• darthsid@lemmy.world
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    1 month ago

    Why is it that these fucks get to increase their price and just to offer shittier service but if I want a raise at my job I’ve got to go above and beyond?

  • aramis87@fedia.io
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    1 month ago

    [When launched] Prime Video with ads was given a “very light ad load,” providing subscribers “gentle entry into advertising that has exceeded customers expectations in terms of what the ad experience would be like." The executive pointed out that Prime Video with ads doesn’t show commercials in the middle of content. That could change next year.

    Planned enshittification a la boiling frogs.

    • NineMileTower@lemmy.world
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      1 month ago

      I’ll just pirate their shit. I’ll pirate it so hard and I’ll do it with both middle fingers in the air. But not literally, I would definitely need both hands to pirate their content.

    • NOT_RICK@lemmy.world
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      1 month ago

      So are executives born with an asshole where their mouth belongs or do they surgically put it on when you get the gig?

    • FarceOfWill@infosec.pub
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      1 month ago

      Light my arse, from the start they’ve interrupted with adverts for their own crap making it barely tolerable. Even on the adfree tier.

      Canceled and no intention of ever going back. Measuring your ad load by American standards doesn’t work when your competition is netflix and iPlayer.

    • NotMyOldRedditName@lemmy.world
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      1 month ago

      The executive pointed out that Prime Video with ads doesn’t show commercials in the middle of content. That could change next year.

      So regular TV is designed around the ads.

      Cliff hangers before ads are done not only for the story, but to keep you there through the ad to get the outcome to the cliffhanger.

      That partially went away with the no ad streaming.

      Now that shitty behavior is going to come back.

      • Semi-Hemi-Lemmygod@lemmy.world
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        1 month ago

        Now that shitty behavior is going to come back.

        Of course not. Streaming sites are far too lazy for that. They’ll just cram the commercial into the middle of the show with no regard for the story. It’s the only way they’ll be able to put ads in the middle of shows not made to have ads.

      • aramis87@fedia.io
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        1 month ago

        What did they interrupt the episode for? Because a number of companies have adopted the policy that, if the interruption is promoting something else offered by the platform - say, a different program, or another tier of service - that those interruptions aren’t really ads, because the company isn’t actually getting paid to air it. It absolutely looks and acts like an ad to the viewers, but the companies are trying to redefine the word.

    • Don_alForno@feddit.org
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      1 month ago

      The executive pointed out that Prime Video with ads doesn’t show commercials in the middle of Content

      That’s a blatant lie, it definitely does.

      • aramis87@fedia.io
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        1 month ago

        Copying my reply to someone else:

        What did they interrupt the episode for? Because a number of companies have adopted the policy that, if the interruption is promoting something else offered by the platform - say, a different program, or another tier of service - that those interruptions aren’t really ads, because the company isn’t actually getting paid to air it. It absolutely looks and acts like an ad to the viewers, but the companies are trying to redefine the word.

        • CeeBee_Eh@lemmy.world
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          1 month ago

          I’m getting non-stop Samsung, insurance, food, and other kinds of ads in the middle of shows.

          It makes me not want to use Prime. And in fact, I don’t anymore.

      • peopleproblems@lemmy.world
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        1 month ago

        What shall we do with an ad filled service? What shall we do with an ad filled service? What shall we do with an ad filled service? Before we go crazy!

        Ahoy the season is starting! Ahoy the season is starting! Ahoy the season is starting! Before we go crazy!

        Cancel our subscription with greatest haste now! Cancel our subscription with greatest haste now! Cancel our subscription with greatest haste now! Before we go crazy!

        Ahoy the season is starting! Ahoy the season is starting! Ahoy the season is starting! Before we go crazy!

        Search for the show on pirate websites! Search for the show on pirate websites! Search for the show on pirate websites! Before we go crazy!

        Ahoy the season is starting! Ahoy the season is starting! Ahoy the season is starting! Before we go crazy!

      • Don_alForno@feddit.org
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        1 month ago

        Yarr harr fiddle dee dee

        Stealing from Bezos is alright with me

        Don’t watch their ads cause your time’s not for free

        You are a pirate!

    • Lost_My_Mind@lemmy.world
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      1 month ago

      I’m not even sure it encourages piracy. That would assume amazon has content people want to watch.

      Name an amazon show…

      See? You can’t do it. Nobody can! It’s like trying to name lost media from the silent movie generation. Nobody would know what you were talking about if you did name one.

      • Mister_Feeny@fedia.io
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        1 month ago

        The Boys, Fallout, Invincible, Good Omens. These were all good shows, though the Boys is kinda wearing thin and I’m glad it’s ending next season.

        Haven’t seen em, but Jack Ryan, Reacher, Mr. and Mrs. Smith, The Marvelous Ms. Maisel…all these seem to have done extremely well and been popular.

        Sure they have their absolute disasters like the Rings of Power too, but it’s not like they’re on the same level of quality as like the freevee’s and roku original shows.

      • brrt@sh.itjust.works
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        1 month ago

        Amazon as a company sucks enough on its own. No need to make shit up.

        See? You can’t do it.

        I can. I can even name multiple really good shows. But you don’t want to hear them. You want to fabricate a narrative.

      • Obinice@lemmy.world
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        1 month ago

        American Gods, Rings of Power, Good Omens, the Expanse, Man in the high castle, the Last of us, etc etc.

        It’s not always as good of a selection as other services, but it’s got a fair few gems on there and a good amount of back catalogue films and tv shows that are fab :-)

        And the fact that they collect so much stuff that would otherwise not be available at all (usually because its only on some random foreign streaming service and refuses to work with netflix) is where they really shine.

        That said, I immediately stopped using it when they brought adverts in to the paid subscription. I’m not paying to watch adverts, sorry, no.

        • ItsComplicated@sh.itjust.works
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          1 month ago

          It still boggles my mind how paying for ads became acceptable. Not only is the company making money from the advertisers for the ad space, they now get to make money off the population for viewing the ads. This is a crazy world we live in.

          • Obinice@lemmy.world
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            1 month ago

            Oh yeah, forgot about those! I enjoyed the boys and invincible a lot, I never got around to watching wheel of time, I will eventually, but I’ve heard nothing particularly good (or that it’s middling at best) so I’ve shoved it to the back of my to watch list.

      • Visstix@lemmy.world
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        1 month ago

        I think amazon actually has the most enjoyable stuff to watch for me. Not that I pay for it.

      • Famko@lemmy.world
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        1 month ago

        The Boys maybe? (Idk I don’t watch Amazon shows)

        Btw if you’re gonna put a question like that in your comment, at least make us answer it before making your point. Makes for better conversations methinks.

      • Bonesince1997@lemmy.world
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        1 month ago

        I take your point. Generally it might be correct. However, Jean Claude Van Johnson was great! Comedy. If you don’t know it, you should watch it. I can’t name anything else however.

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    1 month ago

    That’s okay, I’ll ramp up my piracy of Amazon-exclusive shows in 2025 too.

      • DarkThoughts@fedia.io
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        1 month ago

        The Boys, Fallout, Vox Machina, Invincible? Although most aren’t directly produced by Amazon itself. The Expanse if we want to count the hosting and the fact that it still got cancelled.

      • CarCdrCons@lemmy.world
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        1 month ago

        There’s quite a few worth watching besides what’s already been mentioned.

        • Patriot
        • Bosch
        • Goliath
        • The Night Manager
        • Sneaky Pete
        • Reacher
        • Jack Ryan
        • Mr. & Mrs. Smith
        • Good Omens
        • The Man In The High Castle
        • The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
      • kent_eh@lemmy.ca
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        1 month ago

        Clarkson’s Farm. And until recently, The Grand Tour.

        Can’t think of any others from the last few years.

            • Semi-Hemi-Lemmygod@lemmy.world
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              1 month ago

              Apparently I missed its release date entirely, which I blame on Amazon adding commercials because I haven’t used it in months.

              • Kbobabob@lemmy.world
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                1 month ago

                Ah, I actually use my Nvidia Shield home screen for that, lol. I selected all services that I want to keep an eye on and it shows me the latest or most popular of the moment. It’s not perfect but it seems to work well enough when i already have my Sonarr keeping an eye out for the ones I’m already subscribed to. Then Plex will let me know when a new one gets downloaded.

      • HelixDab2@lemm.ee
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        1 month ago

        Off the top of my head, the only one that I’ve watched in recent memory was Fallout.

  • TheGrandNagus@lemmy.world
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    1 month ago

    Stopped watching netflix because they banned sharing accounts and £18 (24 USD) monthly was too much for just one person. Cheaper plans didn’t have 4K or 5.1 audio, so it felt like a waste when I couldn’t even use my setup as it is meant to be used.

    Never watched prime because I refuse to pay for something then still see ads.

    Now I either source stuff by other means (🏴‍☠️🦜) and put it on my media server, or I use BBC iPlayer. Not sure if that’s a thing outside of the UK, but zero ads and decent quality programming is something I’m happy to pay their fee for, especially when it also goes towards funding ad-free TV, radio, news, sport, podcasts, etc.

    It’s fucked how greed has completely ruined the streaming market. Back in ~2010 it felt like the market was going in such a positive direction.

    • Meowing Thing@lemmy.world
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      1 month ago

      Same thing happened with cable decades ago.

      The public TV was full of ads and bad programs. Cable offered you pay them for no ads, good series and new movies. Then the prices rose, then the ads started, then the programs turned to shit as much or even more than before.

      Streaming just went the same path.

  • interurbain1er@sh.itjust.works
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    1 month ago

    I want to congratulate streaming services. They got me off torrenting for a decade but multiplication, price hike and general enshitification has gotten me to install an *arr stack. My only media subscription now is $5 a month for a VPN.

    So congrats guys, you’ve become the new cable and we’ve come full circle 👍.

  • underthesign@lemmy.world
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    1 month ago

    Just in time for me to have already cancelled my Prime membership last month. I’ve also not purchased from Amazon at all since then. Plan working as intended?!

    • NotMyOldRedditName@lemmy.world
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      1 month ago

      I do have a prime account as do use Amazon, but we haven’t watched a second of prime TV since they put ads in the included video subscription.

      • Kbobabob@lemmy.world
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        1 month ago

        For some reason this was the straw that broke the camels back for me. I setup a NAS, Plex server and all the arr apps. It’s been amazing. Haven’t looked back.

        • NotMyOldRedditName@lemmy.world
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          1 month ago

          I’m using plex but still hosting it on my desktop which is a little inconvenient at times. I really should set up an always available NAS

    • CoggyMcFee@lemmy.world
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      When they announced the ads it was just the incentive I needed to quit Prime totally. I don’t miss it. I already was wary of buying from Amazon due to the sketchy sellers and fake products, so I’m glad buying my stuff elsewhere except when I can’t find something somewhere else, which has been rare.

      • Goodtoknow@lemmy.ca
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        1 month ago

        Same, dumped them, but they resubscribed me twice weeks later to Prime after I got two confirmation emails I was cancelled

  • spector@lemmy.ca
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    1 month ago

    They’ve been increasing the ad load the whole time. The most I’ve seen so far is 5 ads. Streaming will return to broadcast TV convention sooner than people think probably. 15 minutes of ads per hour.

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    1 month ago

    Looks like I cancelled at the right time. They seem to forget that we in fact do have a choice at the end of the day. And my choice is to sail the high seas.

    • sunzu2@thebrainbin.org
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      1 month ago

      Media clowns act like their engagement slop is food or shelter… Guess users haven’t voted with their feet enough on this 100% discretionary expense

  • rubikcuber@feddit.uk
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    1 month ago

    I unsubscribed in January and still have too much stuff to watch. Although that is helped by being in the UK and having iPlayer I guess. I’ve also spent way less on impulse buying crap because of the free shipping. Absolutely do not miss Prime.

      • 7U5K3N@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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        1 month ago

        Often times better… I have a 1080p 5.1 surround version of sg1. Prime has a 4:3 version with 2.0 audio, not to mention it’s super dark.

    • macrocephalic@lemmy.world
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      1 month ago

      I think I’d miss the free shipping and I might have to actually put things in a cart and wait until I reach minimum order to checkout. I could easily live without video and when I actually went to watch something on it the other day the ads were already enough to turn me off

      • CrimsonMishaps@lemmy.world
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        1 month ago

        You’re already paying for shipping - just upfront and once a year. My reasoning when I quit was that I could likely add things to get to the free shipping or just pay for shipping a few times and still save money.

      • Appoxo@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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        1 month ago

        That’s exactly what I am doing. Bought something from them (ugh) 3 times this year. All something my brick and mortar store either pulled from inventory and doesnt sell anymore, more expensive elsewhere or just damn convenience since it’s bigger at the store and thus cumbersome to transport or too expensive or both.

      • Pika@sh.itjust.works
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        1 month ago

        a good way to balance if it’s worth it, look at your order history, and look at delivery costs of items without prime, and then divide the yearly price of prime by the delivery cost, then again by 12.

        For example, if the average shipping cost is 7$, that’s roughly 1.6 orders small (read under 35$) a month, if you order less than that it might not be worth keeping prime.

      • variants@possumpat.io
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        1 month ago

        I stopped my auto renew for next year, we don’t order things like we used to so at this point we probably pay more on the yearly contract than we would have on shipping. Plus best buy Costco and Walmart have decent webstores too so we’ll probably diversify a little

    • Obinice@lemmy.world
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      1 month ago

      Check out Ludwig on iPlayer it’s a good watch! David Mitchell in some light, witty modern day Poirot detectiveing.