I do notice that Amazon Prime has a lot of recent stuff listed and I've got a Fire Stick for the TV, just haven't gotten around to hooking it all up yet. Since TCM sucks necrotic warthog balls these days, it will likely happen soon.

And if you want newer movies, you'll have to pay extra on your cable. But check out great series like House of Cards and Damages. Great binge watching choices. Lots of good documentaries too.

That's not going to happen. I have Netflix and Amazon Prime. I have been watching Amazon Prime more lately. If you want better movies you are probably going to have to go to pay per view like DirecTV. Of course you can order pay per view movies on Amazon too.

Did you watch any "Documentary Now!" episodes on Netflix? Funny stuff!

movies available as far as I'm concerned. Amazon has a few different ones but overall it's the same films. If it's something I really want to see I'll rent from VUDU.

She even watched Breaking Bad and loved it. She binge watches so much I can't keep up with what she watches.

I've read a lot about the royal family over the years and it's pretty much 100% factual.
Compare and contrast the dignity, statesmanship and love of country of the Queen to our present "leader".

I really enjoy many of their original programs, as well as shows/movies from other countries.

Right now I am watching 3%:

though I'd rather watch movies.

I didn't want first run movies, just some newer than 2005 perhaps

The best writing is in the 12-22 episode arcs right now. The acting and directing talent is focusing on longer format story, too. It's hard to tell a rich story in 117 minutes.

What are your preferred genres?

I see what you did there lol.

Last edited Tue Jan 31, 2017, 11:37 PM - Edit history (1)

with your subscription. I too have a roku and love it. Have both netflix and amazon prime. Both have great original series programming. Just watched Hunger Games Mocking Jay 1 & 2(Amazon Prime), Intersteller and MI: Rogue Nation (Netflix). Even if you have to pay a viewing fee for a relatively current release, you'd have to pay that at redbox and you have to go get the movie and then return it w/i 24 hours.

Try some of these original programming on Netflix:
Grace & Frankie
House of Cards
Orange Is The New Black
Stranger Things
The Crown
The Fall
Many of these run 8 to 10 episodes and at least IMHO excellent shows and worth binge watching.

Netflix has a new series releasing Feb 2nd; "The Santa Clarita Diet" starring Drew Barrymore and Timothy Olyphant. Looks like it's goning to be a good one.

for about 15 bucks a month last I checked. You don't have to have cable with an HBO subscription (Although if you do you can just use HBO Go)

All you need is an internet connection and I gather you have that since you have roku and netflix.

You have complete access to their on-demand catalog and new movies/shows are available about an hour after they air first on the regular HBO channel.

Sadly, there's no single solution. If you want to eschew a traditional cable subscription you have to get fast internet and subscribe to a mix of content providers like Netflix, Amazon, Hulu, HBO (and other movie channels have a la carte subscriptions too).

We're trying out a lot of things right now too - trying to find the best mix to get the stuff we like to watch.

We always look on Netflix first if we think of a movie we want to watch. It's usually not there lol. BUT we love it for the TV series and original content. We end up seeing newer movies on Amazon Prime pay-per-view or we just buy the blu-ray.

I really don't see the point for $15/mo. I did the HBO Now (first month free) during the last Game of Thrones season and binge watched the older Game of Thrones with my wife (she had not seen them earlier). I promptly dropped at the end of the season.

I tried a week of Sling with everything for free, and I binge watched Westworld (great series). After that I found the offerings at Cinemax more compelling. The cost was insane though so I dropped after the free trial.

My recommendation is to do the free samples. Hulu wanted me to rejoin so I gladly took a month free from them. I had wanted to watch 11-22-63 so it was a good opportunity. After that not much since the catalog overlaps much with Amazon Prime.

we add HBO for GoT (and True Blood before that) and then cancel until the new season starts.

But our Brighthouse (which I didn't LOVE but was OK with) got bought by Spectrum and Spectrum is pissing me off so I'm currently exploring alternatives and will cut the cable eventually.

My area has perfect Over the Air HD for local channels so I just need to figure out the best way to get high speed internet and which subscriptions I want. Might get some kind of DVR but with most channels offering on-demand now you almost don't need one...

Six Feet Under?

Lots of good stuff in that HBO back-catalog if you ask me.

I might try again later. Never watched Six Feet Under.

The Wire, The Sopranos, Deadwood, and Six Feet Under are all available on Amazon Prime.

When my daughter finishes Nursing school we might take on The Wire together. She doesn't have time.

I was under the old plan, and they raised the price by $2/mo. What I like are the Marvel Universe shows (Luke Cage, Jessica Jones, Daredevil and the upcoming Defenders, Iron Fist, and Punisher). They also get the Disney movies several months after DVD release. They have many classic series such as Breaking Bad. Also one year delayed on The Walking Dead. Lots of older Showtime series (Penny Dreadful, Dexter).

I prefer Netflix to Hulu. I have a free month subscription to Hulu, and after 11-22-63 and The Exorcist series, I am having a tough time finding series or movies that are not already on Netflix or Amazon Prime. I will probably work my way through the old and new Outer Limits. A few movies (Jackson's King Kong, Fast Times at Ridgemont High, Groundhog Day), but after that not much.

As others have said, it does not have new movies. It does get Zootopia, Jungle Book, Captain America Civil War, and the upcoming Finding Dory, Doctor Strange, Rogue One, and other Disney movies.

Do you get $10/mo. value? Since I have Amazon Prime Student at about $4/mo so it still has value. Lots of overlap between Amazon Prime and Hulu.

Blu Ray Redbox at $2/rental vs. Netflix $10/month. Most Amazon HD movies are $4/rental. Of course you get the Amazon rentals before Redbox and long before Netflix. Sometimes your local movie rental place will get them even before Amazon at about a $1/rental less.

Check local library for both online rentals (your phone can be hooked to your television for Hoopla for example) or Overdrive. Our library also has lots of Blu Rays and DVDs.

It didn't add to my enjoyment that I've known a few hard drinking Jessica Jones superheroes in real life... Run Away, Young Hunter, Run Away! (This is why time travel might be a useful skill... Or maybe the scars on our hearts make us better people. I don't know.)

The villain in Jessica Jones was exceptionally creepy and horrifying.

Former Doctor Who did a masterful job in the role. It was a perfect role to help him avoid any lingering type casting. Kilgrave may be the best MCU villain so far (the best MCU villains are actually the grittier Netflix MCU - Killgrave, Kingpin, Punisher, Black Mariah, Cottonmouth).

I like a balance. The stakes have to be high after you start caring for the characters. The Netflix offerings are more for adults and allows much more moral ambiguity, but you still care about the characters even with their faults. The lighter movie MCU is appropriate, but it still can get dark at times (the death struggle between Iron Man, Captain America, and Bucky Barnes). The airport fight was like an intramural struggle, but the final conflict had all the elements missing from something like Batman v. Superman (logical motivations - it does not matter if you were brainwashed - you still killed my mom; Cap being tempted to kill Tony, etc.).

not enjoying many I have gotten lately
not many good movies or shows being made these days
will go back and rewatch some I liked then I will shut it down

HBO, Showtime, etc. Also Redbox. $1.50 for a new flick isn't bad, just don't forget to return it the next day.

Speaking of new movies on DVDs, you might be surprised how quickly new DVDs show up at your local library. Most libraries have their catalogs online and you can place holds and transfers.

have written this post. I had Netflix mail service and it was great. I get the Roku, and they got nuthin'. Of course, I can pay for BOTH services if I want. I have not found a movie service that comes close to being complete. I long for the video store days, not that they were perfect, but my local Blockbuster had better selection than any movie streaming I can find.

I didn't even mind waiting for new releases there. Now I'm paying 10.98 a mo and having to watch teevee shows and older movies. I mean, how many times can one watch Harry and the Hendersons?

Netflix created a large market for small budget independent films and television series. I'm not a fan of highbrow art films, most network television programming, or big budget mainstream dramas aimed at the Oscar audience.

I'm the sort who enjoyed Mamma Mia!, especially Pierce Bronson's heroic effort to sing.

Most major network television comedies these days are just fucking mean and cynical. Fuck you, Seinfeld.

I like to watch foreign movie and television shows with subtitles. Hell, I watch English language shows with subtitles.

Plus, no ads. The only television advertising I see is posted here on DU, like this:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10028571626

I've been without television advertising for so many years now I have ZERO tolerance for it. I can't even stand to see it on PBS, and therefore I no longer watch PBS, which was the last network I cared to watch. I didn't even bother hooking up the antenna the last time we moved our television. It's probably tuned to a few analog channels that no longer exist.

Television news in the U.S.A. sucks. I'd much rather read my news.

Back to Netflix, DU's bif, in DU's streaming television group, is pretty good at picking out the quirky kind of movies I like.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=forum&id=1143

I'd contribute more to that group but for my habit of watching Star Trek, my favorite being Deep Space Nine.

CBS is likely to take Star Trek away from Netflix when they get their own streaming service established, as the BBC took away Dr. Who, but that's okay, I'm sure I'll find some other old science fiction series to satisfy my vice.

Our home television plays movies, that's all it does. No cable, no satellite, no broadcast. I like to hunt through the DVDs in thrift stores, and rent more recent movies at the Redbox. And I can always find something interesting on Netfllix.

I ended up getting a firestick from Amazon, and I can do both Netflix and Amazon Prime on it, and many many others. You can also load your own apps on it (check out kodi)

I wonder if more than a small sampling of the old Doctor Who will end up on a streaming service. I would like to binge watch the Fourth doctor for old times sake.

Never watched Deep Space Nine all the way through. Never started Enterprise. Maybe I should get started while still available.

My parents are artists, they met working in Hollywood, and we had to leave Franco's Spain in the middle of the night after my mom told a very minor but exceedingly pompous plain clothes Spanish official what she really thought of him.

Then we were living as indigent U.S. Americans in a French public park because my dad couldn't get his money out of Spain. We so disturbed the local people they bought us a full tank of gasoline and ferry tickets to England.

Barcalay's Bank opened an account for my parents with a negative balance and soon got my dad's money out of Spain. The house my parents rented had a black and white television with a 405/625 line push button on it.

Dr. Who was awesome. So were the Wombles.

Must have been something growing up.

... hearing stories of the places we traveled.

They did not. With or without money they pursued their dreams and brought me and my siblings along for the ride.

They're still like that. They choose to live in their own world of infinite possibility.

If you're into documentary type stuff, Drugs Inc is a great series that is about the business of the drug trade.

A Netflix original I like which hasn't been mentioned before is Kimmy Schmidt. About a girl who escapes a bunker and heads straight to NYC. Very funny.

I also have Amazon Prime. However, the features I use the most of it are little known--- their free (ad free) streaming music service and unlimited cloud storage for photos (I have their app on my phone and it automatically backs up my photos when I'm on wifi). AMazon Prime's more than just a video service, it is also free shipping plus a lot of other features.

The third series for my daughter.

Or Black Mirror, House of Cards, Stranger Things, OITNB, etc. They have great programming.

for I don't know 15 or 16 years I guess. It used to be that we would watch a dvd as soon as it came in the mail and send it back that day or the next to feel like we got our money's worth. Then we had a baby and a different thing took over, now it was getting our money worth by just letting the dvd sit there until we had time to watch it, without worrying about late fees. Now, it is mostly my kids watching it on their devices. I know there is a dvd here somewhere to send back but I have no idea where or what it is.

One thing I have noticed is that the interface is a little different on the roku and xbox and the blu ray player etc. for netflix. So it is easier to find something on one than another. On the blu ray player it seems like all the rows are the same thing. On some players it will let you go to the categories and it seems like it is easier to find something new.

Overall, I think there is more on netflix than on amazon prime, but we watch them both. I have a hard time finding something interesting on either, especially if I was looking just for a movie. I've gotten used to watching tv shows on it. But honestly, we did that on dvd too.

Don't forget things like PBS on the roku.

I love Acorn TV. You can try it for free for one month (if I remember correctly) and then it is only $4.99 per month. The show Wild At Heart is coming back soon. I loved it. The series is set in Africa so the scenery and animals are amazing. Good cast as well.

Hulu has had a deal of $5.99 per month for 12 months. I don't know if that special is still available. I have been working my way through MI-5 (8 seasons and known as Spooks in the UK).


I would also recommend checking out the streaming channels that are available on ROKU.

I tend to watch more TV shows than movies on Netflix. House of Cards will come back with the next season (am not sure when it starts back up). The Crown was really good. They have other tv shows that were created just for Netflix.

I am now watching 800 Words. It is from New Zealand. It it great.

Top of the lake/awesome, actually all here are awesome - Dexter, Gotham, Arrow, Stranger Things, Midsomer Murders, Finest Hour, the jungle book, the fall, how to get away with murder, Wallander, London has fallen, Spotlight, Sherlock Holmes with Benedict Cumberbash, Happy Valley, Quantico, Hemlock Grove..and so much more..

This should keep you entertained for quit a while.... and so many more..just "add to list" (you can make your own) for future viewing..oh, and don't forget Crossing Lines..

Happy viewing....

Those are also good (better than the movies for sure).

K&R that series.

number of excellent tv shows from other countries. But the truth is if you want new movies ...best to rent them at red box...Cheaper. Amazon has been better lately about movies. I like HULU too. Playon allows you to record some stuff which is nice also.

Forget the movies, try some of their original programming. House Of Cards, Orange Is The New Black, Luke Cage, Jessica Jones, Daredevil, Bojack Horsemen, Making A Murderer, Narcos, Strange Things, A Series Of Unfortunate Events, Sense 8, the stand up comedy specials, I could go on and on. They also have other shows like all of FX's stuff (Archer, Always Sunny, Futurama) and other favorites like Breaking Bad and Gotham, and all of CW's Superhero shows. And all of those make the $10 subscription worth it.

You need to stream some series. Jessica Jones. Luke Cage. Lady Dynamite. Haters Back Off. BoJack Horseman. Breaking Bad. Mad Men. Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt.

There are all kinds of terrific things to stream that are highly engaging.

Plus the stand up is great!

Ten bucks a month doesn't support much in the way of new films. Watch their original content; much of it is amazing.

programming like House of Cards, Orange is the New Black, Top of the Lake, I could go on and on. Also, all the shows that are now on Netflix like Breaking Bad. I even like a lot of the movies that Netflix gets and, I've seen many awesome documentaries (The Making of A Murderer- OMG).

once you've watched all that ask for more

Their platform is SVOD (subscriber VOD), which is equivalent to the Pay TV window. Other platforms such as iTunes, Amazon and the like will get the first rights for electronic sell thru/download and VOD customers.

Really good program.

Netfix's own productions which are superior as well as all the lesser known movies...you need to have some patience and do some research

or The Killing mentioned by anyone. All good series.

of all time. Hell on Wheels was better than I expected and we enjoyed it. I'll have to look at those other 3 - don't even recognize the names.

Much better selection and worth the hassle of dealing with the dvds. Same price.

Holy shit.

American Netflix . . . yeah, you'll be lucky to get 1 or 2 movies released in the past 2 years, mostly films that were popular 11 years ago, lots of TV shows, some documentaries and D-grade suckfests.

Whenever I visit the Great White North for derby . . . DAMN. LOTS of newly released movies in addition to all of the TV shows.

I asked my Canadian friends why this is . . . one of the reasons they gave is that American motion picture distribution's all about the cable/BluRay revenue stream in their licensing agreements for this region. Canada may have less titles, but as far as movies go, they have the better releases due to not having such restrictions on licensing.

Binge watching is great! Watch a tv program that you've never watched before and look at how many stars it's been rated. The more stars the better the show is.

Try it.