Are Netflix and the Like Dying?

Log in

SmokingPipes.com Updates

Watch for Updates Twice a Week

PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor

PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor

PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor

PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor

PipesMagazine Approved Sponsor

In a word, no. Streaming is probably the most dynamic and innovative segments of the internet today. What we see today will look completely different in a year and the year after, and so on.

Netflix will always be on the top of the curve as will HBO Max, You tube will get even stronger.

Streaming is a solid and safe investment, just keep your eyes on the valuations. Frankly, I believe they are all overvalued but will grow into their values over the years. I am invested heavily in the segment and sleep well at night. Of course I got in several years ago but I do keep investing even at current values on the troughs any chance I get.
 

sablebrush52

The Bard Of Barlings
Jun 15, 2013
19,622
44,833
Southern Oregon
jrs457.wixsite.com
After reading earlier this week how subscribers are leaving streaming services, Netflix mainly, is the initial interest in 24/7 film viewing coming to an end?

I do wonder if the growth of such services is to blame for some of the pretty dire films I've watched these last few years, by which I mean Hollywood is pumping out any old tripe just to keep the streaming services happy?

With ever increasing subscription fees and folk leaving in droves is there a future for these providers?

They also say they are clamping down on folk who 'share' their passwords with family members/friends, whether that is right or wrong I can't say but it sounds like a desperate move to me.

$50bn wiped off Netflix’s value as subscribers quit - BBC News

I also just read CNN's streaming service is to close after a mere 1 month.

CNN streaming service to shut a month after launch - BBC News

Regards,

Jay.
The proposition is hyperbolic nonsense.

All of this is expected by anyone who can connect the dots. Five years ago I was discussing the oncoming "streaming wars" with colleagues.

Netflix owned the playground and proved that streaming was a viable business, so inevitably other companies made the same move. Now Netflix shares the the playground with others who have a deep library of IP's that they will use for their own services rather than continuing to license them to Netflix or Prime. This is a problem for both Netflix and Prime, which is why both turned to buying IP's and also creating original content.

The days of easy money are over as competition in the marketplace heats up. This is going to require more savvy about what the audience will pay to watch, so expect some shuffling in executive offices. HBO went through that in 2020, when AT&T fired all of the top brass and their staffs because the service growth was anemic compared to Disney+.

As markets mature the rules change, the players change, the relevant skill sets change.

I've never been a subscriber to HBO because I don't find all that much appealing. I became a subscriber to Netflix because I got exposure to their offerings during EMMY season and they asked me to sign up. Now I don't even pay for Netflix because I get a free membership due to my professional associations. If I had to pay the current rates I'm not sure that I would continue, because a lot of what they offer doesn't interest me.

Netflix is going through a much needed transition. They've been spending money as fast as they make it and sometimes faster, and they need to figure out what they'll need to do to meet challenges. Some things they will get right and some things they will get wrong. Dying isn't likely.

Netflix made an enormous commitment to animation and back in 2018 they decided to produce 24 new animated shows. That's more than Warner Animation. They hired young talent, gave them all sorts of perks, like per diem, and built an animation studio with a free commissary. Nothing was too much. Their idea was to keep churning out new product, running a series for two to three years, tops, and then replacing it with something new, regardless of ratings.

That's been a dud.

So they're now firing a lot of talent that had been promised a lifetime of being treated like prized cattle. What's getting killed off is the little kid and family oriented animation, because there's too small an audience for it, and they'll be pushing far edgier fare, because that's where the money is.

The playing field of streaming service will consolidate. Nobody is going to pay for 60+ streaming services, and nothing offered will be free. It might seem that way, but trust me, you're paying for "free" services whether you want to or not.

Streaming won't be dying off any time soon, but inevitably it will be replaced by some new form of content providing that becomes temporarily popular. And so on, and so on.
 

mingc

Lifer
Jun 20, 2019
3,976
11,065
The Big Rock Candy Mountains
We pick and choose content providers on a month to month basis depending on what I'm watching.
I need to start doing that.

I've Netflix and HBO Now and I find that there are weeks I don't watch them at all after I finish a series. I feel about them very much the same as cable in its heyday: hundreds of channels/shows but nothing to watch. I.e., they seem to favor quantity over quality, and the popular flavor of the day often times does not live up to its promise. Most of the time, I end up watching rugby games on YouTube.

We are mostly old farts on this forum and our experiences are not reflective of the majority or, ultimately, very relevant at all.
 

DanWil84

Lifer
Mar 8, 2021
1,689
12,586
39
The Netherlands (Europe)
Streaming and video on demand will be alive as it ever was, but the amount of services and their urge to get into a niche is getting a bit out of hand. My cable provider even offers it. I can watch 14 days back, anything I want. I can record anything, store for a year. I have a Netflix, Disney+ (marvel and star wars content I like, although the new content is so-so) and a Prime (who hasn't and my kid likes the Pokémon content) subscription. But in reality I watch more YouTube, I have been thinking of getting some history channel subscription as I tend to watch that content a lot.
 
  • Like
Reactions: sandollars

condorlover1

Lifer
Dec 22, 2013
7,993
26,607
New York
Simon, I'm also looking forward to Operation mincemeat. A cousin of mine (Alan Hillgarth OBE, CMG) played a crucial role in the operation. He was Churchill's man in Spain as British Consul & it was his job to make sure the Germans got the fake papers whilst at the same time being seen to do everything to prevent them doing so.

He was in Ben Macintyre's book of the same name & Man Of War by Duff Hart-Davis, both excellent books on the subject.

Regards,

Jay.
Interesting. My Mother new Fleming during that time and I am not surprised he cooked up that idea. He was Admiral Godfrey's ideas 'Man' at the Admiralty during the War.
 
I am not sure if other Streamers do this, Amazon Prime sorta does, but I think what is giving Roku an edge right now is that I can get HBOMAX, Starz, Disney+, Britbox, and just about any other of the streaming companies through Roku at a reduced price, and I can add and drop when I want. For example, I can add Britbox for $4ish and stream what I want on it, and drop it the next month, and just pick it back up when I want. I don't have the list handy, but it is rather extensive.
We also have Prime and Netflix, but we end up watching way more series through our Roku, because there is just so much in there that we could spends weeks going through the menus.
 

jpmcwjr

Moderator
Staff member
May 12, 2015
24,568
27,070
Carmel Valley, CA
Streaming will continue to evolve, thank heavens! It's pretty good now, as a solid internet connection is needed. Not huge bandwidth, but solid 20 Mbps for a household of two is what I had in my previous house, and it was fine. Now over 190 Mbps and it's barely better.
 
  • Like
Reactions: jpberg

jpmcwjr

Moderator
Staff member
May 12, 2015
24,568
27,070
Carmel Valley, CA
I am not sure if other Streamers do this, Amazon Prime sorta does, but I think what is giving Roku an edge right now is that I can get HBOMAX, Starz, Disney+, Britbox, and just about any other of the streaming companies through Roku at a reduced price, and I can add and drop when I want. For example, I can add Britbox for $4ish and stream what I want on it, and drop it the next month, and just pick it back up when I want. I don't have the list handy, but it is rather extensive.
We also have Prime and Netflix, but we end up watching way more series through our Roku, because there is just so much in there that we could spends weeks going through the menus.
How much content is 4K?
 
Jan 30, 2020
1,850
6,087
New Jersey
How much content is 4K?
More and more plus various 3D audio is becoming more common in households. Netflix, I believe, was an early adopter of Atmos support. There's a few other platforms that have begun offering it as well in the past few years though I don't think they all do.

As the technologies become more accessible, it should become standard offerings on a platform if they are worth anything at all. From an audio standpoint, the Atmos format is very impressive both in the capabilities and environments it can offer benefits in. Dolby has done some real cool things with that technology.
 
  • Like
Reactions: jpmcwjr

mingc

Lifer
Jun 20, 2019
3,976
11,065
The Big Rock Candy Mountains
I am not exactly sure what you mean. But, the Roku is built into the TV, so no outside devices are needed. The TV and audio system are all bluetooth, and it all just directly feeds off of WIFI, and our town's Wifi is free and fiber optic. It has never gone down, even after the tornados... we had TV.
What kind of communist cult community do you live in? And when does the orgy begin?
 
What kind of communist cult community do you live in? And when does the orgy begin?
This is the heart of GOP USA. You literally have to kiss the Ronald Reagan statue to even be permitted into our community. Hell, it is even against the law to use the word "community," because it is just too close to sounding like communism.

I should have elaborated... The Colonial Pipeline runs right through the middle of town. Remember a few years ago when we were on national news for a gas leak that left our WMA soaked in gasoline. Then a few weeks later a tractor hit a line and blew up? Because the oil companies have the fuel pumped through town, they give us stuff to keep us from getting angry. Eh, every now and then something explodes, gasoline soaks our yards, or we have to deal with whole blocks catching on fire... but we get free wifi, water, and sewage services. Hey, it seems to work.
 
Last edited:

jpmcwjr

Moderator
Staff member
May 12, 2015
24,568
27,070
Carmel Valley, CA
I am not exactly sure what you mean. But, the Roku is built into the TV, so no outside devices are needed. The TV and audio system are all bluetooth, and it all just directly feeds off of WIFI, and our town's Wifi is free and fiber optic. It has never gone down, even after the tornados... we had TV.
It's really PQ. A good UHD (4K) feed is a joy to behold, but not common yet.
I have a number of apps built in to my LG TV, but some of them do not pass along full resolution whereas AppleTV does.

This emphasis of mine on PQ isn't for everyone! Some do not care- or notice- if what they are watching is SD, HD, or UHD. They'll say it's the content, silly! But I say, let's have both great content and incredibly good video images!
 
It's really PQ. A good UHD (4K) feed is a joy to behold, but not common yet.
I have a number of apps built in to my LG TV, but some of them do not pass along full resolution whereas AppleTV does.

This emphasis of mine on PQ isn't for everyone! Some do not care- or notice- if what they are watching is SD, HD, or UHD. They'll say it's the content, silly! But I say, let's have both great content and incredibly good video images!
I've never heard of any of those shows. Are they on Netflix?
 
  • Haha
Reactions: mingc

jpmcwjr

Moderator
Staff member
May 12, 2015
24,568
27,070
Carmel Valley, CA
More and more plus various 3D audio is becoming more common in households. Netflix, I believe, was an early adopter of Atmos support. There's a few other platforms that have begun offering it as well in the past few years though I don't think they all do.

As the technologies become more accessible, it should become standard offerings on a platform if they are worth anything at all. From an audio standpoint, the Atmos format is very impressive both in the capabilities and environments it can offer benefits in. Dolby has done some real cool things with that technology.
Agree, but I am specifically asking about ROKU's implementation.
 
  • Like
Reactions: fireground_piper
Jan 30, 2020
1,850
6,087
New Jersey
Agree, but I am specifically asking about ROKU's implementation.
Looks like they make 4K/Atmos/Vision hardware:

I don't have Roku, but their site seems to imply they have 4k/8K content on their platform but they have features to search for that specific type of content as well, across all platforms.
 
  • Like
Reactions: jpmcwjr
I'd happily go back to those shows and all the shows of that era. My wife and I find ourselves watching old show all the time since the new shows seem to have way to much violence and sex and not quite enough plot.
I find the opposite. Network shows were on cheap sets, with formulaic predictable plots, poor writing, and no substance. Now they spend millions on production each week with complex plot shifts, and great acting.
GOT, Ozark, Minx, Yellowstone… You’ve never seen a character on Golden Girls or Family Ties get killed off.
 

reloader

Lifer
Dec 5, 2021
1,978
23,976
Southern, NM
Gave up cable
I find the opposite. Network shows were on cheap sets, with formulaic predictable plots, poor writing, and no substance. Now they spend millions on production each week with complex plot shifts, and great acting.
GOT, Ozark, Minx, Yellowstone… You’ve never seen a character on Golden Girls or Family Ties get killed off.
Good point, none of the golden girls ever got murdered and dismembered. None got raped then shot in the head. I don't need that for entertainment. I think today's writers lean on sex and violence too much. I don't mind knowing that two characters are having sex. I don't need 3-4 minutes of it in a 30 minute show. Its lazy. Perry Mason or Matlock didn't need that. I understand that society today almost requires that in everything. I just enjoyed the days when it wasn't a necessity.