It looks like TCM is starting a streaming service. I'm excited as hell about this prospect. I miss TCM already.
I love Criterion's selection (I'm getting a stack of their Blu-Rays accumulating on my shelf) but I don't have any patience for the ten kabillion streaming services out there. Between Netflix, Hulu, Amazon, TCM, HBO, etc., just how many services are they expecting me to subscribe to? iTunes seems to have got pretty wise by being one of only two or so music services, but unfortunately the same isn't true for TV and movies. At this point I just prefer to buy the Blu-Rays or DVDs of my favorites shows and movies. I can watch them any time and I can take them with me wherever I go. It won't matter if Criterion leaves TCM and goes back to Hulu. It won't matter if Criterion explodes in a spray of rabid ferrets. Sometimes I feel like this makes me a curmudgeon resisting the all-streaming future, but until that future is actually here with a more convenient streaming service, I think it's justified.
Also, here's an interesting article about growing competition for Netflix. I figured I'd share since we're on the subject.
I agree with you for the most part. Especially the Blu-Ray. Getting a Blu-Ray player is one of the things that reignited my love for movies, along with watching them with my good bud PlaceboEffect on a regular basis. I also have somewhat similar feelings about streaming services that you do. As of right now, I only subscribe to Netflix and Hulu. Amazon Prime doesn't interest me. Neither does HBO, Crunchyroll, and a lot of others out there. Motortrend on Demand and UFC Fightpass are two non-streaming services I've considered in the past, but I don't think I love cars or MMA enough to justify spending $120 a year to be a couch potato. Here's the thing though. They're not Pokemon. You don't have to have them all. Having more specialized services, like Motortrend and Fightpass, makes the decision making easier. You're either love the subject matter enough to justify the purpose, or you don't. How do you justify the purchase? Easy. Is the subscription service enough that you'd be willing to pass up a modest restaurant lunch to pay for 2 months? Is the subscription service enough that you'd be willing to pass up a Blu-Ray to pay for 2 months? Is the subscription service enough that you'd pass up a book to pay for 2 months? These things aren't expensive. They're only $10 a month on average and that $10 a month can get you a shit ton. These things have actually saved me money because I'm not out buying DVDs and Blu-Rays every time I want to see something new. Best of all, unlike cable and antenna television, you get to watch what you want to watch when you want to. They really can be great deals. You just have to subscribe to the ones that appeal to you, be it one or two or three. Feel like there's too many of them? Drop one. Now you have $10 a month freed up again for something new or that new book you want. That said, I love TCM. The wife and I recently got rid of cable and giving up TCM and Cartoon Network were both a pretty big loss to me. I enjoy the hell out of both. If TCM's streaming service is even half decent, it'd be worth $10 a month to me. The Criterion Collection moving over to their streaming service is that half decent. For me, TCM will be worth that purchase.
That's good advice — I hadn't thought of it that way. It seems like every time I like a show it's on yet another streaming service I don't have, but I suppose I could pick one or two and for the rest of them just buy the discs. I'm also super happy to hear I'm not the only one buying Blu-Rays! How good are they? I keep worrying I'm obsessing over obsolete physical media, but god damn some of those releases are beautiful. I'm big on silent and B&W movies, and some of the restored prints that have been released on Blu-Ray are incredible. I just watched the Blu-Ray of the restored Cabinet of Dr. Caligari and it looks like it was filmed yesterday. You could have knocked me down with a feather.
I don't have many at the moment, but the ones I have are absolutely wonderful. The picture is amazing. The sound is awesome. Some of the extras are very cool. I actually hear that Blu-Rays are more durable than DVDs, so slowly over time, with my more favorite movies, I'll be replacing some of my DVDs with their Blu-Ray versions and give the DVDs out to friends who I think will appreciate them. You're absolutely right about the film quality too. When properly stored and restored, the level of detail can be mind blowing.