The Streaming Service Discussion Thread

Currently waiting on the installation of a Freeview loft aerial in the new place. (For non-U.K. residents this gives access to free terrestrial channels: BBC1, 2, 3, 4, ITV, Channel 4, plus a bunch of other free stuff). Currently only have BBC channels thru the excellent iPlayer. You know what? Not missing subscription TV! Let’s hope the current culture war being waged by our government, which threatens the BBC and Ch4, comes to naught.

Just signed up to Prime for a month and it does seem to have some good stuff - bloody Amazon, they get you in the end.

I've gone down to Prime only - ditched Netflix, Disney and Hulu.

So currently subscribing to 3 services. Netflix, which I think accounts for approximately 20% of our viewing, and Britbox, probably around 70%. The rest is odds and sods on YT, the odd Blu Ray etc.

The third one is called Motorsport tv which just hasn't lived up to my expectation. Apart from some great Dakar coverage, it's been pretty meh and I'll stop it next month.

But I find it interesting that every time I look for something to watch on Netflix, I battle, but when I go onto Britbox, I settle on something within minutes.

Bugger! Just found out that my new favourite TV series Shetland has the previous 5 series on recently dumped Prime……

Dumped Prime this morning after a fruitless search last night for something that might tickle my fancy. As a side benefit I’m no longer contributing to Bezos’s bank balance. He’ll be hurting right now.

Anyone here use an app called Plex?

Of all the sport I wish I could watch, I miss cricket the most. Especially the 50 over and 20/20 games. The tests don't usually hold my interest. I am a huge WRC (World Rally Championship) fan and luckily I get reasonably decent coverage of that on Red Bull TV. Red Bull also have really extensive MTB coverage so that's great too.

See, this is where I think the short term thinking of the governing bodies of the various sports is going to cost them down the line.

They're seeing the short term benefits of the revenue from the subscription TV companies but without the mass exposure from free to air TV they're going to struggle a generation or so from now because they'll lose hands-on participants, in terms of both playing and spectating.

I have a basic Sky package, I sign up to Prime every so often when there's a free deal, ditto Netflix.

The only other subscription I have is NFL Gamepass, which I couldn't live without September until February. But this pisses me off also, as the Sunday games that are on Sky 6pm and 9pm (the 1pm and 4pm ET games) are blacked out on Sky.

It's sport that I really miss on terrestrial TV, which is a real bugbear of mine.

I notice that the former "Crown Jewel" events, which formerly had to be free to air, have gradually been dissipated, The Open, The Ryder Cup, Ashes Tests, the European Cup Final........have all very quietly found their way onto subscription platforms.

Pisses me right off.

This is a really valid topic Steve.

Currently we have Netflix, but have watched nothing on it for at least 3 months, but with Sex Ed coming back soon, we don't want to cancel now. We get Now TV which gives us access to Sky Atlantic, which has some reasonable dramas. We have Disney+ on a free trial (soon to expire) have had Apple TV and Amazon Prime on free trials, both expired.

Personally I find the different options confusing and annoying. If you are not careful you can end up shelling out an awful lot of money each month for very little entertainment. For example, we enjoyed The Morning Show whilst we had Apple and I see there is a second series of that coming up, so that means subscribing to that again.

And don't get me started on sports coverage...

I paid for a year of Disney last year when lockdown started. I nostalgia tripped on all the old Disney classics I loved as a kid, watched all the Star Wars films and cancelled when my year was up. I will probably pay for a month when the next season of The Mandalorian is completely available.

I tend to watch vintage shows more than anything current, as far as series go. Right now I'm watching The Bob Newhart Show and M*A*S*H* on Hulu and Barney Miller for free on youtube. I find more vintage series on Hulu and Amazon than Netflix, so I chose those two and gave up Netflix.

What I like about Prime is there is a wide variety of channels available as add-ons. All the movie channels, some music channels, cartoons, etc. I will subscribe to a channel for a month or two, watch what I'm interested in and then cancel and try a different channel.

I'm really not a big viewer. I haven't owned a television since the 90s. It's only the internet that's sucked me back into television at all.

We most consistently watch Netflix.

I have tried Amazon and Apple, battled to find enough to watch on them to validate keeping them.

I must point out that we do not have the full range of shows the US and UK/Europe have on any of these platforms as the big digital satellite company, DSTV, still has first rights to most new content. That is slowly changing though, especially with Netflix. In addition Netflix, for example, costs almost a tenth of the satellite channels. The only think keeping them going at this stage is they have exclusive rights to almost all sports. F1, rugby, soccer, cricket etc.

We don't get Hulu here, and I believe Disney will launch before year end.

Recently discovered an app called AcornTV, which has a ton of British content, so that is keeping us busy.