For people who want less complicated setup. I occasionally download films to my MacBook, enable File Sharing (System Settings > General > Sharing) and then connect to it with Infuse Player (https://firecore.com/infuse) on Apple TV. I pirate only when it is too hard to get the film from a streaming service. If you're into good films, I suggest checking Mubi service (https://mubi.com), much better collection than Netflix.
I feel that this article describes a transitional period, not a permanent state. Streaming services are relatively new, and new technology always introduces instability before everything settles into a new normal that looks somewhat like the old normal.
> If the company spends time and energy on only certain audiences, the numbers fall, and that company becomes a niche; however, subscription services cannot only cater to niches, they must try to be everything to all people, which places more value on the content platform and its library than the quality of each individual piece of content.
Netflix's revenue stream fell recently. I have seen analysis that this was in part due to its "quantity over quality" model. My personal opinion is that finding quality programming in Netflix is difficult, and when I cut any streaming services from my monthly budget, Netflix will be the first to go.
Contrast Netflix with HBOMax and Disney+, each of which have consistently incredible quality.
It may be wishful thinking, but I suspect that this transitional period will last perhaps a few more years, and then the streaming consumer will be more willing to pay a premium for true quality, in turn driving a new hit-driven normal.
> subscription services cannot only cater to niches, they must try to be everything to all people
There are niche streaming services. Shudder for horror, MUBI for foreign and art films, Nobudge for first-timer and low budget films. I'm certain there are or will be others.
I feel the same. I'm also sharing with family and none of us hardly watches anything on it, just once in a while is there something interesting to watch. Thought about continuing it only to support the company but might reconsider that decision unless they do something about that poor content library. I'm using Mubi for great cinema and honestly I find a lot more interesting movies/documentaries to watch there.
I'm rarely satisfied with recommendation engines, but I actually got good results with https://movielens.org/ - maybe worth a try for you.
Also, Mubi is a great resource for films, curated by themes, topics and users. Unfortunately their streamign/licensing model of showing a small selection of films for a limited time isn't very useful to me. Nevertheless the content is great: https://mubi.com
That sounds like good service, thanks! Unfortunately, you don't have my country yet :|
Also, according to your service, Mubi only has 22 films in Spain, and 25 in the US. Is it possible you're missing some, or does their claim that there are always 30 films available not hold up?
That is actually quite an interesting service. If the price was a bit lower than the €5,99 a month listed now (say, €3,99 a month) I would consider simply getting a year-round subscription if the content is good. It would form a nice supplement to Netflix.
It is a bit disappointing to read this in their FAQ though:
IN HOW MANY COUNTRIES CAN I WATCH FILMS ON MUBI?
You can stream and download movies in over 200 countries around the world. Every country has its own unique line-up, as the rights to show even a single film are often divided by different distributors and territories, making it very difficult to show the same movies in every country at once. This in turn allows us to tailor each country's selection for the local audience.
This is of course unavoidable due to the global licensing mess for media with regional exclusive deals, but it is irksome nonetheless. I don't like this bit about tailoring the selection for my country though — with art-house films one of the most interesting things is discovering films made in countries that normally wouldn't reach you. The serendipity is what makes it appealing to browse art-house films. If a service 'tailors the selection' to my country, what does that even mean?
Actually, while building the site we noticed a quite different feeling. As it's much easier to change subscriptions (usually they are not longer than a month), it's much easier to rotate through different providers with often widely different and interesting content. A lot of the newer and more odd contenders I didn't know before building JustWatch. I personally discovered Mubi with a sexy business model of just 30 hand picked movies, which is just 5 bucks a month and it's cool people see there are actually some good choices other than Netflix out there. Really curious to see how the market will react.
Hacker Cinema
10 comments on Hacker News
For people who want less complicated setup. I occasionally download films to my MacBook, enable File Sharing (System Settings > General > Sharing) and then connect to it with Infuse Player (https://firecore.com/infuse) on Apple TV. I pirate only when it is too hard to get the film from a streaming service. If you're into good films, I suggest checking Mubi service (https://mubi.com), much better collection than Netflix.
I feel that this article describes a transitional period, not a permanent state. Streaming services are relatively new, and new technology always introduces instability before everything settles into a new normal that looks somewhat like the old normal.
> If the company spends time and energy on only certain audiences, the numbers fall, and that company becomes a niche; however, subscription services cannot only cater to niches, they must try to be everything to all people, which places more value on the content platform and its library than the quality of each individual piece of content.
Netflix's revenue stream fell recently. I have seen analysis that this was in part due to its "quantity over quality" model. My personal opinion is that finding quality programming in Netflix is difficult, and when I cut any streaming services from my monthly budget, Netflix will be the first to go.
Contrast Netflix with HBOMax and Disney+, each of which have consistently incredible quality.
It may be wishful thinking, but I suspect that this transitional period will last perhaps a few more years, and then the streaming consumer will be more willing to pay a premium for true quality, in turn driving a new hit-driven normal.
> subscription services cannot only cater to niches, they must try to be everything to all people
There are niche streaming services. Shudder for horror, MUBI for foreign and art films, Nobudge for first-timer and low budget films. I'm certain there are or will be others.
Have you tried MUBI? It takes a lot of the hassle out of finding quality arthouse films, there is a lot of good stuff on there.
Though I must admit that if I didn't have friends holding my hand through the minefield of modern cinema, I would also just stick to books.
I feel the same. I'm also sharing with family and none of us hardly watches anything on it, just once in a while is there something interesting to watch. Thought about continuing it only to support the company but might reconsider that decision unless they do something about that poor content library. I'm using Mubi for great cinema and honestly I find a lot more interesting movies/documentaries to watch there.
I'm rarely satisfied with recommendation engines, but I actually got good results with https://movielens.org/ - maybe worth a try for you.
Also, Mubi is a great resource for films, curated by themes, topics and users. Unfortunately their streamign/licensing model of showing a small selection of films for a limited time isn't very useful to me. Nevertheless the content is great: https://mubi.com
I thought the Netflix for film geeks was Mubi.com ...
That sounds like good service, thanks! Unfortunately, you don't have my country yet :|
Also, according to your service, Mubi only has 22 films in Spain, and 25 in the US. Is it possible you're missing some, or does their claim that there are always 30 films available not hold up?
That is actually quite an interesting service. If the price was a bit lower than the €5,99 a month listed now (say, €3,99 a month) I would consider simply getting a year-round subscription if the content is good. It would form a nice supplement to Netflix.
It is a bit disappointing to read this in their FAQ though:
IN HOW MANY COUNTRIES CAN I WATCH FILMS ON MUBI?
You can stream and download movies in over 200 countries around the world. Every country has its own unique line-up, as the rights to show even a single film are often divided by different distributors and territories, making it very difficult to show the same movies in every country at once. This in turn allows us to tailor each country's selection for the local audience.
This is of course unavoidable due to the global licensing mess for media with regional exclusive deals, but it is irksome nonetheless. I don't like this bit about tailoring the selection for my country though — with art-house films one of the most interesting things is discovering films made in countries that normally wouldn't reach you. The serendipity is what makes it appealing to browse art-house films. If a service 'tailors the selection' to my country, what does that even mean?
I really like Mubi, I just don't keep it all year like I do with Netflix because of their one film a day model.
Actually, while building the site we noticed a quite different feeling. As it's much easier to change subscriptions (usually they are not longer than a month), it's much easier to rotate through different providers with often widely different and interesting content. A lot of the newer and more odd contenders I didn't know before building JustWatch. I personally discovered Mubi with a sexy business model of just 30 hand picked movies, which is just 5 bucks a month and it's cool people see there are actually some good choices other than Netflix out there. Really curious to see how the market will react.