Legacy Ad-Free HBO Max Subscribers to Lose Access to 4K HDR, Max Parent Company WB makes content on competing streaming services worse

[Donut417]

10 hours ago, RejZoR said:

Use Firefox and for whatever idiotic reason, even if you have a plan that includes 1080p streaming, all you get is garbage 720p. It was so bad at one point I just downgraded to lowest tier and just watched the damn thing at 540p or whatever is the lowest tier. It was hardly any worse than 720p that I was paying at 1080p prices. I don't know why the F they use Widewine DRM crap in Firefox if they are so afraid I'm gonna steal their s**t.

Thats because people do steal their shit. But yeah offering a worst experience is not the way to stop piracy. I sub to the 2 screen version when I do sub to Netflix, not sure what the resolution is suppose to be. I use my Mac and Firefox but the fact is Im either watching Netflix in a Window on my gaming machine or watching Netflix on my 720p TV. So the resolution inst an issue for me. The others in the house that use it are in their 60's and have piss poor eye site, so the lower resolution doesnt bother them.

 

5 hours ago, jagdtigger said:

"rightsholders" and their grossly outdated unviable thinking.

These are the same fuck heads who think adding DRM to OTA TV is a good idea. Between patent disputes on some of the ATSC 3.0 tech and DRM, people are companies are not supporting the new standard. LG just pulled out of 3.0 tuners due to patent disputes. With the DRM requirement, most network TV tuners dont work yet and many like myself wont be upgrading to the new tech. Some broadcasters started using encryption on their 3.0 broadcasts.

[Giganthrax]

The many ways streaming services fuck over their customers are insane to me. They actually make Denuvo look good in comparison.

 

At this point, paying for this stuff instead of sailing the high seas just sounds like a massive hassle, and it should be the opposite.

[Spindel]

[Donut417]

[Spindel]

On 12/14/2023 at 12:33 PM, Donut417 said:

 

 

[jagdtigger]

6 hours ago, Spindel said:

 

 

[The MadDane]

piratebay here we come !!!

[Obioban]

On 12/11/2023 at 6:32 AM, Donut417 said:

What did you think was going to happen? They were watching Netflix make bank. All the content providers saw that. Up till that point Cable TV was their way to make massive amounts of money. But with Cable TV going by the way side they needed something new. Streaming was it, well at least they hoped. Not many are succeeding in that venture.

I mean... 

 

When Disney was putting their content on Netflix, Disney was making money on their content. 

 

Since Disney has made their own service, they've lost billions of dollars on their content-- including their streaming service. 

 

Not sure it was actually a no brainer decision :P 

[Obioban]

Is Apple the only streaming content still remaining that has 4k Dolby vision and no ads in the base tier? 

(and high bitrate 4k, compared to other streamers, at that?)

[Albal_156]

The streaming companies are becoming the one thing customers of cable TV and broadband companies hate. Cable TV and broadband companies.

[Donut417]

20 hours ago, Obioban said:

I mean... 

 

When Disney was putting their content on Netflix, Disney was making money on their content. 

 

Since Disney has made their own service, they've lost billions of dollars on their content-- including their streaming service. 

 

Not sure it was actually a no brainer decision

They were making money I will give you that, but they had to share with a middle man, aka Netflix. These media companies are greedy. They rather cut out the middle man and make things harder for customers, just for the chance to make a dollar more.

[jagdtigger]

1 hour ago, Donut417 said:

They were making money I will give you that, but they had to share with a middle man, aka Netflix. These media companies are greedy. They rather cut out the middle man and make things harder for customers, just for the chance to make a dollar more.

True enough, and alway fail spectacularly, they always loose way more than the "middle man" fee

[Stahlmann]

On 12/9/2023 at 6:08 PM, Donut417 said:

I think these companies made prices good at the start to kill cable providers. Now that every media company has its own service and exclusives they think they can charge what cable companies were charging. Media companies never learn do they? On top of raising prices they have added ads in to the mix. They also dictate what quality on what devices. God forbid you use a PC/Web browser, your going to get lower quality as a result on most services. At this point I have no sympathy for when people pirate. This is now a game of fuck around and find out, media companies are going to find out really quick I have a feeling.

Sadly the average consumer simply doesn't care enough. So many people (including me) said they were gonna cancel their subscription if they go through with the crackdown on account sharing. When they did it i cancelled my subscription. But after the change the overall number of subscriptions is still went up. The people have voted with their wallet. Netflix took a risk and won. Now the other streaming services try to walk the same line of getting more money out of their users without angering them too much to the point where they lose subscribers.

 

But overall i agree with your sentiment. I had no problem justifying a Netflix subsription 3 years ago, but streaming has been on a big downwards spiral over the last years to the point where i don't use or pay for any of them anymore. I'll rather pirate the content beccause it's simply more convenient than putting up with all the BS in this industry.

 

The only streaming service i still have is Prime Video, but only because it's included with Prime which i get a lot of use out of. But even Prime Video is now riddled with ads and the app is generally just bad. To add to that most content is now also behind additional paywalls (channels). So i barely ever use this service and i wouldn't pay any money if this would be a standalone subscription like Amazon Music.