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from the streaming-restrictions-are-coming-in-torrents dept.
Arthur T Knackerbracket has processed the following story:
So we’ve noted more than once that as the streaming sector is saturated and new user growth slows, streaming giants will follow on a fairly predictable path that got their predecessors (cable TV companies) in trouble. Namely, shifting away from innovation and disruption and consumer welfare, and toward nickel-and-diming customers in a bid to give Wall Street improved quarterly returns at any cost.
That means a lot of pointless and harmful “growth for growth sake” mergers (see: Discovery Time Warner), endless price hikes, weird attempts to nickel-and-dime users (see: Amazon suddenly charging extra to avoid new ads), a general skimping on staff pay and customer service, and a steady enshittification of overall product quality you’ve probably already noticed.
Part of that process involves eliminating popular things that previously helped bring in new customers, like password sharing. We’ve noted how when Netflix wanted to sign up more customers, it praised password sharing, acknowledging that it didn’t really hurt the company’s bottom line, and basically acted as free advertising. Besides, Netflix already charges users extra for additional simultaneous streams.
Now that global growth is slowing, Netflix has to effectively cannibalize its own product quality and brand to appease Wall Street. It’s not good enough to just have a high quality product that makes money and people like; the need for improved quarterly returns inevitably turns disruptors into turf protectors. It’s what kicked Comcast in the teeth, and streaming execs seem poised to ignore the lessons.
[...] But if there’s any potential to squeeze out a tiny bit of additional profits from existing customers, these executives will do it. Wall Street demands it. And when annoyed users increasingly head to free alternatives or piracy after being inundated with price hikes and sagging product quality, execs will inevitably blame everything and everyone but themselves for the failure. It’s how this all works.
(Score: 5, Informative) by Thexalon on Saturday February 10 2024, @04:31PM (2 children)
Speaking as a freeloading bum, I don't do password sharing on streaming services much at all. Why? Because the pirates invariably offer a much wider selection of stuff than any streaming service. You want to watch an obscure show that ended decades ago? You can get it more easily from a pirate than from the distributor. You want to watch things that weren't even distributed to your country? Yup, check with the pirates.
The reason is, very simply, that it's cost-effective for pirates to collect and distribute stuff that isn't worth the original creator's time to bother with.
"Think of how stupid the average person is. Then realize half of 'em are stupider than that." - George Carlin
(Score: 3, Insightful) by Gaaark on Saturday February 10 2024, @05:14PM
Plex media server and external hdd.
No commercials (except, i love some of the old black & white/early colour commercials on some of the old shows (and the old radio shows advertising cigarettes!)) and i can watch what i want, when i want.
Before i started doing this, i tried to watch a show on streaming (Family Guy i think) but only season 2 onwards was available... well, i wanted to start at season 1, folks!
Yup... doing it THEIR way just doesn't seem to work for me.
Plus, who is streaming "Steptoe and Son" or "The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin"?
CJ? No..."He didn't get where he is today by selling ice cream tasting of bookends, pumice stone and West Germany."
--- Please remind me if I haven't been civil to you: I'm channeling MDC. I have always been here. ---Gaaark 2.0 --
(Score: 2) by corey on Saturday February 10 2024, @09:31PM
Anyone got any good non logging VPN recommendations?