Topic: (NEW Poll Added!!) New Movies/TV Shows we should keep an eye out for!

[gbuell]

Stogi, yes it's all releasing at once. Epic viewing parties will be had.

I love Netflix streaming to death. Their TV selection is truly excellent. If you're in it for movies, you might be more disappointed with it.

[nickmitch]

I don't think I use Netflix as much as I could, but for $8 a month I just like having that selection at my finger tips.

[Dasmos]

You guys are lucky to have the option of Netflix, we've got none of that here and I'm not sure if we'll ever get to see an actual release of this series in the near future. So I'll have to rely on "other means" to get in on this action.

The one thing that irks me about this being on Netflix is the DVD release situation. Isn't point of Netflix you can stream stuff so you don't have to buy DVDs. With that business model they're probably not running out to make DVDs for their own original series any time soon.

[TJ Spyke]

Does Netflix actually own any of the series they are airing? 20th Century Fox still owns Arrested Development, Media Rights Capital owns House of Cards (Netflix is just distributing the shows). Since Fox owns the show, not Netflix, you can be sure it will eventually be released on DVD (I think it's just a question of when it will happen, since i'm sure the deal gives Netflix some sorta exclusive airing time).

[tendoboy1984]

It's ironic that Netflix is putting so much focus on TV shows. They used to be about streaming movies and DVD rentals. So I guess now Netflix is on par with Hulu.

[TJ Spyke]

Netflix says they are not focusing more on quality rather than quantity, and in a couple of days they are about to lose nearly 2,000 titles from their streaming service (including the James Bond movies and 15 seasons of South Park).

[Stratos]

Crap, South Park is going down? I never got around to watching them all. I know the Bond movies were going but now I'm worried what else is dropping. I was going to watch Stargate SG1 again with my wife but those were pulled as well. What a bummer.

[TJ Spyke]

South Park Studios does have all episodes up on their website to watch, so that is still possible there.

[nickmitch]

Everytime something like this happens, I get a little scared to open up my instant queue.

[NWR_insanolord]

I'm perfectly fine if stuff like House of Cards and the new season of Arrested Development being there means they lose a bit of the streaming catalog, but South Park and James Bond leaving is a big hit.


EDIT: Although some of these losses are because Netflix is being outbid by rivals like Hulu. Like I said, I support Netflix's entry into original programming, and if Hulu wants to spend all its money on outbidding Netflix for things like this instead of doing original stuff of their own, that'll bite them in the long term.

[TJ Spyke]

The thing is that Netflix could get those shows if they wanted to, but they want to cherry pick the shows they want to carry but studios want wide-scale deals that cover multiple shows (which makes sense). And Hulu has exclusive shows too, they just aren't as well known as Netflix's shows (though I am familiar with WWE NXT, which airs on TV internationally but in the US it only airs on Hulu Plus). At the Hulu upfront a few days ago, they announced 4 new exclusive shows they will be airing:

The Awesomes: An animated superhero comedy series from Seth Myers and Michael Shoemaker (of Late Night with Jimmy Fallon)
Quick Draw: A half-hour comedy western set in 1875 about a Harvard-educated sheriff and his quest to introduce the emerging science of forensics to an unruly Kansas town.
The Wrong Mans: A story of two men in the wrong place at the wrong time who get involved in a fiant conspiracy
Behind the Masks: A reality series about the world of sports mascots at the high school, college, minor league and NBA pro levels

[NWR_insanolord]

The thing is that Netflix could get those shows if they wanted to, but they want to cherry pick the shows they want to carry but studios want wide-scale deals that cover multiple shows (which makes sense).

If that's what's going on, then I applaud Netflix for not allowing the content companies to force the cable TV business model on them.

[TJ Spyke]

It's not good from the consumer point of view though, you are losing access to thousands of items but will not see a drop in your bill.

[NWR_insanolord]

Unless the content providers manage to prop up a competitor to Netflix that brings in even close to as many subscribers, the strategy will fail in the long term and they'll have to come back and play by Netflix's rules.

[TJ Spyke]

I know they get laughed at, but Hulu Plus is continuing to grow larger and just reached 4 million subscribers. So they may become that competitor.

[NWR_insanolord]

Netflix is HBO. Hulu Plus is Starz. And Netflix is surging in popularity right now.

[NWR_insanolord]

Netflix is HBO. Hulu Plus is Starz. And Netflix is surging in popularity right now.

[BlackNMild2k1]

You can say that again.

[Stratos]

I just noticed that the Wii has an Amazon Video channel. I don't have an Amazon Prime deal but I had been considering the switch from Netflix to Amazon. It is cheaper in the long run. Now that we can watch Amazon videos on a TV we may do the switch. I just need to research what the different lineups are for each service. Plus getting that 2-day shipping would be handy.


What is everyone's opinions on comparing those two services?

[BlackNMild2k1]

If you shop ALOT on amazon, and you don't mind a much smaller selection, then you should be ok.

Netflix has a lot to offer at the price, but I don't know specifically what you would be into, nor what the exact differences in the catalogs are, so You would have to just skim through their selection and see if they what they have to offer is what you are willing to give up Netflix for.

[Stratos]

The tough thing is there are shows only available exclusively on one or the other that we like.


So Amazon's selection is smaller. We may just start doing both services next year if we like enough shows on both services.

[nickmitch]

Well, Amazon Prime comes with other benefits, so that's something to keep in mind.

[Halbred]

Here's what I get annoyed about: every rental or streaming choice offers different benefits. I long for the days where Blockbuster was my only option. Were new releases too much money? Of course, but you know what? You can't GET new releases from any of the streaming services (or Redbox) for like TWO MONTHS after they come out at Blockbuster. It's ridiculous.

Blockbuster is a walking corpse. How do they still retain the kind of market power that lets them get new releases before anybody else? Why will I have to go into their shitty stores to get Superman: Unbound on Tuesday instead of going to a Redbox? What's Blockbuster got that Redbox doesn't?

[TJ Spyke]

Blockbuster got a little injection of life after DirecTV bought them. Redbox also has struck deals with studios to get new releases sooner than Netflix (it depends on the studio, each one has different deals and some let Redbox get titles the same day as they release).

[nickmitch]

I think studios just hate Netflix and only play(ed) ball because they have (had) to.

But Blockbuster might just simply be giving them better deals. But I don't worry about the time thing anyway because there's always gonna be something else I wanna watch.