QOTW: Netflix, Amazon Prime or Now TV?

[Smackos]

You seem to think you have tricked me into agreeing with you.... You haven't.
No one said it was hard to set up a service, its just not as convenient as pirating and it never will be. The content is available across a variety of services but there is never everything on one, no waiting for delivery, no limits to how many devices can be registered or simultaneously watching it, can be put onto any device for offline watching.... The list goes on.
This isn't an excuse or justification, its simply a statement of truth and no amount of explaining will change it.
Until the industry realises it needs to provide people what they want, when they want it, how they want it (much like the music industry has had to) it will never change. All they can ever hope to do is minimise the piracy.

I'm not trying to "trick you". I'm pointing out that the majority of pirating cannot be justified. (Tell me, what device out there you buy now that doesn't have a way of renting the latest film for example.) you make the point about the music industry, but people STILL pirate music in their droves, even with the likes of Spotify, iTunes and YouTube around.

The content is available across a variety of services but there is never everything on one

Why does there need to be?? How hard is it for someone to close one app and open another on their device. I don't expect HBO to cater to Jersey Shore fans.. Why would I? I don't expect a Marvel comic subscription to give me a free Playboy mag too..

no waiting for delivery, no limits to how many devices can be registered or simultaneously watching it.

Rent digitally and there is no waiting times for delivery. There are no unreasonable limits to number of devices you can register either with the main services. If you feel the need for more than half a dozen devices activated then you really don't need the money. How many concurrent streams.. How many do you need when you are watching something?! (2 seems to be the average for most services FYI.)

can be put onto any device for offline watching

If you have a good enough connection to torrent then you probably have a good enough connection for an iTunes download or a Kindle Fire Download or a Netflix stream. Watch offline.. Popcorn time for example is realtime STREAMING of torrent files.. Doesn't seem to be causing much of a public outrage for that app..

[Noxvayl]

@ Smackos

I understand you dislike pirating content and agree with you that there are legal alternatives. Having legal alternatives does not make pirating content any more questionable though, it also doesn't mean those means of getting content match other people's expectations. For you they work well, for me less so and for others they don't work at all. We live in a world where access to content, or anything really, is unevenly distributed. It is only natural for people to want to have even distribution of something that is not scarce, and hence we have the basis of many justifications for piracy and in my mind the root cause of it whether it is justifiable or not.

Pirating digital content is an inevitability, and vilifying it doesn't help. Encourage the use of legal online content distribution by all means, I recommend Netflix to everyone that asks, but I fail to see the effectiveness of arguing for or against piracy. We are derailing the thread and circling a drain.

[LSG501]

(Tell me, what device out there you buy now that doesn't have a way of renting the latest film for example.)

rooted android devices just from the top of my head.... pretty sure most media apps from the likes of netflix/sky/channel 4 etc don't work with rooted android (some are now allowing it). And rooted android doesn't mean it's for warez etc, it's for things like cerberus too.

can be put onto any device for offline watching
If you have a good enough connection to torrent then you probably have a good enough connection for an iTunes download or a Kindle Fire Download or a Netflix stream. Watch offline.. Popcorn time for example is realtime STREAMING of torrent files.. Doesn't seem to be causing much of a public outrage for that app..

itunes/kindle download is great if the media is there (plenty of shows I've watched aren't there) and your device supports said services (I don't own or want an iOS device)....netflix/popcorn streaming is not offline viewing not to mention the above issues with rooted devices and trying to stream anything on a mobile connection in some areas is just pointless (I don't even get 3g where I live) and of course there are bandwidth considerations, hence the need for offline viewing. Streaming in the home is fine but there are other places where some of us like to watch or listen to our media.

popcorn time has been 'taken down' several times iirc, it's technically breaking the law.

No matter how much you argue about the virtues of using every streaming service the simple fact of the matter is that when it comes to getting tv series (and movies) online the easiest and most convenient option is still torrents/usenet. One location (maybe 2 if you want things like anime) to find them and one program to download them. You also seem to be forgetting (didn't read it anywhere) that these 'streaming' services also take media down from time to time meaning you can't access it anymore.

[crossy]

rooted android devices just from the top of my head.... pretty sure most media apps from the likes of netflix/sky/channel 4 etc don't work with rooted android (some are now allowing it). And rooted android doesn't mean it's for warez etc, it's for things like cerberus too.

Small correction to the above - Netflix definitely does work with rooted Android. I just fired up RootChecker on my Note 10.1 and it claims I'm fully rooted, and that's the tablet I use to watch Netflix. And I just fired up a Lie To Me episode to double check.

iPlayer, 5OD, ITV player all seem to work. The only one I've found definitely doesn't is Virgin Media's app - that will let to schedule recordings and "Watch on TV", but throws a "this doesn't work on rooted devices" message if you try and stream a programme to the tablet.

Quick diversion on the pirated tv option. If you liked a film enough to go and see it in the cinema then you can pretty much get the DVD these days for about the same price. So I really can't see the big attraction of "going pirate" for a lot of content. Where I would consider the "pirate" option is purely for content that isn't available from legitimate sources - an example being the old Adam West "Batman" series.

[tonyd223]

Netflix - we also have the Amazon Prime (cause we buy a lot of stuff) but it's poop. Thought I'd be bored of Netflix too after a year, but it's great for my kid (7)

[anselhelm]

Whilst I've not personally tried Netflix or NowTV, I can advise that Amazon Instant Video just isn't worth it. As others have commented, a lot of programmes require additional payments to view, which makes the service pretty much useless for how most people would like to use it.

In my opinion, if they want to limit access to certain programmes, then it should be at the subscription level, not hidden behind additional purchases.

[Smudger]

We've got Netflix, which we don't use very often and Lovefilm by Post. Cancelled the Amazon Prime thing because as previously mentioned, most of the decent stuff is premium price. Had a Now TV trial for 3 months via the Chromecast but didn't renew. We only used it to watch a few Sky Atlantic programs but even then used it very rarely. Will be starting another 3-month trial via the other Chromecast in order to get Game of Thrones.
Sky movies via NowTV seems to get most of the 20th Century Fox films before everyone else, being part of the same company.

[DanceswithUnix]

They use firms like Excipio who track torrents online worldwide. They announced the other week that since its release 470,000 people have downloaded Netflix's Daredevil in the U.S. UK, Australia and France for example, All Netflix territories. People are not so much "anonymous" anymore, that is a myth what with deep packet snooping etc. Where we are heading now are trolling companies that use that info to send threat letters out to those ip addresses, with demands for money or legal action (Dallas Buyers Club llc for a perfect example), which involves getting court orders for the names and addresses of the tracked ip addresses. The court orders are now starting to be granted so the precedent has been set, so I dare say we'll hear a lot more of this sort of thing in the future.

Anecdotally speaking, I'd say where I work out of around 40 people more people torrent (or get their children to do it for them WTF?!) than those that don't. So I can quite believe the numbers are getting pretty high now.

OK, if that is from torrent trackers then I will take them with a pinch of salt, and certainly not to the 5 figure accuracy they are claiming.

If anything, your comment of people torrenting where you work is more convincing. I expect there must be people at work that torrent, but I don't know of any.

Only a couple of times have I been tempted to torrent video, and it turned out what I wanted to watch was on YouTube. It staggers me how much is on YouTube! Not much Animaniacs though, was telling my kids about it (Pinky and the Brain in particular) and I can't find anything on UK region DVD, streaming etc officially available just some YouTube clips.

Edit to add more of an on-topic comment: We tend to activate NowTV only over school holidays. I think you can binge watch most of their interesting content in a month, and it takes a few months to update with new stuff to watch. Only having 1 month in 3 makes it affordable.

[Rad77]

I had Amazon Instant Video (via Prime) for a while and was pretty underwhelmed. Seemed to be a pretty restricted choice, and invariably what I wanted to watch was "premium" content, so would have to pay extra. Even worse, the costs of IV's 'premium' content was more than the same title on Virgin Media's service.

Yep, I tried it for a month (free Prime trial) and ended up watching just one film and that was in SD because the HD version was only available at extra cost.
I'm a long term Netflix subscriber and have been extremely happy with it so far - the main annoyance being lack of access to Sky's exclusives (I may end up buying some of those on Blu-ray eventually).

[Biscuit]

I'm not trying to "trick you". I'm pointing out that the majority of pirating cannot be justified. (Tell me, what device out there you buy now that doesn't have a way of renting the latest film for example.) you make the point about the music industry, but people STILL pirate music in their droves, even with the likes of Spotify, iTunes and YouTube around.

Who is trying to justify it? I already explained that its not justification, its just a stark fact that the service available to pirates is better than legitimate means.
You can never STOP piracy, only reduce it and the best way to do that is not make the DRM tougher and more intrusive, its to adapt to the market and give people what they want.... or you know, pass government legislation that throws civil rights out the window and allows private compaies government resources to spy on us.

The content is available across a variety of services but there is never everything on one

Why does there need to be?? How hard is it for someone to close one app and open another on their device. I don't expect HBO to cater to Jersey Shore fans.. Why would I? I don't expect a Marvel comic subscription to give me a free Playboy mag too..

Which is why piracy offers better service... whatever you want, whenever you want, however you want it.

Besides, if there actually was a seperate Marvel service, an HBO service, an ABC service and a Fox service that offered the individual downloads you wanted, at a reasonable price, it would be a lot better. There isnt... we are still basing the systems around one size fits all channel subscriptions.

no waiting for delivery, no limits to how many devices can be registered or simultaneously watching it.

Rent digitally and there is no waiting times for delivery. There are no unreasonable limits to number of devices you can register either with the main services. If you feel the need for more than half a dozen devices activated then you really don't need the money. How many concurrent streams.. How many do you need when you are watching something?! (2 seems to be the average for most services FYI.)

Its irrelevant what I need or what I want, we aren't talking about my requirements, or even the majority requirements... there are no limitations once its pirated, so its a better service.

can be put onto any device for offline watching

If you have a good enough connection to torrent then you probably have a good enough connection for an iTunes download or a Kindle Fire Download or a Netflix stream. Watch offline.. Popcorn time for example is realtime STREAMING of torrent files.. Doesn't seem to be causing much of a public outrage for that app..

Besides the obvious argument that sometimes people actually leave their home and don't want to rely on data limited mobile plans to stream, you still seem to be missing the point I'm making. As I said before, no amount of explaining will change the fact that the service you get from pirating videos is all around better than any legitimate service. It doesnt matter how easy, how available and how fair the services are, piracy is still easier and more available. Where has this public outrage come from as well?!

I would like to re-iterate that I have tried all the major services and stuck with Netflix. I use it regularly and think overall its miles ahead of the competition. I just don't think the current approach companies are taking will effectively battle piracy.

[shaithis]

There's also customisable curated show feed services, so users can just set their torrent client to automatically download new episodes. The sad fact is illicit service is still far better than open market services, and it always will as long as big content keeps trying to rig the game in their favour with exclusivity deals and other similar nonsense.

I must say I use a combination of Sickbeard and Sabnzbd.

Why? Because no one content provider has everything, my last monthly Sky bill (for TV only, no BB or phone) was £88!!! and I am sick of paying that AND getting adverts pushed down my throat and having to wait an unknown length of time for it to reach the UK shores.

Now, I just tell sickbeard what I want to watch and it downloads it for me without adverts, it even emails me to let me know what it's downloaded.

Yes, illicit services are considerably better than the paid for ones, as soon as they rectify that and provide the content at a reasonable price, I will start paying again.

[tigertop1]

I have Netflix and am very satisfied with it overall. I am hoping they find some way to lower the high download streaming requirements for 4K. Until BT get their fingers out and start enabling their green street cabinets to improve download speeds for EO lines in fibre areas we have little hope of enjoying the best Netflix can offer

[JGJones]

Being deaf - Netflix is the only choice as it's the only streaming service that provide subtitles.

However Amazon Prime have started rolling out subtitles - the number of titles with subtitles is very few.

In the time I've tried out Amazon Prime - I've found that the interface for Amazon Instant Video is dreadful. It doesn't show a history of what you was watching recently etc (I was watching Black Sails) and every time I went back to watch it, I had to search for it to start watching it and so on - Netflix's interface works very well here.

It doesn't support Chromecast - only Amazon Fire TV and since I bought Chromecast long ago, it's out.

NowTV - the interface is much better than Instant, but I can't say much beyond this as no subtitles whatsoever (they say it's coming, but they have been saying that since it first launched a few years ago).

Netflix - the interface is awesome, Chromecast support but is widely available on multiple platform as well including Linux (my primary OS).

However I also make use of a proxyDNS service - Unotelly (https://www2.unotelly.com/home) - so I can also watch Netflix USA version to watch additional shows not available on Netflix UK (Mad Men and Star Wars Clone Wars for example).

For me - Netflix is a no-brainer with its excellent subtitles support (not 100% but it's getting near there) and multiple platform including Linux and Chromecast support. Netflix support services are also quite very good (only used it once though).

[abirawlinson]

Iv hot netflix but i just wish hulu was avalible in uk as I feel that for steaming it's beats everything

[aidanjt]

Yet another example of legitimate service shooting itself in the foot and driving people who want to pay for content towards illicit service: https://torrentfreak.com/hbo-cracks-...irates-150420/

[royo]

Aside from the exclusive shows there's not much difference between them imo.