DS Forums

 
 

Netflix, Lovefilm, etc. - souless and empty?


Reply
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Old 23-06-2012, 15:47
2+2=5
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 23,038

Don't you think television broadcasting has more to it than on demand services?

With tv you know there's always someone behind the scenes filming it, directing, producing, announcing, etc. There are people involved in ensuring the channels are displaying something at any time of the day.

But you could literally sit in front of your tv and download anything you want without having a "real" person be involved in whatever you end up watching. There's nobody there ensuring you see something.

Or maybe I'm looking too much into it!
2+2=5 is offline   Reply With Quote
Please sign in or register to remove this advertisement.
Old 23-06-2012, 15:52
Sophie ~Oohie~
Forum Member
 
Join Date: May 2008
Posts: 9,583
No I'd much rather use the on demand service or torrents and watch something interesting than just watch 'whatever's on' which will nearly always be sh!te.
Sophie ~Oohie~ is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 23-06-2012, 15:53
HazzaGrazza
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2009
Posts: 1,412
Funny you mention it, but yes, just like watching a film on DVD.

I sometimes have trouble sleeping and have to put the TV on to help me nod off. It simply will not work if it is a dvd / netflix etc it has to be something on tv. It is the comfort of feeling there is other people there with me in the room.

That being said, any other time I will happily watch netflix / tv progs on the laptop.
HazzaGrazza is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 23-06-2012, 16:00
Nyota
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2012
Posts: 2,541
I know what you mean.

One thing I really miss is the local video shop and the whole process of going there, browsing, choosing, and having another human being serve you. I was a video junkie as a kid in the 80s/90s and I get ridiculously nostalgic for that whole routine and atmosphere.

While I love having access to loads of cool stuff with the click of a mouse, it's just not as fun somehow.

I also miss when you used to get good films on TV, especially when it came to older cinema classics.
Nyota is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 23-06-2012, 16:02
Cornucopia
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2006
Posts: 15,568
Or maybe I'm looking too much into it!
Or is it that the TV moguls have designed programmes to make you think you have company, when in fact the programme was made 10 years ago, in Australia?
Cornucopia is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 23-06-2012, 16:05
pugamo
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2011
Posts: 17,242
Yeah, I feel the same OP. It's probably silly but I really look forward to my programs being shown on a certain night and tuning in to them. My old housemate used to watch all her programs on her laptop at the American schedule but I don't like that at all. It just isn't the same.
pugamo is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 23-06-2012, 16:27
Treble
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2011
Posts: 1,421
I like the service that I receive from compaines such as Love Film and Netflix.

I only ever rarely visited video shops, it seemed too expensive and restrictive (2 nights for about £4 for new releases, and if you hand it in late you get further fees?!) On Love Film, I have a huge list of films I want to see too. Which is very handy, occaisionally, I take films off the list because I've seen them elsewhere too.

I think these services are a good addition to, rather than a replacement of, television or indeed buying dvd's too, though.
Treble is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 24-06-2012, 06:24
Batwing
Inactive Member
 
Join Date: May 2012
Posts: 1,145
No I'd much rather use the on demand service or torrents and watch something interesting than just watch 'whatever's on' which will nearly always be sh!te.
Torrents are illegal though.
Batwing is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 24-06-2012, 10:13
2+2=5
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 23,038
Or is it that the TV moguls have designed programmes to make you think you have company, when in fact the programme was made 10 years ago, in Australia?
Maybe but I meant it's more about the engineers and producers and other people who are behind the scenes all the time, keeping the channels running, switching to adverts or running the next program, etc.
2+2=5 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 24-06-2012, 10:56
be more pacific
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2005
Posts: 16,034
I suppose the big advantage of broadcast TV is that you might stumble upon something that you wouldn't normally watch and find you enjoy it. Services such as LoveFilm tend to encourage you to watch your favourite types of films and programmes. Great for catering to existing tastes, but no so good for forming tastes.
be more pacific is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 24-06-2012, 11:04
stud u like
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: The Sunny Side Of The Street
Posts: 40,099
Torrents are illegal though.
No they are not.

Plenty of companies use torrents to distribute files.
stud u like is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 24-06-2012, 11:53
noise747
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Herefordshire
Posts: 22,785
The problem with broadcast TV is that unless you got a PVr, you are set to the times they want you to watch. Makes no difference how films are shown, they still have producers and directors.


i have now been without broadcast T.v since January and only use Netflix for on demand and lovefilm for Blu-rays. I don't miss TV at all, I don't miss the annoying adverts, the annoying presenters going on for 10 mins or more telling us what is content is coming on their other channels.

I timed BBC one once and it was 8 minutes of their own adverts, telling us what is coming on their channels, on the radio and other self promotion.

I was paying £145 a year for that, glad I am away from it.
noise747 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 24-06-2012, 11:57
Cornucopia
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2006
Posts: 15,568
Maybe but I meant it's more about the engineers and producers and other people who are behind the scenes all the time, keeping the channels running, switching to adverts or running the next program, etc.
Not sure it's such a distinction.

Presumably Netflix et al have engineers - just web ones, not TV ones.
Cornucopia is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 24-06-2012, 12:01
Voynich
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Western Scotland
Posts: 13,586
I always imagined a lot of sattellite channels were similar. Everything is automated and someone just pops in every once in a while to load new stuff on and make sure everything is still running!
Voynich is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 24-06-2012, 12:04
jcafcw
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2003
Posts: 9,439
There was something heart-warming about getting the Christmas TV and Radio Times when I was a kid just to see the film premieres many of which would be the first time I saw the film.

Of course that was the days before videos.
jcafcw is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 24-06-2012, 12:07
Ænima
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2009
Posts: 34,106
I usually only watch big events on tv like the Euros, World Cup, French Open, Wimbledon etc... I like watching live tv and posting on the forums about it. Or comedies. I will watch the occasional war or science/ astronomy documentary too.

I find most tv is bad though and tend to just play xbox or watch films instead.
Ænima is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 24-06-2012, 12:09
555
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: UK
Posts: 4,249
The sooner broadcast TV turns into video on demand, the better.

I just want a menu of all programmes released in the UK and USA, to play at my leisure.

Announcers, readers, etc are not required. The TV news and weather are also things I'd like to eliminate. The internet and smartphone apps provide these services in a much more detailed and efficient way.

Unfortunately video on demand has some way to go. I tried Lovefilm and Netflix on demand, and the picture and sound quality are dreadfully abominable.
555 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 24-06-2012, 12:20
abarthman
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Edinburgh
Posts: 7,820
Watching TV shows when they are broadcast allows you to discuss them further with friends, family, workmates, etc, the following day and you can discuss what might happen next, etc.

It's not the same discussing something that someone might have watched months ago or won't see for a long time.
abarthman is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 24-06-2012, 12:38
MrHoppy
Forum Member
 
Join Date: May 2007
Location: UK
Posts: 6,710
There is something special about a TV show being on at a particular time. Maybe it's nostalgia.
MrHoppy is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 24-06-2012, 12:44
be more pacific
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2005
Posts: 16,034
I timed BBC one once and it was 8 minutes of their own adverts, telling us what is coming on their channels, on the radio and other self promotion.
Over what timescale? Eight minutes in an hour seems unlikely for BBC One unless there were several short programmes which each had promos before and after.
be more pacific is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 24-06-2012, 12:56
TelevisionUser
Forum Member
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Storbritannia
Posts: 28,916
I know what you mean.

One thing I really miss is the local video shop and the whole process of going there, browsing, choosing, and having another human being serve you. I was a video junkie as a kid in the 80s/90s and I get ridiculously nostalgic for that whole routine and atmosphere.

While I love having access to loads of cool stuff with the click of a mouse, it's just not as fun somehow.

I also miss when you used to get good films on TV, especially when it came to older cinema classics.
When VHS videos went out of fashion, they switched to DVDs but then more broadband internet started killing off the stores with their high overheads.

You used to be able to go out on an evening, hire out a DVD, get a pizza and go home and watch the DVD with friends - all disrupted now.
TelevisionUser is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 24-06-2012, 14:04
neo_wales
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: South Wales/Gran Canaria
Posts: 8,294
I pay for netflix and lovefilm but rarely use them as there is little on I either haven't seen or I want to see.

With freeview there is usually something I can watch if I feel a need to sit down and watch TV, I'm a fan of documentaries and factual programmes so TV is still the clear winner for me. £3 a week for the beeb is superb value for money in my humble opinion.
neo_wales is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 24-06-2012, 14:32
TelevisionUser
Forum Member
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Storbritannia
Posts: 28,916
I pay for netflix and lovefilm but rarely use them as there is little on I either haven't seen or I want to see.

With freeview there is usually something I can watch if I feel a need to sit down and watch TV, I'm a fan of documentaries and factual programmes so TV is still the clear winner for me. £3 a week for the beeb is superb value for money in my humble opinion.
I've not used those services because they don't seem to do pay per film so I use Blinkbox and Film4OD looks OK too but I've yet to try that one.
TelevisionUser is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 24-06-2012, 14:42
mincepie
Forum Member
 
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Somewhere only we know...
Posts: 691
Maybe but I meant it's more about the engineers and producers and other people who are behind the scenes all the time, keeping the channels running, switching to adverts or running the next program, etc.
I'm sure they are still a fair few people working - big website don't run them selves - just they are now web programmers, data centre geeks and the like.
mincepie is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 24-06-2012, 15:10
neo_wales
Forum Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: South Wales/Gran Canaria
Posts: 8,294
I've not used those services because they don't seem to do pay per film so I use Blinkbox and Film4OD looks OK too but I've yet to try that one.
http://www.filmon.com is not bad, free or pay subscription, they broadcast a lot but not all the freeview channels, handy if your abroad as tvcatchup blocks non UK and the free subscription gives access to some old 'B' movies and other old junk which at times is nice to watch.
neo_wales is offline   Reply With Quote
 
Reply




 
Forum Jump


All times are GMT. The time now is 10:51.