The pessimist complains about the wind,
The optimist expects it to change,
The realist adjusts the sails.
—William A. Ward, Inspirational Writer
The discussion so far, from comments on the Current Expiring Titles page:
Tony Ramirez December 18,
2016 at 7:53 PM
Pathetic
Netflix oops Notflix. What is next to expire before the new year there will be
under 4000 titles left in the US. At least I have Hulu I am watching that more
than Netflix now.
Replies
Sammy H. December 18,
2016 at 11:15 PM
Okay
okay enough. We all know how much you hate Netflix and how much you don't want
to watch it anymore because they're always getting rid of your favorite movies
and TV shows to make room for their original crap. We've heard it a million
times. If you absolutely must rant for the million and first time, can you
please do it in the Discussions and Ideas page?
Anonymous December 19,
2016 at 3:51 AM
I
have to agree with Sammy H. here. I tire of hearing your endless rants. Either
get over it or just drop Netflix altogether so you can find peace &
happiness.
Tony Ramirez December 19,
2016 at 11:15 AM
I
have the right to complain. When I am paying for a service that use to have
what to watch but now I am paying $2 a month with everything I am watching
going away to be replaced with mature garbage I have the right.
.
It use to be nice here but now I get the same garbage rants here as I did on another message board.
.
It use to be nice here but now I get the same garbage rants here as I did on another message board.
Sammy H. December 19,
2016 at 11:25 AM
I'm
not saying you don't a right to complain. Complain all you want. Just please do
it in the Discussions and Ideas page. That's what that page is for.
Anonymous December 19,
2016 at 1:57 PM
You
have a right to complain...to the people that receive your monthly subscription
payment. I don't think that includes anyone on this site. I suspect that
everyone here has one or two issues with Netflix. I know I do, but no one here
wants to hear them over and over. So, Tony, perhaps we would all be better
served if you start sharing your many, many complaints with Netflix rather than
everyone here. That way there is some small chance that they will be addressed.
Carol Weighs In
This blog is collaborative, meaning the expiring titles, reviews, answers to questions, new, relevant information, etc., are contributed by many different readers, not just me. Because the blog belongs to all of us, I try to listen to what people want, and make it function in a way that will be as optimal as possible for as many of us as possible. No one person gets to call the shots, disregarding what others want. (Theoretically, I could, but that's not the blog I want to be part of.)
This blog is about helping each other to have the best possible Netflix experience. On occasion, it is a place where we can all commiserate about something that gets in the way of that, such as losing our 3-week+ notice for expiring titles on the DVD site.
This blog is NOT a dumping ground. It is NOT about expressing our feelings every time a movie or show we don't want to go away comes on the expiring list. It is NOT about constantly voicing our opinions about the direction Netflix is taking, or the choices it is making. And it is NOT about regularly sharing what we're in the middle of watching, or had planned to watch, but now can't. If a lot of us did that on a daily basis, this blog would be a boring, negative downer that no one would want to read, much less contribute their time, effort, and expertise to.
So, Tony, with all of that in mind, I want to address your claim that you have the right to complain, and - presumably - that you believe you should be able to continue to leave such comments as the one that started this discussion on the Current Expiring Titles page.
1) You support your claim by saying that you pay money to Netflix, so that buys you the right to speak your mind.
Response: This site is not in any way affiliated with Netflix. I'm not getting any money from anybody. I even refuse to put ads on the site. What people pay to Netflix has nothing to do with this site, and does not buy them any rights here. Your rights here are based on the preferences and good will of the other readers. As you can see, we don't all agree with you, and, as already suggested, your complaints would be more appropriately directed to Netflix.
2) You complain that, "It use to be nice here but now I get the same garbage rants here as I did on another message board."
Response: If you recall, I asked you very nicely and politely to please use the Discussions page for your personal opinions and feelings. You agreed that my request was fair, however, you have not complied with it. My view of Sammy H.'s and Anonymous's remarks is that they simply have my back, and are willing to speak more plainly - and frankly, more in keeping with the kind of language you use - hoping that will get better results. Neither of them has said anything over-the-line. They didn't use profanity, nor were they insulting. They just told you how your comments came across and affected them. I suspect anywhere you go, you'll get a similar reaction.
3) So, what's the solution?
Response: Here are your choices, Tony. You have the right to take any of them:
> Discontinue visiting this blog. I value all of our readers, and would hope that as long as you decide to use Netflix, you would find the blog useful, but staying or leaving is totally up to you. A less drastic option would be to read, but not comment. Then you would avoid any backlash.
> Discontinue using Netflix. Honestly, it seems that you would be happier without it. You seem to have found a better streaming site for you in Hulu. In one of your comments, you said:
"I am done with Netflix next year. Bad enough I have nothing to watch now but to take away whatever is left worth watching there is nothing left for me to watch. I hope Netflix goes bankrupt someday they deserve it." - Posted to Current Expiring Titles, December 2, 2016
Cancelling your subscription would end your suffering with Netflix, and take money away from them.
> Start your own blog - it's easy to do. Then you could say whatever you wanted, whenever you wanted, on any page you wanted, and have complete control of everything. If you wanted to put expiring titles on it, you would be welcome to use this blog as a resource for that.
> Continue with Netflix and commenting on this blog, but with the understanding that you need to comply with the following:
- Comments on the main page need to be limited to adding titles that are leaving, or sharing useful information about expiring titles. Related questions are alright, too.
- Other kinds of comments should go on the appropriate page for them. Usually, I am okay with all kinds of comments on the Discussions page, but honestly, I really don't want that to become a bash-Netflix page. There are too many other important topics that people bring up.
- So, for all complaints about Netflix, including, but not limited to:
The proliferation of Netflix originals
The number or kinds of titles that are expiring
The diminished quality of available movies
How you're losing your favorite titles
What you've already watched, want to watch, or are in the middle of watching.
Everything else in that general category,
Please put those comments here, on this very page. You can put as many as you want, as often as you want. Bookmark this page, so you don't have to find a link, although I will put one in the footer.
And what if you don't comply?
Response: One of the rights I have as blog administrator is to delete comments, where I see fit. The first few times I see comments inappropriately placed, I will move them to the correct place. If the problem is ongoing, I will simply start to delete them. I sincerely hope that doesn't become necessary. Policing isn't something I relish, but I have to look out for the other readers of this blog. They have the right to not be bombarded with comments they don't find useful.
I'm sorry my "weigh in" is so long, but I want this to be finally resolved, with no room for complaining that I acted in haste, or unfairly.
So I can complain here. It is just that when you have a sub to Netflix as long as I did 2010 and then they slowly take away everything I was watching. Now 90% of what is left I like is going away how can I not vent.
ReplyDeleteI am really sorry as even on the forums they got angry at me. I don't mean it but $2 for nothing to watch and one thing I use to say about NF was I will never run out of things to watch well next year except for the CW content that is it.
when you said $2 before, i thought you meant the $2 price increase to now, but are you paying someone just $2?
Deleteif you really feel there will be little to nothing left for you to watch on netflix, then that is how you feel, and it doesn't seem netflix is worth even $2 (no need to pay for nothing you want to watch). i myself would love to pay $2/mo.
Per your request moved here.
ReplyDeleteNetflix is taking away 90% of what I am watching. I doubt if I will keep my sub much longer. I been watching Hulu at least 3 hours a night and Netflix I am only watching Futurama until they decide to remove that and replace with another original mature rated adult animated series.
http://bgr.com/2016/12/06/netflix-movies-list-library-shrinking/
Proof here Netflix cares about stupid originals. We can look forward to more of Frank Underwood ugly puss (stupid name for a character I keep thinking it is Carrie Underwoods father or boyfriend the country singer) or Jessica Jones ugly miserable face.
Even mention that Hulu is the place to be for licensed shows.
do I like when a bunch of movies expire from Netflix no but I don't complain about it and try to watch as many as I can before they expire.
ReplyDeleteI don't complain much about movies as many will go on HBO or Starz for a few months then they are back on NF. Also then movies on HBO etc go on NF.
DeleteWhat I complain about is that 90% of the TV shows I was watching or what I was going to watch are expiring and there is no way I can finish it. Really adding nothing but originals 95% I can't watch (offensive sex and swearing) does me no good. I want the old NF back before originals took over and others agree with me too.
DeleteI think a lot of people agree with you about wanting the old Netflix back, Tony. It used to be better, no doubt about it. Businesses want profit, so they up the prices, and lower the quality. It's too bad more people don't just say, heck with that - I'm not giving you my business anymore. But they know they've roped us in, and we don't want to give up what little pleasure they've left for us. There's a long list of things that aren't as good as they used to be, and I wish I could have the old way back. Gotta get to work on that time machine.
Also movies are one then done unless it is a trilogy but series are continues episodes so when they going to expire and you have over a 100 episodes left there is no way to finish it. I don't Binge view at all only if rarely in the mood at the most four episodes and even then I hate to be forced to just to finish something.
Delete
ReplyDeleteHi Tony, I'm glad to see you here. I'm in the middle of the update now, but I'll be back later to tell you what MY latest pet peeve is about NF. I'm betting you'll agree with me, and maybe have something to add of your own.
Seth, I'm glad you checked this new page out, too. Good for you for just getting down to the business of getting through what you want to watch - from what you said on the other page, it sounds like you're one of the lucky ones who doesn't have a lot you want to see of the expiring titles. Relax and enjoy. (and if you ever do feel like complaining, this page is here to help)
I have already watched most of the ones I wanted to see that were expiring. some of the other ones that expiring I might end up watching but I need to watch what is on my list first. not happy about things leaving but a lot of what is expiring I have watched a while ago. some months i'll be like a lot of things are expiring from my list this month how will I have time to watch them all. if nothing else expires I will be happy. I don't complain because there will always be new things to watch.
DeleteNetflix exists to make the owners money and the stockholders money. Period. Now you would think that means listen to your customers and more money will poor in. But what they have discovered is do whatever you want because not many leave and you still get more people to sign up. They have learned what internet providers have learned. Charge whatever you want become rich and don't compete with anyone to keep prices high.
ReplyDeletehttps://entertainment.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=9683313&cid=52931287
ReplyDeleteI am not alone. Futurama is all I am watching on NF now.
no one said you were alone or had no right to complain (they just took issue with where and how you did it). i think everyone here has lost something they liked or wanted to watch. Linklisa was trying to help you find something still available you might like, but really it's no one's job here to sell you on netflix. if it's not worth $2 or $9.99 a month, you should drop the service. it benefits us more for them to lose customers so they second guess their business decisions.
Delete(btw, netflix did used to have the tv series south park. dbialac is wrong about that.)
ReplyDeleteSo, here's what's been irking me lately: The blatant self-promotion, which includes touting on the Home page banner the number of movies and shows added in the last few days. That doesn't sound like such a terrible thing, but if people knew how many movies and shows were LEAVING each month, they wouldn't be so excited. I hate how Netflix treats expiring titles like a closely guarded secret. Heaven forbid customers find out there's anything NOT wonderful going on. I think they should just put the expiration date on the info page as soon as they add a title. Then everyone would know how long they have to watch it, and really wouldn't have any reason to be upset.
You know what everyone hates? Change.
ReplyDeleteHowever, there is no escape from it. Technology will push change forward as will the demand from a changing audience. Most entertainment venues are courting the new up and coming generation. They grew up in a world of rapid change and over exposure. Now in order to "entertain" you have to shock or you lose their attention.
Of course that is a very blanket statement and there will always be exceptions to the rule.
Having said that, we are in new reality of entertainment. The companies want their buck. So companies hold their shows hostage which forces services like Netflix to change and try to keep their numbers up. They will give the masses what they want and if you fall outside of that no one will care.
Change is here for Netflix. It may very well become all originals in the future. I also dislike the fact so many of them are MA. I refuse to watch the kind of content.
So I have to adapt. I have Hulu, Acorn and Amazon along with Netflix. (Roku also has a nice range of free channels which supplement the paid ones.) I use Hulu and Acorn quite a bit. I also still find things I enjoy on Netflix. However, I'm not a fan of Amazon and thus will be dropping them shortly.
If Netflix hits the mark where it's all originals they will follow behind Amazon.
You're not always going to get everything you want and railing against that fact doesn't often help.
For me it comes down to what gives me the most for my money. Once a service stops holing up their end of the bargain I follow suit.
There will always be something you dislike or something that isn't good enough or something you'd do differently if you were in charge.
However, you are not helpless. You either choose to put up with it or you don't.
The structure of how we consume entertainment and what is available is only starting to change. Now's a good time to determine what's important for you and how much you're willing to put up with.
One thing to keep in mind, at the end of the day it's not an essential service. Is it really worth so much angst?
DeleteHear, Hear! Well stated, Apple; agree with everything you say. I realize though, that some of us do feel the need for an outlet for our frustration, and I wanted to offer them a safe place for that, without interrupting the primary purpose of the main or Discussions pages. Hopefully, we'll all move closer to your way of thinking, as time goes by, and be happier for it.
I hate MA rated programs. Really just like I hate R rated which is the same thing. I do however notice more non MA rated originals on Netflix than Amazon but I also remember how HBO and Showtime had originals for everyone and also the adult originals but now it is all adult originals. It is already happening to Amazon and I am afraid of Netflix turning in to another HBO, Showtime with just new adult MA originals.
Delete
DeleteI think the Disney deal will help to mitigate that, Tony. I don't have any little ones in my life any more, but I scan through all Netflix titles regularly to find those expiring. I'm fairly impressed with their kids and family programming, and with new Disney stuff being added regularly, there's more to look forward to. I do hope they bring back some of the classics eventually - Dumbo, Alice in Wonderland, Cinderella, Snow White. Love that old stuff.
I'm not sure what kinds of movies and shows you watch, but Netflix does have original programming for children, if you're looking to avoid the MA ratings. "All Hail King Julie" is based on the Madagascar character, "The Adventures of Puss in Boots" is based on the Shrek character, etc. They seem to have a deal with DreamWorks to produce original shows, since I have noticed a lot of DreamWorks stuff being pushed at me (likely because those movies are on my list or have been watched). I know they do have some non-DreamWorks stuff on there as well, but I haven't paid too much attention to that. They're also adding some foreign-language originals, but I don't know the ratings on those.
DeleteThat is all I watch in originals the kids stuff. Fuller house and a series of unfortunate events is the only new TV-PG series I am looking forward too ever. Otherwise I get tired of the kids originals as there is just kids or adults as last year crushed me with adult Marvel nothing in-between until "unfortunate events" come on next year.
DeleteAlso enjoying Unfortunate Events finally a NF original that is not animated or a dumb laugh track show. Too bad I will most likely have to wait years for the next non MA rated hour long show. I hope the upcoming NF original Lost in Space is not MA rated.
Delete
DeleteI hope so too, Tony (that LiS will not be MA). My kids loved the original (in reruns). I hope the NF version can hold a candle to it. Danger, Will Robinson!
Let me just start out by saying that I wasn't trying to make anyone feel bad with my previous comment. Stress is stress no matter what you're stressed about. I can be a bit emphatic at times.
ReplyDeleteNow onto the meat of this comment.
For me, I find that going out of my comfort zone has actually opened up shows and movies I wasn't sure about at the start. For example, I've recently been watching a TV show from Turkey that has completely captured my attention.
Also there is still a good amount of content if you're willing to dig just a bit more. I find this website (http://usa.newonnetflix.info/) to be a great source of information. I find programs through them I might not find on my own.
For what it's worth here are some of the titles I've enjoyed recently.
"The Little Prince" (PG) - It's a Netflix original animated movie that I found quite charming.
"What About Bob?" (PG) - A comedy from 1991 starting Bill Murray that is very funny.
"Chicken Run" (G) - An Aardman classic.
"Larry Crowne" (PG-13) - I was surprised by how much I liked this.
"Magnificent Century" (TV-14) - The aforementioned Turkish TV show.
"The Heavy Water War" (TV-14) - A wonderful historical drama.
"Zoo" (TV-14) - An interesting fantasy/sci-fi series.
"Silver Spoon" (PG) - A relaxing and colorful anime series.
"The Lion in Your Living Room" (G) - This one is good for cat lovers.
"Hidden Kingdoms" (PG) - A charming nature documentary.
"72 Cutest Animals" (G) - It's as cute as it sounds.
"Mumbai Railway" (PG) - An in depth look at the CST station in Mumbai.
Carol, let me apologize. I realize I've put two different comment types into this one comment. (resource and recommendation) I also realize I've broken the rule for this page as this is not a complaint per say. But I do hope that this information is helpful in some way.
DeleteYou're doin' great, Apple, no problems. Sometimes comments are appropriate for more than one page, so we do the best we can. I'm going to put a copy of your recommendations in the comments for the New & Existing reviews page, after I get today's update done. It's a good list (I loved The Lion in Your Living Room). Thanks.
I watched most of those titles including Lion in Your Living Room as I am a cat lover.
Delete
ReplyDeleteOkay, here's the other relatively new thing that really bugs me: the triple size posters for Netflix originals. Yeah, we get it, you're in love with yourselves. I mentioned this to a customer service rep, once, and he enthusiastically explained the reason behind the extra large size. You see, so many subscribers call in bewildered as to how they can find the original programs, Netflix mercifully took steps to help them in their plight. Those weren't the exact words, but very close to the sentiment he was trying to sell. Seriously? Was I suppose to believe that? I honestly think the rep did. I've noticed they have a tendency to be awfully naive.
Also Netflix originals have the worst bumper of any service. That loud bah boom can scare anyone when it blasts out loud. ABC, CW, heck even HBO, Amazon have much nicer ones.
Deletehahahahahahahahaha
Deleteon the topic of the red carpet treatment for netflix originals, when they redesigned the streaming site last year or the year before, i called and complained that i could no longer select text on the page for a movie or show to copy and paste (still can't). my usual purpose for this is just to get the title for another list. the rep said it was probably because so many titles are now in poster, i.e., graphic format. bear in mind this was long before they had so many originals, which still only make up a fraction of their overall library no matter how hard they promote them. like every other web site design change for the worse, this hasn't been and surely won't be undone.
Deleteas far as bumpers, at least they seem to have removed the one that plays when the service starts. i agree, way too loud. because shows start playing in the background when i am on my device and just trying to read the info, i still have to hear that obnoxious bumper. it's like the law & order sound effect went dubstep.
I agree. I never seen a more annoying bumper then Netflix. Even though I never watched HBO originals all adult rated I use to tune in just for the bumper which was a nice snow screen and a nice tone. Even tuned into other network bumpers as I liked them all but NF is so annoying it can wake up the dead.
Deletea family member just told me he can't find netflix originals and was thinking about calling them for help. i remembered this post and of course thought of how i can't avoid originals on my app and offered to help him find them. he has apple tv, and to my surprise he was completely correct. the app did not have a category of netflix originals, and the interface was totally different from mine (ps3 app). the only way we were able to narrow down the content to netflix originals was to search netflix and then click on content related to netflix originals. the lesson i learned is that it seems to depend at least partly on how you are accessing netflix, i.e., what device/app. in addition, 3 adults and 1 child were all using the same profile so i suggested making separate ones in case netflix doesn't know to recommend its own (MA-heavy) content, which i would have previously found so hard to believe.
Deletehappy holidays, everyone.
MA heavy content don't get me started. When I was able to chose a "Not recommended" rating it worked better but after even one star recommends new MA garbage so now I just cleared all my rating one by one rate what I watched or watching and ignore all the new MA original garbage.
DeleteAlso as I don't hate all NF originals the non MA rated stuff I only added originals to My List anything Y,Y7,G,PG which is a surprising 27 items so far way more than Amazon which is only about 5 down to about 3 left to watch.
So NF still cares about family originals but as did back in the day HBO and Showtime and what worries me as it happens to Amazon they only care about adult originals as they did not even choose one kids pilot show but chose all the MA ones is that NF might do the same one day.
DeleteTravis - thanks for the post about your relative who couldn't find the Netflix originals. I have to admit I was taken aback, and am now thinking maybe NF did get a lot of calls from customers with the same problem. I keep forgetting how many different devices/apps people use to access NF, and how they provide a wide range of viewing experiences. I wonder how many of their callers were using Apple TV, because it sounds like their great solution of zooming up the Originals posters didn't help those people.
I was also reminded that there are lots of people who DO want to explore the original content, and that my preferences are probably more likely to be in the minority.
Thanks again.
you're welcome.
Deletei didn't see the large posters within apple tv, and i navigated through several menus with this family member. i know the web site has these posters, but i get the impression a lot of customers don't even use the web site to browse netflix if they have a tv app.
(i pointed out that i couldn't vouch for the quality of any of their originals, so i'm with you, but the company markets them so relentlessly, and its "shills" advocate for them so tirelessly, i could understand the desire to see what's on offer.)
Is that the 2nd, 3rd Gen ATV with the much better interface that does not show the NF Originals?
DeleteThere's a great Chrome extension called Flix Plus that offers a lot of different options. One thing you can do with it is to hide rows you don't want to see in the poster display view.
DeletePaid original lover shill.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.engadget.com/2016/12/23/netflix-never-slowed-down-in-2016/
Now I have to look forward to seeing Luke Cage ugly face and wait what about those ugly mean woman in Orange is the new crap.
Also http://bgr.com/2016/12/23/marco-polo-netflix-flop-200-million-cancelled/ is where are extra $2 went instead of getting new content or renewing existing content Notflix.
Five freaking titles with about 36 hours or so notice that they are expiring. And one is a TV show! This happened across multiple platforms I check: there was no notice on the XBox, my phone app, or the website until tonight. When I checked this morning, those titles did not have notices. And the Netflix rep was trying to be helpful but just wasn't. She offered to share a list with me that had only 9 titles on it. How is that helpful when there are over 200 titles expiring?! Luckily for me, the four titles that I hadn't watched are all available on DVD, so I can just add them to that queue, but not everyone has that option. I'm about to cancel streaming and just be on the DVD plan if it's going to be like this.
ReplyDeleteBetter prepare for no expiration notices at all, at this rate.
Good lord, I've had a dozen additional titles pop up just today on my Roku app in addition to the titles leaving Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Hulu. With 24-48 hour notice. And I was planning on watching at least half of them in the next month or so once I had dealt with the 30 for 30s and other films I've been meaning to see.
ReplyDeleteAlthough I'd like a month notice with everything, at least if they had stuck with the one week notice on films, I could have prioritized everything better. But no, Netflix just doesn't seem to care for the customer. That's the sort of attitude that ends up getting you out of business.
At this stage, if something pops up that interests you, I'd recommend just watching it. That way you won't be surprised by the "notice" that Netflix gives you later on.
Or watch it then it expires before you can finish it. I am afraid to start watching any licensed content on Notflix.
DeleteI'm pretty much going to try to go through my rather large instant queue, figure out what's only available on streaming, and watch those titles first. Anything else can just go on my DVD queue. It's tough, though, since I have some TV shows on there where Netflix has the first, say, four seasons, but not the fifth and sixth on DVD. That makes me extremely nervous about getting caught up on those. I'm not really a fan of Hulu having commercials on their cheaper plan, so I doubt I'd hop over to Hulu. I had an Amazon Prime trial about a year ago and hated the interface but would use them if I needed to (only as a supplement, though, not a replacement, as I didn't find their library to be as large).
DeleteHulu is worth the extra for no ads. Since they got many content that NF had or would never get I been watching them as much as I use to watch NF.
ReplyDeleteThe biggest complaints I have about Netflix kicked in during the last or second last design overhaul of their site a year or so back.
ReplyDeleteThey used to have the poster for each movie/series which were smaller in size than the block they have now and so resulted in less scrolling required when making your way through My List. Another issue with the blocks is that they're not always representative of the movie and occasionally feature a supporting actor who's in three scenes instead of the lead (as the poster would) so sometimes I've put off watching a certain movie because the block looks so ugly only to find out that the movie is actually really really good. I think more people would recognize a movie based on the poster it was advertised with in theaters more so than the images they use for the blocks.
Also, they used to say right there on the Netflix Suggests page when the movies/series were set to expire ("available until such and such a date" under each title) so all I had to do was type "until" into my browser's Find On This Page function and it would take me directly to each one. Now I have to switch from Netflix Suggests to Manual and scroll down until I see the expiration notification. I can't keep it on Manual though because I prefer the way Netflix Suggests looks plus Manual doesn't let you see the synopsis or reviews like Netflix Suggests does. Too many clicks of the mouse required.
At the same time as they made that change, they eliminated the running count of how many movies/series you had in My List so now I have to get pen and paper and keep track of how many are on there at any given time. Very stupid to remove the running count when they have a 500 limit. It's easy to forget how many you have in My List when you're working on watching and finishing a TV series and meanwhile you're adding another two or three movies/series each day as they become available.
Lastly, I wish the DVD side worked with the streaming side like it used to. Remember when you could hover over a title in your DVD queue and it would tell you if it was coming to streaming soon? Now it doesn't and I just had the experience last week of receiving a DVD in the mail on the same day it became available to stream. What a waste of a slow in my DVD queue. If I'd known it was going to be available to stream so soon, I would have deleted it from my DVD queue and have the next movie be sent to me instead.
I've made all these complaints to Netflix customer service and each time I was told that the more people who complain about the same things the more likely they will fix the issues but who knows? I can't imagine a lot of people haven't complained about the missing running count or state secret nature of the expiration dates nowadays.
That said, Netflix is still far superior to the alternatives like Amazon Prime (which I have) and Hulu (which I used to have).
DeleteYep, you're right about all of that, Luke.
Re: posters - I just called Netflix Customer Service to report that the poster they have for the newly returned 2004 version of Around the World in 80 Days is actually for the 1956 version with David Niven. When you expand to see all the movie info, the rotating pics have 2 correct (Steve Coogan/Jackie Chan) but the first one that comes up is David Niven again. The actual info is correct, though. I'll be curious to see if they correct the graphics, and if yes, how long it takes.
Regarding the problem with DVDs: be sure to check out Brian Clarkson's site, Luke. He does a good job of keeping on top of what's coming to NF. Link is in "Related Websites" in our sidebar.
DeleteFor Brian's site, I should have said ". . . what's coming to NF streaming."
I think to a certain extent Netflix may make up their own posters (that or some incompetent boobs at the distributor need to stop playing around). There was some title a few months ago that had the misspelling "Millenium" in the poster for a while before it was corrected. A lot of posters I've seen just look like somewhat arbitrary screencaptures from the video, and other posters look so generic and with amateurish fonts that it's hard to believe anyone involved signed off on them. It's something I've wondered about, but the posters don't sway me because I'm not looking for recommendations anyway, I just want to know what is available (and a confusing poster can hinder that).
DeleteI used to run into the maxing out My List problem, but that was before the Epix and Miramax purges. I doubt I'll ever have to worry about hitting 500 again, but I wish the numbers were restored and used for manual reordering (and I have asked). I can see my life draining away as I spend minutes dragging and dropping titles to exactly where I want them on My List.
I still rent DVDs of movies and shows available to stream. I like audio commentaries and other extras. Sometimes I stream it in HD and then watch the extras on the DVD, often the next day. (A Blu-Ray subscription is not worth it because so much of what I rent isn't available on Blu-Ray.) I've been burned a couple times by false advertising on the discs side of the site saying there were extras when there really weren't, and I've also streamed something only to be informed later there were extras despite none being listed. Netflix does a really lousy job keeping their "Other features" section accurate.
Carol, I noticed that with the Around the World in 80 Days remake too. They did the same thing (only in reverse) with Hairspray a few months back. The block was for the remake but the movie was actually the John Waters directed original. They fixed it a couple of days later.
ReplyDeleteBTW, I'll check out Brian's site. Thanks.
Travis, I suspect that's the case in regard to who is creating the blocks especially considering they sometimes feature the remake when it's the original or the original when it's the remake or show supporting characters instead of the actual stars. No way a studio would sign off on those.
I spent a couple of hours last night creating a spreadsheet in Excel (haven't used that program in 20 years) to keep track of what's on My List. Cool thing with that is that it has the numbering automatically down the left side and you can sort it by alphabetical order which makes it easy to navigate. No more wasting forests worth of trees by using pen and paper all the time.
DeleteThe poster and pics for Around the World in 80 Days have been fixed. Good job, Netflix.
I opened Netflix twice yesterday and browsed for 20 minutes finding nothing to watch and went back to Hulu again all evening.
ReplyDeleteSince the massacre this year there is very little to watch. Futurama I am getting tired of and there is nothing else.
Tony, I currently have 485 movies/series in My List. It always hovers around there count-wise which is why them removing the running count of how many movies/series are in My List annoys me so much.
ReplyDeleteThen again, I like a lot of foreign stuff (Korean, French etc). I'm hoping they get last year's Korean remake of the Julianna Margulies series The Good Wife starring Do-yeon Jeon from the movie The Housemaid as the promo for that looks great and Do-yeon is awesome. Netflix is pretty good at keeping their Korean series well-stocked.
I am cancelling Netflix next month. After opening the app twice wasting 20 minutes each time finding nothing new to watch after they got rid of any older TV shows this year all I found was plenty of mature rated garbage I gave up and staid on Hulu again all evening.
ReplyDeletei used to look forward to browsing the app for what to watch, but now it's like being at the video store and seeing rows and rows of direct to video movies no one would rent if what they really wanted were available.
DeleteThose B type movies are terrible too about the service. I also looked for a movie too most of them no name foreign snoozefest but also yet again went on Hulu to watch one.
DeleteUpdate Travis you were talking about the app not just the movies. I been recovering from a chest cold and everytime now I open up the app to find something all I find is there dumb logo on most programs mostly mature. I get sick again.
DeleteToo think Hulu hides content where you have to go into there app as it has way more features. Netflix pathetic common UI even when I browse in categories which makes me sick again I see the same repeated content shoved down to me as on the main page NF ugly red logo everywhere.
what was great about netflix when it specialized in DVDs is you could rent pretty much anything you could imagine. movies you want to see but would never find stocked at the local video store. you could rent anything from the biggest blockbuster of the year to oscar-winning classics to much discussed foreign films and cult favorites. when netflix became a streaming company it was the biggest blessing for b movies, but it feels generous even calling them b movies because it's more like z. these are movies that would get ignored in the video store if they ever even got released. streaming has brought the bar down. it's hard for me to believe there is really an appetite for some of these movies other than they are cheap to license and inflate the library with. i guess people watch them just because that's what's being advertised to them when they browse, and i'm sure a lot of mediocre actors, directors, and producers are very grateful.
DeleteNot all bad. Some good news.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.cnet.com/news/netflix-wants-to-keep-it-in-the-family/
Looks like NF is not giving up on kids originals. First original ever I am excited about "A Series of Unfortunate Events" that they did not matureify I am still terrified it was going to turn into another HBO, Showtime all adult originals.
It happened again! The Stellan Skarsgard film In Order of Disappearance arrived at my house on DVD yesterday (well, last night thanks to the slow mail delivery courtesy of the snow here in NY) and today I see the movie is now available to stream.
ReplyDeleteNone of the websites devoted to telling us what movies are coming to Netflix streaming had the title on their lists and there was no notification on Netflix either (like there used to be) telling me it would be available to stream.
In fact, as of right now, the DVD side of the website doesn't even acknowledge that you can also stream the movie but there it is on both the DVD and streaming sides of the the site.
Frustrating. Another wasted slot in my DVD queue that could have gone to a movie that's not available to stream.
This is the second time in two weeks that this has happened to me. Why are expiration dates and what's coming such a state secret? I love Netflix but this is really grinding my gears.
yeah, it used to say when you hovered over a title something like (Streaming 1/9/17), which was very helpful. i know i've told them to bring back the expiration date notices and to reenable us to add a title directly to My List from the dvd section, and neither has happened, but customer service needs to be told how useful the announcement is as well.
ReplyDeletethe other issue is there are sometimes duplicates of titles. i noticed one just this weekend that is "saved" with no playback option on dvd but is streaming. i don't think there is anyone doing quality assurance checks for compatibility, especially as they keep removing functions from the site. that continues to amaze me given how rich and successful the company is and how many employees it seems to have, but i have similar issues with verizon and its video on demand service. if you want to check whether this is caused by a title duplication, see if the movie ID numbers in the URLs match.
ReplyDeleteThat would chap my hide, too, Luke. I'm sorry this keeps happening to you. BTW, I checked the urls on streaming and dvd side, as Travis suggested, and they are the same.
If I were you, I would call Customer Service, and ask for a replacement dvd, without any penalty to you. I'll bet they'll do it. If there is resistance, tell them you methodically check for what's scheduled to come to streaming so you don't order a dvd unnecessarily. Point out that their press release in the prior month implies that it is a complete list of all new titles scheduled to arrive in the upcoming month. Ask them what they suggest you do to avoid this problem. I know it's a bother to call them, but what's happening isn't okay, and I think even the clueless NFCS reps can understand that.
I might just do that.
DeleteActually, I've never gotten an email press release of upcoming and expiring streaming titles despite customer service assuring me multiple times that I'm signed up to receive it. I get their other emails telling me when DVDs are received and shipped and occasionally an email telling me that a title they think I'll be interested in has arrived. But never the monthly press release with upcoming and expiring streaming titles. Another frustration.
I just got off the phone from customer service. I must have been on the phone for close to an hour.
DeleteI brought up the fact that, on the DVD side if a movie was coming to streaming in a few weeks, it would tell you when you hover over the title that it was coming to streaming on such and such a date at which point I'd remove the movie from my DVD queue and just wait for it to arrive on streaming so I didn't waste money and a slot getting shipped something I can stream.
The first guy (in the DVD department) said that was never the case. I told him I wasn't stupid and I wasn't just making it up. Things got combative and I brought up the idea that I should receive free DVDs for having two in two weeks shipped to me on the day or day before it became available to stream thanks to no notification from them and he finally relented and sent me one which ought to be shipped out tomorrow.
I was then put through to the streaming side where the first lady told me that the DVD and streaming sides are so split now that they have no idea what the other side is doing and that I should really be speaking to the DVD side about it.
She sent me back to the DVD department where a second lady said that on December 16 the DVD and streaming sides became more separate than ever at which point the streaming availability notification when you hovered over a title in the DVD queue became a feature they removed. She agreed that it's removal didn't make sense.
She did say that I should be getting an email press release each month telling me all the movies coming and going for the month which I told her that I've never received despite being assured multiple times by multiple customer service people over the past year that I should be and am signed up to receive (I get all their other emails). She said she gets it all the time and that it's a streaming issue and I should speak to a supervisor over there.
Cue being sent to the streaming side again and explaining everything a fourth time. The second guy there insisted that no such email press release exists. I told him that half the people I speak to claim to receive it every month while the other half denies it exists so what's going on? I told him I feel like some I stumbled upon some grand government secret and they haven't gotten together to decide how to explain it away.
He said he'd send me to the supervisor but they were on another call and so he took down some other complaints I had (like the running count of how many movies/shows are in your streaming queue went missing a few months ago). I asked him how a customer is supposed to not waste money and a slot in the DVD queue having soon to be streaming movies shipped to them and he had no idea. He mentioned various (unnamed) websites and I told him that none of them that I go to ever listed In Order of Disappearance as streaming at all much less today. UNOGS listed it this morning but that was too late for me when the DVD arrived at my house last night.
He eventually knocked 50% off my streaming bill for next month in order to make up for the mess. I never did get to speak to a supervisor.
In summary, the DVD and streaming sides have absolutely no idea what the other side is doing and the email press release exists but doesn't exist. I'm exhausted. I need a drink.
DeleteYeah, that's how I usually feel after talking to customer service. I'm glad to hear that you did get something out of them, but it sounds like they didn't make it easy - which they should have.
I've never heard of being able to get the monthly press release in email - it's a "press" release, after all. Maybe NF sends it to their employees - or some of them, anyway. I think people can be notified about it in Facebook - maybe that’s what the person who said they get it was thinking of. It wouldn't surprise me if most customer service reps don't even know what the monthly press release is. The ones I've talked to are alarmingly ignorant about so many Netflix-related issues. They seem to know only what they've been trained on, and very little about actually using the service, other than to pick a movie and watch. It is incredibly frustrating to talk to them.
Has anyone else ever heard of getting the press release in email?
Make that three times in two weeks that I've wasted money and a slot in my DVD queue. The Greg Kinnear movie Little Men is among the DVDs scheduled to arrive at my house tomorrow. This morning I see it's now available to stream. No notification from either Netflix or some other website that this title would be streaming anytime soon. This is getting to be very annoying.
Deleteyeah, it's crazy that it doesn't even list "Streaming" as a format anymore when you hover over a title even if there is a button to start watching it right there. what does netflix possibly have to gain from this?
DeleteOne day after Little Men became available for streaming (the day before the DVD arrived at my house), Netflix shipped me the next movie in my queue (American Honey) even though, based on my five DVDs out at a time plan, it shouldn't have happened as nothing was returned that day.
DeleteMaybe after complaining to so many people the other day (thanks to getting transferred back and forth to many times), they set up something on my account to ship me an extra DVD whenever a movie that's being shipped to me becomes available for streaming. If so, cool.
Or maybe it was just a coincidence. Who knows? Either way, I should know if the same thing happens again. I'll let you know.
I've now had a DVD arrive and then become available for streaming. I'm not as upset as you are, since I had the DVD at least a week before it became available for streaming. Still, had I known it would be coming to streaming, I wouldn't have had it shipped. I can somewhat understand trying to hide the expiration dates, but hiding what is coming to streaming just seems really stupid, especially given their "We've added 14 movies and TV shows in the past week" thing on the streaming home page.
Deletenetflix would probably argue they aren't hiding it, they are just no longer getting that information. with only a few million disc subscribers left, i wonder how many of us have a streaming subscription with them as well. i still say it's the perfect complement, just a little less perfect since they started removing functionality and information. i can't imagine it saves them that much either. after all, they already programmed/built the architecture, it was in place for years, and they already own their own data. i'd think that data sharing would be automated. just a matter of turning the faucet back on.
Deleteone "dvd.com" supervisor last year admitted to me she missed the functionality and doesn't know why it was removed, but another supervisor i got tried to claim streaming expiration dates were confusing to customers who will supposedly believe it means the disc title will be removed. if there is any truth to that, it may have made more business sense to netflix to eliminate that notice (and maybe there were customers who thought the streaming arrival date also referred to discs and they had to wait, bless their hearts, but more likely, once they got going, netflix figured they might as well remove this, too, for the increased separation of the two companies). maybe the panicked calls eclipsed the number of calls since then from us complaining about not being able to see what is coming to and leaving netflix streaming from allllll the way over on the discs side. i'm not sure i buy that, but it's one theory.
another theory is that sometimes netflix streaming content is late. i remember browsing a couple years ago and seeing alongside the posters that the next season of a few shows were coming on a certain date, and then that date came and went. in several instances the season arrived several months after the first announced date. they have since removed announcements within their web site and at least my device app except for content they control (Tony's favorites). i'm sure the missed dates were cause of some embarrassment and probably more customer complaints than those of us asking for "dvd.com" to bring back streaming dates.
ReplyDeleteDallas Sayers January 13, 2017 at 5:46 AM
Why was calliou removed ?? Why are shows being taken off! My sister loved calliou
Because NF rather release there dumb cheapo original very few kids programs to replace it instead.
Delete
DeleteHi Dallas, I've done some research on Caillou. Here are some options for your sister to still watch:
Go to: http://pbskids.org/video/
Click on the picture of Caillou to see all available videos.
There are a few full episodes, and several short pieces. I think these get regularly updated, so it's not always the same stuff. This is free.
If you have access to Amazon Prime Video, there is 1 season available there.
Probably your best bet is to visit your local library. Mine has 19 different Caillou dvds.
Good luck!
So instead of just being able to open the app and launch the program you have to walk all the way to your local library mine is far away just to get a scratched up DVD that you have to mess around with on your disk player. Thanks Notflix.
Delete
DeleteI'm lucky to have a conveniently located, very well-stocked, willing to order movies I request, and unfailingly helpful public library. I realize not everyone does (a friend's library system actually charges for dvds!). But I believe it's always worth mentioning, because the library is often an underused resource.
ReplyDeleteSpikeit January 15, 2017 at 10:58 PM
You dropped Dragnet, then Adam 12, now The Rockford Files and Emergency!. Used to Net was like Tv Land in that some older series were available. Any that were worth watching are gone and so am I. Bye, Bye, Netflix. Many sources to pick from now days.
i loved the old tvland. it was a nice backdoor to classic tv growing up watching nickelodeon. i had looked forward to watching more on netflix, but alas...
Delete(i get the feeling the recently copied commenters are like or are some of the same people who write reviews on netflix solely consisting of whining for streaming access to certain content or about what discs they are or aren't getting, as if that's what reviews are for. the quality of the user reviews was so much higher before streaming. they don't even seem to be maintained now.)
Someone needs to release a ad free subscription HD quality all classic TV service today. Although Hulu is getting some classic TV shows nothing compared to the old NF when they had many old shows. Now all they care about is original this and "the walking dred" licensed garbage.
Delete
ReplyDeleteTony Ramirez January 21, 2017 at 6:03 AM
Unless you have a tragedy like I did. Could not finish Quantum leap thanks Notflix.
DeleteThe above comment was in response to another comment on the main page.
Tony, I don't have time to be moving your "personal feelings/experiences" comments around. I tolerate a little, but you're starting to push it again. I've been busy coming up with more than 100 titles expiring at the end of January. How many have you contributed?
I'm focused on helping readers get the most out of this blog. Your mostly negative comments are not. Summing up, keep it on this page, or keep it to yourself. Capiche?
Carol, I must have misread the date you included on Padam Padam over on the main page as for some reason I thought it was expiring at the end of January. Apologies.
DeleteI have about 175 TV series in my streaming queue at any given time and I keep wanting to whittle it down just in case a number of them (like Weeds which has 8 seasons) suddenly show up as expiring in the same month.
Unfortunately, I have to keep making room for new movies/series being added and tend to watch movies instead as they're quicker to watch and then delete.
Thankfully though, these Korean series I love so much are almost always a single season (typically 20 one hour episodes) so they don't take that long to watch. One weekend of binge-watching is enough to get through one.
Sorry.
Delete
DeleteHi Luke, I know what you mean - so many movies, so many series, so little time. My kids are grown, and I'm retired, but I still can't get to everything I want to watch. I'm glad you've got more time than you thought for Padam Padam.
Also I have AS so I always can't help it when something annoys me but I will make a effort not to post there or just post a link there to my rant here.
Delete
DeleteTony - it is NOT okay to post a link on the main page to a rant here. The way to handle responding to something on the main page is to make your post here, and refer to the info on the main page. For example:
"In comments on the Home page, xyz said Such and Such tv series only got 3 days notice that it was going to expire." Begin your thoughts here.
I appreciate that it might be difficult for you to refrain from leaving comments on the main page that should be left here. Do the very best you can. The more often you choose to come to this page, the easier it will get. If I see such comments on the main page, it will be up to my discretion whether it stays there, gets moved here, or gets deleted. If it happens more than once in a while, I can pretty much guarantee I will delete them.
Thanks for your cooperation, Tony. I'm always interested to see what you have to say here. Complaints are certainly valid comments when made in the appropriate place. That way, you know that everyone reading them will want to do so, and people who just want to know what titles will be going on the list won't be frustrated by too many other kinds of comments. It's all about consideration for others.
Thanks I will not do that. All rants will go here. If I find a show expiring I will post on the main page but I most likely won't know because my List is blank I use to have so many items there it got confusing and a pain to manage in alphabetical order.
Delete
DeleteOkay, that sounds good, Tony - thanks.
The only comment is that these comments might get long so it might be better every month of so to archive the older comments for the months like on the main comments page.
Delete
DeleteYes, I've been thinking about that, and will most likely put up a fresh page for February. This page will still be accessible for anyone who wants to read what has gone before. Thanks for thinking about this, Tony.
https://www.wired.com/2017/01/netflix-investing-original-shows-finally-pays-off/
ReplyDeleteBig deal when 90% are for adults and they remove most good licensed content while Hulu is getting much better licensed content.
http://cordcuttersnews.com/hulu-plans-expand-catalog-2017/
ReplyDeleteWow Hulu cares about licensed content. They want to produce originals which I will never watch but they still want to get licensed content.
On a non rant I though I was dreaming when I found Netflix bought back He-Man what a nice surprise which went away 3 years ago and it even remembered where I left off.
DeleteEvery once in a while, Netflix does something right. Yay!
As long as they don't pull the crap of only leaving it up for 3 to 6 months.
Deletethat was my first favorite cartoon. i own the complete series on dvd but was glad to see it returned to streaming as well.
Deleteas far as hulu, i don't think they will ever stray too far from their original identity as the place to go for recent episodes of network tv shows. if i had to miss an episode of a show i watched, i would go to hulu to see it before the next episode airs. i was saddened but not shocked by their becoming another pay-only streaming site. when someone on this blog was kind enough to share the groupon details for the 45-day hulu trial, i signed up. unfortunately, it was bad timing, and as soon as my trial started i had a lot of content expiring elsewhere that i wanted to watch, but i did see at least how much good (licensed) content is on there, including from cable, and plan to return when i have more time. it doesn't make a lot of sense to have so many services simultaneously unless you're not concerned with costs, but each has its perks. hulu has a lot of shows i'm interested in.
Years ago back in the golden years of NF 2010-2013 before the original crap started to come out and take over I only had NF. I refused to get Amazon and Hulu was not ever considered.
DeleteNot until after 2013 when the dumb originals started to take over I first got Amazon Prime and stayed after they decided to be exclusive to some shows like Doctor Who which NF dropped last year.
I then only had Hulu using at the time Bing credits but barley used it because of the ads. I was going to drop them after but they went ad free got shows like Senfield and Smallville some Disney channel shows better anima and I kept them. Now I watch them the most.
So now I have three TV services I refuse however to sign up for the POS CBS All Access I looked and much content on there is also on the other services and what gets me is there pathetic classic TV content like Taxi, Brady Bunch has many missing episodes of shows the same as Hulu does.
i wonder why the missing episodes? i know some classic series were late to or never released on dvd because of rights issues, mainly music rights. maybe the missing episodes have music they don't want to pay so much to clear.
Deletespeaking of money, in hindsight, even if you have hulu, prime, and netflix, if you get the most out of it then it's probably still costing less than a month of trips to the video store at peak prices, especially for a couple or family. people probably forget that blockbuster was charging upwards of $5 PER RENTAL, not counting any late fees. younger people probably don't even know.
as glad as i am that era is over, i also don't like everyone getting into the game of making their own proprietary, pay-only streaming service. i can't see myself ever subscribing to cbs all access. i find it especially galling they have commercials on top of the steep fee for what they have.
I agree if they can't get some one hit wonder has been song in the episode then dub over it with public domain music. As long as I can watch the episode I don't care.
Deletea lot of people agree with you, but there are others who insist that every episode be exactly as it first aired, so the producers can't please everyone. i'm sure they would prefer to use the original music. sometimes they are being cheap, but sometimes artists charge exorbitant fees because it's such a good source of income so long after the music was at its most popular. unfortunately, too often the decision is made just to shelve plans to reissue the show or presumably remove entire episodes.
DeleteThe actually episode is more important than the music but I see many siding that they want the original uncut version of the episode when it first aired and I kind of agree with them.
DeleteOkay I got really mad and NF last night and I will be dropping them if this annoyance goes on all of my devices. I will quote what I wrote on the Roku forums as I don't want to type it all again.
ReplyDeleteLink is here for the full topic.
https://forums.roku.com/viewtopic.php?f=28&t=98982
"If this annoying offensive feature does not give us a option to turn off I am done with NF for good. My PS4 got this feature and while I was browsing it would start to play with audio and dialog. One trailer has the word a** okay but another said s*it. One might even had the f word in it of course this was all NF orignal garbage playing without my permission. Okay NF I have zero interest in 90% of originals only kids originals. Bad enough you have to shove this mature garbage in my face but to start to play without my permission I can't even browse now. What I have to mute my TV sorry but I don't' think so. I will mute NF and stick with Hulu which is getting better everyday."
"Thank you Mike we agree on something. Also some were pretty violent too. One show someone being stabbed with blood. Another had people with guns to there head. Maybe when they push this annoyance to everyone as only a few selected only my PS4 has it which I refuse now to use for NF it will get more attention. As I said the violence, profanity of course came from NF own original production garbage. The licensed content is mostly harmless just annoying PD music."
i hate that feature, too. a few weeks earlier i said i used to enjoy browsing within the app. that was before they introduced actual trailers and movie clips backed by cheesy library music that autoplay after a couple seconds. before that, netflix had the bright idea of autoplaying the movie if you went to the screen for more info for more than a second. i hate that, too. i'm capable of pressing start all on my own. i go to the info screen for info, not to be startled by sound or to strain my eyes trying to read the text over the beginning of the movie. there used to be a calmness to selecting what to watch, not unlike walking through the aisles of a video store, but netflix ruined it and for what i'm not sure. just don't expect them to turn it back.
DeleteAs I said Hulu does not do this and if you have the 2nd gen Fire TV or 2nd Gen Stick the home screen will do this but it can be TURNED OFF.
Delete
ReplyDeletePLEASE NOTE: Because we've got almost 100 comments on this page, I have put up a new complaints page for February. Please use that page now. The links in the footer and sidebar have been changed. THANKS!
Carol can you please update the link for the February comments it is dead there and no one is replying.
ReplyDelete