What streaming services do you use? Why do you like or dislike them?

What streaming services do you watch?

  • Netflix

    Votes: 3 37.5%
  • Amazon Prime Video

    Votes: 3 37.5%
  • Hulu Plus

    Votes: 1 12.5%
  • HBO Go

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Crackle

    Votes: 2 25.0%
  • Vevo

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Others (Please comment below so it can be added)

    Votes: 6 75.0%
  • Kodi (added)

    Votes: 2 25.0%

  • Total voters
    8

Overmind One

GateFans Gatemaster
Staff member
It looks like most tech savvy people are already living in the post-cable era. who needs a useless bundle of media they will never watch, and when they want to watch something they have to "see when it's on". Really? Not when you can just browse and choose and watch in seconds. Also, there is no such thing as a portable cable box. :)

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I use Netflix but like I've mentioned elsewhere I'm thinking of dropping it soon. I need to know more about Amazon though before I switch. I want to be sure it's worth it instead of just being a lateral move.

I also use Vaginal Streaming Service, but that's because I enjoy a vigorous champagne douche on a regular basis, but then again, who here doesn't? ;)
 

Overmind One

GateFans Gatemaster
Staff member
I have started using Crackle too, but it is infested with commercials that suddenly jump in about every 10 min. It feels like regular TV at times but it's free. I watched The Craft on it this afternoon. :) It's owned and operated by Sony.

I use Netflix but like I've mentioned elsewhere I'm thinking of dropping it soon. I need to know more about Amazon though before I switch. I want to be sure it's worth it instead of just being a lateral move.

I also use Vaginal Streaming Service, but that's because I enjoy a vigorous champagne douche on a regular basis, but then again, who here doesn't? ;)

I dropped Netflix in November of 2015, but recently tried another 30 day trial in 2016 and I just did not go back. Amazon introduced a month to month payment scheme of $12.00, and with the Amazon delivery perks and much better watchable collection, as well as their awesome streaming infrastructure with the ability to review and rate what you watch, it's better than Netflix in my opinion.
 

Tripler

Well Known GateFan
We keep Netflix mostly for my son but every now and then Netflix pops up with a movie worth watching like Rogue 1 which I was pleasantly surprised that it was on Netflix as soon as it was and so I did not have to go to Kodi . Kodi is were I watch most of my programming . Old Sci-fi or older shows that I watched when I was younger . I use Kodi to watch GOT ... I do not watch regular TV tho I have a HD Arial that gives me 25 plus channels over the airways . Regular TV is just to depressing . Of course I do catch Murdock Mysteries once in a while on CBC . Highly recommend Murdock Mysteries show .
;)
 
I have started using Crackle too, but it is infested with commercials that suddenly jump in about every 10 min. It feels like regular TV at times but it's free. I watched The Craft on it this afternoon. :) It's owned and operated by Sony.



I dropped Netflix in November of 2015, but recently tried another 30 day trial in 2016 and I just did not go back. Amazon introduced a month to month payment scheme of $12.00, and with the Amazon delivery perks and much better watchable collection, as well as their awesome streaming infrastructure with the ability to review and rate what you watch, it's better than Netflix in my opinion.

What kind of content will I get from Amazon monthly streaming service? Are there genuine theatrical releases or is it all bottom of the barrel stuff like Netflix? I mean, in the last 4 months all I got from Netflix was Dr. Strange and Rogue One. Don't get me wrong, I liked these movies, but they were the only good movies that Netflix offered in months!
 

Overmind One

GateFans Gatemaster
Staff member
What kind of content will I get from Amazon monthly streaming service? Are there genuine theatrical releases or is it all bottom of the barrel stuff like Netflix? I mean, in the last 4 months all I got from Netflix was Dr. Strange and Rogue One. Don't get me wrong, I liked these movies, but they were the only good movies that Netflix offered in months!

You get really good stuff! You can look at it right now by just going to Amazon and taking a look. The ones that say "Included with Prime" are free, and there are much newer releases you can "rent" and watch for a certain period of time. It is actually a better experience than Netflix by a large margin. For instance:

When you are watching a series, you can hover over any scene with your mouse and you will "X-ray" on the left, which identifies each actor in THAT scene, and you can click the links and get IMdB info on any of them. This even includes the obscure redshirts and extras in the scenes. :)

amazonfeature.PNG

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Unlike the new Netflix, you can still rate and read reviews of movies and shows before watching them, thus saving you the cost of eye bleach or sharpening up the eye gouger attachment for your hand drill.

amazonfeature3.PNG

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It costs more at $12.00/month, but you can cancel Prime and have it not affect your regular Amazon membership whenever you want. Big difference there, making it monthly instead of annually.

To me, the video streaming quality is better as is the audio. There is a free trial! ;)
 

Joelist

What ship is this?
Staff member
I use Amazon Prime via a Roku Ultra. Also has a nice YouTube app and other specialty apps I like. I don't have a PC hooked up to my TV due to space issues.
 

Lord Ba'al

Well Known GateFan
I use Amazon Prime via a Roku Ultra. Also has a nice YouTube app and other specialty apps I like. I don't have a PC hooked up to my TV due to space issues.

Is your TV flat against the wall? If not, you may be able to "hang" a mini PC off the back of it.

Or plug in a Raspberry Pi. :)
 

Joelist

What ship is this?
Staff member
the Roku Ultra is more powerful than a Raspberry Pi. As to jamming a mini PC into my storage area it would have major ventilation issues.
 

Overmind One

GateFans Gatemaster
Staff member
the Roku Ultra is more powerful than a Raspberry Pi. As to jamming a mini PC into my storage area it would have major ventilation issues.

Depends on whether or not you NEED the power. For streaming, it has all the power it needs.
 

Overmind One

GateFans Gatemaster
Staff member
I have added Kodi into the choices (click Change your Vote if you want to add it). Kodi is still giving me current (and advance) content in terms of Movies and TV shows. Much of the stuff not released here comes out in Europe and becomes available on Kodi before it is in the US. My first viewing of Guardians of the Galaxy 2 was an example. Kodi suffers in terms of quality if anything else. Streams sometimes freeze for a few seconds during your viewing. Very irritating. You can fix that with more buffering, but otherwise most of the streams are fine. The volume of content is far beyond all the others combined. I still recommend running it in Linux.
 

Overmind One

GateFans Gatemaster
Staff member
HAHAHAHA! Netflix is actually sending emails out to those who have canceled? This is not a good omen! I cancelled in early 2016, then did a free trial early this year and did not decide to renew, and so they sent me an email with this in it:

netflixbeg.PNG


Uh oh! Somebody is trying to gather all the spilled pearls before they roll into the grate. I predict now that Netflix will be in dire straits by the end of 2018 or that they will position themselves to be purchased by somebody. Perhaps one of the struggling cable companies?
 
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DISH network does the same thing. I get junk mail from them begging me to come back every week. They can kiss my ass.

And yes, Netflix is going to implode. They're too far in the red for them to recover successfully. It's only a matter of time. Even if someone buys them out the stock holders are still probably going to take it in the ass to some degree.
 

YJ02

Well Known GateFan
You get really good stuff! You can look at it right now by just going to Amazon and taking a look. The ones that say "Included with Prime" are free, and there are much newer releases you can "rent" and watch for a certain period of time. It is actually a better experience than Netflix by a large margin. For instance:

When you are watching a series, you can hover over any scene with your mouse and you will "X-ray" on the left, which identifies each actor in THAT scene, and you can click the links and get IMdB info on any of them. This even includes the obscure redshirts and extras in the scenes. :)

View attachment 33484

View attachment 33485

Unlike the new Netflix, you can still rate and read reviews of movies and shows before watching them, thus saving you the cost of eye bleach or sharpening up the eye gouger attachment for your hand drill.

View attachment 33486

View attachment 33487

It costs more at $12.00/month, but you can cancel Prime and have it not affect your regular Amazon membership whenever you want. Big difference there, making it monthly instead of annually.

To me, the video streaming quality is better as is the audio. There is a free trial! ;)

i enjoy -when available-the trivia and goofs -feature as well as the actor info

------------------------------------

BTW

been waiting to hear anything on the possibility of a new amazon/bbc(?) sci fi series

they aired a pilot on amazon, it got good reviews but nothing yet on a series

Oasis

20-oasis.w710.h473.jpg

Photo: Amazon
The second hour-long entry in this Amazon pilot season, Oasis is an outer space mystery that puts Richard Madden, a.k.a. Robb Stark from Game of Thrones, in yet another situation in which people around him are dropping like flies. This time, there’s no Red Wedding. Instead, Madden’s character must investigate unexplained mind-control phenomena within a colony that humans are attempting to establish on another planet, circa 2032.

The cast is strong: In addition to Madden, who plays the colony’s chaplain, Oasis’ ensemble includes Anil Kapoor, Haley Joel-Osment, and Mark Addy, another Game of Thrones alum. As directed by The Last King of Scotland’s Kevin MacDonald, the pilot also has a polished visual aesthetic and serious tone that smacks of green-light-ready prestige sci-fi drama. The problem is that it’s a little too serious and slow to get going, and its setting may feel overly familiar, especially to anyone who saw Neill Blomkamp’s Elysium. Bottom line: I need to see more episodes to issue a final verdict. There’s a decent chance that other viewers and the team at Amazon will feel the same way and give this one a go.
 

YJ02

Well Known GateFan
I use Amazon Prime via a Roku Ultra. Also has a nice YouTube app and other specialty apps I like. I don't have a PC hooked up to my TV due to space issues.

the roku ultra looks like everything the roku tv has but still in a tv peripheral box form
 

YJ02

Well Known GateFan
the other streamers we have/use are mainly for my wife; VIKI, DRAMAFEVER and CRUNCHYROLL

korean, chinese, viet and some south american tv and movies with english subs

we also get a lot off of YT as well
 

Overmind One

GateFans Gatemaster
Staff member
Hmmm...a funny thing happened on the way to The Orville.

I started a 30-day trial with Hulu using the commercial-free version. And you know what? It's better than Amazon Prime. It's $11.00/mo for this package, and is commercial free. But the content is everything I like and not much garbage. There is a LOT of garbage on Netflix, and a smaller pile, but still lots of garbage on Amazon Prime. I have to pay rental fees to watch the good stuff on Amazon. But Hulu has first run movies, the latest TV shows, PLUS it has all the Star Trek shows and cool series from the 60s and 70s and much more current stuff as well.

Do I dump Amazon Prime for this? I am considering it. Amazon Prime is only $12.00/mo, and I get Prime delivery privileges, but I really do not order that much. I can still get free shipping by just ordering $50.00 per order.

This is the beauty of month-to-month services!
 

YJ02

Well Known GateFan
Hmmm...a funny thing happened on the way to The Orville.

I started a 30-day trial with Hulu using the commercial-free version. And you know what? It's better than Amazon Prime. It's $11.00/mo for this package, and is commercial free. But the content is everything I like and not much garbage. There is a LOT of garbage on Netflix, and a smaller pile, but still lots of garbage on Amazon Prime. I have to pay rental fees to watch the good stuff on Amazon. But Hulu has first run movies, the latest TV shows, PLUS it has all the Star Trek shows and cool series from the 60s and 70s and much more current stuff as well.

Do I dump Amazon Prime for this? I am considering it. Amazon Prime is only $12.00/mo, and I get Prime delivery privileges, but I really do not order that much. I can still get free shipping by just ordering $50.00 per order.

This is the beauty of month-to-month services!

in another thread i had said a similar thing about hulu--they have a fairly large collection of sci fi and other good shows/movies

i've noticed they are more on the tv side of things though and less so with movies

i started with the cheaper version-with commercials. it wasn't the mere fact of commercials that got me, but that they were the same commercials over and over

and they have a lot of tv as it comes out.

for example, they are some new shows that i dvr on psvue only to find them on hulu for no extra cost

but-it still does not have everything that we want/watch. i would love it if there was one platform for everything, but not quite

amazon does have a few shows that i like and i do mostly have prime for the package delivery. a couple of the originals are very good. dramas like BOSCH and SNEAKY PETE, plus they do have a lot of BBC masterpiece theatre stuff that i actually like (cant stand DOWNTOWN ABBEY love POLDARK--don't ask! :) )

BT YOU KNOW WHAT?! and i am sure you do

even with all of these various subscriptions--psvue at $40 some, drama fever, viki, netflix, hulu, etc all at about $10 or less--we are still paying less for those then we did for sat tv with international channels

dont really count amz prime cause like i said- it is mainly for delivery and it is worth it. dont count the isp because, well, we still need a land line ph because there is no cell signal here, so i would be paying for that hookup regardless.


and CRACKLE- i haven't been using it much, but it is free and does have some worthwhile stuff on it, even some originals

i have also used popcorn flix from time to time as well
 
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