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Is Netflix's TV model really the future of television?

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I hate the netflix model so much. Binging TV shows is tiring and makes all the episodes blend together into a yucky mush. Also, you can't talk to anyone about the show until you finish the entire series. Which means you miss out on a big part of some shows (like lost, for example. If you marathon it without discussing the episodes with anyone or having that sense of anticipation you're basically watching a completely different show.) And if you dont watch the entire show the minute its released on netflix you're now at risk for a bunch of spoilers. Its so annoying.

Weekely episodes are far more relaxing and fun. You have the excitement and anticipation, the fun discussion the show with friends, and you don't have to worry about being spoiled for the most part. I can't understand why anyone would prefer the neflix model unless they're ADD and need to have all the episodes now.

Watch shows with friends and discuss each episode as you go. That is how my group of friends does it for certain series. We have a weekly-ish get together to watch 2 to 3 episodes of a show we are watching and have dinner. It is a fantastic way to experience television.

And spoilers come from everywhere. My local paper does stupid episode recaps of The Walking Dead.
 
On demand and binge watching is obviously a great way to catch up but it doesn't mean that most people don't care about following a show weekly. It might be true, and I'm not really saying it isn't, but unless we have hard data that's not a claim anyone can make.

Also, DVR's are irrelevant here. A DVR allows you to watch an episode whenever it suits you (another form of on-demand really) but this is about release schedules. Even if you watch the episode a day or two later that doesn't mean you can't be exited for next weeks episode or speculate with other people what will happen next.

Don't you think Netflix has this data though? If people wanted things weekly, Netflix would have released them that way. They have the ability.
 
Watch shows with friends and discuss each episode as you go. That is how my group of friends does it for certain series. We have a weekly-ish get together to watch 2 to 3 episodes of a show we are watching and have dinner. It is a fantastic way to experience television.

This is a lot harder to do once you have a family. Great if you're younger and single, but not so much as you get older and settle down.

Don't you think Netflix has this data though? If people wanted things weekly, Netflix would have released them that way. They have the ability.

Do they though? They know that if possible, people will watch the next episode, but that doesn't mean that it's a good model. It's like having two piece of chocolate cake in front of a kid. The kid will likely eat both but that doesn't mean it's good for the kid. They just have data that the short term affect of it being there means it will be taken. But that doesn't show the long term affect on the popularity of a show. Plus their data is based on mostly existing properties that have been done weekly. So in a way, I don't think they really do have the data to see what binge watching does to a series that is only released in binge watching form. It's new territory.
 
As anecdotal as it may be. I experienced the X-Files one way. And that was watching it through Netflix. Did I binge watch an entire season at a time? No. I enjoyed it as I felt I wanted to experience more of the content. I experienced that 'ride' through a 2 year time span. And the X-Files is my favorite show as well.

It seems we both enjoy the same show for the same reason, and watched it on a completely different structure.
That's great, but watching The X-Files live across 200+ weeks from 1993 to 2002 versus marathoning it on Netflix just isn't the same thing. The traditional model is great because it allowed for weekly discussions, and future audiences like yourself still had an opportunity to marathon it.
 
Do you have some statistics to back up your claim that most people would rather binge watch? Breaking Bad is not a great example in favor of the Netflix model anyway because if you binge watched it and liked that then great for you, you got what you wanted while the people who wanted to follow the show weekly also got what they wanted.

It's not a coincidence that Breaking Bad exploded after it became available for Netflix streaming. The show's ratings literally doubled between the two halves of season 5.
 
This is a lot harder to do once you have a family. Great if you're younger and single, but not so much as you get older and settle down.

My group of friends are mostly all married or long-time relationship people with a few kids scattered here and there. We just try and make the time. Can't make a week? They can catch up on their own usually.

That's great, but watching The X-Files live across 200+ weeks from 1993 to 2002 versus marathoning it on Netflix just isn't the same thing.

That is the nostalgia talking. I used to watch X-Files with my dad every week (along with Seinfeld/The Simpsons/etc) and while the memories are great, I don't knock this new model of giving you options. Plus you totally have the control to watch the X-Files like you did, just watch one every week at a set time. Done.
 
That's great, but watching The X-Files live across 200+ weeks from 1993 to 2002 versus marathoning it on Netflix just isn't the same thing.

It's absolutely crazy for you to say you enjoyed it more than I did because I consumed it in a different schedule
 
It's not a coincidence that Breaking Bad exploded after it became available for Netflix streaming. The show's ratings literally doubled between the two halves of season 5.

I'm glad some people aren't burying their heads in the sand just because there isn't "data", given that such data would be impossible to produce. Netflix has the closest we can get to such data, and it's shown them that releasing all at once is what consumers want.

It's absolutely crazy for you to say you enjoyed it more than I did because I consumed it in a different schedule

Admittedly it was different for him, but that doesn't make it better. I do think some shows woldn't work via the Netflix model, but anything with an overarching story is perfect.
 
Don't you think Netflix has this data though? If people wanted things weekly, Netflix would have released them that way. They have the ability.
Netflix undoubtedly has data of of when people watch their shows, but I'm not sure if that alone is enough to say whether people prefer it or not. Obviously if you weren't into the show when it was airing and find out about it later on, then you are going to be counted as somebody who prefers to binge watch even if you actually would have preferred to have followed the show when it was new. I guess Netflix could potentially be monitoring certain accounts that they know watched the entire previous season of a show, and then see how many of those accounts decided to watch the latest season weekly and how many waited until the entire season was over before they started.

In the end, you're going to have two groups, people who prefer it weekly and people who want it all at once. It seems to me that it's far easier for the people who want it all at once to simply wait until the weekly show is over and binge it then than it is for the others to get what they want out of the Netflix model of releasing it all at once.
 
Let me rephrase... with traditional television, for TV shows I feel really passionate about there is new content for that SINGLE series each week.


It depends on show to some degree, but many shows work beautifully because of the scheduling of traditional television. For example, "The X-Files" is one of my favorite shows of all time. It worked because of many reasons, but the writing, acting, cinematography, directing, etc. were only tiny factors in why the series persevered across nearly a decade. What made it most special was that it wasn't just a technical exercise. It was an experience, or essentially a "ride" which made it something highly unique and very different from what was offered by going to see a movie at the theater. Every week, I always had an anticipation about going on a new adventure Friday night (and later Sunday night) with Mulder and Scully. The show didn't just have great content, it had content that wouldn't even work well if it was scheduled differently.

Your referring to stories as "content" is making me cringe.

The idea that a TV show is only good as its first run is pretty absurd. If it's good, it's good. If it's bad, it's bad. Whether or not a show's release is staggered across a long or short period of time doesn't mean a thing to the actual quality. If it did, that would mean every TV show ever has zero shelf life. E.g. Band of Brothers is one of the best things ever produced on TV, but only if you watched it in 2001, otherwise it's just not as good.
 
It's not a coincidence that Breaking Bad exploded after it became available for Netflix streaming. The show's ratings literally doubled between the two halves of season 5.

Not sure how this relates to binge watching/weekly episodes. Breaking Bad had huge word of mouth hype after seasons 3-4.. Most people I know never even heard of Breaking Bad during the first few seasons. Netflix simply allowed people to catch up.
 
In the end, you're going to have two groups, people who prefer it weekly and people who want it all at once. It seems to me that it's far easier for the people who want it all at once to simply wait until the weekly show is over and binge it then than it is for the others to get what they want out of the Netflix model of releasing it all at once.

But it isn't easier because then we have to avoid spoilers for months at a time. Neither group is going to be satisfied, but I think the market is moving towards the Netflix model.
 
I'm glad some people aren't burying their heads in the sand just because there isn't "data", given that such data would be impossible to produce. Netflix has the closest we can get to such data, and it's shown them that releasing all at once is what consumers want.

It definitely works for Netflix - people binge-watch on Netflix, it's their behavior.
But Amazon Prime, for example, released the first 3 episodes (pilot + 2 episodes) of their shows - Alpha House and Betas - on day one then released every following episode on a weekly basis. I assume they will do the same on their next batch of shows.
 
But it isn't easier because then we have to avoid spoilers for months at a time. Neither group is going to be satisfied, but I think the market is moving towards the Netflix model.
Surely it's easier to just avoid all discussion threads completely than it is to try and have a spoiler free discussion on a weekly basis when all episodes are already out there?
 
That is the nostalgia talking. I used to watch X-Files with my dad every week (along with Seinfeld/The Simpsons/etc) and while the memories are great, I don't knock this new model of giving you options. Plus you totally have the control to watch the X-Files like you did, just watch one every week at a set time. Done.
Again, this has NOTHING to do with viewing habits. With the traditional model, people had new X-Files mysteries to discuss with their friends for 22-24 unique weeks every season. With a Netflix model, most of the discussions about all the show's mysteries and mythology would be completely stifled. When all the episodes are just out there in the wild, there is no point to talk about anything.
 
Discussions will become more like the gaming side where people talk about 70-hour games - hopping around spoilers to talk about certain levels. "I just beat ___ on Level __!"
 
Surely it's easier to just avoid all discussion threads completely than it is to try and have a spoiler free discussion on a weekly basis when all episodes are already out there?

Your assumption is that it's threads where spoilers are happening. That isn't usually the case. Most spoilers happen in person, on Facebook, Twitter, and other mediums.

So no it isn't easier for us to avoid those for months at a time. What's easier is for the dinosaurs who want to stick with an outdated model to move on and get with the times.
 
Surely it's easier to just avoid all discussion threads completely than it is to try and have a spoiler free discussion on a weekly basis when all episodes are already out there?

Until you check Facebook and your news feed is filled with Game of Thrones death spoilers.
 
Again, this has NOTHING to do with viewing habits. With the traditional model, people had new X-Files mysteries to discuss with their friends for 22-24 unique weeks every season. With a Netflix model, most of the discussions about all the show's mysteries and mythology would be completely stifled. When all the episodes are just out there in the wild, there is no point to talk about anything.

Baloney. I've binge-watched many shows (either after they've ended or in between seasons) and talked to my friends (or those on the internet) about them: BSG, Lost, Twin Peaks, Downton Abbey, Mad Men, Fringe, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Doctor Who, and more. I still don't really watch many shows live. I might wait for episodes to build up and do a little binge. My friends and family are the same way. It's not much of problem I just start a conversation figuring out where they are in the show.

The way people discuss books is how all-at-once TV shows will be discussed.
 
No.

The WWE Network is.

On demand + taped & love scheduled programming is the future.

Netflix should release their original programming exactly how WWE will do. It airs at a scheduled time, after that you can watch it on demand, but you must still wait for the next episode.

This.
I really like the way the WWE Network is doing things, at least now I do. Who knows, maybe it'll end up sucking when it comes out. At the moment, though, having a schedule while also having On-Demand at the same place sounds awesome.
 
Your assumption is that it's threads where spoilers are happening. That isn't usually the case. Most spoilers happen in person, on Facebook, Twitter, and other mediums.

So no it isn't easier for us to avoid those for months at a time. What's easier is for the dinosaurs who want to stick with an outdated model to move on and get with the times.

How is it easier to find 10 to 13 hours of free time in one or two sessions to binge watch a show in order to find out everything that happens before the people who do have time to watch everything in one sitting and give out spoilers? It's much easier for most people to keep up with a show that airs once a week than it is to keep up with people who have a ton of free time and will watch everything at once.
 
I'm most surprised that people watch TV shows with the idea that they just want to talk about that show. I think that's what I'm learning most here.
 
How is it easier to find 10 to 13 hours of free time in one or two sessions to binge watch a show in order to find out everything that happens before the people who do have time to watch everything in one sitting and give out spoilers? It's much easier for most people to keep up with a show that airs once a week than it is to keep up with people who have a ton of free time and will watch everything at once.

This is a pretty huge assumption to make.

I'm most surprised that people watch TV shows with the idea that they just want to talk about that show. I think that's what I'm learning most here.

That's because most people don't. You're seeing a very vocal minority here.
 
We really have people who prefer the weekly, commercial ridden model because they are afraid of spoilers? Exercise some self discipline and also realize that if you get hit with a spoiler, the world isn't over. For example, I could tell you about a big event in House of Cards Season 2 Episode 1 but that still isn't as good as actually watching that event.
 
I'm most surprised that people watch TV shows with the idea that they just want to talk about that show. I think that's what I'm learning most here.

That shouldn't be suprising. Haven't you ever met people that just can never SHUT UP about anything?
 
Your assumption is that it's threads where spoilers are happening. That isn't usually the case. Most spoilers happen in person, on Facebook, Twitter, and other mediums.

So no it isn't easier for us to avoid those for months at a time. What's easier is for the dinosaurs who want to stick with an outdated model to move on and get with the times.
Surely we can have this discussion without insults. Calling people "dinosaurs" because they enjoy their entertainment in a different way is a bit harsh, don't you think? It's not like I'm against the technology or ability to binge watch shows on Netflix, I just prefer a weekly schedule.

Anyway, I do admit that since I do not use things like Facebook I cannot comment on such occurrences, but even still, surely it is easier to just try and avoid any mention at all of a show than it is to try and actively discuss it but only talk about a small subset of what is available.
 
The idea that a TV show is only good as its first run is pretty absurd. If it's good, it's good. If it's bad, it's bad. Whether or not a show's release is staggered across a long or short period of time doesn't mean a thing to the actual quality. If it did, that would mean every TV show ever has zero shelf life. E.g. Band of Brothers is one of the best things ever produced on TV, but only if you watched it in 2001, otherwise it's just not as good.
I don't think anyone here believes TV has zero shelf life. Obviously TV can have good writing or bad writing and should be written for both live and FUTURE audiences. But there IS something different about watching a TV series live, especially if you have lots of friends or co-workers that watch the same shows and love chatting about episodes on a weekly basis. For people that do like that, it's something that doesn't work outside of television. TV is unique because it can tell new stories with the same characters every week, just like film is unique because it tells a 2 hour story you can experience in one sitting.
 
Never had much interest in Netflix myself.

I am, however, curious about this new IPTV service Sony will be launching later this year. Details are still scarce about what it will entail, but if/when it comes to Canada, I'm hoping it might be a good enough option to get rid of my cable service with Rogers.

I'm hoping it will be a mixture of live TV and Netflix, all in one.
 
This is a pretty huge assumption to make.

It's not a huge assumption at all. It's common sense. It's much easier to find one hour a week than it is to find 10 hours in a day or two. Even if you don't watch it that week, you find two hours the next week and you're caught up with everyone else.
 
Baloney. I've binge-watched many shows (either after they've ended or in between seasons) and talked to my friends (or those on the internet) about them: BSG, Lost, Twin Peaks, Downton Abbey, Mad Men, Fringe, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Doctor Who, and more. I still don't really watch many shows live. I might wait for episodes to build up and do a little binge. My friends and family are the same way. It's not much of problem I just start a conversation figuring out where they are in the show.

The way people discuss books is how all-at-once TV shows will be discussed.

Little did you know that your conversations were actually subpar and nowhere near the experience that everyone else had when they first aired! Luckily this thread has set you straight.

Enkidu said:
Anyway, I do admit that since I do not use things like Facebook I cannot comment on such occurrences, but even still, surely it is easier to just try and avoid any mention at all of a show than it is to try and actively discuss it but only talk about a small subset of what is available.

How do you "avoid any mention at all of a show"? That only works on forums where you can choose whether or not to read a discussion thread. But that doesn't stop people from tweeting about it, posting Facebook statuses about it, talking about it on the train while standing an inch from you. If you were able to predict where/when you might be spoiled, then obviously no one would ever complain about being accidentally spoiled.
 
It;s not. It indeed kills the buzz for a show. But most importantly, the standard is still 20+ episodes a season. Nobody is going to film all that and release it at once.

That standard is fading when it comes to dramas though. More and more big networks like Fox and NBC are getting in on that 13 eps action, thus boosting quality and audience interest.
 
It's not a huge assumption at all. It's common sense. It's much easier to find one hour a week than it is to find 10 hours in a day or two. Even if you don't watch it that week, you find two hours the next week and you're caught up with everyone else.

It's far easier for me to plan to binge watch HoC this Saturday than it is to find an hour every single week for a weekly. I'm not alone in this.

most definitely

most people don't give a shit about discussing television shows or "community"

this thread is bizarre

Exactly. The vast majority of tv audiences aren't watching shows twith such communities anyways. Look at the threads here for insanely popular shows like Modern Family or Big Bang Theory, they're dead threads.

But hey Community has a very vocal community and look how it's translated into ratings.
 
Embrace the future, everyone.

I like my primetime for the gym, socializing, etc. I'm not going to be watching shows with commercials. Timeshitfing is just way better.
 
Exactly. The vast majority of tv audiences aren't watching shows twith such communities anyways. Look at the threads here for insanely popular shows like Modern Family or Big Bang Theory, they're dead threads..

The Big Bang Theory and Modern Family are comedies which means there is just less to discuss, one of those two is also very much hated on GAF. Look at the topics for more story oriented shows like Homeland, The Walking Dead who get 3-4 '100 post' pages in the first day the episodes has aired.
 
It's far easier for me to plan to binge watch HoC this Saturday than it is to find an hour every single week for a weekly. I'm not alone in this.
The point is about spoilers. If you put it out at once, then you're prone to having the ending spoiled to you within 10 to 13 hours of release. That's not the case with a weekly show. It's much easier for people to keep up with the flow of the story and not get spoiled if they're released once a week and even if they get spoiled for that one week, it's a minimal hit compared to having it all out there at once. DVRs are a wonderful invention. They let you watch it at your leisure.

Exactly. The vast majority of tv audiences aren't watching shows twith such communities anyways. Look at the threads here for insanely popular shows like Modern Family or Big Bang Theory, they're dead threads.

But hey Community has a very vocal community and look how it's translated into ratings.

Shows like Modern Family or Big Bang Theory don't work so well with community discussion. Shows like Lost, Battlestar Galactica, X-Files, etc do work better with a community discussion. Not all shows are great for discussing in a community. But those that do, do gain a benefit from a weekly release. Shows that get a good discussion are shows that have long story archs, mysteries, cliffhangers, etc.
 
The point is about spoilers. If you put it out at once, then you're prone to having the ending spoiled to you within 10 to 13 hours of release. That's not the case with a weekly show. It's much easier for people to keep up with the flow of the story and not get spoiled if they're released once a week and even if they get spoiled for that one week, it's a minimal hit compared to having it all out there at once. DVRs are a wonderful invention. They let you watch it at your leisure.



Shows like Modern Family or Big Bang Theory don't work so well with community discussion. Shows like Lost, Battlestar Galactica, X-Files, etc do work better with a community discussion. Not all shows are great for discussing in a community. But those that do, do gain a benefit from a weekly release. Shows that get a good discussion are shows that have long story archs, mysteries, cliffhangers, etc.

I find it very easy to avoid spoilers. Super easy.

I don't get this spoiler fear. I know nothing about Game of Thrones and I plan to watch in on Bluray when its done.
 
I find it very easy to avoid spoilers. Super easy.

I don't get this spoiler fear. I know nothing about Game of Thrones and I plan to watch in on Bluray when its done.

I get spoiled on GAF constantly in threads that are completely unreleated to the show. I even had GoT spoiled in a completely unrelated thread. It's easy to get spoiled on the Internet even if you're actively avoiding spoilers.
 
TV is unique because it can tell new stories with the same characters every week, just like film is unique because it tells a 2 hour story you can experience in one sitting.

I don't think it's the weekly idea exactly. It's that TV shows are digested in pieces, and that's something that happens even with binge-watching. No matter what, a single TV episode is still a piece of a larger story. Watching 3 hours of a show is different from a single movie. In that time you've seen anywhere from 3-6 "endings". It's actually easier for me to watch 3 hours (or more) of a show compared to a movie because it's segmented. I can take an interruption because it's built in. I hate having a 3 hour movie interrupted every hour or more.
 
Baloney. I've binge-watched many shows (either after they've ended or in between seasons) and talked to my friends (or those on the internet) about them: BSG, Lost, Twin Peaks, Downton Abbey, Mad Men, Fringe, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Doctor Who, and more. I still don't really watch many shows live. I might wait for episodes to build up and do a little binge. My friends and family are the same way. It's not much of problem I just start a conversation figuring out where they are in the show.

The way people discuss books is how all-at-once TV shows will be discussed.
Obviously any TV series, film, novel, etc. will always have fans interested in engaging in discussion, but that really wasn't what I was referring to. Talking about Lost live versus after it it aired certainly isn't the same thing. When Lost was airing, there was lots of water cooler chatter about what direction the writers would take certain arcs over the course of each season. There were certain discussions that ONLY occurred live due to the simple fact the entire season did not exist in the wild. Even when Lost wast still airing, there were certain topics of debate that ended with the end of each season, simply because certain elements of the story were in the wild and had been finally been made canon by the writing team.
 
How do you "avoid any mention at all of a show"? That only works on forums where you can choose whether or not to read a discussion thread. But that doesn't stop people from tweeting about it, posting Facebook statuses about it, talking about it on the train while standing an inch from you. If you were able to predict where/when you might be spoiled, then obviously no one would ever complain about being accidentally spoiled.
It's obviously not always a simply matter, but it's far easier to avoid being spoiled if you are not actively trying to discuss the matter in question. Sometimes it's impossible to avoid being spoiled of course, but it will be the same for people who didn't binge watch and just watch it once a week. Basically, what I'm saying is that it's easier to avoid spoilers (and a spoiler or two taken out of context usually isn't enough to ruin a show) on a weekly show than it is to try and replicate the experience you get with a weekly show when it was released all at once.

Never had much interest in Netflix myself.

I am, however, curious about this new IPTV service Sony will be launching later this year. Details are still scarce about what it will entail, but if/when it comes to Canada, I'm hoping it might be a good enough option to get rid of my cable service with Rogers.

I'm hoping it will be a mixture of live TV and Netflix, all in one.
Anything specific about Sony's IPTV that makes it so exciting to you compared to existing IPTV services? I have IPTV myself and in a way it's what you ask for. You get all live channels that you normally would, but also the ability to restart a program whenever you want (so if you were 15 minutes late you can just tell it to start from the beginning) or watch shows on-demand afterwards. The UI is worse than Netflix as you might expect but the basic functionality is pretty much the same.
 
I'm most surprised that people watch TV shows with the idea that they just want to talk about that show. I think that's what I'm learning most here.

Watch the official thread for a popular TV show when it's airing. It's bizarre. It's just like 15 meaningless pages of people going "OMG", "WTF", "dat x", etc.

And then people complain that it was hard to follow because they spent the whole episode posting on here.
 
Watch the official thread for a popular TV show when it's airing. It's bizarre. It's just like 15 meaningless pages of people going "OMG", "WTF", "dat x", etc.

And then people complain that it was hard to follow because they spent the whole episode posting on here.

Watching a show/movie that you are interested in and posting about it live is just a really weird mentality to me. I understand after it has aired, but not during unless you are also doing other things at that time.
 
Watching a show/movie that you are interested in and posting about it live is just a really weird mentality to me. I understand after it has aired, but not during unless you are also doing other things at that time.
Idk, if I'm really passionate about a show I enjoy live tweeting about it with my friends while it's airing.
 
Obviously any TV series, film, novel, etc. will always have fans interested in engaging in discussion, but that really wasn't what I was referring to. Talking about Lost live versus after it it aired certainly isn't the same thing. When Lost was airing, there was lots of water cooler chatter about what direction the writers would take certain arcs over the course of each season. There were certain discussions that ONLY occurred live due to the simple fact the entire season did not exist in the wild. Even when Lost wast still airing, there were certain topics of debate that ended with the end of each season, simply because certain elements of the story were in the wild and had been finally been made canon by the writing team.

Watching Lost live was quite the experience. Did you follow the Lost Experience ARG? Man, that was so awesome. I remember there being a radio show at midnight as part of the ARG and the DJ saying that something was posted on his window and a couple members of the forum rode up there and copied down the clue. That whole thing was so much fun to follow.
 
Idk, if I'm really passionate about a show I enjoy live tweeting about it with my friends while it's airing.

Do you at least pause it? Just curious, if I am passionate about a show I enjoy watching it and not being distracted. But this is a new age where everyone is at least doing two things at once and if you can do it and still enjoy the show, more power to you.

Oh and people talk about spoilers....tweeting live is like the worst way of all. Holy shit.
 
I personally like the Netflix setup. Finish a season within a week instead dragging that shit 7+ months. But i don't think the traditional way is going anywhere anytime soon.
 
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