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Streaming Movies and TV Shows

Chyron8472Chyron8472
edited January 2012 in General Chat
In light of the Megavideo takedown, I am interested in how many of you stream shows and/or movies from the web; which of the known legit ones (Hulu Plus, Netflix, Amazon Prime, etc.) you use, if any, and why you prefer them; and, if the forum mods will allow it, I would even like to discuss how many of you may use file-locker websites similar to Megavideo to stream shows (without foraying directly into promoting piracy, of course.)
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Comments

  • RibsRibs
    edited January 2012
    Netflix pretty much does everything for me. Although I suppose it's legally questionable, I also use a proxy server to access the UK version of Netflix (although the content is 95% identical). I sincerely recommend checking Feekfliks' coming soon page a few times a month to have an idea what is upcoming. Have set aside time for Supernatural at the end of the month. :)
  • Chyron8472Chyron8472
    edited January 2012
    For myself, I had the idea that cable and satellite services would become obsolete as online service(s) became available wherein users could legitimately watch any and all TV shows, past and present, on demand streaming from the web, and I had this idea maybe 7 or 8 years ago.

    It seems to me that, while this would be a wonderful idea to implement, the entertainment industry is highly-reluctant to allow such a change in content-delivery. If they weren't, there wouldn't be such a lack of streaming selection between Amazon, Hulu Plus and Netflix. Pardon me for saying so, but I find that all three combined don't even have the selection that I want, and my wife and I don't even watch shows that are that obscure.
  • CaptPicardCaptPicard
    edited January 2012
    As I'm on the streaming only plan for Netflix, I find that Instantwatcher is a great resource for seeing what's been added recently to Netflix streaming, and Hacking Netflix (it's not what it sounds like!) for current news and information regarding Netflix.

    Hope this helps!
  • DAISHIDAISHI
    edited January 2012
    I use Hulu and Netflix, and they combine for awesome. I can watch my stuff on the go and it's instantly available. It's a rare day I'm dissapponted by lack of content.
  • WarpSpeedWarpSpeed
    edited January 2012
    Just to be the conservative one here, I typically don't stream movies or video (other than YouTube shorts) over the Internet.

    If it ever gets to the point where first class content I care about appears on the Internet and not TV, though, I reserve the right to change that.
  • JohroJohro
    edited January 2012
    I don't. There's not a whole lot I'm interested in that is coming out these days. The few new movies that interest me, along with classics and great former TV shows, I just buy on DVD/Blu-Ray. If these sites ever get exclusives such as unlreleased TV shows or specials, I would most likely sign up for Netflix and such....but 'til then, I'll stick to my vast collection of discs.
  • Chyron8472Chyron8472
    edited January 2012
    I think these companies are missing out on a lot of revenue (be it from service providers or through ads) by not jumping at the opportunity to make content available to stream on the web.

    Personally, I really do wish that NFL and/or NCAA American Football games were available to watch online, either on demand or at least from a live stream. As it is, football games are not made available to watch through the net, and I think it's a shame. [EDIT:] Okay, so NFL.com does have such availability. I didn't know that. Well, being an OU Sooner fan, I still wish NCAA games did this.
  • DAISHIDAISHI
    edited January 2012
    Nfl games are available to stream aren't the?
  • DAISHIDAISHI
    edited January 2012
    I can watch NBA games with my league pass on my iPad.
  • JohroJohro
    edited January 2012
    DAISHI wrote: »
    I can watch NBA games with my league pass on my iPad.

    NHL are streamed as well.
  • AlcoremortisAlcoremortis
    edited January 2012
    I don't own a TV. Make of that what you will.
  • ScnewScnew
    edited January 2012
    I've been watching a TON of Netflix lately. Breaking Bad, Arrested Development, 30 Rock, Power Rangers (sue me), and thinking I might check out Burn Notice next. Netflix doesn't have -every- show or anything, but there's plenty. I'm not in any danger of running out of things to watch in the near future.
  • LuigiHannLuigiHann
    edited January 2012
    I've been using Netflix streaming for a long time, and I like it a lot. They don't have everything I want but they have a ton of the movies on my "I should really watch that sometime" list, so I have no excuse for continuing to not watch them. It's also great for just blasting through TV series.

    I'm trying out the free trial of Hulu plus, and I like it so far but I don't know if they have enough stuff that isn't on Netflix that it'd be worth paying both subscriptions. And I'm still not crazy about the idea of paying for a service and then still seeing ads.
  • RibsRibs
    edited January 2012
    LuigiHann wrote: »
    And I'm still not crazy about the idea of paying for a service and then still seeing ads.

    Question: Do you pay for cable? :p
  • divisiontendivisionten
    edited January 2012
    Cable costs me 3$ a month. Although it's my roommate who watches most of the time.
  • Rather DashingRather Dashing
    edited January 2012
    divisionten wrote: »
    Cable costs me 3$ a month. Although it's my roommate who watches most of the time.
    So your missing out on 6 amazing indie games every year in exchange for cable TV?

    Totally not worth it.
  • Chyron8472Chyron8472
    edited January 2012
    I pay $12.50 per month for cable, and it's not split with anyone.

    This is to say that I have "Limited Basic Cable" through Cox, which means that I get about 30 channels. If I were interested in watching more TV, I'd buy a TiVo not pay for more channels.
  • LuigiHannLuigiHann
    edited January 2012
    Ribs wrote: »
    Question: Do you pay for cable? :p

    My dad pays for cable but I don't watch it. I'd have the same basic objection to it if I were paying for it, but I don't think I'd subscribe to cable if it were just for myself. If Netflix implemented a "shuffle" option on the menu to pull up a playlist of random shows, that'd basically fulfill the only need I might have for cable
  • Chyron8472Chyron8472
    edited January 2012
    The reason why I have cable is because I want to be able to watch the major local network affiliates (NBC, CBS, ABC, and FOX) with clear picture without having to mess with the positioning of an antenna every single time (as was the case when I first got married, as we did not have cable then.)
  • Rather DashingRather Dashing
    edited January 2012
    Chyron8472 wrote: »
    The reason why I have cable is because I want to be able to watch the major local network affiliates (NBC, CBS, ABC, and FOX) with clear picture without having to mess with the positioning of an antenna every single time (as was the case when I first got married, as we did not have cable then.)
    You know, digital OTA signals are a lot better than their analog predecessors. In fact, cable and Satalite networks use compression when sending their video signals through their vast network, so OTA signals for major networks actually look BETTER.
  • Chyron8472Chyron8472
    edited January 2012
    Rather Dashing wrote: »
    You know, digital OTA signals are a lot better than their analog predecessors. In fact, cable and Satalite networks use compression when sending their video signals through their vast network, so OTA signals for major networks actually look BETTER.

    When they come in at all and don't pixelate, which is dependent on the position of the antenna and the weather.
  • FriarFriar
    edited January 2012
    Ribs wrote: »
    Netflix pretty much does everything for me. Although I suppose it's legally questionable, I also use a proxy server to access the UK version of Netflix (although the content is 95% identical). I sincerely recommend checking Feekfliks' coming soon page a few times a month to have an idea what is upcoming. Have set aside time for Supernatural at the end of the month. :)

    Does the UK version have 2001:Space Odyssey or Classic Doctor who serials? As far as I can tell, there's no way to search without registering first, which sucks.
  • RibsRibs
    edited January 2012
    Friar wrote: »
    Does the UK version have 2001:Space Odyssey or Classic Doctor who serials? As far as I can tell, there's no way to search without registering first, which sucks.

    No Classic Who, just New Series 1-4 and Planet of the Dead. 2001 isn't there either. I'd say it's worth taking out a trial to view what's available, as I do think there's a few series that are worth checking out from the start without needing to buy a 100 quid box set. (24, Arrested Development, Poirot, Spongebob, Power Rangers) (The Classic Who selection on the US version is pretty bad too, being titles that were released on DVD between 2002 and 2005, but VHS rips)

    If anyone else is curious about specific titles in the UK, I'd be glad to search it for ya.
  • divisiontendivisionten
    edited January 2012
    US Netflix has Classic Who streaming. Surprised UK doesn't.
  • figmentPezfigmentPez
    edited January 2012
    So little discussion of original content made for the internet. I watch a lot of shows from Revision3, though I download them rather than stream. I also watch a fair bit of original content made for Youtube (vlogs, let's plays and how-tos), and Blip.tv (That Guy With The Glasses). I guess I use Microsoft's streaming service, whatever they're calling it, to watch The Guild, though I'd prefer not to use their player if I could.

    Despite not being on a broadcast or cable TV network, I would argue those are television shows.


    As for more traditional content: I use Hulu, and occasionally direct form a network's site like CBS. Fox's player used to be pretty good, but now it's crap so I watch their stuff on Hulu. NBC's player has always been awful, though ABC's had some good HD while LOST was still airing. I watched Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood on Funimation's site.

    I have too much good free content to watch (and games to play) to spend money on Netflix, though I am occasionally tempted. I have rented a couple of movies from Amazon, though, when they were a $0.99 weekend sale.

    Before this thread, I didn't even know that file locker sites did video streaming.
  • FriarFriar
    edited January 2012
    Ribs wrote: »
    No Classic Who, just New Series 1-4 and Planet of the Dead. 2001 isn't there either. I'd say it's worth taking out a trial to view what's available, as I do think there's a few series that are worth checking out from the start without needing to buy a 100 quid box set. (24, Arrested Development, Poirot, Spongebob, Power Rangers) (The Classic Who selection on the US version is pretty bad too, being titles that were released on DVD between 2002 and 2005, but VHS rips)

    If anyone else is curious about specific titles in the UK, I'd be glad to search it for ya.

    Any Star Trek? Preferably the movies or Enterprise/Voyager.
  • RibsRibs
    edited January 2012
    Friar wrote: »
    Any Star Trek? Preferably the movies or Enterprise/Voyager.

    No, none of the Treks are on the UK one either (again, I wouldn't put it past Netflix to be in the process of negotiating with rights holders at this moment seeing as it's one of more notable additions to Netfix US in the past year.)

    Also, pedant; none of the Star Trek movies other then II and IV are worth seeing. NONE OF THEM. I don't even really care for II, but it's still acres above the rest.
  • Chyron8472Chyron8472
    edited January 2012
    Ribs wrote: »
    Also, pedant; none of the Star Trek movies other then II and IV are worth seeing. NONE OF THEM. I don't even really care for II, but it's still acres above the rest.

    And what's wrong with them?

    I like 2, 3, 4, 6, Generations (though parts are meh) , First Contact, Nemesis and Star Trek (2009).


    Out of curiosity, what is your favorite Star Trek series, if any?
  • Rather DashingRather Dashing
    edited January 2012
    Of the Star Trek movies, I only like Wrath of Khan and, to a lesser extent, the 2009 movie. I only like The Original Series. Portions of The Next Generation *can* be enjoyable but those elements are exceptions rather than the rule, and the franchise just loses me any farther than that.

    [/PretendingI'mRibs]
  • Chyron8472Chyron8472
    edited January 2012
    I'm the other way round with the shows. By and large, I find that most of the TOS episodes are variations on the same 4 or 5 themes. As a result, I find myself underimpressed. Also, the other series besides TOS have a lot more fleshing out of characters and exploration of their backgrounds, including Enterprise which only had one more season than TOS did.
  • Rather DashingRather Dashing
    edited January 2012
    Such is the case with most sitcoms, but most people don't tend to mind that.

    At the end of the day, I see Star Trek as very simple, stupid entertainment, much like a sitcom. When I see TNG, I see a show where the life has been drained out of the part that I actually enjoyed, the humor, the goofy action, the creative but admittedly shoddy old sets, and character interaction. So much of it is now just walking, looking at things, and talking about space politics and space ethics and thinly veiled stand-ins for current-day issues so the writers can get in their thoughts and seem like the only sane viewpoint on the matter AND be smug about it.
  • Chyron8472Chyron8472
    edited January 2012
    And yet TOS also often explored current-day social issues back when it aired. The fact that we have by now largely overcome much (albeit not all) of the predjudice and bigotry that TOS confronts, I find the sorts of social issues that it confronts as common sense which makes such episodes forgettable.

    I don't have much appreciation for camp. Also, the only three TOS characters that have any respectable amount of screen time are Kirk, Spock and McCoy. Add to that the fact that Chekhov didn't join the show until the second season (of 3), and the only reason why he has enough screen time for anyone to remember him at all is because of the movies. Case in point, Khan remembers Chekov in Star Trek II even though Space Seed was a first season episode (before Walter Koenig joined the show.)
  • RibsRibs
    edited January 2012
    I like TOS for being very much one of the most influential television shows ever, but it's much better to keep the 15 or so classics and ignore the rest of the episodes entirely (Although I will always be partial to the one where Kirk and Abe Lincoln team up), but I'd say TNG is my favorite overall for just being a great show. I've seen a bit of DS9 and Voyager, but I feel the way the ongoing story was handled (in a rather X-Files manner of half of the episodes being Myth-arc and half of them being problem of the week) makes it lose that Star Trek feeling. I intend to watch more of Enterprise, but I've greatly enjoyed the episodes (mostly from Season Four) I've seen.

    The movies are just an exercise in taking the Original Series and putting them in mediocre plots. 1 was kind of bland, generic, and had a very very predictable plot twist. I enjoy 2, but I see it's also notably flawed. Search for Spock is overlong and doesn't really get the feel I expect from any Star Trek story. V is basically taking Gene Roddenberry's only plot (they meet a god who turns out isn't a god) into a really long and poorly done movie. 6 just rubs me the wrong way, but it's probably the third best film. For the TNG movies, I'd say my problems are fairly well laid out in the Plinkett reviews ([controversial opinion]of them, I think Insurrection is the best[/controversial opinion]). The new Trek movie is okay, and is probably fourth best, but the glaring plot holes and alternate universe heavily detracts points. So yeah. I tend to not consider the TNG movies canon in any way, shape, or form, and only really consider 2-4 and 6 of the TOS movies to have occurred.

    I'm currently doing a backwards watch of TNG on Netflix (because Season One is rather mediocre and I'd never finished if I started forwards) to make sure there aren't episodes I haven't seen. Then I'll make my way through DS9 and Voyager to see more of them. But yeah.

    Streaming, eh?
  • AlcoremortisAlcoremortis
    edited January 2012
    My favorite Star Trek movie was four, simply because I found it to be the most memorable (Well, I guess two was pretty memorable because KHAN!). And the funniest, too. In fact I'd watch it repeatedly just for the gag where Kirk tells that lady that Spock's a bit weird because he did too much LDS in the sixties. Or for that entire "Russian spy" bit with Chekov. Now I want to watch that one again.
  • JohroJohro
    edited January 2012
    I liked 2,3,4 and 2009.

    As for the actual topic, I just found out that Netflix USA bought the rights to Kevin Spencer. :/ Only USA has it so far(not even Netflix Canada) and there were never any season DVDs released. Well there's the exclusives I mentioned....now if only it was HERE(you know, in the country it was MADE and AIRED in), I might actually sign up.
  • FriarFriar
    edited January 2012
    I actually liked all of the movies, barring "Undiscovered Country" and the one where they went and met god. Or something. My favourites are The original, First Contact and the one where they are all on the run, saving the natives on a planet from the government.

    As for the series, DS9, will always have a sweet spot being the first series that I ever saw of the show. And I thought the War with the dominion was pretty decent, and it only began to feel a bit tired in the last series (or after Jadzia Dax regenerated.). I could never really get into TOS. It just felt really cheesy, and clichéd, which I suppose is a lot of the appeal for some people. But It just wasn't the same show as the one I fell in love with.

    Here's hoping that on the matter of streaming the series, Netflix quickly 'make it so'.

    HO HO HO, I AM SO FUNNY.
  • Chyron8472Chyron8472
    edited January 2012
    Friar wrote: »
    it only began to feel a bit tired in the last series (or after the Dax symbiont was moved from Jadzia to Ezri.).

    fixed that for you.

    I'm not agreeing, I'm just pointing out that Dax is not a time lord. ;)
  • RibsRibs
    edited January 2012
    Chyron8472 wrote: »
    fixed that for you.

    I'm not agreeing, I'm just pointing out that Dax is not a time lord. ;)

    Bah, and next thing you'll tell me is that James Bond isn't one.
  • Secret FawfulSecret Fawful
    edited January 2012
    Someone disliking camp irritates the living shit out of me, but anyway, I don't like most of the TNG movies. I love First Contact mostly for James Cromwell as Cochran, but the plot itself is kind of stupid. It's all about psychotic Picard being an asshole who loves revenge and being reckless, but not charming about it like Kirk. I prefer the old series movies, and to an extent the 2009 movie. Well, okay, First Contact is my favorite, but mainly just because of Cromwell. I'm bored of Wrath of Khan after seeing it so much.

    I'm a bigger fan of the old series. I like TNG well enough, but I've seen it too much as a kid, and am largely just bored of it and worn out on it. Haven't given Enterprise a chance because it looks stupid and sounds stupid and probably is stupid, don't like Voyager, and I do like DS9 well enough. Like TNG, I was worn out on DS9 as a kid. I like the original series crew the best, with Bones being my favorite ST character period. Worf, Data, and Geordi are fun characters, but Troi, Crusher, and Riker are boring. I had to struggle to remember Beverly Crusher's name, and had to think "Wesley Crusher's Doctor Mom" to remember. Riker is just Kirk with a beard, except when he doesn't have a beard, at which point he's just Kirk but boring. Oh, and Q is great. DS9 has more Quark. I like Odo, and Kira is the hottest ST babe after young Uhura for me, and I just don't care about T'Pol. Hell, I'd never hit it. I'm not sure how I feel about Sisko since I haven't legitimately watched DS9 episodes since I was a kid.

    Say what you want about the Old Series, but I'll slap the shit out of someone who says a word against McCoy. I dunno, though. At a point, I think Star Trek started to get really weird. There are things about the 09 film that I find downright unpleasant.

    Right, guys?

    EPNFj.gif
  • RibsRibs
    edited January 2012
    Secret Fawful wrote: »
    Someone disliking camp irritates the living shit out of me, but anyway, I don't like most of the TNG movies. I love First Contact mostly for James Cromwell as Cochran, but the plot itself is kind of stupid. It's all about psychotic Picard being an asshole who loves revenge and being reckless, but not charming about it like Kirk. I prefer the old series movies, and to an extent the 2009 movie. Well, okay, First Contact is my favorite, but mainly just because of Cromwell. I'm bored of Wrath of Khan after seeing it so much.

    I'm a bigger fan of the old series. I like TNG well enough, but I've seen it too much as a kid, and am largely just bored of it and worn out on it. Haven't given Enterprise a chance because it looks stupid and sounds stupid and probably is stupid, don't like Voyager, and I do like DS9 well enough. Like TNG, I was worn out on DS9 as a kid. I like the original series crew the best, with Bones being my favorite ST character period. Worf, Data, and Geordi are fun characters, but Troi, Crusher, and Riker are boring. I had to struggle to remember Beverly Crusher's name, and had to think "Wesley Crusher's Doctor Mom" to remember. Riker is just Kirk with a beard, except when he doesn't have a beard, at which point he's just Kirk but boring. Oh, and Q is great. DS9 has more Quark. I like Odo, and Kira is the hottest ST babe after young Uhura for me, and I just don't care about T'Pol. Hell, I'd never hit it. I'm not sure how I feel about Sisko since I haven't legitimately watched DS9 episodes since I was a kid.

    Say what you want about the Old Series, but I'll slap the shit out of someone who says a word against McCoy. I dunno, though. At a point, I think Star Trek started to get really weird. There are things about the 09 film that I find downright unpleasant.

    Right, guys?

    EPNFj.gif

    I agree with most of this. Although I do not care for Worf as a central character to an episode, I enjoy his character far more as a B-plot or background character. And yes, Bones is amazing.
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