A major change is happening in our TV viewing habits and Netflix knows it.
Netflix, the subscription based company that for a minimal fee of £5.99 a month lets you stream as many movies and TV shows as you like, has gotten even better. Noting how we love to binge watch TV shows rather than waiting for a week between episodes, they’re now producing their own original TV series and releasing all the episodes at once. Such was the case with House of Cards, a political thriller starring Kevin Spacey.
I have to admit, for me, this is heaven. The idea that I can get hooked on a new TV show and watch it all at once, just makes me love Netflix even more.
But Dustin Rowles sees it differently and in his article here, he explains why he’s staunchly against this strategy. His principal argument is that TV has now become so much a communal experience and this ruins it.
And TV has become communal, we Tweet and post messages on Facebook when our favourite shows are on. The cast of Scandal, an American TV show written by Shonda Rhimes, responds to viewers by live tweeting as they watch the show.
Between each weekly episode they use their Facebook page to flirt with viewers about the upcoming episode, asking questions and encouraging viewers to play games. We all know what role social media plays during big sporting events too, like the Olympics, just look here.
Rowles further points out that the biggest problem is spoilers. We haven’t yet managed to work out how we can communicate with just those who are on the same episode as us. Rowles makes a solid point and he’s right; I'm someone who regularly tweets about the shows I'm watching and I discuss the plots, as do my friends. But still, the idea that I can everything at once outweighs everything else. It doesn't mean that I'm against shows that are pushed out every week, I just appreciate that with this latest series, there's no waiting.
More interestingly however, was how Netflix knew that House of Cards would be a hit.
Based on the viewing habits of its 33 million users, it knew how many users watch movies starring Kevin Spacey and the Director David Fincher and how many people sat through other political dramas. And so we are starting to see the role big data has and the benefits of it.
Sources
/http://scandalabc.tumblr.com/post/34324920252/join-the-cast-of-scandal-for-a-live-tweet
http://www.technologyreview.com/view/511771/house-of-cards-and-our-future-of-algorithmic-programming/
March 2013
The greatest thing about London, apart from the endless things happening in the city, from art exhibits to innovative yoga classes and quirky markets, is for me, the food.
I’ve even got a Pinterest board dedicated to the places I want to eat at in London. This is for two reasons: because I’m greedy, and for the people who visit London and say “Your food is awful.”
A friend recommended going to Dishoom, a Bombay style café. They have two locations, one in Covent Garden (where we went) and they also have a place set up in Shoreditch. The interior has a modern vibe to it – big airy spaces, an open kitchen and lots of noise, but as you begin to look more, you see how they have sneaked in the Indian aesthetics.Think neon lights and plastic cups. It’s all done very tastefully which makes it ever more charming.
We arrived on Saturday at about 6pm and as expected, it was extremely busy. However, after a half-an-hour wait – whilst enjoying India’s 1977 answer to a coke, “Thumbs Up”, which is now owned by Coca-Cola – we were seated at our table by a cool American waitress.
I was very hungry so didn’t take pictures of my starter – lamb samosas, or my mains – the Chicken Ruby. Both were delicious by the way.
Desserts is where it got really interesting, my chocolate chai (yes, really!) and the Dishoom Basmati Pudding were both rich, indulgent, and creamy. I finished both of them and was tempted to go for a second dessert but thankfully I managed to restrain myself.
Dishoom is definitely worth a visit, here is the link to the website.
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