Saturday, April 02, 2011

Digital Digest: Netflix - The Future of Digital Home Media?

Welcome to Digital Digest, our weekly blog feature about all things digital in the world of sitcoms! We have another slow news week this week (as typical), but we also have a blog feature story about Netflix and how it may just be the future of digital home media. Let's get going!


DIGITAL NEWS

The Simpsons is a series that will seemingly never end, and as long as it is continuing, DVDs have to continue too, of course! Although the series still has quite a ways to go to be caught up with the current season, the fourteenth season is on the horizon for later this summer, though an exact date is not yet known. It is expected that it will contain plenty of special features (as always) and there will likely be a Blu-ray Disc release of the season.

In keeping up with the trends of releasing value-priced "best of" collections of series, Universal is now getting into the game with four separate releases containing "best" episodes of some of their classic 80s action dramas. Set to be released on June 14 at a $14.98 MSRP, be on the lookout for two-disc sets of The A-Team, Knight Rider, Magnum, P.I., and Miami Vice.

The Wonder Years is a series that seems as if it will never get a DVD release, and that is too bad... but don't lose hope on seeing it in a digital format! A recently announced deal between Twentieth Century Fox and Netflix is about to make the series available for streaming online for Netflix subscribers! This isn't a total victory for everybody waiting to see the series on DVD, but it is significant in that it finally provides a way for fans to watch the series at their leisure. It isn't available just yet, but hopefully it will be soon. We have more on Netflix in our feature story today.


UPCOMING WEEK PREVIEW

Tuesday (April 5) brings us only one release in the sitcom world, with House of Payne - Volume 7. We hope to have a review of this set soon.


BLOG FEATURE STORY

Netflix - The Future of Home Media?
by skees53

Just two weeks ago, we talked about how physical home media could be dying out. It sounded like all gloom and doom, but it isn't. We've talked about Netflix on here several times (even before Digital Digest started), and how they began streaming TV series online, and in many cases not just a few isolated episodes but entire series.

It really all started a few years with a few series from the Universal library, but it has widely expanded now to include many other series. As we mentioned earlier in today's Digital Digest, a new deal was recently announced that will bring library series, including The Wonder Years (which has only seen two single episode DVD releases, both of which have been out of print for over a decade) and Ally McBeal, among other Fox library series to Netflix.

It all sounds promising, and they will be far from alone when they join Netflix. Already, you can enjoy every episode or at least many episodes of series including 3rd Rock from the Sun, 30 Rock, The Addams Family, Arrested Development, Cheers, The Cosby Show, The Dick Van Dyke Show, Family Guy, Futurama, The Munsters, The Office, Roseanne, Scrubs, Soap, South Park, That '70s Show, and many more series, including edited versions of episodes from every season of Saturday Night Live. For just a low monthly fee, you can watch all of these programs at any time you want.

The most obvious way to watch this programming is through your computer (you can view them on any Windows or Mac computer), but there are even better ways that you can watch the programming. We'll start with the "big picture." If you have a TV (which I'm sure that just about everybody reading this blog does), you can buy certain Blu-ray players and even televisions that have Netflix capabilities built right into them, provided that you have an active internet connection. You can also watch the programming on all of the major current video game systems, including those from Sony, Nintendo, and Microsoft. And if you don't have any of those, there are still even more options out there, including Apple TV. But what if you want to go portable? Well, if you own any one of Apple's current wi-fi or 3G enabled "portable devices," such as the iPhone, iPod Touch, or iPad, you can even download a free app from the App Store that will allow you to watch all of this programming anywhere you go provided that you have an active subscription. And recently, a test application for Android devices was leaked online, although it isn't functional, but it does suggest that an Android app is on the way.

There are downfalls, however. A series becoming available on Netflix is not a permanent arrangement. When you purchase a DVD, you own that DVD for life, and unless your home is burglarized or destroyed, you own that DVD forever. With Netflix, everything comes down to limited term deals which decide when a series will be available on there and how long it will be available on there. There are many series which were previously available on Netflix such as Gimme a Break!, Simon & Simon, and The Twilight Zone (just to name a few) that are no longer available to view on there at any price. There could be multiple explanations as to why they were removed; maybe they weren't popular enough among fans, maybe they removed them so that they could free up server space for new programming, or maybe content deals for the series expired. Additionally, if you stop paying your monthly fee for Netflix, you obviously won't be able to access this programming anymore.

Another potential problem is streaming issues and quality. In a perfect world, we'd all have an internet connection that runs at the speed of light with no hiccups at all. But we live in a world where we still have internet connections that, while being much better than the 14K than we used about a decade and a half ago, are still not ready for all of this streaming activity. As a result, when you watch many of these programs on Netflix (as well as other streaming video sources), you may occasionally have your program stopped for buffering and won't necessarily get a picture that is up to par with true high definition quality. That isn't to say that some people won't get great results a majority of the time, but very rarely is streaming video as easy and reliable as sticking a DVD or Blu-ray Disc into your player and watching it play smoothly (assuming that the disc isn't damaged).

Still, streaming video seems to be the future of home media, for better or for worse. And it appears that as time goes on, it will get better, and it will provide us with more options than physical media could have ever dreamed of offering us. I was hesitant to use it at first, but once I finally signed up for Netflix a little over a year ago, I realized that the streaming video is the best part of it, and it places a very large library of programming into your hands at a relatively low price, with benefits of being portable and no organization of DVDs to worry about. Hopefully, as time goes on, we'll have the ability to watch just about any episode of any series that we want to watch at the palm of our hands, although it would certainly be best if DVDs and Blu-rays (or their higher-tech future replacements, whatever they may be) continued on into the future for those who want the thrill of ownership of their favorite programs.


LOOKING AHEAD

We come to an end for this week's Digital Digest, and we hope that you are logging in or signing up for Netflix right now to watch the great programming that is already on there and anticipating what is to come! We hope to have more positive news regarding Netflix and other similar services in the upcoming weeks, but of course, we hope to have more DVD and Blu-ray news as well! In the upcoming weeks, you'll see some reviews of even more classic Hanna-Barbera animated series from the Warner Archive Collection. Until then, keep it digital!


Sitcoms Airing Tonight / Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows

Thursday, September 12

Young Sheldon - "A New Home and a Traditional Texas Torture" (CBS, 9:00PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
George Sr. gets an exciting job offer, and Sheldon prepares for his move to California.

Ghosts - "Hello, Brother" (CBS, 9:30PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
Trevor’s brother, Jeremy (Jon Glaser), checks into Woodstone after discovering a loophole in the Woodstone Rewards Points program.

Mr. Peacock - "Why Not Me" (NBC, 9:00PM ET/PT)
When struggling sports memorabilia dealer Danny Grossman finds himself in a bind, he reunites with his childhood best friend, NBA superstar Stephen Curry, leading to a way bigger problem for Danny.

Lopez vs Lopez - "Lopez vs Let It Go" (NBC, 9:30PM ET/PT) (Repeat)
George joins a meditation group led by Carlos the Curandero, a spiritual healer whose mantra is "let it go"; however, Mayan worries her dad is letting go of too much, including their living room furniture; a burnout threatens to move next door.

Complete TV Listings


Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows (Week of September 9)

Thursday, September 12

  • Martin Lawrence (Partners/Martin/What's Happening Now!!) - Catch Martin on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
  • Joey King (Bent) - Joey appears on Jimmy Kimmel Live! at 11:35pm on ABC.
  • Cristin Milioti (The Resort/Made for Love/A to Z/How I Met Your Mother) - Cristin is a guest on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at 11:35pm on NBC.
  • Kathryn Hahn (Tiny Beautiful Things/Central Park/Happyish/Transparent/Free Agents) - Kathryn appears on Late Night with Seth Meyers at 12:36am on NBC.
  • Tien Tran (How I Met Your Father) - Tien is a guest on After Midnight at 12:37am on CBS.
  • Sasheer Zamata (Home Economics/Woke/Robbie) - Sasheer appears on Comedy Central's The Daily Show at 11pm.
  • Juliette Lewis (Camping/I Married Dora) - Juliette discusses her film The Thicket on Live with Kelly and Mark, so check your listings.
  • Kathryn Hahn (Tiny Beautiful Things/Central Park/Happyish/Transparent/Free Agents) - Kathryn talks about Agatha All Along on ABC's Good Morning America some time between 7-9am.
  • Aries Spears (The Proud Family) - Aries is a guest on PIX 11 Morning News on WPIX in New York at 9:40am.
  • Natasha Rothwell (How to Die Alone/Insecure) - Natasha appears on New York Living on WPIX in New York at 10:05am.


New on DVD and Blu-ray

Too Close for Comfort - The Complete Series Check It Out! - The Complete Series Bewitched - The Complete Series - 60th Anniversary Special Edition (Blu-ray) Friends - The Complete Series (4K Ultra HD) Young Sheldon - The Complete Series

04/03 - Too Close for Comfort - The Complete Series (VEI)
04/08 - Check It Out! - The Complete Series (VEI)
05/21 - Frasier (2023) - Season One
06/11 - The Jeffersons - The Complete Series (2024 Release)
06/11 - Welcome Back, Kotter - The Complete Series (2024 Release)
07/05 - Letterkenny - Season 12 (Final Season)
07/30 - Ted Lasso - The Richmond Way (The Complete Series) (Blu-ray) (DVD)
09/10 - Rick and Morty - The Complete Seasons 1-7
09/10 - Ted - Season One (Blu-ray) (DVD)
09/17 - Bewitched - The Complete Series - 60th Anniversary Special Edition (Blu-ray)
09/17 - Top Cat - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)
09/24 - Friends - The Complete Series (4K Ultra HD)
09/24 - Young Sheldon - The Complete Seventh Season (DVD) / The Complete Series (DVD) (Blu-ray)
10/08 - Curb Your Enthusiasm - The Complete Twelfth Season / The Complete Series
10/22 - Veep - The Complete Series (Blu-ray)

More Recent and Upcoming TV DVD and Blu-ray Releases / TV Shows on DVD, Blu-ray and Prime Video / DVD Reviews Archive


Recent SitcomsOnline.com News Blog Posts

09/12 - MeTV Halloween 2024 Events; CBS' Nate Bargatze Holiday Special
09/11 - HBO Orders Rachel Sennott Comedy to Series; Jaleel White Hosts New Game Show Flip Side
09/10 - CBS Fall 2024 Preview Special; The Franchise Premieres October 6 on HBO
09/09 - Lifetime Orders Christmas in the Spotlight; Hulu Sets Murdaugh Murders Series
09/08 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of September 9, 2024)
09/07 - SitcomsOnline Digest: Only Murders in the Building Renewed for Fifth Season; Plex Adds Knots Landing and More
09/06 - Hulu's Child Stars Documentary; Keke Palmer Heads to The 'Burbs for Peacock
09/05 - Dancing with the Stars Season 33 Cast; Tia Mowry We TV Docuseries
09/04 - Nick at Nite Acquires Modern Family; SNL Stars Go Live on Peacock Next Thursday
09/03 - The CW Swaps Two Nights for Fall 2024 Schedule; Retta Returns to HGTV
09/02 - TV Marathons on Labor Day 2024 Include Barney Miller
09/01 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of September 2, 2024)
08/31 - SitcomsOnline Digest: First Look at New Netflix Comedy; One Tree Hill Sequel in the Works
08/30 - Freeform's 31 Nights of Halloween 2024; Wizards Beyond Waverly Place Premieres October 29
08/29 - Based on a True Story Returns in November on Peacock; Nikki Glaser to Host Golden Globes
08/28 - Acapulco Renewed for Season 4; Kiernan Shipka Max Movie
08/27 - Everybody Still Hates Chris Premieres September 25 on Comedy Central; Final Season of Somebody Somewhere Returns in October
08/26 - Frasier Returns September 19 on Paramount+ for Season 2; Ted Danson's Netflix Comedy Premieres in November
08/25 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of August 26, 2024)
08/24 - SitcomsOnline Digest: First Look at New Netflix Comedy; TNT Picks Up The Librarians: The Next Chapter
08/23 - FETV's Sunday Mystery Matinee Block; Glen Powell Is Chad Powers for Hulu Comedy
08/22 - Pee-wee Forever on August 27 on Shout! TV; The Lincoln Lawyer Is Back This October
08/21 - NBC Moves Premiere Due to VP Debate; Seth Meyers Gets Live Primetime Special
08/20 - The Rockford Files 50th Anniversary Marathons on Great Entertainment Television (get.); Bad Sisters Returning for Season 2
08/19 - Schitt's Creek Stars to Host Emmys on ABC; Madison Iseman Joins USA Network Series
08/18 - Sitcom Stars on Talk Shows; This Week in Sitcoms (Week of August 19, 2024)
08/17 - SitcomsOnline Digest: The Drew Carey Show Now Streaming for Free; Hulu Picks Up Mid-Century Modern Comedy
08/16 - NBC to Air Mr. Throwback Premiere; Ariel Winter Returns for New Sofia the First Series
08/15 - Comedy Central Acquires Family Guy; Hallmark to Launch Hallmark+ Streaming Service
08/14 - Only Murders in the Building Season 4 Trailer; Grotesquerie Gets Premiere Date on FX
08/13 - Audible Announces Two Scripted Comedy Podcasts; Modern Family's Julie Bowen's Peacock Series
08/12 - Tyler Perry's House of Payne and Assisted Living Return; First Look at Wizards Beyond Waverly Place