News for hackers. Stuff that matters.
Re:E-books at local libraries: a fight between publishers an... by lonelappde on Monday September 16, 2019 @01:14PM (#20986291)
Google Search deep-links from approximately every supported movie to the steaming provider that supports it. Just as easy as Popcorn Time.
Re:E-books at local libraries: a fight between publishers an... by shantly on Monday September 16, 2019 @02:08PM (#20986914)
Just tried it with Mission Impossible: Fallout, which I just watched the other day on Amazon Prime's streaming thingy. Google search results give me a list of purchase options across the top in a little box, including Amazon, so that's good. Doesn't say I can stream it but I guess it doesn't know I'm logged in & have prime, which it shouldn't, so that's fine too I guess, but it doesn't tell me I could stream it with subscriptions to any of those places, just tells me purchase prices. Oh well, I happen to know it's streaming on Amazon in this case, which is cheating, but whatever.

I click it. It takes me to Amazon, where I am already logged in. I can watch the trailer or "buy" (digital purchase, so "long term rental") it for $20(!). There's no indication I can stream it with Prime. Even knowing it's available I can't figure out how to do it from this screen—I'd have to just search again on Amazon and hope for the best.

Re:E-books at local libraries: a fight between publishers an... by cwkoss on Monday September 16, 2019 @05:34PM (#20988792)
Prime video has very user-hostile UX because they are simultaneously trying to provide an already-paid-for service and upsell other ones.

Video 'rentals' are grossly overpriced. I've never rented anything from Prime, and their prices would have to drop to about 10% for me to feel like I'm getting value. I think ~$0.25/hr would be fair.

Media companies are resistant to discounting the cost of discrete pieces of content despite the supply of entertaining free video exploding a thousand fold in the past decade.

Re:E-books at local libraries: a fight between publishers an... by lstamour on Monday September 16, 2019 @02:03PM (#20986854)
If you’re in the US. There’s significantly less support for niche, specialist streaming sites as well as non-US, country-specific listings. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve clicked a Google result for a movie on Netflix only to have it be for a different country or currently unavailable...