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Is it me or Netflix - the frutiless Netflix scroll

oldrocker

oldrocker

Feb 13, 2005
3,105
3,745
Long Island, NY / Tarpon Springs FL
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#1
Looking for something to watch the other day - I fire up Netflix.

After 20 minutes of scrolling and not finding anything interesting I end up just re-watching a movie I've seen before on broadcast TV. This not the first time I've done this. Would probably cancel my subscription if it wasn't for others on my account that do watch it. At least they tell me they watch it.

I initially signed up to watch "Lillyhammer", which I enjoyed and later watched the original 5 seasons of "Schitt's Creek". I think The Irishman is the only movie I can remember watching on Netflix.

Anyone else do the Netflix scroll and give up without actually watching anything?
 
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#2
oldrocker said:
Looking for something to watch the other day - I fire up Netflix.

After 20 minutes of scrolling and not finding anything interesting I end up just re-watching a movie I've seen before on broadcast TV. This not the first time I've done this. Would probably cancel my subscription if it wasn't for others on my account that do watch it. At least they tell me they watch it.

I initially signed up to watch "Lillyhammer", which I enjoyed and later watched the original 5 seasons of "Schitt's Creek". I think The Irishman is the only movie I can remember watching on Netflix.

Anyone else do the Netflix scroll and give up without actually watching anything?
Click to expand...
Yes. Often. Their algorithms are not as good as they think they are. I've complained, but nothing changes.

Sometimes it's best to think of a show you want, and then do a search.

B.
 
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#3
My wife found a way to stop them presenting the same couple of dozen things over and over: use the "rate this movie" function.
It remembers what you gave a thumbs-down to in previous sessions, and stops trying to get you to watch them. They still show up in the "popular" list, but greyed out to acknowledge that you're not going to click on them.

If they'd just show a sodding list, it'd be so much easier to find stuff I'm interested in, but apparently that's too simple to even comtemplate.
 
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#7
oldrocker said:
Looking for something to watch the other day - I fire up Netflix.

After 20 minutes of scrolling and not finding anything interesting I end up just re-watching a movie I've seen before on broadcast TV. This not the first time I've done this. Would probably cancel my subscription if it wasn't for others on my account that do watch it. At least they tell me they watch it.

I initially signed up to watch "Lillyhammer", which I enjoyed and later watched the original 5 seasons of "Schitt's Creek". I think The Irishman is the only movie I can remember watching on Netflix.

Anyone else do the Netflix scroll and give up without actually watching anything?
Click to expand...
Yes, Oldrocker, all the time. Did it last night. lol
 
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#8
They are ALL garbage, I've tried:
NetFlix
Amazon Prime Video
and now Hulu

Signed up for Hulu a 2nd year in a row, for only $2/month, but I'm going through the same thing today. Nothing but crap on there, unless you look at old series. I enjoy watching The Strain, but when it comes to finding a good movie, might as well forget it!
 
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#9
oldrocker said:
Looking for something to watch the other day - I fire up Netflix.

After 20 minutes of scrolling and not finding anything interesting I end up just re-watching a movie I've seen before on broadcast TV. This not the first time I've done this. Would probably cancel my subscription if it wasn't for others on my account that do watch it. At least they tell me they watch it.

I initially signed up to watch "Lillyhammer", which I enjoyed and later watched the original 5 seasons of "Schitt's Creek". I think The Irishman is the only movie I can remember watching on Netflix.

Anyone else do the Netflix scroll and give up without actually watching anything?
Click to expand...

I'm forever looking for something, and before you know it, 40 minutes has elapsed, I've added a bunch of stuff to my watch list for a later date, and it's got too late in the evening to actually start a movie.

Even allowing for the fact that I'm probably of an age where I'm conditioned to a completely different paradigm, and kids who've never known any other way of exploring a video library probably find it second nature - the entire GUI, and sorting system is utterly terrible.

Amazon wins the prize for the absolute worst GUI.

Good luck exploring that treasure trove, and finding something that isn't right at the top layer.
 
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#10
I've tried the introductory trial offer on Netflix a couple of times... not bad... but I've never been a regular customer. Never really had the desire to try Hulu, Amazon, Disney+, NBC Peacock or any of the others.

I don't do televised drama or comedies... so that drops the want level for these pay services down a few notches.

oldrocker said:
L
Anyone else do the Netflix scroll and give up without actually watching anything?
Click to expand...
 
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#11
This thread reminds of the Bruce Springsteen song '57 channels (And Nothin' On)'. Scrolling up and down TV channels before the days of streaming services often resulted in the same unsatisfactory results.
Instead of asking a mindless computer to entertain you, take control of your viewing habits. Decide what you want to watch and search for it. If nothing matches up to your desires, turn it off.

-Mike
 
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#12
I think this is a common problem that seems pretty ubiquitous across streaming platforms.

I’ve thought multiple times before that some of these streaming services like Netflix should try presenting content via curated / themed channels in addition to the current user choice method.

I feel like that would be nice at times where you just want to turn something on in the background or don’t feel like choosing. You could just flip on the “historical documentary” channel or whatever you’re into. They could even allow you to restart it like a DVR or “view series” separately from the channel if you liked it. Seems like it could be a good way to help people discover new content too.

Obviously wouldn’t fix everything, since people have a hard time choosing from channels too, but I have always thought it’d be a welcome option/addition from my perspective.
 
#17
Ya. Too many times I've read the little blurb just to turn off a recommendation 15min into it. My tastes are kinda all over the place so while I'll sometimes get spot-on recommendations (normally stuff I've seen or otherwise know about). Rarely do I get a really, really great suggestion. But if I look at that "top 10 most popular" list I don't see anything appealing. The algorithm only has to satisfy enough customers, not all of us.
 
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#18
I have Sky, Prime Video, Netflix plus a plethora of other free channels on my phone. I NEVER watch anything. There's nothing that catches my interest. My wife and my son enjoy them every now and then but if it was for me we wouldn't even have a tv at home. All I've tried to watch felt so predictable, repetitive, stereotyped, unnerving and irritating. The most recent stuff I've either watched and enjoyed is BoJack Horseman. And before that? "How I met your mother". Wow.
 
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#19
I’ve dropped Netflix for exactly that reason. They’ve figured out how to drop a deluge of new shows but none of them looks interest to me. I’ll re-up when the final season of Ozark drops, maybe also Stranger Things. I don’t have the time or interest in trying to figure out if I’ll like every new thing they throw at us. It’s too much.
 

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