JCC The Cable, huluplus, netflix discussion thread.

KissMeImARebel · Apr 22, 2014

I've never tried Netflix, but I have Huluplus. It's okay but honestly I don't watch it very much. When i first got it, it was mainly because it had a lot of old Japanese movies that I wanted to watch, but since making my way through most of those, it doesn't seem like Hulu adds new ones very often. I have enjoyed watching some shows though. It's only 9 bucks a month so for now I'm content to keep it, but in the long term I might drop it. The ads are really annoying. Especially because it will be the same four or five again and again.

BriDog · Jul 21, 2014

My Comcast bill just rose to $191/month. Tomorrow I'm downgrading to Comcast Internet Plus, which includes basic and HBO for $66/month. Also, we will be subscribing to Netflix $9/month, HuluPlus $8/month, MLB.TV $25/month, and NFL Audio Pass $30/year, and buying a Roku 3. Including $25/month for landline I will be cutting costs from $191 per month to $110 per month and being able to watch every baseball game I want and listen to every football game that isn't televised.

Diggy · Jul 21, 2014

Did you register just to share the news?

And can I borrow some cash?

epic · Jul 21, 2014

BriDog said: ↑

My Comcast bill just rose to $191/month. Tomorrow I'm downgrading to Comcast Internet Plus, which includes basic and HBO for $66/month. Also, we will be subscribing to Netflix $9/month, HuluPlus $8/month, MLB.TV $25/month, and NFL Audio Pass $30/year, and buying a Roku 3. Including $25/month for landline I will be cutting costs from $191 per month to $110 per month and being able to watch every baseball game I want and listen to every football game that isn't televised.
Click to expand...

Bridog let me know if you want to sign up to the JCC Jedi Master package for $20 per month. you get colours, a big fat star and an introductory foot rub by Diggy. PM ME

Diggy · Jul 21, 2014

DO NOT PM HIM.

EHT · Nov 18, 2014

EHT said: ↑

We make do quite nicely with free over-the-air (now all digital, and local networks in HD) antenna TV and a Netflix subscription. That combined with DVDs/Blu-rays covers us for TV viewing. We may go back to a paid TV subscription at some point, but it's not really pressing since what we have works well for us.
Click to expand...

For some reason I remembered this thread and went back to find my post in it. Heh.

We finally reached our patience limit on over-the-air antenna TV (yes free, yes HD) that comes in perfectly when it comes in, but freezes and pixelates too often (at our house, anyway), and the limited channels. We also got tired of the seemingly stalled out selection on Netflix streaming. Yes, it's only $8 a month, but we reached a point where we'd run out of stuff to watch. We did benefit from having Netflix for a few years (such as watching all of Breaking Bad and some movies that we missed and forgot about), but it got to a point where we realized we were either not watching or just watching stuff because it was there; it had even gotten that way for our kids. And with Netflix streaming, you almost have to go in with an open mind... you rarely succeed in finding something that you actively search for. So after years away from paying for TV service, we now have U-verse (and love it). Cancelled Netflix the same day we put away the antennas.

Obi-Zahn Kenobi · Nov 19, 2014

Kyle Katarn said: ↑

DantheJedi said: ↑

anakinfan and PadawanFangirl, what you are both talking about is cable offering a la carte programming, and I don't see cable companies doing that unless something major happens, like the government coming in and telling them they have to, because they are dead-set against it.
Click to expand...

The cable companies aren't against it, I worked for one for over a decade and I know firsthand that they would love to do an ala carte package for customers as it would make a lot of the back end stuff easier to manage. The problem comes from the owners of the channels as this means that they lose revenue. How do they lose revenue? Allow me to explain.

Disney is one of the largest channel owners in the nation. They own a lot of the major channels and also own all of the ESPN channels. They (along with every other channel owner) cut deals with cable/satellite carriers every couple of years for the rights to carry their channels for them in their respective markets. These contracts require the cable/satellite providers to pay a set rate per subscriber (the rate is anywhere from 50 cents to $2-3 per subscriber) to carry their channels. In turn, the carriers MUST make certain that every subscriber has access to their non-premium channels and absolutely no ala carte. If the carrier refuses their terms then they can kiss those other channels goodbye and lose tons of subscribers. Disney LOVES to do this with ESPN and charges some of the highest carriage rates in the industry for it. They also mandate that up to several ESPN channels are to be shown on every cable/satellite package above a certain tier of service. Disney does not care one bit if you don't watch their channels, they know that enough people will watch them and eyeballs watching their stuff means greater ad revenue which allows them to cover the ever increasing costs of covering all of those sports and pay for the people to do it along with lining the pockets of the guys at the very top.

Cable/satellite companies HATE this business model, but the federal laws do not forbid it and the FCC often turns a blind eye to it. This is also why you'll see some cities lose access to a certain channel or network(s) every now and then. Usually the cable/satellite carrier for that area is in contract carriage talks with the owner of said channel(s) and the owner is asking for more money than the provider is willing to pay. The owner of the network(s) then plays hardball and yanks access to the channel until the carrier pays up. The network people know that they have the cable/satellite people over a barrel and that the only way out is for them to fork over the dough or go out of business from customer attrition. Eventually a deal is reached and the networks 99% of the time end up getting more money which comes out of the pockets of the customers as there isn't a good way for the cable/satellite companies to raise that money themselves as they are often operating at a loss.

If you want to know more then ask me. I was in that business for a decade and I know a lot about the ins and outs of the business. It is a terrible industry as the network owners run roughshod over the providers all while knowing that they can blackmail the providers into giving them more money while screwing the customers over. This is also exactly why ala carte packages will never work as it would be the death knell for the network owners and their bottom line.
Click to expand...

Yes, this is almost a year later, but even though I kind of understood a little bit of this already, this explanation is very helpful, and made things a lot clearer.

Diggy · Nov 19, 2014

Diggy said: ↑

Did you register just to share the news?

And can I borrow some cash?
Click to expand...

He did! One single message on a SW message board...and it's about switching his cable. There's nowt as queer as folk.

epic · Nov 19, 2014

he never PMed me

I Are The Internets · Nov 19, 2014

Did you hunt him down?

Kyle Katarn · Nov 19, 2014

Obi-Zahn Kenobi said: ↑

Kyle Katarn said: ↑

DantheJedi said: ↑

anakinfan and PadawanFangirl, what you are both talking about is cable offering a la carte programming, and I don't see cable companies doing that unless something major happens, like the government coming in and telling them they have to, because they are dead-set against it.
Click to expand...

The cable companies aren't against it, I worked for one for over a decade and I know firsthand that they would love to do an ala carte package for customers as it would make a lot of the back end stuff easier to manage. The problem comes from the owners of the channels as this means that they lose revenue. How do they lose revenue? Allow me to explain.

Disney is one of the largest channel owners in the nation. They own a lot of the major channels and also own all of the ESPN channels. They (along with every other channel owner) cut deals with cable/satellite carriers every couple of years for the rights to carry their channels for them in their respective markets. These contracts require the cable/satellite providers to pay a set rate per subscriber (the rate is anywhere from 50 cents to $2-3 per subscriber) to carry their channels. In turn, the carriers MUST make certain that every subscriber has access to their non-premium channels and absolutely no ala carte. If the carrier refuses their terms then they can kiss those other channels goodbye and lose tons of subscribers. Disney LOVES to do this with ESPN and charges some of the highest carriage rates in the industry for it. They also mandate that up to several ESPN channels are to be shown on every cable/satellite package above a certain tier of service. Disney does not care one bit if you don't watch their channels, they know that enough people will watch them and eyeballs watching their stuff means greater ad revenue which allows them to cover the ever increasing costs of covering all of those sports and pay for the people to do it along with lining the pockets of the guys at the very top.

Cable/satellite companies HATE this business model, but the federal laws do not forbid it and the FCC often turns a blind eye to it. This is also why you'll see some cities lose access to a certain channel or network(s) every now and then. Usually the cable/satellite carrier for that area is in contract carriage talks with the owner of said channel(s) and the owner is asking for more money than the provider is willing to pay. The owner of the network(s) then plays hardball and yanks access to the channel until the carrier pays up. The network people know that they have the cable/satellite people over a barrel and that the only way out is for them to fork over the dough or go out of business from customer attrition. Eventually a deal is reached and the networks 99% of the time end up getting more money which comes out of the pockets of the customers as there isn't a good way for the cable/satellite companies to raise that money themselves as they are often operating at a loss.

If you want to know more then ask me. I was in that business for a decade and I know a lot about the ins and outs of the business. It is a terrible industry as the network owners run roughshod over the providers all while knowing that they can blackmail the providers into giving them more money while screwing the customers over. This is also exactly why ala carte packages will never work as it would be the death knell for the network owners and their bottom line.
Click to expand...

Yes, this is almost a year later, but even though I kind of understood a little bit of this already, this explanation is very helpful, and made things a lot clearer.
Click to expand...

You're welcome.

Sith_Sensei__Prime · Aug 11, 2017

NETFLIX BUYING MILLARWORLD OPENS THE DOOR TO A NEW COMIC CINEMATIC UNIVERSE

Netflix just made its first-ever acquisition, purchasing Millarworld, the comic book company housing all original works by renowned writer Mark Millar and his artistic partners. The day after that was announced, Disney revealed plans to pull its movies from Netflix and start its own streaming service by 2019. But despite this loss, Netflix certainly has the means to make up for it with its ever-increasing slate of original content, and adaptations of Millar’s work have the potential to play a big part in that.

“Cinematic Universe” is the name of the game in Hollywood these days, and that’s precisely what Millarworld offers to Netflix. Millar has explained that even though his books read as standalone tales, eagle-eyed fans can spot clues and cameos that show they’re all actually connected (for example, the Utopian’s cape from Jupiter’s Legacy is on display in the Professor’s lair in Wanted). Millar has his own versions of Superman, Batman, Flash, and the Justice League, so it’s just a matter of bringing them to life under a unified vision. Netflix already has a series of interconnected shows with Marvel’s “street-level Avengers.” Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage and Iron Fist each got a solo series before teaming up for an event mini-series called The Defenders that hits later this month (despite Disney removing its movies, these shows will remain on Netflix). Millarworld has more than enough content to take a similar approach in creating a shared superhero universe, only this time Netflix would cut out the middleman and be the sole owner of the content.

Millar’s stories are known for delivering intense, high-stakes plots with larger-than-life characters who nevertheless have a flawed, human core. There’s also an abundance of big action set pieces, dark humor, foul language, and jaw-dropping violence that would go over well in a post-Rated R Deadpool world. He’s even come under critical fire for just how cruel and ugly he can be to his characters. But in recent years, there’s been a marked change in his work, and it’s these newer projects, along with a few of his earlier hits, that would make for an excellent foundation to a Millarworld cinematic universe on Netflix.

Millar’s influence on both the comic book and movie industries cannot be understated. Ask any superhero comic reader and they’ll no doubt point to 2002’s The Ultimates, a modern reinvention of Marvel’s Avengers, as Millar’s most impactful work (done with artist Bryan Hitch). Cinematic presentation, cool and practical costume updates, and dramatic personality disorders infused Earth’s Mightiest Heroes with grit and relatability. It was so successful that it eventually became the publisher’s status quo and was essentially used as a guidebook for how to adapt the team to the big screen in 2012’s massive smash hit Marvel’s The Avengers.

In 2016, Millar’s Civil War story, drawn by Steve McNiven, was the basis for another Marvel blockbuster, Captain America: Civil War. 20th Century Fox pulled from Millar’s Old Man Logan comic with McNiven to make Logan, and used Millar’s Ultimate Fantastic Four (co-written with Brian Bendis and drawn by Adam Kubert) to reboot that franchise with 2015’s Fantastic Four. The list of comic book hits with Millar’s name is lengthy, which is why he was smart to invest in himself in 2004, starting the creator-owned publishing line Millarworld.

These comics were original ideas where Millar and the artist owned the IP and split the profits 50-50, rather than earning royalties and residuals for writing characters owned by other companies like Marvel or DC. Millarworld’s Wanted, Kick-Ass and The Secret Service (aka Kingsman: The Secret Service) were adapted into movies featuring big-name celebrities, from Angelina Jolie to Samuel L. Jackson, and performed admirably at the box office.

So what untapped properties should Netflix pull from for its slate of original Millarworld adaptations? Millar already has an ensemble ripe for a cinematic universe. Huck (with artist Rafael Albuquerque) features a mentally handicapped hero who lives in a quiet seaside town and uses his gifts to help others, but his life gets turned upside down when someone exposes his secret to the world. Empress (with Stuart Immonen) is a sci-fi epic about a woman fleeing across the cosmos to escape her husband, a terrible alien dictator. Superior (with Leinil Francis Yu) is Millar’s Superman analogue about a paraplegic boy transformed into a superhero, only to find out the power came from a demon he must bargain with to keep it. Chrononauts (with Sean Gordon Murphy) follows the time-travelling adventures of two best buds. Wouldn’t it be a treat to see all of them in a room together, trying to figure out how to stop Nemesis (another comic with McNiven), a villain with the skills of Batman but the mind of the Joker?

While all of those would make for fine shows that operate in the same world, Millarworld also has several stories perfect for standalone movies. Reborn (with Greg Capullo) is about an elderly woman who passes into the afterlife, but when she can’t find the soul of her deceased husband, she goes on a fantastical quest to find him. Supercrooks (also with Yu) is a heist story where the thieves have powers. American Jesus (with Peter Gross) shows what would happen if a 12 year-old boy realized that he is Jesus Christ reborn. Jupiter’s Legacy (with Frank Quitely) is a superhero story where yesteryear’s generation of superheroes all had kids that grew up entitled and spoiled, leaving them unprepared for when the greatest of the original heroes decides that the world would be better off if he ruled it.

It’s worth noting that a handful of these comics are reportedly in various stages of production at different studios. Millar is one of the few people in the comic book industry with a track record in Hollywood, so creators are eager to work with him. In the past few years, every announcement of a new Millar comic is usually accompanied by news of a movie deal (although many have yet to come to fruition).

Millar clarified Kingsman and Kick-Ass weren’t a part of the Netflix acquisition, but aside from those, we’re unsure which comics are fair game for Netflix to adapt. Part of the Netflix/Millarworld deal includes making new films and shows with Millar, so it could be that the bulk of what we see in the coming years is brand new material as opposed to adaptations of comics already on the shelf. Millarworld is home to over 20 original comic books, each with a distinct identity and intriguing hook, so in a way the most valuable part of the deal is recruiting the man whose creativity made them all happen.

Click to expand...

I really happy about this news because I have been a big fan of Millar's word and I've been really looking forward to a live action adaptation of Nemesis, which is a story of a Batman type of character being a bad guy. Superior is pretty much a mashup of Shazam and Superman and probably Millar's most heartfelt story. Supercrooks is a great "Oceans 11" type of story. I have no doubt that Netflix will adapt these stories.

Bilbo Fett · Nov 9, 2018

Looks like Netflix will be getting in on the BBC style nature documentary series game, complete with David Attenborough's narration.

And Disney released some details around it's upcoming streaming service.

duende · Nov 9, 2018

i am currently subscribed to the following steaming services:

netflix (almost never use it)
hulu (not hulupus, just regular hulu - never use it)
amazon prine (almost never use it, but i purchase stuff from amazon so the "2-D shipping" comes in handy (not)).
vrv (never used it - anime is GARBAGE)
fandor (used occasionally)
shudder (used more than the others, but not really all that often)

so there you have it. all of my steams.

Sith_Sensei__Prime · May 19, 2021

Sith_Sensei__Prime said: ↑

NETFLIX BUYING MILLARWORLD OPENS THE DOOR TO A NEW COMIC CINEMATIC UNIVERSE

Netflix just made its first-ever acquisition, purchasing Millarworld, the comic book company housing all original works by renowned writer Mark Millar and his artistic partners. The day after that was announced, Disney revealed plans to pull its movies from Netflix and start its own streaming service by 2019. But despite this loss, Netflix certainly has the means to make up for it with its ever-increasing slate of original content, and adaptations of Millar’s work have the potential to play a big part in that.

“Cinematic Universe” is the name of the game in Hollywood these days, and that’s precisely what Millarworld offers to Netflix. Millar has explained that even though his books read as standalone tales, eagle-eyed fans can spot clues and cameos that show they’re all actually connected (for example, the Utopian’s cape from Jupiter’s Legacy is on display in the Professor’s lair in Wanted). Millar has his own versions of Superman, Batman, Flash, and the Justice League, so it’s just a matter of bringing them to life under a unified vision. Netflix already has a series of interconnected shows with Marvel’s “street-level Avengers.” Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage and Iron Fist each got a solo series before teaming up for an event mini-series called The Defenders that hits later this month (despite Disney removing its movies, these shows will remain on Netflix). Millarworld has more than enough content to take a similar approach in creating a shared superhero universe, only this time Netflix would cut out the middleman and be the sole owner of the content.

Millar’s stories are known for delivering intense, high-stakes plots with larger-than-life characters who nevertheless have a flawed, human core. There’s also an abundance of big action set pieces, dark humor, foul language, and jaw-dropping violence that would go over well in a post-Rated R Deadpool world. He’s even come under critical fire for just how cruel and ugly he can be to his characters. But in recent years, there’s been a marked change in his work, and it’s these newer projects, along with a few of his earlier hits, that would make for an excellent foundation to a Millarworld cinematic universe on Netflix.

Millar’s influence on both the comic book and movie industries cannot be understated. Ask any superhero comic reader and they’ll no doubt point to 2002’s The Ultimates, a modern reinvention of Marvel’s Avengers, as Millar’s most impactful work (done with artist Bryan Hitch). Cinematic presentation, cool and practical costume updates, and dramatic personality disorders infused Earth’s Mightiest Heroes with grit and relatability. It was so successful that it eventually became the publisher’s status quo and was essentially used as a guidebook for how to adapt the team to the big screen in 2012’s massive smash hit Marvel’s The Avengers.

In 2016, Millar’s Civil War story, drawn by Steve McNiven, was the basis for another Marvel blockbuster, Captain America: Civil War. 20th Century Fox pulled from Millar’s Old Man Logan comic with McNiven to make Logan, and used Millar’s Ultimate Fantastic Four (co-written with Brian Bendis and drawn by Adam Kubert) to reboot that franchise with 2015’s Fantastic Four. The list of comic book hits with Millar’s name is lengthy, which is why he was smart to invest in himself in 2004, starting the creator-owned publishing line Millarworld.

These comics were original ideas where Millar and the artist owned the IP and split the profits 50-50, rather than earning royalties and residuals for writing characters owned by other companies like Marvel or DC. Millarworld’s Wanted, Kick-Ass and The Secret Service (aka Kingsman: The Secret Service) were adapted into movies featuring big-name celebrities, from Angelina Jolie to Samuel L. Jackson, and performed admirably at the box office.

So what untapped properties should Netflix pull from for its slate of original Millarworld adaptations? Millar already has an ensemble ripe for a cinematic universe. Huck (with artist Rafael Albuquerque) features a mentally handicapped hero who lives in a quiet seaside town and uses his gifts to help others, but his life gets turned upside down when someone exposes his secret to the world. Empress (with Stuart Immonen) is a sci-fi epic about a woman fleeing across the cosmos to escape her husband, a terrible alien dictator. Superior (with Leinil Francis Yu) is Millar’s Superman analogue about a paraplegic boy transformed into a superhero, only to find out the power came from a demon he must bargain with to keep it. Chrononauts (with Sean Gordon Murphy) follows the time-travelling adventures of two best buds. Wouldn’t it be a treat to see all of them in a room together, trying to figure out how to stop Nemesis (another comic with McNiven), a villain with the skills of Batman but the mind of the Joker?

While all of those would make for fine shows that operate in the same world, Millarworld also has several stories perfect for standalone movies. Reborn (with Greg Capullo) is about an elderly woman who passes into the afterlife, but when she can’t find the soul of her deceased husband, she goes on a fantastical quest to find him. Supercrooks (also with Yu) is a heist story where the thieves have powers. American Jesus (with Peter Gross) shows what would happen if a 12 year-old boy realized that he is Jesus Christ reborn. Jupiter’s Legacy (with Frank Quitely) is a superhero story where yesteryear’s generation of superheroes all had kids that grew up entitled and spoiled, leaving them unprepared for when the greatest of the original heroes decides that the world would be better off if he ruled it.

It’s worth noting that a handful of these comics are reportedly in various stages of production at different studios. Millar is one of the few people in the comic book industry with a track record in Hollywood, so creators are eager to work with him. In the past few years, every announcement of a new Millar comic is usually accompanied by news of a movie deal (although many have yet to come to fruition).

Millar clarified Kingsman and Kick-Ass weren’t a part of the Netflix acquisition, but aside from those, we’re unsure which comics are fair game for Netflix to adapt. Part of the Netflix/Millarworld deal includes making new films and shows with Millar, so it could be that the bulk of what we see in the coming years is brand new material as opposed to adaptations of comics already on the shelf. Millarworld is home to over 20 original comic books, each with a distinct identity and intriguing hook, so in a way the most valuable part of the deal is recruiting the man whose creativity made them all happen.

Click to expand...

I really happy about this news because I have been a big fan of Millar's word and I've been really looking forward to a live action adaptation of Nemesis, which is a story of a Batman type of character being a bad guy. Superior is pretty much a mashup of Shazam and Superman and probably Millar's most heartfelt story. Supercrooks is a great "Oceans 11" type of story. I have no doubt that Netflix will adapt these stories.
Click to expand...

Finally, some good news for Nememis...

Nemesis Movie Script By Promising Young Woman Director Is Finished

ScreenRant said:

The latest draft of the script for the Nemesis movie written by Promising Young Woman director, Emerald, Fennell is finished, according to the creator of the comics, Mark Millar. Fennel has appeared in various films like The Danish Girl in small roles, but she later gained wider recognition for her role in the Netflix series, The Crown, and for recently writing and getting behind the camera for Promising Young Woman, her feature directorial debut. The film follows Carey Mulligan's character, Cassandra, a medical school dropout turned vigilante who is looking to avenge the death of her best friend, a rape victim who committed suicide.

Promising Young Woman saw its premiere at the Sundance Film Festival in January of 2020. Shortly after, Fennell was tapped to write the script for a Nemesis movie based on Mark Millar’s comic books. Since then, Fennell’s Promising Young Woman went on to become a critical darling and a favorite this past awards season, culminating in Fennel winning the Academy Award win for Best Original Screenplay. This is sure to raise the Nemesis project’s profile with mainstream audiences, and now Millar has an exciting progress report.

Appearing on Forbidden Planet TV, Millar announced that Fennell has finished the latest draft of the script for the Nemesis movie. While Millar did not provide much more information, such as what draft of the script Fennel is on or when production might begin, it is possible this will be the script’s final draft. Read Millar’s update on Nemesis below:

"Emerald Fennell, who just won an Oscar for best screenplay for Promising Young Woman, has just delivered the latest draft of the Nemesis screenplay, which is extremely cool, especially after the initial development of the movie by the late Tony Scott, who established some amazing visual ideas for the movie!"

Millar has been responsible for co-creating some of the most popular comic book franchises outside of Marvel and DC in recent years, such as Kick-Ass, The Kingsman, Wanted, and most recently, Jupiter’s Legacy. A movie adaptation of Nemesis was in development for several years by 20th Century Fox from the late director, Tony Scott, before being acquired by Warner Bros. in 2015, who then settled on Project Power directors, Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman, last Fall.

While Fennell has certainly proven herself as an actress and director, it seems writing is really her forte. She served as the head writer for season 2 of Killing Eve and has also been tapped to pen the script for DC’s Zatanna film. Fennel’s version of Nemesis is expected to differ slightly from the source material, but fans are likely glad to hear the project is moving along smoothly.

Click to expand...

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JCC The Cable, huluplus, netflix discussion thread.

KissMeImARebel Force Ghost

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