Online streaming services

[mtbc]

I now have the Roku hooked up and have been exploring. Figuring out what to install or subscribe to is an interesting puzzle, harder here partly because of greater fragmentation: both Amazon and Netflix in the US have a poorer selection than their UK incarnation so are not an easy yes on that basis. Amazon Prime feels less worthwhile also because of the apparent randomness of delivery day but is probably worth it overall.

Netflix streaming is less obviously worthwhile, Disney took the Marvel series, though Netflix's DVD service's wide selection is well worth it for me, it should get me shows like Star Trek: Discovery (2019) and, for example, it offers Counterpart (2017) which was great. Still, even with patience the DVDs-by-mail may not cover enough: for instance, none of either The Mandalorian (2019) or Money Heist (2017) have come out on DVD. However, too many streaming services have too few shows I care about to be worth the subscription.

The Roku is otherwise working out well. I can get the international news I like, most immediately from from Al Jazeera, France 24, NHK, and Sky News, and someday I shall probably go with Sling's cheapest tier. I also appear to be able to stream a wide variety of international radio through it, including various BBC radio. I plan to browse carefully through FilmRise given that a glance at their app already found me both Charlie Jade (2005) and Ultraviolet (1998), which I liked, so there is a good chance I may like other offered shows.

Comments

[wpadmirer]

We have Amazon Prime, so we do some streaming with them. Mostly we have them because we order a lot of supplements that are pretty impossible to find here, and I've taken to ordering clothes (tunics and such) through Amazon. Since there's the two of us, the price of Prime didn't seem too terrible.

[shadowkat]

You're making me wonder what the UK versions of Netflix and Amazon are like?

Both are limited here by distribution rights. How to explain? Hmm.
CBS All Access has sole rights to distribute Star Trek Discovery in the US, but Netflix has foreign distribution rights because CBS All Access may not exist or have a strong presence in foreign markets. Netflix doesn't have the right to air it in the US however.
Netflix however does have say secondary distribution rights to Star Trek Deep Space 9 - so it can stream that, even though it is a CBS All Access Property. I also has secondary distribution rights for the Legend of Korra, even though it is a CBS All Access Property.

So the UK may get things that only air on CBS All Access or Peacock or HBO MAX in the US, on Netflix UK and Amazon UK, while we don't.

It's all very confusing.

You might want to try Hulu - it has all the broadcast network television series, and the old ones. Also everything 20th Century Fox did and does.

[goldibehr]

Which Roku hardware do you have? Ours must be 5 years old at this point, and I'm looking for a backup unit in case it dies.