s/o Streaming from Netflix & Roku Use

[Pilsy]

Good morning!  

My sister bought us a Roku for Christmas.  The idea behind it is neat, it was super-easy to set up, and we've had no issues with the wireless signal.  The problem is with Netflix.  We've been on a DVD plan but switched to streaming once we received the Roku, and now we can't find anything to watch.  

Does anyone else feel like the selection for streaming is really awful?  

If you have a Roku, how do you make the most of it without spending a fortune?  

[Deleted]

I don't really watch movies on Netflix. I watch tv shows. There are a ton of tv shows on there. I could never catch up on all I want to see.

[Pilsy]

Ahh, yes - thanks for the reminder! We will have to check out more of those.

DH wanted to watch Goodfellas. I feel like we are destined to end up paying Netflix for both subscriptions. Grrr.

[Deleted]

We've tried Netflix, Hulu+, and Amazon Prime. I prefer Netflix but I tend to watch more TV shows & documentaries.

Redbox Instant is now also available (I think they only offer movies; no TV shows) and I'm not sure if it's compatible with Roku.

[Pilsy]

Ooh, blushn', that would be so great! I just Googled and saw that it's not available as a Roku channel yet, but I bet it will be eventually.

[niq]

The selection is pretty bad once you get through the tiny amount of good stuff.

We purposely kept our Netflix Blu-ray subscription to get better movies, and since the quality on Blu-rays is so much higher. You can also try redbox (I think it's $1/movie/day) if there's a pickup point near you.

[cinco]

Jan 27, 2013 8:53:53 GMT -5 @iheartcosmos said:

I don't really watch movies on Netflix. I watch tv shows. There are a ton of tv shows on there. I could never catch up on all I want to see.

We only watch the TV shows too. 

[greekypie]

Roku is our only source of TV. We have Anazon, Hulu plus, and Netflix (streaming and blu ray) subscriptions. There is some duplication but I still see the point in keeping all 3 for now. Even with all 3, it's wayyyyyyy cheaper than cable or dish.

[hurricanedrunk]

Jan 27, 2013 9:27:36 GMT -5 cinco said:

Jan 27, 2013 8:53:53 GMT -5 @iheartcosmos said:

I don't really watch movies on Netflix. I watch tv shows. There are a ton of tv shows on there. I could never catch up on all I want to see.

We only watch the TV shows too. 

Yup this is us too. We've never been big movie people so it works out well. Since Netflix is our only thing (no cable) we also get 2 dvd's at a time to supplement for TV shows or the occasional movie that isn't available on streaming. I think it adds about $10 a month.

[halfpint]

We mostly watch shows on Netflix streaming, too. Sometimes a movie will pop up that we want to see, usually something older.

We have streaming + 2 DVDs, so we can always get the movies that way if there's something we really want.

[Pilsy]

Huh. I hadn't even considered giving up cable. Maybe I can convince DH! That would be fantastic, and like someone said, so much cheaper, even if we increase subscription fees a little.

[persa]

We watch movies on amazon prime on the Roku or our xbox. The new releases are usually a couple dollars cheaper on Amazon than they are on our cable pay per view

[darthnbjenni]

Try searching on your laptop for shows on Netflix, and saving them. Often they don't show up on the main menu on our tv, unless I add them in our queue.

[ESF]

We also mostly watch TV shows. But the TV shows are limited.

The reason the selection is limited is because HBO has a strict policy of refusing to allow Netflix to stream its content for free, and Showtime only offers limited release of its old shows (never its current ones). On top of that, certain companies offer exclusivity agreements -- for example, HBO has one with Universal (and maybe other movie companies), so Universal movies can only be streamed through HBO-Go or whatever the hell their Roku channel is called, and you can only get HBO-Go if you pay your cable provider for an HBO subscription.

On top of that, Hulu, for some unknown reason, doesn't make all of its Hulu Plus shows/movies available through Roku. So you can subscribe, but half the content is only actually available if you watch on your computer.

The entire system is a racket.

[Pilsy]

Jan 27, 2013 13:57:31 GMT -5 darthnbjenni said:

Try searching on your laptop for shows on Netflix, and saving them. Often they don't show up on the main menu on our tv, unless I add them in our queue.

Interesting!  

[ESF]

Jan 27, 2013 14:12:52 GMT -5 Pilsy said:

Jan 27, 2013 13:57:31 GMT -5 darthnbjenni said:

Try searching on your laptop for shows on Netflix, and saving them. Often they don't show up on the main menu on our tv, unless I add them in our queue.

Interesting!  

I'm confused by this.  Netflix on Roku has a search feature.  Are you saying that if you search on that, and if you search online, you get two different results?  That doesn't make sense to me.  Or are you saying that you are just looking at the front screen on Netflix and not actually doing any searching through Roku?

[thatgirl2478]

The streaming for Netflix is AWESOME - but you won't find a lot of current 'big hollywood box office hits' on there. The big movie houses don't want to sign contracts w/ Netflix b/c it hurts their bottom line.

Honestly, start watching the independent & foreign films. Some of them are bad, but some are SO GOOD! This weekend we watched:

Poultrygeist: Night of the Chicken Dead (a fast food chicken franchise is built on an ancient Native American burial ground that just happens to be curse, chaos ensues) - a perfect movie if you like B movies.

Time Crimes - a Spanish Language film (subtitled of course) - a man goes back in time to prevent a crime and ends up with a weird string of crimes happening.

Romantics Anonymous - a French Language file (subtitled) - a shy man & a nervous women fall in love over a shared passion for chocolate.

DogHouse - a British Movie - 6 guys try to help out their buddy going through a divorce only to encounter a virus that turns women into flesh eating zombies.

We really liked all 4 of them. You just have to be willing to give them a chance!