this post was submitted on 26 Sep 2023
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With the simultaneous rollout of restrictions on account sharing and price increases/addition of advertising, I’m cutting back severely on streaming services.

I allowed my streaming subscriptions to grow without thinking about it. Without trying to remember the constant merging and bundling, I was subscribed to probably a dozen services at one point. They ranged from Netflix and HBO and Hulu to Shudder and Showtime. I had Paramount, Criterion, Disney, Peacock, and others. I’d do the typical thing where I’d search for a movie, find it is exclusive to a platform, and grab the free trial and forget to cancel. I excused it if I found a movie even every couple of months on it. There were still nights where it’d take an hour to find something I wanted to watch. I was probably closing in on $200/month all told, and I don’t have sports subscriptions.

I’m interested in learning what other people are doing regarding the price hikes and service compromises. Are you cancelling? Are you taking advantage of bundles with your internet services? Are you rotating on some interval? Or are you not changing at all?

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[–] fox@beehaw.org 1 points 1 year ago

I'm a Criterion early subscriber and am still on their early subscriber yearly pricing. Get gift certificates a few times a year for their physical disk web store.

I knew about the Disney+ price hike and plan to add ads last year.

I was able to get Hulu (with ads) for $1.99/month for 12 months (then $7.99 per month) then add on Disney+ for $2.99/month during last year's Blacks Friday discount. Which was cheaper than just Disney+ by itself with ads.

Not sure what I'll do once I hit my head mark with Hulu.

[–] Sabakodgo@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 points 1 year ago

I still have youtube premium, but using turkish price, which is dirt cheap (1eur/mon)

[–] jonuno@lemmy.ml 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I'm on a pirate subscription. I use Premiumize with Stremio for movies and TV shows on demand and paying for an iptv service for live sports and ppv.

[–] regbin_@lemmy.world 1 points 1 year ago

I've only ever subscribed to Bilibili. I think it's still fine so I'll keep my subscription for now.

[–] BobbyBandwidth@lemmy.world 1 points 1 year ago

I recently cut most of mine. Don’t miss them as much as I thought.

[–] stsquad@lemmy.ml 1 points 1 year ago

Not currently but I'm sure one of them will push me over the edge soon.

[–] JCPhoenix@beehaw.org 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I cancelled my Planetside 2 subscription earlier this year after like 7yrs of being a member. But that's the only one so far. I still pay for Eve Online and FFXIV, along with all my other media subscriptions. I have Spotify (+ Hulu for free as some kinda bundle), Amazon Prime Video, Crunchyroll, and Netflix.

The only other one I've considered cancelling is Netflix. But I share my account for free with a co-worker. I know Netflix is supposed to be cracking down on password sharing, but so far, I haven't heard anything from Netflix chiding me. Interestingly, she used Netflix way more than me; I rarely use it, So it almost makes sense for me to cancel it and have her get her own account. But I like having Netflix available for when I do want to watch something. And WTH is $15/mo? If neither of us were using it, I'd be more likely to cancel. When Netflix comes knocking, then maybe I'll cancel it. But for now, it's NBD.

[–] averyminya@beehaw.org 1 points 1 year ago

The rollout so far is only affecting TVs from my understanding

I can't really cancel Putlocker and it's free and has every movie and show that are on the other streaming services.

So no.

I just have one or two at any given time. At the moment I just have Disney+ (which over in the UK is more than enough cause we get the hulu/fox stuff) and Amazon because I pay for prime.

When Scott pilgrim comes out, we'll either cancel Disney+ while we get Netflix for that, or just get Netflix for a month without renewal.

Spotify with spotube and SoundCloud for music hulu, disney+ and Nebula (mabye even Netflix) for movies

[–] Arethusa@lemmy.world 1 points 1 year ago

The error message "this account cannot be used in this location," finally hit my account after I've been subscribed to Netflix for over 10 years. I've cancelled permanently and will be emailing their privacy dept for immediate account deletion as I will never subscribe to them again. I don't need 10 months. I've described some of my experience in another recent comment on an older Netflix crackdown in Australia post. My account was North American however.

Netflix was the only streaming service I kept up consistently month to month. I did fall into the same trap you did after allegedly "cord cutting" several years ago. Too many "Gos" and "Nows" and a "Sling." Stupidity really. I realized my mistake and corrected it then, only subscribing to streaming services when there was a season I wanted to binge and then cancel after a month.

But Netflix was flexible in that I could travel and use it unlike a Hulu or HBO Now etc. It was annoying when movies and series disappeared but there was always something else to watch.

Now I'm done. Companies like Netflix and Reddit (and other social media sites), and even Playstation with their insane Playstation Plus hike, count on and thrive off of the addict mentalities of their customers. Just like McDonald's and credit card companies. Recognizing that allows people to stop feeding these greedy corporations if they have the willpower to do so (some people would rather be addicts and serve as money cows).

Any program I haven't finished watching on Netflix, I have the means to do so without subscription and once that's done, I won't know or be aware of what programming they have because I'm not a subscriber any longer.

Netflix is heading for a death spiral if they aren't already there. Their revenues are dropping. It's just a matter of watching the fall until they hit 0% and then negative. They are intent on this change regardless of if it will destroy the very thing they're trying to maximize. Money. They really have the wrong of it by increasing subscription price and taking away the features that made them attractive as a service to begin with. They've waved subscription numbers around for the ignorant as a smokescreen while they continue to lose money and the subscribers who were paying $16 - $20 versus markets where they sell Netflix subscriptions for as low as $10 or lower.

[–] SinkingLotus@lemmy.world 1 points 1 year ago

I've been meaning to. It's just that I got my current Netflix subscription as part of a bundle with my ISP. I have to phone them to cancel it. I don't really have the energy to do so.

Though, I'm in the process of being kicked out of my home. If I'm able to find somewhere to go, I'll likely cancel it once I change my address with the ISP.

Other than that. I use YouTube with an adblock on both my PC and FireStick.

[–] jeena@jemmy.jeena.net 1 points 1 year ago

We have YouTube family premium, mostly because pf the youtube ads bit also 3 ppl use music regularly.

We have netflix but it's bundled with the fiance's phone contract which is payed by her company.

I just installed Sponsorblock on the TV and phone in addition to PC because I hate advertisement.

If there is thia one movie which is not on netflix then I sail the high seas to get it, but that' like once a year or so.

[–] Ekis@beehaw.org 1 points 1 year ago

I cancelled my Netflix and Spotify subscriptions long ago after content would get taken down for whatever reason. This reminded me that I'm only renting the content from these services; I don't actually own them.

Fast forward to now, I selfhost a Jellyfin server and pirate all the content I want. Feels good to have total control and ownership over my music and movie collection.

[–] z2k_@lemmy.nz 1 points 1 year ago

Cancelled my Netflix account when they announced the password sharing crackdown (even though I wasn't password sharing), and recently cancelled my Spotify family account when they increased the price.

[–] joemo@lemmy.sdf.org 1 points 1 year ago

I'm not changing my habits, but I probably should. My girlfriend and family use the streaming services more than I do. If there's something I need to watch, there's always ways to watch it online. However it's easier for them to use the legit streaming services ha.

[–] PhlubbaDubba@lemm.ee 1 points 1 year ago

I'm only on Crunchyroll since other services are through family accounts, I am considering dropping some of my Patreon subs because of belt tightening I might have to do though.

[–] vodnik@lemmy.world 1 points 1 year ago

I've cancelled them all and started sailing the high seas since the beginning of the year. I'm considering picking up Crunchyroll, though. It's just easier to pay for One Piece than pirate it.

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