What's the Point of Streaming Without a Choice?


Netflix has acquired Warner Bros.
​Before you celebrate having to no longer choose which streaming service to invest in, do take a small pause.

​Yes, Netflix will take on HBO Max shows as well. This means you will still have the best of Netflix shows as well as HBO Max's cream of the crop. Stranger Things, Squid Game, Euphoria, The White Lotus, The Pitt, IT: Welcome to Derry, all of these shows in one library. How amazing would that be?

​Now you won't have to make the decision of whether to subscribe to Netflix or HBO Max. They will all come under one roof. And the subscription price? That is yet to be announced, but you don't actually believe you will be paying the same amount, right?

​Yes, you will be paying a little bit more, and you will convince yourself that at least you're getting two streaming services for the price of one. You get your favorite Netflix and HBO Max shows in one place and no longer have to switch or update or renew memberships. You'll only have to remember to renew one streaming service—unless, of course, you have also subscribed to Prime Video, Peacock, and Disney+/Hulu.

​What you don't take into account is how things can potentially change drastically.
​The shows that you love may come under new leadership, so to speak. They will be viciously judged on how quickly they can pull viewers in. If they don't manage to capture a good percentage, off they go. HBO Max used to let shows grow at its own pace, but now those very shows may be rewritten to attract attention.

​If the viewers turn off the show in 10 minutes, the show's cancellation chances go up. Netflix is known to cancel shows faster than HBO has ever done.

​But the major change may be the way the movie business is affected. Netflix will have a say in movies coming out of the WB studios and if the current news is correct, then Netflix will let the movies play in theaters for only 17 days before sending them off to streaming.

​A 17-day window is barely enough time for movies to cover their budget. Many viewers may skip theaters in lieu of watching the big-budget movie at home.

 There is a chance that the audience who wants to see movies on the big screen will throng to cinemas more, but if the movie doesn't have a big budget, it may not even get a chance at the box office. They will have to wait to see if they fare better on streaming.

​So... what is the point of streaming without a choice?

​Yes, that is what it will be. You, as a viewer, will have no choice but to watch what a streaming service insists you watch. The one thing that is supposed to help you unwind after a hard day,the entertainment you depend on, will be monopolized.

​You will probably pay more, only to find the writing is "safe." Netflix may want to install its tried and tested formula on shows that were once on HBO Max. They think they know their subscribers. They know what they need to watch and why.
​Netflix will be pulling in more subscribers after the merger because of the critically-acclaimed shows on HBO Max. But will they sustain Netflix's rigid algorithm? Will they make it to another season or be cut away from the lineup?

​It's no secret that there is a dearth of original stories out there. But the reason we don't see them is that they don't attract big budgets and an A-list cast. However, these movies once got a chance on streaming services. We did get to see original stories and revel in them.

​But now we have handed over the controls. Our entertainment is at stake, and we don't even realize it. 

Streaming was supposed to be an alternative to cable. It was supposed to be cheaper, faster, and accessible on all our devices.

​Now it's about to be an app that decides you didn't like a show or movie because you happened to turn it off in the first 10 minutes to take a call. 

It may be exciting to get all your entertainment in one place, but remember that it comes at a steep price: your voice on what you want to watch, not what an algorithm says you should be watching.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

What Would Budget Space Travel Be Like?

Image
  Delayed flights? Turbulence? Long lines at the airport for check-in?  In the future, we may not have to deal with air travel anymore but find ourselves opting to go on vacation in space. Sapce Travel is surely going to be the future and instead of traveling to different countries, we will be able to visit different planets in other galaxies as well.  How amazing would that be?  But just like how air travel introduced budget travel options, in all likelihood, we may find ourselves coping with budget space travel as well.  If you are wondering what that is going to be like, well, here are some probable scenarios you are going to encounter:  1. Extra Fees for Oxygen – "Want to breathe for the entire trip? That’ll be an additional $99.99 per hour!" What? Did you think you were going to get complimentary oxygen? In the future, everything will be taxable, and you are going to have to pay to breathe if you’re thinking of traveling to another planet or even the m...
Read more

Abuse is Wrong

Image
  Abuse is wrong.  There. I said it. It’s a normal phrase and one that shouldn’t be challenged. Yet, whether you believe it or not, abuse, in different forms has become an acceptable practice enforced into our lives. For a long time now, I’ve wanted to write a sequel to my horror novel RAGE HOUSE . Without giving away too much of the plot, it features domestic abuse as a sub-plot. I found it hard to write about it because it is a disturbing topic. The sequel was meant to bring the theme of domestic abuse to the forefront. But I couldn’t do it. I must have worked on five drafts till date, but stopped midway. I didn’t understand why then but I think I do now. It’s not because the domestic abuse theme makes me uncomfortable, it is because systematic abuse has become an acceptable form to live your life. It is no longer considered to be a disrespectful subject or even wrong. If some parents are belittling their children, it’s a form of discipline. If a partner neglects or slaps...
Read more

Things Everyone Does But No One Admits

Image
We all like to think we’re unique, but let’s be honest—humans are creatures of hilarious, embarrassing habits. Here’s a list of things we all do but pretend we don’t. 1. Hitting ‘Ignore’ on a Call and Then Texting, “Hey, what’s up?” You see the call, you panic, and instead of answering, you wait a few minutes and text like you totally weren’t available. Let’s face it: you’re not always in the mood for lengthy conversations. Texting is concise and after an exchange of brief messages, you can go back to lounging on the couch and binging on your favorite shows.  2. Rehearsing a Conversation in Your Head Like You’re in a Drama Series Before an important conversation (or, let’s be real, before ordering at a restaurant), you mentally script your lines like you’re the main character. Too bad the other person always improvises and you are left fumbling for words. Have you considered going to improv classes? 3. Watching Yourself Cry in the Mirror You’re sad, but then curiosity takes over. “...
Read more