Whenever I look for an older movie they only rarely have it. For example they have zero movies with Robert Deniro now. It seems they are putting a ton of money into their own shows. I guess that is based on what people want to see.
Am I the only person who would like to watch some older movies on Netflix and has a hard time finding them?
(I am talking about the streaming service here)
The guy’s name is Robert De Niro, not Deniro. I don’t have Netflix so have no way of testing but I cannot believe they have no De Niro films. Are you putting it in as Deniro?
Probably, as Mr. Shine said, a spelling issue. Looks like Netflix Streaming has 11 De Niro films available It is definitely true that the movie selection in streaming is far from comprehensive. The reason for that is costs to license the movies.
I think I tried both spellings but maybe I spelled it wrong . And I know they have to pay for each movie they have. I also looked up Meryl Streep and did not find much for her.
they are more focused on TV shows. i called them. they told me they were.
i think it is because you can spend a lot of time watching whole seasons.
They also cycle whole catalogs in and out every month or two, partly by whim and partly by licensing and contract negotiations.
Netflix streaming is constrained by the rights issue. And it’s worse now that there’s competition from other streaming sources. That’s one reason they started with original programming: they wanted content that wouldn’t go elsewhere when the contract ended.
The one thing we’re losing in the switch to streaming from DVDs is the ability to see any movie made. We’re moving back to the pre-vcr days where it was took work and good luck to see older films. It may even end up worse.
There are two effects here. They draw a lot more subscribers with TV shows than movies and their own productions are cheaper in the long run than paying fees to other companies.
So making their own TV shows is the first priority.
Running other companies’ TV shows is second.
Making their own movies is third. (Unfortunately, their most famous deal is for a bunch of Adam Sandler flics.)
Unless De Niro signs on to a Netflix TV series or movie deal, don’t expect a lot of his stuff there. (But keep in mind the DVD mail service has a lot better selection. But only by comparison. It still sucks compared to my tastes.)
Not to mention all the other streaming services - I expect at least some movies are licensed exclusively to only one service at a time, based on nothing other than thinking that would make sense.
I do find I watch series on Netflix much more often than movies. I’m not a binge-watcher per se, but sometimes I’ll do 3 in a row. For eight bucks a month, I have no complaints. Except that The French Lieutenant’s Woman stopped before it was over - I guess they didn’t license the last reel.
you can watch pretty much any movie on Amazon for about the same equivalent price as it was to rent a VCR tape
Streaming sucks in general for movies. It’s because you have to license them individually, for two hours of content or less. And you have to track down copyright holders, and haggle with each one over the price of licensing, if you can find them.
In contrast, haggle once for Cheers and you get a decade worth of content. Netflix streaming sucks for movies (though their DVD service has a great selection), but can anyone point to a legit streaming service that is better?
Yes, Amazon as mentioned. I am not talking about Prime video although that is a nice perk to have when they bundle it with their free shipping plan because they have free movies that Netflix does not.
However, you can also stream a gigantic selection of videos as a rental or buy them to watch over and over as long as Amazon continues to exist. Rentals are usually $2 - $4 for 24 hours of unlimited viewing and buying costs anywhere from a few dollars to $16 or so.
They have plenty of Robert De Niro movies that you can rent or buy for streaming right now if you have a few dollars. Taxi Driver is $3.99 to rent and $12.99 to buy for example. That may be a little pricier than an all-inclusive streaming plan but it will hardly break the bank and it is in line with what Blockbuster was charging in the 1990’s plus they are never out, you don’t have to leave your couch to get it and you don’t have to keep track of a DVD to return or store if you buy it. You also have full access to it from almost any computer or smartphone in the country for good if you buy a movie.
It’s also the same price at Apple for those in the iFamily.
Amazon’s selection of streaming rental/purchase films is indeed impressive, and the prices aren’t bad.
I think the issue with these Netflix-sucks discussions is that people want a “Spotify for movies,” in which you pay a small monthly charge and can stream anything you can think of. Unfortunately, that’s just not going to happen.
They currently have 9 De Niro and 6 Streep movies available to stream.
On a related note I curse the person who told De Niro that he was funny.
And I read that Amazon doesn’t play nice with Chromecast , is that true?
The lack of movies is the main reason I still also belong to the DVD arm of the company.
Except the ones that have exclusivity deals with Netflix. Or Hulu. Or HBO Go. Or Showtime’s streaming service. Or the one that CBS is planning to start. And I wouldn’t be surprised if Disney/ABC got into the act.
The market is fragmented, and it’s going to get worse.
100% true. Makes prime video nearly useless to me.
Side note, I never quite understand why people say that Netflix “doesn’t have XYZ.” They don’t have everything streaming, but they have just about everything on DVD.
I did give up my DVD option very recently, but only because I found I was spending money renting streaming films from Amazon.