Is it on Netflix? Cool. Watch it.
Is it on Amazon Prime? Cool. Watch it.
Is it on Amazon Instant Video for rent or purchase? Cool. Buy it and watch it.
Is it available anywhere online for purchase? Cool. Buy it and watch it.
Not available for purchase online? Pirate Bay.
IMO they should try achieving feature parity -- or better, actually innovate -- to cut down piracy further. (Yes the paid stuff is arguably ahead on certain features like convenience. But not others.)
1) The Canadian library initially couldn't hold a candle to the USA library. I've found this hasn't been true for about a year -- most things I've wanted to watch recently have been on both.
2) VPN proxies are <=$5/mo, and easy enough for general consumers to set up with a bit of handholding.
Well, and moreflicks.com if you want to see how catalogue selection varies by country. (Its search isn't the greatest, but they have the most netflix countries, I've found.)
Also "purchase" should be "non-DRM or single-platform format crippled purchase".
Oh, we now have Netflix in the Netherlands, since a few weeks. The actual selection is a joke. Yes, I understand it's the copyright mafia's doing, but don't ask me to pay the same price as Americans for a fraction of the product.
- DRM-free download for later use in XBMC (no iTunes, no streaming due to limited bandwidth) - 720p or better - original english audio track
Of course this is nowhere to be found in Germany.
Is it on Netflix? Doesn't matter, can't use Netflix.
Is it on Amazon Prime? Doesn't matter, can't use Amazon Prime.
Is it on Amazon Instant Video for rent or purchase? Doesn't matter, can't use it.
Do I actually want to own a copy permanently and is it available anywhere online for purchase for a reasonable price, in high quality, and DRM free?
No? Pirate Bay.
Is it on Amazon Instant Video for rent or purchase? Doesn't matter, can't use it."
Incorrect. I'm watching Amazon Prime right now on Linux.
It's one of the reasons I use Amazon more than Netflix, even though I have both, and Netflix has a better selection.
You might as well just run windows if you're going to run closed source binaries with hardware access.
I'm not so keen on giving Adobe root just so I can watch a movie using their buggy insecure antiquated software platform.
1. Netflix?
2. Hulu?
3. Amz-Inst
4. Shady streaming site.
I kept going to shows or movies and finding only trailers and clips. Why would I want either of those things? I don't go looking for ads. I just don't...I have less than zero interest in seeing ads, even for shows or movies I wanted to watch.
I used to love Hulu. It works on Linux (which is a big thing for me, especially during the day when I'm working and watching TV), and it used to be a place where I could watch current season shows. Now, it's just too much hassle to find any actual programming.
1. http://davidjohnstone.net/blog/2013/07/netflix-amazon-and-hu...
A week later. And I would have to get an archaic optical drive. It also creates useless waste and is usually way too expensive for an hour of entertainment.
For me, none of the options before that is available so I can either don't watch it or pirate it with "I'll pay for it later" attitude. It worked well enough for games and software in general (pirated everything since maybe three or four years back).
When I say, is it available online for purchase, I mean can I watch it online. I haven't ordered a DVD or CD in a decade or more.
Will it come to theaters someday and coincide with my wife's good mood? Yes. Ok, it's worth the wait.
For any other scenario, Netflix.