Submitted via IRC for SoyCow4463
Netflix puts a 'Patriot Act' episode about bad internet access on DVD
The latest episode of Netflix variety talk show Patriot Act with Hasan Minhaj focuses on the digital divide. In it, Minhaj breaks down some of the many reasons why internet access is so terrible across much of the US, including the roles of carriers and the Federal Communications Commission.
[...] He points out the irony that people who have a strong enough connection to stream the episode probably aren't affected by the problem. So, the Patriot Act team is putting the episode on DVD, which you can rent through Netflix's DVD mail rental service. Around 2.7 million people in the US still get Netflix's red DVD envelopes, so you can order the episode on a disc even if, say, you're struggling with a dial-up connection. Alternatively, the whole episode is on YouTube, so you can watch it even without a Netflix subscription.
(Score: 2) by Booga1 on Tuesday June 18 2019, @10:15AM (1 child)
DVD is where it's still at if you want to stop the revolving carousel of unavailable titles on Netflix.
Still, this is actually a smart option to provide for those customers on those poor connections. The placement on Youtube is just a bonus.
(Score: 2) by urza9814 on Tuesday June 18 2019, @06:05PM
Not if you're still getting those DVDs from Netflix. Unless you're talking about ripping them, in which case if you're going to pirate anyway you might as well just download 'em...
(Score: 2) by Rupert Pupnick on Tuesday June 18 2019, @12:47PM (4 children)
The selection of disks available from Netflix collapsed years ago, and as a result I dropped out of the service. I expect a lot of people have, and for that reason I don’t expect its a very effective distribution channel.
(Score: 2) by bob_super on Tuesday June 18 2019, @04:31PM (3 children)
If you live in one of the too many places in the US where there is no solution for broadband, you are less picky about the quality of the Netflix or local rental store's catalog.
That's millions of customers right there.
(Score: 2) by urza9814 on Tuesday June 18 2019, @06:14PM (1 child)
I've got some friends who still do DVD-only Netflix plans even with 50+ megabit internet connections. The DVD plans are still cheaper, although it does look like they raised the price pretty recently so it's not much of a difference anymore.
(Score: 1, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday June 18 2019, @10:41PM
I still do the DVD plan and I have 300mb. I got rid of the streaming when I realized I had not watched anything on streaming for about 6 months. For some reason I do watch the DVDs.
The selection is fairly hit or miss on streaming. Got through a few seasons of some stuff and ended up on the wrong end of a cut off. With DVD I do not have that issue. I also do not binge watch stuff.
Eventually they will kill off DVD with netflix. At that point I will just go back to buying them. I can get a *large* pile of DVDs from ebay and the library.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by Rupert Pupnick on Tuesday June 18 2019, @08:10PM
Point taken. Here in The Megalopolis where one would hope that more alternatives would make people more picky, the only DVD rentals are via Redbox. It’s crap except on those rare occasions when there’s a movie out recently I actually want to see. In such cases, I’ll generally go to a second run theater to see it anyway. I’d love to have access to DVD rentals with an actual selection.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday June 18 2019, @04:36PM
But how do I play that DVD on my VCR? :-)
(Score: 2, Informative) by CheesyMoo on Tuesday June 18 2019, @10:19PM
I have enjoyed Netflix but now it seems apparent that they are transitioning into creating and hosting their own content. The divorce with Disney/Marvel is already underway...
*drum roll*
Kanopy is a pretty great streaming service, available for free through many public libraries and universities.
They feature titles from the Criterion collection, award winners, foreign films, documentaries... lots of classic and artsy fartsy stuff...
You only get so many views per month depending on your provider... but it is the best streaming content I have seen on the toobs