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House of Cards, The Emmys and the way we watch TV


Boges

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Big entertainment news yesterday was that a Netflix series got nominated for a handful of Emmys. This marks the first time a series only available on the Net that was nominated for such that honour.

I'd say a much larger story was the fact the top rated cable program of the year, The Walking Dead, was pretty much shut out.

Lots of people are saying that cable TV is for dinosaurs, and this proves it.

I completely disagree. House of Cards was apparently made hoping it would be shown on HBO but they declined so they went to Netflix. There are countless stories of networks turning down, what ended up being, very successful series'. I see this as no different.

Netflix is a cool service, it pretty much killed your local video store. But cable TV will be a much more difficult giant to slay. Other than a handful of movies and these original shows everything on Netflix is at least a year old if not older.

Studies show that only about 15% of Canadians have actually "cut the cord" meaning they only pay for internet and don't subscribe to cable of any kind. Of course young people lead this trend but I argue this is a decision based on finances, not the convenience and choice internet viewing provides.

Netflix has produced a grand total of four seasons of original programming to date. I know it's early but how much will an $8/month subscriber model go in created original content? I guess we'll see. The $8 is one thing but an watching a series on Neflix takes up a fair bit of bandwidth.

The main challenge with cable TV, and it's nothing new, is people who steal content. They wait until the next day to download on a bittorrent. Many of my friends do it because the $21/month for TMN/HBO just isn't worth it. I personally find great value in TMN/HBO. This Saturday Zero Dark Thirty is finally coming to TMN. That's less than 6 months after being in the theatres. On Sunday I can watch True Blood and The Newsroom. I can watch those shows in full HD and onDemand after it's first broadcast.

That's far more convenient than downloading a bittorrent streaming it to my Xbox and watching it in lower resolution. It's a matter of cost though. That's the question surrounding Television, not the internet. If people are unwilling to pay cable companies who therefore pay channels who pay content providers, great shows won't be produced.

Other than Sports and Reality TV, OTA Network rarely show critically acclaimed programming anymore because advertising is it's only source of revenue. At least with cable you have people that actually subscribe to watch the channels.

Just wanted to get that off my chest. Pundits who think these Emmy Nominations really mean anything are being sensationalist.

Thoughts?

Edited by Boges
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Many of my friends do it because the $21/month for TMN/HBO just isn't worth it. I personally find great value in TMN/HBO. This Saturday Zero Dark Thirty is finally coming to TMN. That's less than 6 months after being in the theatres. On Sunday I can watch True Blood and The Newsroom. I can watch those shows in full HD and onDemand after it's first broadcast.

I hear you. My wife wanted it, I thought $21/mo, while not a lot, was merely a waste....but it turns out that I like it very much.

Edited by bleeding heart
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I watched both House of Cards on Netflix (first one from BBC in the 90s) and the U.S. one with Kevin Spacey, both were absolutely great. I highly recommend them.

We have HBO right now because they had a half price offer for 6 months so we could watch True Blood and Dexter. I do take it on and off just to watch those shows then cancel when they are over.

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On Bit Torrent... personally, I downloaded the first season of Game of Thrones. I loved it so much that I bought a boxed set for myself, gave another boxed set to friends as a gift... they bought season 2 (as did I) and also gave season 1 as gifts to 2 of their friends who also later bought season 2 on blu-ray. So that's at least 8 boxed sets that have sold as a direct result of one person watching their show via illegal downloads. Further I think that the show wouldn't have captured nearly the amount of buzz and attention it has if it were not for illegal downloads, and I think that has probably put a large amount of money into HBO's coffers. Game of Thrones has become a vastly popular and valuable franchise for them, and there's no doubt in my mind that filesharing played a big role in creating it.

On NetFlix original content: I have been hearing a lot of buzz about "Orange is the New Black", another NetFlix original series, based on (I gather) a semi-autobiographical book of the same name about a yuppie woman who finds herself in prison for a crime she committed when she was much younger. I've been reluctant to jump on the Netflix bandwagon, but if they're producing quality original content, that might be what changes my mind.

On the future of TV... I think the high-quality programs being brought forward by the cable channels make regular network TV pretty pointless. And I think NetFlix has figured out the distribution model. I think that network TV has one foot in the grave.

I don't know where this leaves things like local news.

-k

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I'm a huge fan of the Netflix model. I love that you get the whole season all at once -- no more of this "tune in next week" B.S. Netflix is the best value in TV in my opinion. Just for the kids programming alone, it's worth the $8/mo. Threatening to cancel Netflix is the single best motivator I've ever seen with my 9 yr old. I'm constantly amazed at how deep the catalogue is. My only complaint is the interface and search function is completely different depending on which device you view it on. Many shows will show up on one device, but not on another. They really need to consolidate this.

Orange is the New Black is a really well done show. It deviates substantially from the book, and that's a good thing -- the characters in the book weren't nearly as interesting. Weeds creator Jenji Kohan has done a tremendous job. Taylor Schilling is amazing as the lead, it's hard to believe her acting resume is so thin, she really seems like a seasoned pro. I'm glad to see they're already filming season 2, I can't wait! Expect this show to also get Emmy nominations next year.

Netflix itself may not "kill" cable, but they are definitely forcing cable networks to up their game. House of Cards was not rejected by HBO. They wanted it (and so did AMC and Showtime) Netflix just outbid them. Expect to see more of this, and to see more of Netflix resurrecting shows that others have cancelled (like Arrested Development). When a show with a dedicated following gets dropped, the producers will actually have a place to go right away. AMC's The Killing only got a third season because of Netflix. AMC cancelled it, Netflix offered to pick it up, then AMC back tracked and renewed it.

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I see Netflix like just another network I subscribe too.

I actually haven't watched much of the original content because my bandwidth limit is rather low and I already watch plenty of TV shows.

Caught some of a Ken Burns documentary on Prohibition on the weekend on Netflix. Lots of great stuff to see on Neflix but there are already plenty of sources I have for great original scripted programming.

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I have a Rok-u Box. What is it ? I don't know. But I can get netflix as well as streamed live events through it - connected to my internet.

Simple Media extender. Many Internet enabled TVs and Blu-Ray players do the same thing. Other use Apple TV. I used an Xbox 360. Which is kind of cruddy because in order to play Netflix I need an Xbox Live membership. As I get older, I play video games, especially online video games less and less. So I'll probably need to get a different Media extender soon.

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Cable is a massive scam. Pay $30 - $100 or more per month for content that is paid for through advertising. I've enjoyed Netflix but we're starting to run out of interesting things to watch. They don't add content fast enough. Also, there have been series that we started to watch and then had to buy the last season or two; because Netflix won't commit to when or if they will get them.

I can't wait until more content is available on the web.

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Cable is a massive scam. Pay $30 - $100 or more per month for content that is paid for through advertising. I've enjoyed Netflix but we're starting to run out of interesting things to watch. They don't add content fast enough. Also, there have been series that we started to watch and then had to buy the last season or two; because Netflix won't commit to when or if they will get them.

I can't wait until more content is available on the web.

Well Network TV is solely funded by advertising but the whole premise of cable TV is that it gets much of its funding through your cable subscription. Which could be why there are very few scripted dramas that are critically acclaimed on Network TV. Comedies, Sports and Reality TV is where they get most of their popular shows.

The invention of the DVR makes advertising a far less concern to people. Also some of the best scripted dramas come on premium cable channels that don't even show ads.

You highlight the major problem with Netflix. It shows series' but unless it's one of their own, you'll have to wait about a year for a new season. They're currently 2 season's behind on the UK Top Gear.

My Netflix didn't work on the weekend. I was told this was likely because I had the DNS numbers for the US Netflix and I guess they're cracking down on that so I'm stuck with the Canadian Netflix again.

Edited by Boges
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I've enjoyed Netflix but we're starting to run out of interesting things to watch. They don't add content fast enough. Also, there have been series that we started to watch and then had to buy the last season or two; because Netflix won't commit to when or if they will get them.

This is my biggest gripe with Netflix Canada and I can't be bothered setting up a VPN or worst still paying for Unblock-US VPN service. Nevertheless, there's lots of great content on Netflix CA. I think it's well worth the price of a few coffees per month.
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  • 3 months later...
  • 1 month later...

Not as many people have "Cut the Cord" as you would think. Many people are just using multiple services.

http://www.thestar.com/business/tech_news/2014/01/14/are_you_a_tv_cordcutter_cordstacker_or_cordnever.html

Reports of the death of television have been greatly exaggerated.

By the end of 2014, two-and-a-half-million Canadian households will actually have multiple television subscriptions, according to a prediction from Deloitte.

“People have been expecting for some time massive numbers of Canadians – and Americans – to cut the cord. And it hasn’t happened,” said Duncan Stewart, the director of research for Deloitte Canada.

The insight is one of the company’s tech predictions for 2014, which also forecasts changes in the number of minutes Canadians spend talking on their cellphones and staring at TV screens.

By the end of this year, the number of Canadian households paying for multiple TV subscriptions will be more than 100 times greater than the number of households which have cancelled their subscription.

Stewart dubs those with multiple subscriptions “cord-stackers.”

“The number of people who are paying for more than one service is up by at least one and a half million in the last two years,” Stewart said.

In contrast, only about 10,000 people have cut the cord in the same time frame.

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Not as many people have "Cut the Cord" as you would think. Many people are just using multiple services.

http://www.thestar.com/business/tech_news/2014/01/14/are_you_a_tv_cordcutter_cordstacker_or_cordnever.html

Until Netflix Canada hase a reliable stream of new content, then this will be the case. Being 2 seasons behind and not letting customers know when to expect another season is the reason that people won't drop their traditional cable/satellite TV.

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Until Netflix Canada hase a reliable stream of new content, then this will be the case. Being 2 seasons behind and not letting customers know when to expect another season is the reason that people won't drop their traditional cable/satellite TV.

I see Netflix it as a really nice premium cable channel. If anyone thinks it replaces traditional cable, they're delusional. And you're right, I'm still waiting for season 2 of Homeland. I could download it illegally but I don't care enough to do that. It's nice they finally put up another season of Top Gear though.

The people who are "Cutting-the-cord" just don't want to pay for content. They use bitTorrents to watch shows at a lower quality through some media extender.

Cable is expensive but it's great, especially with DVR and onDemand technology now.

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Why would you say people are delusional? A lot of people I know, including myself, no longer subscribe to cable and only watch shows on Netflix and other internet streams. I don't need cable and don't even miss it. That makes me delusional?

Edited by cybercoma
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Why would you say people are delusional? A lot of people I know, including myself, no longer subscribe to cable and only watch shows on Netflix and other internet streams. I don't need cable and don't even miss it. That makes me delusional?

No, it makes you unusual. It is simply not true that 'lots of people' have cancelled cable subscriptions, as noted previously.

There are however a whack of people who steal all that they watch, but they haven't cancelled servies they never had.

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I said several people that I know have cancelled their cable and that's the truth, unless they've just lied to me. Cable companies are also complaining about people disconnecting, so apparently my anecdotal experience is also something the cable companies have noticed.

Edited by cybercoma
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  • 2 weeks later...

Most Netflix customers are not so-called cord cutters — a term to describe consumers who have cancelled their cable or satellite plan in favour of other content options — according to the report by the Media Technology Monitor, based on surveys with thousands of Canadians.

In fact, Netflix users were found to be more likely than other consumers to shell out for a premium TV package, even while paying $8 a month for the streaming service.

Reality.http://business.financialpost.com/2013/02/25/netflix-not-a-cable-killer-in-canada-according-to-user-study/

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