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Entertainment

Netflix Tests Linear Web Channel in France (variety.com) 29

Posted by msmash from the how-about-that dept.
Netflix has chosen France to test its first channel offering. From a report: Named Direct, the linear channel -- which is only available to subscribers -- will air French, international and U.S. feature films and TV series that are available on the streaming service. However, the channel will only be accessible via the service's web browser, unlike its streaming service, which is found on set-top boxes thanks to distribution deals with French telco groups such as Orange, Canal Plus and SFR. The initiative marks Netflix's first foray into real-time, scheduled programming. The service previously tested the option Shuffle Play, which wasn't in real time but featured recommended programming to a sample of international users, explained a source at Netflix. The difference this time around is that the test is being localized in one country, rather than a sample of users.
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Netflix Tests Linear Web Channel in France

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  • Hahahahaha fuck off. (Score:4, Insightful)

    by LenKagetsu ( 6196102 ) on Friday November 06, 2020 @11:18AM (#60691760)

    Broadcast television outside of live performance is obsolete technology. Nobody wants it except people who refuse to enter the 21st century.

    • Re: (Score:1)

      by NFN_NLN ( 633283 )

      > Broadcast television outside of live performance is obsolete technology. Nobody wants it except people who refuse to enter the 21st century.

      1. Implement broadcast television
      2. Charge for PVR service so you can watch it outside the schedule
      3. "no question marks needed here"
      4. Profit

    • Comment removed based on user account deletion
      • I needed to hang on to cable (and later, OTA programming) to satisfy my need for "background noise" as well. In time, I realized how low quality much of this noise was, and I was able to ween myself off of it. Still, I like to have something non-specific on to break silence now and then. I found that YouTube serves that purpose well, if you have enough subscriptions and it has a decent knowledge of the content you like to watch.
        • My background noise is now youtube.

          Which rocks, because it's a stream of physics via PBS SpaceTime (and associated channels), or investing, or home repair, or tabletop roleplaying games, or 3D printing solutions....

          But yeah, screw advertising. Screw programming decisions made by 5 people on the planet.

          I don't get why Netflix is doing this, but they must be seeing support for it.
    • There must be some quirk of IP law in France that makes this cheaper to air or something? The idea of scheduling your day around the air time of a TV show is so dead.

    • Broadcast television outside of live performance is obsolete technology. Nobody wants it except people who refuse to enter the 21st century.

      Nope. I personally just love my cable channels, love to watch old episodes of CSI or The mentalist, whithout an idea of what I'm gonna get. Love the idea of sometimes getting a lot more than I could have possibly bargained for.

      One of my favorite TV-related memories, from about 15 years ago, was one random friday night, about 11pm, and my brother and I were zombie-watching whatever was on tv. We weren't aware (lost the first minute or so), but they started showing Hitchcock's "The rope", and we were tied to

    • LOL or maybe you're a so-called 'cord cutter' who now realizes that you've been duped and are now paying for TV again, vis-a-vis 'streaming services', and are doubling down on it rather than admitting you're a fool.
      Meanwhile those of us who really did 'cut the cord' and use an antenna for OTA broadcast pay nothing every month and regret nothing.

      • Did you forget DVDs and blu-rays exist or...

        • There's a time lag though.

          • *cough*high seas*cough cough*
            Seriously, tho, there's barely enough content on one streaming service that without additional value (amazon prime - the video is actually a side effect for me) it is easy to disable a service and move to another without missing the prior service, watch new stuff, disable that, move to another... rinse and repeat when you are satisfied you are done with a particular service.

            Yes, it takes time to manage. No, it doesn't take THAT much time to make sure you're not getting gouged. Y

            • Why would I want to waste my Very Much Valuable And Limited Time 'managing services'???
              Rhetorical question, I WOULDN'T.
              I just want some gods-be-damned entertainment. If I have to waste what time I have for that 'managing' a bunch of shitty overpriced 'streaming services' then it's just too annoyingly stupid to bother with.
              The antenna on my roof and TiVo is perfectly fine and costs me nothing every month, and the only 'managing' I have to with any of it, is cull the reruns of things I don't need to see ag

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by antdude ( 79039 )

      That is why we have recorders. I rarely watch live stuff (e.g., sports and news) even online.

  • ..real-time, scheduled programming

    Um, yeah, that's like going back about 50 years isn't it?

    ..the channel will only be accessible via the service's web browser..

    Yep, exactly like going back about 50 years. No VCR, and a binary choice: watch it or don't watch it.
    Yeah, nyah, they can keep that. If it was here in the U.S. I'd just laugh and walk away. If I couldn't have a DVR anymore I'd stop watching TV entirely, who the hell schedules their entire lives around when a TV show is on anymore?

    • Maybe like sat tv push DVR?. Does Netflix let you que downloads and view locally with out needing the bandwidth to stream in 4k live?

      • Just from what TFA says it sounds like you're locked into some proprietary 'browser' to use their 'service', and no doubt it's chock full of DRM and copy protection, and no mention of any DVR-like feature, so again I say it sounds like watching TV 50 years ago: you either watch it when it's on or you miss it.
  • The article says, “many viewers like the idea of programming that doesn’t require them to choose what they are going to watch.” I can picture this as an option for businesses which like to have something playing on their TVs all the time, and don't much care what it is. Though licensing might be an issue there, depending on what movies they're playing. I can also picture this for someone like my father, who treats the TV like a white noise machine. (I can't stand this, but he won't stop do
  • Whats next ? Commercial breaks ?

  • Royalement!

  • I, as a consumer of video media, want to be able to watch content only when it is available during a predetermined time slot that may or may not be convenient for me.

  • I like broadcast TV for just playing in the background and discovering new things.

    I understand that not everyone is a fan any more, but who cares? It is pretty easy to implement, and 1) brings a different audience, plus 2) they can run commercials on a free version if they want. New business model, easy money.

  • I'm not certain what advantage Netflix will be getting being a channel. It spans a great coverage globally being a subscription based app. Plus, this channel is only available in browser mode. People are into mobile viewing which works best with apps, not web version. https://pamsbizstartuppixie.wo... [wordpress.com]

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