Get Ready For Commercials on Amazon Prime
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I received a notice yesterday that beginning on January 29th, Amazon Prime content will begin including commercials.
You can opt to pay an extra $3 to remain commercial free. For now.
FreeVee titles and sports will still have commercials.
And then, in general, it's become like the cable TV model all over again. Content you actually want to see is exclusive to certain services to which you must subscribe, so you end up having to buy all these separate "packages" or channel packs full of crap content just to get some of the good stuff.
I wonder how long it will be before they put an end to "cancel anytime" fir service and channels subscriptions, so that subscribers can no longer leverage services until they've watched all the good stuff, then cancel and hop to another.
You can opt to pay an extra $3 to remain commercial free. For now.
FreeVee titles and sports will still have commercials.
And then, in general, it's become like the cable TV model all over again. Content you actually want to see is exclusive to certain services to which you must subscribe, so you end up having to buy all these separate "packages" or channel packs full of crap content just to get some of the good stuff.
I wonder how long it will be before they put an end to "cancel anytime" fir service and channels subscriptions, so that subscribers can no longer leverage services until they've watched all the good stuff, then cancel and hop to another.
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Yep, streaming has been on the path to being “the new cable” for a while now. And quality of the content has sucked lately, IMO.
You’re probably right about them forcing 6-12 month subscription periods next, or at least making month-to-month prohibitively expensive. For now we just subscribe for a month when there’s something good to watch (which isn’t often) and then cancel.
I’m kind of interested to see if piracy makes a comeback at some point. It’s still out there, but used much less than before since streaming services were cheap and passwords could be shared. You don’t hear about piracy being a problem like you used to. Now with services getting more expensive, cracking down on password sharing, having to buy 5+ services to get everything… it could go back to where things were ~15 years ago, or worse, I imagine it’s much easier with increased internet speeds and bandwidth. -
I just wait until they have something that I want to binge watch and then I do the free trial and then cancel. Until they get more "included with Prime" I want to watch I'll continue to do that.George / NJ
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I've had Amazon Prime for a very long time but primarily for the free shipping. I abuse that!
Amazon sent me "the message" today about the $2.99 add on option. Truth is I don't use their streaming service much so I may or may not pay the extra. I do use the Peacock streaming service quite a bit for Premiere League Football. NBC/Universal has a lot of their owned content available so I find it to be a fair deal. I also have enough physical media to last me a few lifetimes.
I figure Amazon is copying the other streaming services that have content with and without commercials. In the case of Amazon they finally purchased the MGM studio last year for a lot of money so they have content but also stockholders to please. Seems like Amazon has had a lot of content stripped away from them over the last few years as their competitors have chosen to compete. -
CottageChz wrote: »I’m kind of interested to see if piracy makes a comeback at some point. It’s still out there, but used much less than before since streaming services were cheap and passwords could be shared. You don’t hear about piracy being a problem like you used to. Now with services getting more expensive, cracking down on password sharing, having to buy 5+ services to get everything… it could go back to where things were ~15 years ago, or worse, I imagine it’s much easier with increased internet speeds and bandwidth.
In (some) seriousness -- the next round of piracy vs. the iEstablishment (so to speak) likely won't be pretty. The whole internet of things in the pirate's house can and likely will be used against them. Car, TV, refrigerator... they can all be influenced from outside now. Yay.
Y'all stay safe out there. I'm firin' up the shortwave radio, I think.
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mhardy6647 wrote: »In (some) seriousness -- the next round of piracy vs. the iEstablishment (so to speak) likely won't be pretty. The whole internet of things in the pirate's house can and likely will be used against them. Car, TV, refrigerator... they can all be influenced from outside now. Yay.
Y'all stay safe out there. I'm firin' up the shortwave radio, I think.
Sounds like a nightmare. We try to minimize the number of IOT/smart devices we have around, but still end up with a nice handful. Crazy to think how many devices are connected to the internet these days. I will say that the fridges with TV screens in them crack me up... who the hell is buying those and why?
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CottageChz wrote: »mhardy6647 wrote: »In (some) seriousness -- the next round of piracy vs. the iEstablishment (so to speak) likely won't be pretty. The whole internet of things in the pirate's house can and likely will be used against them. Car, TV, refrigerator... they can all be influenced from outside now. Yay.
Y'all stay safe out there. I'm firin' up the shortwave radio, I think.
Sounds like a nightmare. We try to minimize the number of IOT/smart devices we have around, but still end up with a nice handful. Crazy to think how many devices are connected to the internet these days. I will say that the fridges with TV screens in them crack me up... who the hell is buying those and why?
Must be people who don't have time to watch the ones on the gas pump.
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mhardy6647 wrote: »CottageChz wrote: »mhardy6647 wrote: »In (some) seriousness -- the next round of piracy vs. the iEstablishment (so to speak) likely won't be pretty. The whole internet of things in the pirate's house can and likely will be used against them. Car, TV, refrigerator... they can all be influenced from outside now. Yay.
Y'all stay safe out there. I'm firin' up the shortwave radio, I think.
Sounds like a nightmare. We try to minimize the number of IOT/smart devices we have around, but still end up with a nice handful. Crazy to think how many devices are connected to the internet these days. I will say that the fridges with TV screens in them crack me up... who the hell is buying those and why?
Must be people who don't have time to watch the ones on the gas pump.
I friggin' hate those stations! I try not to use them. A couple of times, I've pulled up, been ready to start pumping gas, seen/heard that bs, stopped, and gone somewhere else.
I wish they were easier to provide feedback, or opt out. I will not pay a premium for fuel and be advertised to if I can help it. If I *have* to use that station, I'll walk away from the pump just out of principle!
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Usually... One of the top two buttons on the pump is the mute button- Not Tom ::::::: Any system can play Diana Krall. Only the best can play Limp Bizkit.
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Usually... One of the top two buttons on the pump is the mute button
I've found it to often be the 2nd or 3rd one in the right column.Expect that there will be bumps in the road. Choose to not let them rattle you.
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Roku is full of themselves now too. Ads on the Roku Channel (channel) to buy advertising on the Roku Channel (channel) say it's the "big screen." :SMH:Expect that there will be bumps in the road. Choose to not let them rattle you.
Polk - Monitor 10As, SDA 2Bs, LSi9s, White RTi4s, S4s, M3s, various centers.
Boston - CR7, CR6s, CR4s.
Subs - M&K V4, M&K VX-7B, JBL SUB150P, Jamo Sub 250, and others.
Thompson Adventures, Inc. -
I'm trialing Jeff's premium music subscription. So far so good, no interruptions.
HD sound quality is not bad and I'll keep it as long as they don't start the propagandamercials.
Life's too short to wither away, watching T.V.
or Netflix. Edward Bernays would be proud of his grand nephew. Making a fortune whilst having multitudes pay a premium to be propagandized.Don't take experimental gene therapies from known eugenicists. -
Propagandamercial, I like that. Would have gone well with Vitameatavegamin. What a cool Wheel Of Fortune puzzle that would make.So, are you willing to put forth a little effort or are you happy sitting in your skeptical poo pile?
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Usually... One of the top two buttons on the pump is the mute button
How'd you guys figure this out? Was it from your knuckles brushing the edges of the screens after inaccurate punches?
I seemed to be much more life-smart when I had a previous job.
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We were all fortunate to have access to the internet in its early stages, weren't we? The opportunities as the technology developed and services became available before the full on monetization? I suppose we all contributed to the current situation in a sense. I always knew stuff wouldn't be free forever, and didn't expect it to be.Roku is full of themselves now too. Ads on the Roku Channel (channel) to buy advertising on the Roku Channel (channel) say it's the "big screen." :SMH:
I pay for apps, software, and services that I like and don't want ads on, and to support programmers and developers, as well as those services that continue to offer "free" service, like soma.fm and Radio Paradise. They deserve donations.
I don't expect full featured apps and uninterrupted services for free, but it seems now that more streaming service companies are just "taking" more regularly. Are these - basically yearly - subscription fee increases truly to offset increased operating expenses, or just greed now? The content circulation is just sneaky, but that's just the business, I'm learning.
Also, reminds me of an article I was reading this week about inflation, "recovery", and that we "don't want prices to go back to where they were," because "that's deflation and it's a bad economic indicator." That's cool. Slide the scale, I don't care. See that my compensation is similarly adjusted, and that merit increases and promotions aren't bundled in with that.
I wouldn't necessarily go back to the days of pre-internet, though there sure were some benefits to that lifestyle.
It's just disappointing the greed, and constantly being nickel and dimed. No one's locked into anything, which is good, but damn, it's getting annoying. It's not people with their hands out any longer - now it's more like rifling through your pockets... "I know you got money, 81+ch! - Give it up!"
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Roku is full of themselves now too. Ads on the Roku Channel (channel) to buy advertising on the Roku Channel (channel) say it's the "big screen." :SMH:
Also, reminds me of an article I was reading this week about inflation, "recovery", and that we "don't want prices to go back to where they were," because "that's deflation and it's a bad economic indicator." That's cool. Slide the scale, I don't care. See that my compensation is similarly adjusted, and that merit increases and promotions aren't bundled in with that.
Hah. If only that were the way things worked.
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I still remember back in the mid-1990s seeing a young lady who lived next door to me get a book delivered to her from Amazon and saying excitedly that the price was great. I looked online at what they were selling at that time, mostly bestsellers, and it didn't look like much. They quickly built though I thought they might go under during the dot com bust. Their model of not making any money so they could gain customers was weird. Then bookstores started going out of business and record stores too. I really started using them because of no charged sales taxes. But then that changed too!
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Who's Jeff? All I found was this...I'm trialing Jeff's premium music subscription. So far so good, no interruptions.
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I forgot that Amazon was a bookseller at first in the beginning.I still remember back in the mid-1990s seeing a young lady who lived next door to me get a book delivered to her from Amazon and saying excitedly that the price was great. I looked online at what they were selling at that time, mostly bestsellers, and it didn't look like much. They quickly built though I thought they might go under during the dot com bust. Their model of not making any money so they could gain customers was weird. Then bookstores started going out of business and record stores too. I really started using them because of no charged sales taxes. But then that changed too!
I remember one of my best purchases on Amazon. It was an order of 3 Rubbermaid closet shelving systems. The price was surprisingly cheap, and the kit was better than the ones I was seeing in the big box stores. The thing that blew my mind was that the shipping was free. These things must have weighed 40-50lbs. each. The Prime membership was $75 back then, I think, and that 2-day free shipping was the thing that sucked me into shopping mostly online.
Back then, the product searches were regular name brands and manufacturers, not so much the fly-by-night Chinese pop-ups of crap-shoot quality. On the other hand, sometimes you just need a Harbor Freight quality widget. The interesting thing was/is that pretty much anything you can dream up for a product is already available for 2-day delivery on Amazon.
The deals are hit or miss now. Sometimes I can get stuff cheaper locally. I guess maybe it was around 2015-2017ish that I started to notice price creep? The thing that first got my attention was these Velcro ties that I used to order. I first discovered them in Home Depot; something like $5 for 50. Amazon had a pack of 100 for $6. I couldn't believe it. Yes please, and let me stock up. Now they're $10. Just searched my order history. In 2015 they were $5.99. An order from 2018 they were $10.25. On a lighter note, they're still around $10
And I still recommend them. Tip!: wrap them with the hooky side in, fuzzy side out; this way they don't pick up lint and hair.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001E1Y5O6
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I didn't read all that Scott, but I am glad you keep your rubber maid outfit in the closet where it belongs.
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I'm still cable (Comcast) and only subscribe to three streaming services - Peacock, Paramount+ and ESPN+ (mostly for the football soccer). Have had Netflix Amazon and Hulu in the past. What really grinds my gears about paying increasing amounts of money for them is that the UIs mostly suck.
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What really grinds my gears about paying increasing amounts of money for them is that the UIs mostly suck.
I KNOW!!! I don't wtf these people are thinking.
I get annoyed every time I try to browse any of them. I've been convinced for years that you really need to do the browsing on a computer, and build your watchlists there. I don't think you can see all the catalog content on the streaming service browse pages. You'd need to search, and searching on the device is almost wrist-slittingly painful. They all need Rii Bluetooth Keyboard integration functionality.
Amazon's is still the best of the bunch. MAX is the worst of all. Netflix second worst. Not only do they not pop-up a summary anymore, forcing you to actually go into the title tile to read a [weak] blurb, but they don't even have regular categories without scrolling allllll the way to the bottom. It's all stupid stuff, like "A Fistful of Action", "A Scary Good Time", "All The LOLs". It's not clever, so quit it, and go back to being practical. Idiots.
They used to be much better. Simple. Proper categories, A-Z, title description up top when you stop on a tile, and right scrolling with 5-tile-at-a-time jumps, and fast forward scanning. It's not that difficult. Now some of them are vertical scrolling to match the format you'd see on a tablet or smartphone. Mobile's inefficient and tedious for most things compared to a computer and a keyboard, and that format doesn't translate well to streamers. You can't even talk to anyone anymore to make suggestions, can you? "Change for the sake of change"; brings no value.
There should also be options to set content preferences in these apps. I don't follow sports, so quit showing me that stuff. And if I want to rent, buy, or subscribe to another service, I'll find it on my own. I don't need the service to me something good, and then go, "Psych! Hahaha! You can't watch this! I can't believe you fell for it again!"
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If I remember correctly you can use the search icon to get the categories to come up on Netflix.
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I don't worry about ads. I still have my Netflix DVD plan, I'm allowed 3 per month! It's odd though, I keep paying but they don't send my selections. Maybe a phone call or email is in order?
So, are you willing to put forth a little effort or are you happy sitting in your skeptical poo pile?
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Feel like an old man saying “I remember when…”, but I remember when TV was free (cheap for expanded cable), had limited channels, and ads were how they made their money. PBS was the ONLY channel that didn’t have commercials, but had the telethons periodically to make their money.
Then came premium channels. You paid extra, and didn’t have to watch commercials (that’s how they made their money). I even subscribed to satellite radio about 10-15 years ago to get better radio coverage and NO commercials! I noticed about 5-7 years ago that Sirius XM started sneaking a few commercials in here and there. It’s gotten so much worse. Same with the paid streaming services. You paid because they were ad-free. Then they got greedy. Take the ad-free ‘carrot’ away and then dangle the same dammmm carrot for a few more bucks to ‘upgrade’ to ad-free again. Hulu is the worst. It used to be about 15-30 seconds of ads every 15-20 minutes. Now (this is no exaggeration) they have hundreds of seconds (often 300) of ads every 5-8 minutes. It’s actually worse than regular CATV.
I only see this continuing to get worse. I know it’s only a matter of time before even Spotify starts throwing ads into our playlists and offering an ad-free version for more $$
Scott - I got the same email from Amazon a week or two ago and just shook my head. Between this and more and more “Prime” items shipping in 4-5+ days instead of 2-day has us seriously reconsidering keeping Prime.
Happy New Year everyone!
