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Miracle Day - what if I don't have Starz?

There are a plethora of alternate means to view television programs.

Including a little thing called DVD. Miracle Day is set to be released on DVD/Blu-ray not long after the show airs (they've already announced a UK release date). So if you can't view it on broadcast, and aren't interested in downloading, this option comes available not long after (and presumably the set will be available for rent via Netflix if you're too chea...er...not interested in buying it.

Alex
 
My guess is they won't be. I don't understand why they don't make the shows available on iTunes. The price per episode charge won't be the same as a subscription but people only interested in one show generally don't want to subscribe. Why not try and at least make some money off of them?

TV episodes are $2 on iTunes, right? But to subscribe to Starz is $20/month, which works out to $5/episode. Highway robbery, but if they want people to sit still for highway robbery, they can't give them cheaper alternatives.

Anyway, it's all BS because I've optimized my turnover rate on Netflix to get it down to the $1.50/DVD range, and one DVD generally has several episodes. Why bother with any other method (if you're being legal about it)? At those prices, why bother with piracy?

So: Netflix > Watch Instantly > Starz Play > Live Starz Channel. But only when it's actually showing on Starz. It's not accessible other times.

If they're letting people see the whole series that way, they are really undercutting Starz's financial model. The profit margin on getting new subscribers is far higher than whatever piddly profit Starz is getting from Netflix views.

Just out of curiosity, I checked into StarzPlay - they want you to use IE? So much for that. Is it even compatible with Mac? I nosed around and saw no indication that I could come back at X time and see the show live, or that the show is even available. It's not under "New Arrivals" (Netflix's sucky sorting doesn't help - I let the scrolling run till I ran out of patience - I did see "Star Trek: New Episodes"!!! :D) and back in the regular section, where they list Torchwood S1-3, there's no indication that an S4 exists at all, much less is available somewhere else on Netflix.
 
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^I have a Mac and use FireFox and just played a movie through StarzPlay. It ran just fine on the Silverlight plugin, which you need for all NetFlix streaming. (Which I understand you don't do, but the plugin is a free download.)
 
I'm fairly certain that Miracle Day will wind up on BBC America at some point. It may be the last ones to get it, but I think the odds that BBCA won't acquire a series of Torchwood are slim, IMO.
 
Netflix's latest outrage has nixed any possibility of me streaming StarzPlay or anything else ever again. You much CHOOSE! DVDs or streaming, bwhaha! :rommie: Idiots...

Their streaming library sucks, so that's any easy choice.
 
My guess is they won't be. I don't understand why they don't make the shows available on iTunes. The price per episode charge won't be the same as a subscription but people only interested in one show generally don't want to subscribe. Why not try and at least make some money off of them?

They will, eventually, when the show is sold on DVD, no? Best to sell as many subscriptions now, which will earn them more money, than to offer up an alternative, less profitable option that some of those subscribers might switch to.
 
I wish premium cable would report #s of new subscribers and what % is watching a show after subscribing - that's a hugely significant number - a new show that can draw in new subscribers is more valuable than one that simply appeals to existing subscribers (who might not have cancelled just because that show didn't exist). But I guess that's highly proprietary information that they wouldn't want competitors to know.
 
Why would they want to publicly release those numbers? Ratings aren't released to satiate our curiosity, they are released to encourage advertisers to buy ad space. Since Starz doesn't have commercials, they don't need to worry about that.
 
The only thing I can think of is that they might be a useful advertising tool (x # of people tuned in!). I assume that's why HBO and Showtime release their viewership numbers, and although that's not the same as counting new subscribers, it seems about as relevant since the don't have advertisers to report to.
 
Netflix's latest outrage has nixed any possibility of me streaming StarzPlay or anything else ever again. You much CHOOSE! DVDs or streaming, bwhaha! :rommie: Idiots...

Their streaming library sucks, so that's any easy choice.

Meh, I still use the streaming a helluva lot more than the disc rental.
 
I only signed up for NetFlix last week, right before the rate hike happened, but I haven't even considered the DVD option. Streaming has a ton of good stuff – all of Futurama, Doctor Who, Red Dwarf, Star Trek, nuBSG (in hi-def), Farscape, Blackadder, Sherlock, and it goes on and on. Their selection of movies is limited from what I've seen, but there's so much good TV on there it more than makes up for it. Plus they've got a lot of British shows that would be hard to find otherwise.
 
I'd have to lose 3/4ths of my Netflix queue if I switched to streaming. :wtf: That's what I get for having catholic tastes. :rommie:

The way the studios are throwing up barrier to Netflix streaming, I'm not counting on being able to switch over anytime soon if ever. Something big has got to change, and who knows what that would be.
 
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