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Thread: Streaming Services - who like what, and why?

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    Re: Streaming Services - who like what, and why?

    Quote Originally Posted by jim View Post
    For example, I recently swapped out a perfectly functional set of 2.0 HiFi speakers for a replacement, and the replacement pair sounded worse to my ears, for the 30 minutes I spent comparing the two when they were both installed. So why do it? Because the new set are Bluetooth, and getting rid of the cables allowed me to move things around and consequently reduce the complexity of my setup.
    Loss of quality is probably down to being Bluetooth, unless streaming in aptX HD. An amp would probably improve that slightly, but adds complexity.

    In terms of streaming services, I've gotten rid of NOW TV for numerous reasons, such as adding adverts, wanting me to pay more to remove them. Netflix will be gone by the end of this month, nothing they've released recently justifies a 14%+ price increase. That leaves Amazon Prime Video (never use the music as I don't like the interface or other functions), Disney+ for the family, Apple TV, Apple Music (part of my EE mobile package).

    Interesting topic on the MQA side of things. However that surely requires the end user to actually have the sound equipment to be able to truly enjoy anything that emulates the original sound reproduction quality? I've literally just ordered some new headphones for listening to TV quietly late at night, not even sure the cans I've got coming would enable me to discern the difference in quality.

  2. #18
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    Re: Streaming Services - who like what, and why?

    i've tried the main streaming music players and prefer spotify, mainly because of combination of the app, ease of use and finding stuff and it working on windows/macos/android/iphone etc, and the huge availability of music, from the latest albums and singles to old stuff. it's not the best sound quality as it doesn't have lossless, but it sounds fine, and from the perspective of someone who bought their first hifi seperates from their first job, buying bit by bit as i was paid and saved, and upgraded over and over and over as time and technology moved, and a club dj for decades, i can tell you that most people would prefer to listen to a great tune from mp3 or tape than the greatest quality sound possible of a tune they didn't like. a good tune surpasses most things as long as the sound doesn't suck. small wireless radio tuned to an AM station playing your favourite song beats listening to something you can't stand on the worlds greatest sound system

    usually at home i play ripped tracks direct from the pc, rather than streamed from the pc. but if you hear something on tv, it's good to be able to just find the track there and then, and when it comes to listening whilst outside, spotify gives me a world of music at my fingertips to keep me entertained or at least reduce the boredom a bit

    i still buy records, cds, tapes, dvds, bluray, UDH and the odd laserdisc and been buying since i was a kid, never stopped. always wanted the best quality, so the whole tape and record nostalgia over HD audio is a real emperors new clothes things to me. it's nice to hold the physical thing and have bigger art as a fan/collector/lunatic but usually the band did't make the cover. they may appear on it in a picture but that was some other blokes doing it. likewise the video and clothes. the sound that you can't touch, is what the band/artist made. whilst you can't touch it, it can touch you. when i'm listening, i'm not usually looking at the cover/disc/art/package

  3. #19
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    Re: Streaming Services - who like what, and why?

    For me, I guess the packaging, covers, info etc is sort-of 'nice' but a long, long way down my priority list.

    I do, however, much prefer to buy physical media. Partly, this is because I don't like subscriptions or subscription services unless, first, there is a reason that gives a very benefit to me over a service. That's not to say I sneer at those that prefer a sub to buying - if it floats your boat, great, but subscriptions just don't float mine. Or second, absolutely no option, like a broadband account.

    I can think of a couple of reasons for this. First, and most obvious, I'm of an age where when I grew up, and until at least early-middle age, subscriptions just didn't exist. It just isn't a mindset I'm used to. I'm used to "don't buy it if you can't afford it", especially as an approach to credit cards. I do not buy stuff on 'tick'. I'd rather go without.

    Secondly, if I'm being objective about myself, my interest in new music probably about 90% atrophied in the late 80s and my 'era' is probably 70s, minus 10 years or plus about 5 years. i.e. 70s, but certainly including 60s, and up to about mid-80s'. After that, it tails off fast. And classical, of course, but that's a different game.

    I have some interest before that, and my interest in even current stuff isn't entirely atrophied .... just mainly. I think what has atrophied is my interest in spending lots of time listening to new stuff, to find the bits I like. It feels like the ratio of like to dislike is pretty low these days, but in reality, there's probably a large element of rose-tinted glasses in my view of the '80s (and70's), if you'll excuse a visual metaphor for an auditory experience. Putting that another way, when I think hard and do a bit of research, by 'eck was there a massive pile of absolute poop in the 70's and 80's too, but my mental memory banks kinda automatically filter it out, leaving a load f stuff Ilike. With 'modern' music, I don't know it well enough to filter the poop, so finding the gems takes much more work and it's that that I don't have the inclination for.

    And that's what I've been using Amazon Unlimited (or any alternative) for :-

    - checking out stuff I don't know by bands I do know and like to see if it's worth buying, and

    - to a lesser extent, just letting recommendations bounce me around artists utterly unknown to me, hoping to alight on a gem. Trouble is, they're few and far between, and that is what I don't really have the inclination to do too much of.

    So, when the current year's subscription ends, I'll probably cancel and just revert back to my own FLAC collection, and make do with that.
    A lesson learned from PeterB about dignity in adversity, so Peter, In Memorium, "Onwards and Upwards".

  4. #20
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    Re: Streaming Services - who like what, and why?

    with the subs and so many services, i admit i'm a cheapskate when it comes to most of them. i pay my prime full, but only since lockdown as getting deliveries whilst working from home is great. now on the hybrid part WFH part office it let's me schedule deliveries on the days in WFH. the streaming stuff is an added bonus

    with tidal, spotify and deezer, the 3 main music streamers, it's easy to get 3 or even 6 month trials for either free or £1 or £1 a month, so that's what i do. sometimes end up on the free versions, but at the moment and over the last couple of years i've not used, or more needed to use them as i'm not out and about

    disney+ i get with tesco vouchers and the only perk currently i'd use, netflix is cheap as chips with a vpn and appletv is £5 - not a lot of content on it, but what they do have is pretty good, so there's a few hours good stuff each friday that's worth about a £1 or so for each days use. nowtv is £1 for me and has been extended for about 9 months, after a 3 month trial. it's useful for catchup. obviously this is tv stuff, but you can jump around trials and services and say use netflix for a month and watch a pile of netflix stuff to get your moneys worth, then do disney for a month and watch a pile of that, then do the same with apple etc, so one service at a time and watch all the stuff you hadn't seen since the last sub, or if it's your first month there would usually be plenty to watch. with tv stuff more than music, the older folks in particular may be more used to the not owning in your hands model unless you taped it onto video. these days unless you are watching an old show with many seasons and episodes and watching at a slow pace instead of binging a whole season or multiple seasons (easy with comedies that have just 6 x 20 min episodes), it's easy to watch everything in a month before it's pulled (as shows tend to be on for a few months/year in some cases and then people online complain it's gone whilst they are in the middle of the middle season). there's a load of other services like mubi and loads of ad on's with amazon but they tend to be a bit more niche unless you sub to a known tv channel

    if you do it wisely you can get a lot of content for not much money. or go nuts and sub to everything and the costs just pile up

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    Re: Streaming Services - who like what, and why?

    For me, it's mainly music I'm interested in. I really don't watch that much TV these days. DVDs, yeah, but not TV and certainly not enough to justify subscription services. I did watch some of the snooker, including some of the final, but that's the first actual TV, except a few old quiz shows, in probably two years. I've had access to Netflix for several years. I did want to watch Lucifer after it went there and a friend lent me a sign-in. I watched Lucifer, and maybe 2 o 3 films, but despite still having access (which may change if Netflix crack down) I haven't even tried to access Netflix in, oh, a good 18 months. I have also had Amazon Prime (for the delivery side of things) for about 2 years and pay for the Music option (until the year expires, as I mentioned earlier) but despite Prime including (I think) the video service, I've never bothered even to find out how to use it,let alone done so. Maybe I will, out of sheer curiosity.

    The wife watches more than I do,but even she doesn't bother with Netflix or Prime. Just veg's out in front of whatever's on, mainly to relax and zone out. In this house, actual TV is more of a sleep aid than an entertainment thing.
    A lesson learned from PeterB about dignity in adversity, so Peter, In Memorium, "Onwards and Upwards".

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