in the English dubbed version is crap.

My ongoing battle with all things Apple has extended to its streaming service.

I make a practice of stopping in for a month on a service, binge-watching the best stuff and then cancelling and moving on to another one. This way I'm paying under $15 a month and watching a lot of excellent TV.

Apple is the only one I've had trouble cancelling. If you have an Apple device it's evidently easy: if you don't, woe betide. Googling did not provide the answer. The only way I got out in the end was to find the "welcome" email: the link that had got me in also got me out. Too bad if you wanted to cancel after a few years and couldn't find it, though.

“Apart from their scripted shows,” Netflix is VERY different from Amazon’s selection.

Netflix cannot get many TV shows or movies from the major networks and studios anymore.

I left Netflix a few months ago and don’t miss it a bit. I’m not interested in all their self-produced content.

I apologize if this was already mentioned, but most good-sized library systems have a streaming service. Mine uses Kanopy, there's another big one I've forgotten the name of. There is a limit to films per month usually, I'd imagine it varies. Go to your library's home page, then find wherever they put things like e-books, magazines, databases etc. and it should tell you which app to download. Lots of documentaries, seems like a fair amount of classics, and limited but decent newer mainstream and indie films.