Streaming Services' Quality Deterioration: A Long-Term Observation from a Movie Guide Writer's Perspective
In the mid-2000s, Netflix entered the streaming era, propelled by a woman in Texas receiving a copy of Babel as their billionth DVD. This marked the beginning of their shift from DVD-by-mail to streaming. By 2011, they had completely abandoned the DVD business, with streaming becoming increasingly popular.
Netflix pioneered the trend of producing their own "streaming originals," exemplified by the 2013 series, House of Cards. This move was data-driven, as Netflix knew that people enjoyed Kevin Spacey and David Fincher's work. With their unprecedented access to viewer data, Netflix could offer content tailored to audience preferences.
However, the quantity of streaming content shrank over the years as studios launched their own services and began focusing more on original productions. By 2022, Netflix's library contained only 6,000 titles, down from 11,000 in 2015.
Streaming services saw a brief golden age from 2020-2021, with Disney+ offering hundreds of classic films and Warner Bros.' HBO Max presenting a vast catalog of their iconic movies. But this era was short-lived as these services started to prioritize original content, leading to a reduction in catalogue offerings.
Inflationary pressures in 2022 led to a decrease in streaming service subscriptions and a focus on "shrinkflation" - reducing the library to cut costs. This means that many older movies are no longer freely available on streaming services and instead require rental fees.
The shift towards original content and new releases has left classic movie fans struggling to find older films. Streaming services offer a limited selection of classic movies, and even those often bear the "Leaving Soon" tag.
If you're a cinephile looking for classic films, consider subscribing to Max, The Criterion Channel, Mubi, or TCM. These services offer a broader selection of older movies compared to mainstream streaming services. However, the cost of these niche services, combined with rental fees for newer classics, can be steep.
In the 21st century, convenience has come at a price for movie fans, as streaming services prioritize new content over maintaining a comprehensive catalogue.
Where to stream classics has become a challenge due to streaming services prioritizing original content. Netflix, once a pioneer in offering streaming originals, now faces pressure to cut costs and offers a limited selection. Cinephiles may find a broader selection of older movies on niche services like Max, The Criterion Channel, Mubi, or TCM, but these come with additional rental fees. Even with these services, classic movies are often only temporarily available before being removed.
