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iHorseHead

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Jan 1, 2021
1,307
1,575
When I heard about Apple making a streaming service, I literally thought it's going to be a competitor to Netflix, but I'd still have to rent / buy movies if I wanted to see something.

So far there has been nothing to watch on Apple TV. Will they improve it?
 

0128672

Cancelled
Apr 16, 2020
5,962
4,783
For some of us, there’s plenty to watch on Apple TV+ and it just keeps improving. Like a lot of people though, a mix of streaming services helps to keeps things entertaining. I wouldn’t want to rely solely on one service to meet my needs.
 

nutmac

macrumors 603
Mar 30, 2004
6,072
7,376
I certainly hope not.

I think Apple TV+ should stay as a low cost add-on to complement other streaming services. At $17.99/month for UHD (cost rising by $1 every 18 months), Netflix is one of the most expensive services.

To me, Apple TV+ feels like a curated service with high quality contents. At $4.99/month, if I can watch 1 or 2 great show a week, I am golden.

Netflix has many quality contents too, but finding what I want to watch often feels like deep sea fishing. And at $17.99/month, I feel like I am obligated find and watch something, ideally in UHD to justify its $4 premium.
 
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circatee

Contributor
Nov 30, 2014
4,426
3,001
I personally think that Apple TV+ are going for high quality telly. With that, I cannot see them reaching the heights of Netflix.

And, like @nutmac stated, Netflix is flipping expensive now. Even more so, if like me you have other services, too (Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, Prime)...
 

0128672

Cancelled
Apr 16, 2020
5,962
4,783
At $4.99/monthNetflix has many quality contents too, but finding what I want to watch often feels like deep sea fishing. And at $17.99/month, I feel like I am obligated find and watch something, ideally in UHD to justify its $4 premium.
“ … deep sea fishing” is perfect. Once I spend more time trying to find something to watch than actually watching, I know it’s time to subscribe to something else.
 

mallbritton

macrumors 65816
Nov 26, 2006
1,063
363
I find plenty to watch on TV+. I hope the Channel doesn't become like Netflix as that service is too expensive for my budget. I agree with @nutmac. I find it is a nice complement to the other services i subscribe to.
 
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nutmac

macrumors 603
Mar 30, 2004
6,072
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I find plenty to watch on TV+. I hope the Channel doesn't become like Netflix as that service is too expensive for my budget. I agree with @nutmac. I find it is a nice complement to the other services i subscribe to.
I wish Channels would add support for HDHomeRun Scribe 4K that has DVR built-in. Since that would counter their $80/year subscription business model, that probably won't happen.
 

mallbritton

macrumors 65816
Nov 26, 2006
1,063
363
I think you misunderstood what I meant. I did not mean the Channels app. I meant the Apple TV+ Channel. Just like the Paramount+, AMC+, etc. Channels in the TV app.
 

pmiles

macrumors 6502a
Dec 12, 2013
809
676
Well the service will certainly gain more content over time... it's just in it's infancy, and unlike Disney+, it didn't have decades of back catalog content to supplement it's new content. In other words, if you strip out all of the old stuff from these services and only count the shows that were made in the last two years, you will find that all of them are pretty scarce on content.

Now for those with deep back catalogs... well, that may not be a plus to someone who isn't interested in watching old stuff. You can fill a room with DVDs, but if you are only inclined to watch each once, you end up with a room full of DVDs that you will never watch. Netflix and the like have a lot of stuff that no one will likely ever watch. Someone will, but the preponderance won't.

Then you have the old revolving door of content that goes on... studio A makes show A, airs it to death on their service, then farms it out to another service. So even a show you enjoy watching again and again isn't always going to be available on a service forever. They rotate in and out and about. So while you may think plunking down $14 for a month of HBOMax to see show X, give it some time and that baby will eventually end up on another service down the road... and likely for much less.

Reminds me of Stargate SG-1 which was a Showtime original. Now you can pretty much watch it everywhere. It's still "new" content to someone, but for those who watched it originally on Showtime, it's now an old show to them.
 

Eric Idle

macrumors 6502a
Jan 4, 2020
513
353
I find plenty to watch on TV+. I hope the Channel doesn't become like Netflix as that service is too expensive for my budget. I agree with @nutmac. I find it is a nice complement to the other services i subscribe to.
$12 more a month is a brutal expense. Savage enough to worry if you can keep the house or car, or even feed the kids.
 

russell_314

macrumors 603
Feb 10, 2019
6,046
9,007
USA
No it will never be like Netflix because Apple TV or at least the subscription service is Apple original content. Netflix while they do have some original content it’s mostly content that they bought the rights to distribute. I’m not sure if Apple will ever buy content for Apple TV. If that happens don’t expect it to stay at $4.99 a month
 

Abazigal

Contributor
Jul 18, 2011
19,669
22,211
Singapore
When I heard about Apple making a streaming service, I literally thought it's going to be a competitor to Netflix, but I'd still have to rent / buy movies if I wanted to see something.

So far there has been nothing to watch on Apple TV. Will they improve it?

I don’t think we will see TV+ getting a back catalogue any time soon. Rather, what Apple seems to be doing is use original content to get users into the app, and then hope that they will go on to purchase additional iTunes content or subscribe to other channels (where Apple gets a 30% cut).
 

jimkingwood

macrumors member
Aug 20, 2010
51
20
When I heard about Apple making a streaming service, I literally thought it's going to be a competitor to Netflix, but I'd still have to rent / buy movies if I wanted to see something.

So far there has been nothing to watch on Apple TV. Will they improve it?
I seem to be one of the few here that agree with you. I think Apple TV's own content is anemic. I use Apple TV+ on Roku to rent/buy movies, buy TV series like The Office and Breaking Bad, and so forth. Much or most of which I previously purchased in iTunes. But aside from The Morning Show I haven't found anything at all interesting as far as their own content. The Emily Dickinson series I thought was/is stupid. And their environment in general just seems a little woke.

Without iTunes content being available on Apple TV+ it wouldn't make it on its own, I don't think. Not from what I've seen.

Edit: I am aware that I mixed Apple TV with Apple TV + but that the concept still holds.
 
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