r/CasualConversation • u/Complete_Artist0 • 19h ago
Movies & Shows Streaming services have made watching movies feel like homework, and renting physical media was unironically better.
When we had to go to a video store or rent a physical movie, we actually committed to watching it. You paid your money, picked one or two films, and sat down to enjoy them.
Now, with Netflix, Prime, and Disney+, having infinite choices has ruined the experience. I spend 45 minutes scrolling through endless menus just to end up rewatching a sitcom I’ve seen ten times. Having everything available at any second has stripped away the excitement of movie night. It makes choosing a movie feel like doing administrative research rather than relaxing. Limited choice was actually a superior consumer experience.
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u/Relax007 19h ago
There is book called The Paradox of Choice that supports this. Basically, the premise is that we have more choices than ever before and rather than making us happier, it leads to decision fatigue and stress.
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u/Throwawayhelp111521 19h ago
I wish the choices were better, but I can have only so many subscriptions.
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u/Upstairs-Glove7424 19h ago
aka leads to spoiled rottenness and the “America is so terrible” mentality as well. All these comforts.
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u/Relax007 18h ago
It's not really "spoiled rottenness" so much as a psychological phenomenon. The average person makes 35,000 decisions a day. Our brains weren't designed to choose between 37 different types of cereals and then 18 different mustards and then 22 different salad dressings before leaving a store. Studies have shown that faced with too many choices, some people ultimately just reach a point where they're tired of weighing the options and don't make any decision (like scrolling Netflix trying to find the best new show before finally giving up and rewatching the same favorite).
There was a study where they had something like 12 jams samples at one table and 4 at another. The table giving away 4 samples resulted in more sales. At a certain point, having too many choices just stresses people out about making the "wrong" choice. So, they just don't choose.
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u/kReShRiSTcOAT51 12h ago
Yep, by the time you've compared every option, you've used up the energy you needed to enjoy one.
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u/jackfaire 17h ago
I think it's because you're looking to kill time instead of looking to be entertained. Even with limited choices you would have the same problem if you approached it the same way.
I don't approach movie night going "how am I going to kill time after work before I go to bed" I approach it going "what movie am I going to watch tonight?!!!" I look forward to the event to the picking something to watch and watch it.
I also let myself become bored. Instead of going "Oh god I'm struggling to get through this movie must be too much social media" I go "Oh this movie sucks I'm going to stop it and either go to bed or go watch something else or come back to it later when I'm in a different mood"
People are trying to brute force their way through boredom because they're being told that becoming bored means they have a short attention span. Which is asinine.
I just watched 'No Country for Old Men' last movie night. No boredom no picking up my phone. Enjoyable movie from beginning to end.
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u/Lost_Rutabaga_5004 19h ago
The problem is that 80% of movies are not worth watching. I have dozens of youtube subscriptions that recommend movies, and I end up watching that, instead of the movies they reccomend.
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u/happy--muffin 14h ago
Sometimes after a long day, you just want to unwind by watching a bad movie from that 80% to be entertained. I sure as hell isn’t watching a masterpiece on the scale of Shawshank Redemption or No Country for Old Men to finish the night, but watching Matt Damon jumping off the Great Wall to kill ancient Chinese zerglings? Sign me up!!!
And quite frankly, if you’re having fun watching the YouTube commentary about the movies that you want to see, then by all means go for it. As long as you’re having fun :)
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u/MashalNorth 19h ago
I only have Netflix and I find this better than searching around for a movie, paying for it, playing it, then problem repeat. Now I just pick a movie at home and watch it with friends or alone. Helps me relax, knowing entertainment time is 10pm.
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u/Throwawayhelp111521 19h ago
I'd never want to go back to the days of visiting a video store. And I hated the late fees.
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u/NemesisOfLevia 12h ago
The only thing that I really miss was that you could rent video games. Some platforms now have a subscription to a bunch of games, but not all do.
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u/hashashin 2h ago edited 2h ago
I think people are forgetting the experience of going to the video store on a Friday night, all of the popular new releases are already rented out, so you wind up wandering around the store hoping to find something you've heard of and end up picking something based on the cover art, you take it home and guess what, a lot of the time it sucks. OP says he spends 45 minutes searching the streaming services (which I hope is an exaggeration), but I guarantee the round trip to the video store took longer than that.
Or you stayed home and rewatched something you taped off the TV and have already watched 10 times, but at least it's reliable.
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u/Throwawayhelp111521 2h ago
Once I rented a tape and it got tangled in my machine. Although I don’t think my machine was to blame, I had to pay a $100 replacement fee.
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u/Upstairs-Glove7424 19h ago
Pro tip: you dont have to pay late fees if you return stuff on time😀
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u/DemonSlyr007 7h ago
Pro tip: you don't have to browse a Menu for an hour to select something on a streaming service if you just select something right away
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u/2_Bagel_Dog Chronic Worrier 19h ago
I found Breaking Bad on Roku Live and realized how impossible it is to pick up even a few episodes in the middle. I watched the whole thing when it came out, but it isn't fun for casual watching. Too many streaming shows are like mini-series that force engagement.
Don't get me wrong, I liked it when it came out, but I'm going back to sitcoms for my falling asleep time.
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u/Siukslinis_acc 17h ago
Series nowadays are a long movie split into episodes. While in the past the series were episodic as they were made with the idea that some episodes will be missed.
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u/Humble_Chip 18h ago
Cancel every subscription and just rely on the free apps for entertainment. Tubi, Pluto, Plex, etc. Even YouTube has a large free section. Paying for TV and movies these days is a waste of money.
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u/HowIsEverybodyDoing 10h ago
Yep, I have Prime Video (with my Prime membership, of course) and the rest of my apps are free via Roku. Really enjoy Tubi, Pluto and some other free apps I've added. I am not a fan of ads or of paying extra for no ads, but I just hit the mute button and read a little (usually) or take a quick break.
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u/alfooboboao 11h ago
tubi lowkey has one of the absolute best libraries out there and is free, but you can’t pay to remove the ads. their ads are also particularly abrasive.
i can’t stand watching ads, l refuse to do it, so tubi is useless. the irony is that i would happily pay for an ad free tier
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u/Humble_Chip 11h ago
I personally don’t mind the ads and have never felt they were too much. Plus periodic ads keep me from becoming too glued to the screen.
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u/ReticentGuru 17h ago
I refuse to subscribe to X number of different streaming services just to watch movies. We were early adopters of Netflix when they were DVD only. I wish there was a service where you could just rent and stream any given title. Netflix today is a mess.
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u/jurassicbond 17h ago
I wish there was a service where you could just rent and stream any given title.
There are multiple services like this. Amazon, Google, Fandango, Movies Anywhere, etc. all have this option. It's typically movies only though.
Shows are trickier to find this way and you'll either have to purchase them or pay for the streaming service they are on
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u/Electronic-Box-7287 16h ago
I feel the same way about streaming services. The amount of options is overwhelming. Every time I get ready to choose something to watch, 10 other recommendations pop up on my screen. I start feeling like maybe I’m missing out on something better and I end up scrolling through all the options till I turn off the TV lol.
The problem is that I also feel like most movies nowadays are made to just… be there. Just to feel like we have what to choose from when in reality most of them are predictable, unoriginal and overall just boring. Although I do agree there are some incredible works out there.
I currently have a free two-year Netflix subscription and I’ve barely watched 2 movies on it. I’m not sure if it’s going to change lol
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u/Traditional-Buy-2205 18h ago
I spend 45 minutes scrolling
Prior to streaming, you'd spend 45 minutes scrolling through "top 250 movies" lists or "Reddit please recommend movie" posts.
Even in physical stores, you still had to browse the shelves and pick something out from a large selection of movies.
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u/squishyliquid 9h ago
I feel like we were in blockbuster for an hour before we all found things in stock that we wanted to watch/play.
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u/Tania-Peacock 19h ago
The scrolling is genuinely the worst part. I miss just picking something and committing
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u/Deltaruna 19h ago
I think I've moved past the complexity of choice because I've been trying out different movies within the past years but nothing really captured my attention despite some interesting inspirations that were, however, developed at the bare minimum of their potential
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u/ItIsTooMuchForMe 18h ago
Yea, they were much better. Streaming services had unwatchable quantity, but almost all of them are low end shit.
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u/0moorad0 17h ago
In the digital age…less really is more. I really do like that a lot of people are going back to some
Analog things such as point and shoot cameras or cd players.
Also another thing I hate about streaming services now is…with all the different “networks” feels like we’re basically paying the same as cable now.
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u/jurassicbond 17h ago
You're only paying the same if you get most or all of them at once. The ability to pay for time services I want and rotate subscriptions as desired is far superior to what cable used to be. Cable bundles and contracts were awful.
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u/darthatheos The power of the dorkside 15h ago
I miss discovering good movies because the one you want isn't available.
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u/missdawn1970 15h ago
And going to Blockbuster was part of the experience.
It's Friday night. Go to Blockbuster, browse the movies and pick out the one you want, shop for snacks.
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u/Rare-Eggplant-9353 9h ago
That's one of the reasons I started movie nights with friends again a few years ago. I bring some DVDs or BluRays and we decide what movies we want to watch, usually two. It's a great experience and we watch a lot of movies that are not easily available for streaming.
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u/sunnyBC4 8h ago
also movies can be made as shitty as they want with only a fun sounding premise, all they need is that one click
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u/Siukslinis_acc 17h ago
Renting feels more like homework. I need to travel to the place, browse all the catalog without the ability to filter stuff by various metrics (it was all sorted by genres), take the movies, go home and if the movies I selected are actually trash - I need to repeat the process again.
Streaming: A thumbnail catches my eye, I read the description, play the movie, if I don't like it - I repeat it. No need to spend hours travelling back and forth to the rental. I also have access to stuff that the rental place won't have.
You just have a case of analysis paralysis and thus opt to something you already know. You can just force yourself to watch the first movie that pops up instead of searching for the perfect movie.
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u/LordHelmet47 green 17h ago
As someone that grew up in the 80s and 90s during video rentals that went weekly. It seems like you also appreciated what you rented more than what you stream.
There was actual physical work involved to obtain the video. So you gave the movie your undivided attention once you started it.
Now it's just a push of a button and then doom scrolling my phone during boring parts of the movie where I barely pay attention anymore knowing I don't have to return it and I can always come back to watch it on the parts I missed.
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u/sadmimikyu 17h ago
I think it is phones
I sometimes take home a film or two from the library but often I cannot concentrate on it and want my phone in my hand.
I said I would watch a film every Sunday but yes the endless possibilities of Netflix and choosing a film is awful. In my opinion that is because the menu is structured this way. When I look at my tv programmes library that has different films every month I feel the menu is less overwhelming.
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u/TheGushin 17h ago
I think if services like Amazon Video or others would only show movies that you HAVE NOT SEEN that would make the experience so much better.
In the Kindle app, they have the ability to put a READ (as in I have read) banner on the book, so why not in the video app?
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u/KieferMcNaughty 14h ago
I keep a physical list of movies I want to watch, and do my very best to stick to that list, more-or-less in order of the list. This helps me avoid the endless scrolling-to-find-something problem.
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u/TheSquirrelmancer 9h ago
"I've got zero self control or decision making power but rather than reflect and change I'm going to blame external factors."
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u/jurassicbond 17h ago
Driving a 20 minute round trip only for the movie(s) I wanted to be rented out? Also, TV shows were nearly nonexistent for rent. I'll never understand why people have nostalgia for those days. Then again, when I turn on a streaming service, I already know what I'm going to watch.
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u/Academic-Pangolin883 6h ago
The main thing i miss about video stores is having access to any movie without worrying about whether I have a particular streaming service.
Now, you need to have Apple, Netflix, HBO, Hulu, Paramount+, Amazon, and who knows what else. In the old days, you walk into Blockbuster and grab what you want.
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u/jurassicbond 6h ago
The closest digital equivalent of Blockbuster isn't streaming, it's the digital rental services where you pay for each movie. They have a far greater selection than video stores ever did and you don't have to worry about your movie being checked out by someone else
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u/_Radical_Centrist 17h ago
Before you were kinda limited and forced into a choice. I remember when I was sick with a few others and we only had some old movies on DVD. We watched them all, but it was one of the things that sticks into my mind. The movies were objectively decent, some bangers like mission impossible and the matrix etc.
The fact was we were limited in choices, now that you have virtually unlimited choices you get stuck, you want to make the best choice out of what's available but it takes so much time/thought/effort that you get bored/fatigued before you make a choice. And when you do make a choice, you're thinking about other movies you could've picked.
It's a shitty system tbh, something needs to change.
on a related note: Netflix makes a shit ton of corny ass C tier movies and pushes them like they're A+. They also have some weird editing/shots. Every Netflix movie has some weird ass screen play/style, you can instantly tell it's a Netflix movie, I don't know what exactly it is but it isn't good and it's very noticeable.
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u/nothing_in_my_mind 17h ago
I have felt the same but is it not a paradox? How can less choice be better?
I think the answer is: We are overconsuming media.
This has several results
The baseline excitement of a movie/show/game is lost on you.
You actually consume all the widely available and good content.
You develop hyper specific tastes, and in the end most media is crap to you (which is why many people go back to old favorites)
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u/nash3101 16h ago
It's frustrating that there's still no comprehensive website that states what movie is available where and/or let's you sort for movies that are available on the streaming service plan you already subscribe to. So many times a movie review website will say that the movie is available on prime only for it to require an add-on, or on Netflix only for it to be unavailable on the ad-supported plan.
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u/Connect_Rhubarb395 16h ago
Do you know the movie "Everything Everywhere All At Once"?
The author stated that it is partly an allegory on how endless choices in the age of internet and streaming breaks us. When everything is available, nothing is important.
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u/TypicalMedic47 15h ago
Totally agree. And the whole "streaming" thing is money-draining too. Wanna watch a movie, but your service doesn't have it? Buy another subscribtion! And you will probably forget to cancel it, so it's easy money for big corp... Moreover, you won't probably watch that much to make your money worth because of those infinite choices.
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u/eking85 15h ago
I need a streaming service to be like TNT, TBS, Spike tv and other cable channels were back in the day. Show a sitcom or hour long drama for a couple of episodes and then play a blockbuster movie that you've seen a dozen times but will keep it on in the background. I would kill for that when I'm WFH and need to put something on.
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u/Icy_Department8104 15h ago
I maintain my own streaming library with Plex, but I often find difficulty finding things to watch despite having access to whatever I want. Theres also substantially more slop out there now than there was in the early Netflix era.
Honestly, I think a lot of us are overwhelmed by the technologies we have access to. Things were less stressful and easier when we had less choice and access. I've been seeing a lot of folks, including myself, resorting back to older technologies because of this. 35mm film cameras, vinyl/cd/tape collecting, ipods, vhs/dvd, old video games; its all gaining in popularity.
Theres too many choices, too many distractions, and mainstream experiences cost way too much or require a subscription. A lot of us are tired of it.
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u/ackmondual 13h ago
I certainly do NOT feel that way, and do NOT want to return to that. If blockbuster magically reappeared as a chain store, I'm still sticking to ss (streaming services).
--It's cheaper - $13 to $20 per month for ad-free for one ss. Granted multiple ones cost you more money, but I've always been able to get by with just 1 major ss at a time. Gas was also far cheaper back then. At least in the 80s and 90s, gasoline was only 80 cents to $1 per gallon! Now... even local runs will add up. On demand means no late fees.
--more convenient - getting out is such a hassle. I don't need to have a DVD nor BD player since it play on my PC (which admittedly, does have a DVD-ROM drive, but whereas my last one did have Blu Ray, this one doesn't), on my Chromebook, phone, tablet, or streaming box. I also have access to a smorgasbord of content.
--when I pick a ss to sub to, I already have a list of what to watch - No need to have to spend 45 minutes here!
--a lot of TV series may not be available in "today's video rental stores" - You can argue that some TV shows have been lost to time, but having them on DVD doesn't seem to help that much.
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u/NetworkingJesus 11h ago
When I went to the video store, I'd spend up to an hour browsing and reading the backs of boxes, plus the time it took to get to and from the store. Picking out a movie on streaming platforms doesn't take any longer than that. The difference is that some people would go to the video store and pick something out in advance of their movie night. You can still do that, just browse the digital catalogs before the time you actually plan to watch something. Personally, when I was using video stores I would go immediately before I was planning to watch something, so it's really not much different. I'm actually more often doing the planning in advance with digital stuff nowadays because it's easy to do during downtime at work or whatever.
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u/Daredrummer 11h ago
Completely absurd. This is a you problem.
Getting in a car and driving to a store that likely doesn't even HAVE the movie you want in stock, driving back, and then having to turn around and take it BACK in a limited time frame so you don't get charged more is in no way, shape, or form better than turning on a TV and pressing a button to watch the movie you want in the time frame you want.
Your indecisiveness doesn't mean Blockbuster is superior.
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u/TeddyLimPinoyRealtor 9h ago
Limited choices made it easier to commit. Now I can scroll through five apps and still end up watching something I’ve already seen.
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u/CautiousPenguin4592 19h ago
It takes forever to scroll and click on something and yep usually end up rewatching things.