Daily Authority: 📽️ The big streaming platform problem, solved?

😵 Good day, and welcome back to the Daily Authority. Are you getting into the swing of 2023 yet? Honestly, I just wrote 2022 about three times before realizing my mistake. Nevertheless, today’s main story will take you back to the 2000s when life and media consumption were simpler.

Out with the new, in with the old

Streaming is a boon for content-hungry users who want an easy way to consume their favorite shows. But with the rise of several platforms, those favorite shows may be scattered across several services. According to my colleague Rob Triggs, this new problem may demand an old-school fix.

Everything available, nothing to watch

• If you subscribed to the big five TV streaming services, you’d be looking at $60 a month or $720 annually.
• Push these up to family plans, and pricing could balloon by another 50%.
• Streaming is expensive and that’s even more apparent when you can’t find anything to watch on these platforms. It’s a problem Rob has faced this year.
• “Reading online, I’m not alone in my disappointment with high-budget platform exclusives that have left many wondering whether they’re paying too much.”
• On top of this, companies have boosted their prices this year, when the cost of living is already sky-high.
• But the real problem lies with exclusives. As Rob puts it, “the market’s sharp turn to exclusivity has also made it too difficult to watch what I want.”

Is ditching streaming services even possible?

• Well, yes, but it isn’t easy to justify.
• There are plenty of shows that I watch that I can only find on the likes of Netflix and Apple TV Plus.
• “You can’t watch The Boys without Prime or Andor before subscribing to Disney Plus, even if you’d prefer to pay by episode.”
• Buying older favorites is still possible, especially in physical form, but this will likely be more expensive over time.
• Buying digital movies and shows is not any easier.
• “$2.50 an episode for House of the Dragon via Apple TV is perhaps fair, but $24.99 per season of Futurama is a headscratcher when you can buy the complete collection in physical DVD form for much less.”
• If you’re looking for something cross-platform and seamless, you’re also out of luck.
• There’s also the reward of instant gratification that streaming services provide.
• Ultimately, streaming services are tough to kick.

So what’s the solution?

• There’s no blanket solution here, unfortunately, but Rob has come to something of a compromise.
• “I’ve managed to wean myself off subscriptions in favor of renting movies, mostly from Prime and via Google TV. It’s still not ideal, though, and I’ve all but given up on TV shows in the process.”
• Additionally, he’s been backing up classic movies and TV shows from DVDs to a hard drive, which can be accessed through home server platform Jellyfin.
• He argues this is the most convenient alternative, at least for now. But it’s a problem of convenience that’s plaguing streaming services.
• “Gaming and music platforms have already shown that the best way to secure customers isn’t to lock down content and call in the lawyers; it’s to make paying for content more convenient than not.”

Roundup

🎧 Getting the most out of spatial audio on the Google Pixel 7 is more than just flicking a toggle, as AA’s Rita El Khoury discovers (Android Authority).

😴 The Muse S is intriguing, but I prefer my sleep tracking at arms length: This innovative head-worn sleep tracker takes note of your brain waves, but is it any good? (Android Authority).

➕ Rumors that Samsung could ditch the Galaxy S24 Plus are building steam, but that might be the right move for the company next time around (Android Authority).

🐦 From ex-Meta COO Sheryl Sandberg to Instagram co-founder Kevin Systrom, here are some tech bigwigs Elon Musk may consider for the Twitter CEO position (The Verge).

✈️ Earlier this month, the FAA grounded more than 7,000 flights due to a NOTAM issue, but what is NOTAM exactly, and why is it so important? (Ars Technica).

🚗 While states like California are phasing out the sale of new fossil fuel-powered cars, Wyoming wants to halt the sale of new electric vehicles entirely by 2035 (Engadget).

❓ It started out as the enthusiasts’ choice but it’s now lacking a clear identity, OnePlus is no longer as attractive as it once was. Is OPPO intentionally trying to ruin the brand? (Android Authority).

👩 From Extraordinary Attorney Woo to Little Women, this piece looks at the surge of female-led K-dramas in South Korea and global streaming services (CNN).

🐘 Extinction is not necessarily the end for the planet’s ill-fated species: Here’s how once-lost animals could be brought back from the dead (BBC).

💵 The Motorola Moto G Play (2023) is a great bargain, but how affordable is too affordable for a smartphone? We’ve got the answers (Android Authority).

👴 What is 30 too old for? According to Reddit, not much (r/askreddit).

Monday meme

It’s Martin Luther King Jr. Day across the States today, but a regular working Monday for many worldwide. Our US audience might not appreciate this meme, but at least it applies to me right now.

Of course, sleep hygiene is something you can improve. I found sleep trackers essential in this quest, and using blue-light filters and taking a break from smartphone use before bed to be just as important. Of course, fixating on sleep scores is a surefire way to give you even more sleep anxiety, but smartwatches are great tools for improving your rest.

Have a great day of rest.

Until next week,
Andy Walker, Editor