On 09/25/2014 10:42 PM, ultrarishi wrote:
---In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, <noozguru@...> wrote :
Dan, Hulu's business model is different form Netflix. Netflix does
not show ads and people expect this with their Hulu+ subscription.
You get no ads on Hulu+ with movies and they have the Criterion
Collection. The problem with TV shows is sometimes the studio will
place them for "buy" at sites like Amazon, iTunes and VUDU. These are
the ad free versions. So there would be a problem (i.e. conflict of
interest) if the shows were ad free on Hulu+ too.
The main thing Hulu needs to do is keep with short ad breaks or ones
no longer than 1 minutes. The current model is 6 ad breaks per 44
minute show (they actually call them 6 act shows). The broadcast
versions can have up to 4 minutes of commercials on a break. I've
heard that some networks losing OTA viewers are trying to make up for
lost revenue by shoving more ads on streaming. That won't work as
people will drop the subscriptions. And millennials who don't like to
watch TV shows at all just like to watch clips on places like Hulu.
The worlds is changing right out from under the feet of the network execs.
Because of the ads + cost, I don't think I will ever pick up Hulu
again. In fact, I am now having a hard time with network television
shows because the ads are just so irritating. I much rather use my
VPN and download shows like Manhattan, The Good Wife, The Blacklist,
etc. via torrent than to watch live or dvr with the ads in place. Too
many ads and so annoying.
I have a problem with "network television" period since most of the
shows are insipid. Most of any series viewing is not broadcast shows
and I tend to favor foreign shows made in less commercialistic
environments. One of the great things about the Utopia BD was the
featurette on shooting the controversial episode three because it
covered the constraints of shooting with a limited budget. US networks
make shows that are mostly gloss with little content. That gloss costs
money so no wonder they have to sell a lot of ads to balance the
spreadsheet. And then no one watches. We're all waiting to see what
new shows get canceled first.
Maybe less gloss, more story might please viewers but I'm sure the
research the networks do tells them gloss is the key. But then why did
FOX redo BBC's "Broadchurch" especially after most of us have seen the
original on BBC America? More story? Network TV execs seem like a
bunch of baboons flailing away in their cages. And yes, I have been
enjoying "Manhattan" especially because I grew up near the Hanford
Project and know the weirdness surrounding it.
I actually prefer movies over series because they are easier to fit into
my schedule. If a series falls into the soap opera cliche then I am
likely to drop it because I don't like to be "strung along". And
contrary to popular belief I'm actually not a TV junkie either.
And then the ads. I turn the sound off on Hulu+ which makes ads more
insipid. US businesses are desperate (just look at the layoffs and
doors closing) but hard sells aren't going to help and in fact probably
make us NOT want to buy the product. I think the business caste
deserves where they are in the Indian caste system. ;-)
I also find that more and more of my listening and viewing is taken up
with podcast that scratch a certain itch. Narrowcasting as opposed to
broadcasting is capturing my interest.
