WHen will you watch Discovery? Will you get All Access?

[Sakonna]

One Trek show is worth $6 to me. Frankly they could be charging anything up to $12, and only then I'd start to think twice.

Shhhhh! CBS may hear you, and imagine how much message board bitching there will be then??

But I'm with you. The only thing I thought was insane was when they didn't have a commercial-free option, I wouldn't have paid for that. Now that they do, no problem.

If this thing about the episodes expiring is true, that would give me pause, but until I see sourcing I don't buy it. Everyone understands the value of streaming services is in building the library, you only offer limited episodes if you're forced to by your deal with the production company. Since CBS is making the show, there's no reason they'd want to screw themselves.

 

[Balok's Decoy]

Shhhhh! CBS may hear you, and imagine how much message board bitching there will be then??

But I'm with you. The only thing I thought was insane was when they didn't have a commercial-free option, I wouldn't have paid for that. Now that they do, no problem.

If this thing about the episodes expiring is true, that would give me pause, but until I see sourcing I don't buy it. Everyone understands the value of streaming services is in building the library, you only offer limited episodes if you're forced to by your deal with the production company. Since CBS is making the show, there's no reason they'd want to screw themselves.

And even if they did go that expiration route, it would be on par with what Hulu does with many of its current shows. And once the next season is gearing up, they tend to put the whole previous season on there again. And since there will only be 10 episodes per season, you'll only see episodes begin to expire once you're halfway through the season (according to what people have said about when shows expire).

 

[Sakonna]

I also keep thinking about this in terms of The Good Wife spin-off. Now, Discovery, unless it's really and truly terrible, I will be there watching it right away every week, because I am an insane Star Trek fan.

Good Wife, I am not a crazy fan, but I liked that show (most of the time -- but this isn't the place for that rant ). I'm interested in checking out the spin-off. Probably even enough to sign-up right when it starts in February and check out the pilot. But am I going to be interested enough to make a point to keep ahead of expiration dates as the season progresses and I'm juggling a million other shows and everything else in my life? Probably not. Tracking that sounds like work. That's a reason to cancel. But the episodes piling up, waiting to be watched whenever I find the time to take them in... that's a reason to just let it keep rebilling forever.

Streaming is in some ways like the business model of a gym. Yes, there's lots of avid users, and many money-conscious customers who would cancel the minute they know they're not going anymore. But there's also a TON of people who sign up and never/rarely use it, but believe they're perpetually ABOUT to use it, so they just let it rebill the modest cost every month. Companies know there's a lot of these inertia consumers out there: just get them to sign up once, and either their laziness or their distraction with life will keep them paying a monthly fee for a long time -- as long as you don't actively drive them away.

This is the whole reason to produce your own shows for your own streaming service -- you can keep it up there forever, perpetually adding value for your subscribers, and you don't ever have to negotiate with anyone else who owns the show and can yank it away if you don't agree to their terms.

 

[Balok's Decoy]

I also keep thinking about this in terms of The Good Wife spin-off. Now, Discovery, unless it's really and truly terrible, I will be there watching it right away every week, because I am an insane Star Trek fan.

Good Wife, I am not a crazy fan, but I liked that show (most of the time -- but this isn't the place for that rant ). I'm interested in checking out the spin-off. Probably even enough to sign-up right when it starts in February and check out the pilot. But am I going to be interested enough to make a point to keep ahead of expiration dates as the season progresses and I'm juggling a million other shows and everything else in my life? Probably not. Tracking that sounds like work. That's a reason to cancel. But the episodes piling up, waiting to be watched whenever I find the time to take them in... that's a reason to just let it keep rebilling forever.

Streaming is in some ways like the business model of a gym. Yes, there's lots of avid users, and many money-conscious customers who would cancel the minute they know they're not going anymore. But there's also a TON of people who sign up and never/rarely use it, but believe they're perpetually ABOUT to use it, so they just let it rebill the modest cost every month. Companies know there's a lot of these inertia consumers out there: just get them to sign up once, and either their laziness or their distraction with life will keep them paying a monthly fee for a long time -- as long as you don't actively drive them away.

This is the whole reason to produce your own shows for your own streaming service -- you can keep it up there forever, perpetually adding value for your subscribers, and you don't ever have to negotiate with anyone else who owns the show and can yank it away if you don't agree to their terms.

You should be running CBSAA, lol.

That makes a lot of sense. I've been that way with my Groove music pass (yes, I'm a Microsoft guy). I didn't use it for several months and considered dropping it. But the other day I went on a download binge and now I have like 10 albums I'm working through. I can be a feast or famine guy with subscriptions. Thank God I'm a user on someone else's Netflix and don't pay for it myself, because that's a service I use very infrequently, but when I need it it's great to have.

 

[TheSubCommander]

Will I subscribe? Depends on the pilot!

If I like it, yes. If the pilot sucks ass, hell no.

It's as simple as that, really.

 

[JWPlatt]

One Trek show is worth $6 to me. Frankly they could be charging anything up to $12, and only then I'd start to think twice.

Things like this obscure that the fees are recurring - not singular. $6 (or $10 or $12 maybe with commercials) doesn't seem like much until you include the fact that it is recurring. Omitting "per month" - or whatever - appears designed to obscure and exclude the ultimate cost and waste of time (commercials).

 

[Balok's Decoy]

Things like this obscure that the fees are recurring - not singular. $6 (or $10 or $12 maybe with commercials) doesn't seem like much until you include the fact that it is recurring. Omitting "per month" - or whatever - appears designed to obscure and exclude the ultimate cost and waste of time (commercials).

This recurring fee issue applies to literally everything. Netflix, Hulu, cable TV, your internet bill. I don't see the point you're making.

EDIT: My understanding is that DSC will be 10 episodes released weekly. That means to see the first season, it'll cost me $18 over three months. It's a deal!

 

[BillJ]

EDIT: My understanding is that DSC will be 10 episodes released weekly. That means to see the first season, it'll cost me $18 over three months. It's a deal!

I think Fuller wanted 10 episode seasons, but season one will be 13 episodes.

 

[Balok's Decoy]

I think Fuller wanted 10 episode seasons, but season one will be 13 episodes.

Ah, gotcha. Well, the price structure I described still works then, more or less. 13 episodes across 3 months, maybe 4. Call it 13 episodes for $24, at most. That's about $1.80 per episode. Works for me.

 

[Paul Weaver]

I spent £150-£170, or about $250, for DS9 series 7, in 1999 prices, so I have no sympathy for people moaning about $120 for the year in 2017 prices. That said there's a lot of competition now, I just bought legends of tomorrow season 1 for £20/$30.

I'll watch it when it's on Netflix, assuming we get it the same time as the US. Not sure I'll bother with the old "alternate" means like I did with s7 of voyager and s1 of enterprise

It's been a while since Enterprise was broadcast first run, what was the spoiler policy on that?

 

[gamer1]

I'm torn. Getting Netflix for just one show is hard to motivate. Will most likely be downloaded.

 

[JWPlatt]

That's about $1.80 per episode. Works for me.

What's your time worth? Getting charged to watch commercials at any price makes it not work for me. And yes, I restrict all viewing either to free with commercials or services or home media with none - exclusively.

 

[Balok's Decoy]

What's your time worth? Getting charged to watch commercials at any price makes it not work for me. And yes, I restrict all viewing either to free with commercials or services or home media with none - exclusively.

Hulu has ads. Two 30 second ads. I really don't care, tbh. Sometimes I like them because it's a convenient place for me to get up for a drink, use the bathroom, or read a page of a book or something. I don't understand this "commercials are a deal breaker" attitude. Especially since traditional tv is basically 90% ads at this point. Netflix charges more than other services and you don't get ads. That's cool. But Hulu and CBSAA charge less and you sit through a couple ads. My reaction to this ad overreaction:

EDIT: Or if you really want to pinch pennies and get all accounting major about it. Let's assume there's two 30 second ads every 15 minutes, similar to Hulu. That's 180 seconds of ads in an hour. There's 3,600 seconds in an hour. That's a ratio of 0.05. Multiply that by the cost of an episode, 1.80, and that means I'm paying 9 cents for ads per episode. Gee whiz, I'll have to get a second mortgage!

 

[JWPlatt]

As I wrote, commercials are fine if the service, such as traditional TV, is free. I don't use Hulu (for said reasons). I use the pause button on my Roku to make snack trips - no commercials necessary.

...traditional tv is basically 90% ads...

Hyperbole, but yeah. So when they cross that line into the Intolerable Zone, I start buying the home media. So for example, I never watch Big Bang Theory during its regular season. I wait an entire year for the following September to buy the DVDs when they release the full season and watch them on DVD. I'm patient; I can wait. This is what I'll do for Star Trek Discovery, assuming they'll have DVD/BDs.

 

[Balok's Decoy]

As I wrote, commercials are fine if the service, such as traditional TV, is free.

TV isn't free though. It's pretty expensive, in fact. ???

 

[JWPlatt]

TV isn't free though. It's pretty expensive, in fact. ???

Explain, hopefully without some form of pedantry such as the cost of a display or paying for internet service.

 

[Balok's Decoy]

Explain, hopefully without some form of pedantry such as the cost of a display or paying for internet service.

You have to pay for TV service. It's a monthly fee, plus the cost of renting the cable box. I'm really confused as to why you think tv is free...

 

[JWPlatt]

Yep, sure enough, willfully ignorant pedantry. I don't believe you are confused at all.

 

[Balok's Decoy]

Yep, sure enough, willfully ignorant pedantry.

Broadcast TV does not charge for the service. Broadcast TV does not incur extra charges over cable. CBSAA charges extra over cable. Duh.

What are you even talking about? You have to pay Comcast or Verizon or whatever like $100+ just for basic services, and more if you pony up for special channel packages and HD. What planet are you on that you get tv for free. Cuz I'll move to that planet.

 

[JWPlatt]

What a stupid, stupid post.