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Netflix sent me and my family greetings recently. It was fine of the streaming service to leave us a line, but I really wish they hadn’t, especially given the content of the post.
“We hope you enjoy Netflix, and we’re always adding new TV shows and movies for our members to enjoy,” Netflix happily informed us, which is a gentler way to say than from January, we were going to be paying an extra dollar extra each month for the privilege of accessing Netflix streaming content.
You don’t really need to be fluent in a business to interpret what’s going on here and why. Netflix produces a lot of original programming, from Oscar-winning movies to animated TV shows and specials. It takes money to fund, and Netflix expects you and I to do more.
Disney Plus lets me re-explore the Simpsons catalog with my daughter, Hulu has plenty of on-demand shows we might otherwise miss, and Amazon’s selection of movies and shows is pleasantly eclectic. They’re all on our watch list – Netflix isn’t.
That’s a fair enough proposition – Netflix doesn’t run a nonprofit here, as the costs of producing its ambitious programming schedule rise, it’s a cost that will be passed on to viewers. There’s just one problem with this otherwise sound reasoning: I just don’t watch enough Netflix originals to feel like I’m getting good value for the $ 13.99 Netflix wants me to. pony every month.
Netflix vs. Hulu vs. Disney Plus
I’m not saying we never watch Netflix. My daughter enjoys watching amateur bakers plant their faces on Nailed It, and I made my way through three seasons of Glow some time ago before the cap was removed on future episodes. But in terms of regular date viewing, Netflix is pretty low on our list.
The back catalog of movies is slim if you’re into the classics – someone should tell Netflix there’s a whole century of movies that were made before the 2000s – and how many movies there are. find seems to be decreasing at the expense of Netflix the originals that the streaming service wants to bring to the fore.
In fact, it’s safe to say that Netflix’s press release on impending price hikes has my family wondering if Netflix is still worth it. I imagine a lot of Netflix subscribers are probably asking for the same thing as their bills go up.
What helped our family make a decision was keeping a diary of everything we watched for about a week – noting the program, the service being broadcast and if we could live without it if that service suddenly went away. .
To answer the question, we need to consider our own streaming habits. Our family cut the cord on the cable over 18 months ago, and it’s largely no regrets except for the occasional sporting event stuck behind the cable pay wall. Having streaming services offering a wide range of movies and TV shows has helped stem the loss, but at the same time, we’re anxious not to add as many services as our monthly streaming bill ends up. exceed all we paid for. local and hateful cable provider.
To this end, in addition to Netflix, we currently pay for Disney plus, which I believe is now required by federal law if you have a child. Hulu’s ad-supported streaming service is included in our Pandora subscription, and because we pay for Amazon Prime, we also get Prime Video. Our support for our local public broadcasting station gives us the extensive programming of PBS Passport.
The point is, we watch all the other channels. Disney Plus lets me re-explore the Simpsons catalog with my daughter, Hulu has a lot of on-demand shows that we might otherwise miss when shown in real time and Amazon’s selection of movies and shows is pleasantly eclectic. . They’re all on our watch list – Netflix isn’t.
Do the math
And this is the first step I would suggest to anyone trying to decide if a streaming service is still worth paying for. Add up what you pay to stream content each month and see if it’s more than what you’d really like to spend. Paying $ 4.99 here and $ 5.99 there doesn’t seem like much in isolation, but you’d be surprised how quickly all of these services can add up.
If the amount you are actually paying is more than what you thought you would give out – or if the price of any of these services is about to increase slightly – it’s probably time to consider mashing the button. unsubscribe from at least one or more of these services. What helped our family make a decision was keeping a diary of everything we watched for about a week – noting the program, the service being broadcast and if we could live without it if that service suddenly went away. .
Netflix is lost, as soon as my wife and I finish making our way through The Good Place.
This should help clarify which subscription services you actually watch and which are surprisingly durable. Another tip is to look at the guides to the shows currently airing on the services you pay for – Tom’s Guide summarizes what’s new on netflix, the best movies and best tv shows on Hulu and all new to disney plus For your convenience. Note the programming on these lists that catches your interest. If you have a list that is not very long – or if you are looking at a blank sheet of paper – you may have stumbled upon your answer.
If you have a good reminder schedule on your smartphone, just set a reminder for the day or two before you get billed for the streaming service in question. This makes it easy to review your monthly delivery habits and, if necessary, cancel before the start of another billing month.
After going through all of this, all of my family came to this consensus that Netflix is dead, as soon as my wife and I finished making our way through The Good Place. (This just in: this four year old show is very good!) After that, we’ll either pocket the money we would have spent each month on Netflix or reallocate it to HBO Max, a streaming service that seems to offer more of the kind of programming we want, whether it’s a huge library of movies or new shows like Succession and Harley Quinn.
At least until he tries to price us up too.
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