The Criterion Collection

[DaBargainHunta]

Originally Posted by Joe Dalek

Plus TCM films in addition to the indie distributors you mentioned.

A full-fledged TCM service would be worth it by itself, but it doesn't sound like that's what this will be. Who knows though. We'll see.

Also, we all hated when Criterion went to Hulu, so I almost prefer this. Back then, Netflix was the only streaming service and you wanted everything there. Now, it's obvious we will be seeing the evolution of cable-style focus channels into separate streaming services. Criterion were an odd duck on Hulu, pretty incongruous with the rest of the service's content.

Hulu was a terrible service back then, but the Criterion addition gave them a big plus when they really needed it. I'm kinda sad to see it end.

[Joe Dalek]

I guess my hope is that this new channel presents a possibility for having a destination for a lot of content that right now might not seem worth licensing. Now that there is a "film buff" channel, more smaller/niche distributors and their content might sign on which means legit access to stuff that might not have appeal for the main streaming sites.

[MifuneFan]

Sad that they're leaving Hulu. One factor not mentioned is that Hulu is on pretty much everything. I highly doubt we'll see a FilmStruck app on the PS3, or other devices I own like my Kindle tablet.

[MifuneFan]

Uhh..

The service, which will be available starting this fall for a monthly fee to be determined, will be the exclusive streaming home for the Criterion Collection library, which includes such classic titles as "Seven Samurai," "A Hard Day's Night," "A Room With a View," "My Life as a Dog," "Mad Max" and "The Player."

[belcherman]

Originally Posted by Joe Dalek

In case this hasn't been mentioned here, Criterion is leaving Hulu and starting a new streaming service with Turner called FilmStruck this fall.

Well, goodbye Hulu for me. Be interested to see how this shakes out. For years, I've wished that TCM was available as an a la carte streaming service. This doesn't sound like that, but maybe this will combine the best of TCM with Criterion. The big issues will be pricing and content. If they price the basic service competitive with what Hulu Plus charges now and have access to more than just a small subset of what TCM offers, then I'm interested. If they then charge an additional $5-10/month for the Criterion then that might be worth it to me, but it all depends on the amount of content available in the basic service. One of the reasons the WAC streaming service was a fail for me was that the amount of titles available at any given time was just a small subset of the titles in the WAC. It wasn't worth an extra ten $10/month for me to get that content, especially since a lot of it eventually showed up on TCM.

By the way, this business model seems to be the future. Amazon Prime, for instance will gladly charge you extra on top of your Prime subscription for access to "premium" content such as Starz, etc. Make people pay for bare-bones services, then charge them extra for the stuff they really want. Sound familiar? Meet the new cable, same as the old cable.

[DaBargainHunta]

Originally Posted by MifuneFan

Sad that they're leaving Hulu. One factor not mentioned is that Hulu is on pretty much everything. I highly doubt we'll see a FilmStruck app on the PS3, or other devices I own like my Kindle tablet.

Agreed. Especially if they agree to give Apple or some other company an exclusive window, like HBO stupidly did when it launched HBO Now.

Originally Posted by belcherman

Well, goodbye Hulu for me. Be interested to see how this shakes out. For years, I've wished that TCM was available as an a la carte streaming service. This doesn't sound like that, but maybe this will combine the best of TCM with Criterion. The big issues will be pricing and content. If they price the basic service competitive with what Hulu Plus charges now and have access to more than just a small subset of what TCM offers, then I'm interested. If they then charge an additional $5-10/month for the Criterion then that might be worth it to me, but it all depends on the amount of content available in the basic service. One of the reasons the WAC streaming service was a fail for me was that the amount of titles available at any given time was just a small subset of the titles in the WAC. It wasn't worth an extra ten $10/month for me to get that content, especially since a lot of it eventually showed up on TCM.

By the way, this business model seems to be the future. Amazon Prime, for instance will gladly charge you extra on top of your Prime subscription for access to "premium" content such as Starz, etc. Make people pay for bare-bones services, then charge them extra for the stuff they really want. Sound familiar? Meet the new cable, same as the old cable.

I have zero interest in a bare-bones TCM with only a fraction of what they air, but if we get everything the channel gets each month, I'll be happy.

As for Prime, I wouldn't call its streaming service bare bones by any means (even if I do think it's the worst of the big three). All of the extras it offers are available separately outside of Prime too, so having them there is just a convenience for Prime users. Hulu does the same thing with Showtime. I'm not sure why they haven't added any extras other than that though.

[belcherman]

Originally Posted by DaBargainHunta

I have zero interest in a bare-bones TCM with only a fraction of what they air, but if we get everything the channel gets each month, I'll be happy.

It sounds like FilmStruck will be complementary to TCM, focusing on "art-house" (whatever that means to them) films. From the LA Times article:

In addition to Criterion, Breland said FilmStruck would have films from other independent studios such as Janus, Flicker Alley, Icarus, Zeitgeist and Kino.

It will carry films from major studios as well, including Warner Bros., as long as the titles have credibility with the art house crowd.

"It's a very targeted, distinct type of film that we're looking for," Breland said.

[DaBargainHunta]

Originally Posted by belcherman

It sounds like FilmStruck will be complementary to TCM, focusing on "art-house" (whatever that means to them) films. From the LA Times article:

Which sounds kinda lame, to be honest. Why bother using the TCM branding at all if they're not going to take advantage of the awesome library?

Criterion diehards will lap this up IMO, but I'm a bit wary based on what we've heard so far.

I hope this ends up being awesome though (and reasonably priced, and available on all major devices at launch).

[Scottie]

Originally Posted by MifuneFan

Uhh..

Criterion BD release confirmed.

[Al_The_Strange]

Originally Posted by iScottie

Criterion BD release confirmed.

If that's true, that might be the awesomest news I've heard all day. So much for that Shout Factory edition...

[jhiggy23]

Looks like Criterion won't be on Hulu for much longer. Criterion has partnered with TCM for a streaming service known as Filmstruck.

[cakefactory]

That sounds like a mistake from the news source. I can't possibly imagine ANOTHER version of that film, even though Shout really dropped the ball with theirs. The market can't exist for TRIPLE dippers (or more, considering the later versions with fancier cases that have come out since the Shout version)! I mean, I'd buy it again (I only have the Shout version), but if true, that really seems like a weird allocation of resources. Unless they were going to do special editions of 2 or 3, of course. I think a lot of people would buy the heck out of a Road Warrior with actual special features.

[cakefactory]

Originally Posted by jhiggy23

Looks like Criterion won't be on Hulu for much longer. Criterion has partnered with TCM for a streaming service known as Filmstruck.

That could be great news. There are tons of things that get shown on TCM that make me regret not having cable, and there's virtually nothing on Hulu I have any interest in watching apart from the Criterion flicks.

[CMNPlanet]

Based on the trailer for Filmstruck, it looks like Mona Lisa in back in the fold officially.

[DaBargainHunta]

Originally Posted by cakefactory

That sounds like a mistake from the news source. I can't possibly imagine ANOTHER version of that film, even though Shout really dropped the ball with theirs. The market can't exist for TRIPLE dippers (or more, considering the later versions with fancier cases that have come out since the Shout version)! I mean, I'd buy it again (I only have the Shout version), but if true, that really seems like a weird allocation of resources. Unless they were going to do special editions of 2 or 3, of course. I think a lot of people would buy the heck out of a Road Warrior with actual special features.

Assuming you mean Mad Max, it's in Filmstruck's official press release. That, however, doesn't mean Criterion is releasing it.

http://filmstruck.com/pdf/filmstruck-announcement.pdf

If you mean something else, never mind.

Originally Posted by CMNPlanet

Based on the trailer for Filmstruck, it looks like Mona Lisa in back in the fold officially.

I can't even get the trailer to play - probably because I no longer have Flash installed. Already a bad sign. No video service should still be using the outdated, buggy, and downright dangerous Flash. (I realize Hulu still does for its website, but they're on every device, so it doesn't matter as much.)

[shadedpain4]

Looks like they fixed the wording that made it sound like Mad Max was in The Criterion Collection.

"Developed by Turner Classic Movies in partnership with Criterion Collection, the new subscription-based service will feature hundreds of films from independent and major Hollywood studios. Those include “Seven Samurai,” “Breaker Morant,” “Blood Simple” and “Mad Max.” "

[Marlow27]

I'm going to assume the new streaming service is only for North American viewers?

[buffetfroid]

We are looking into "cutting the cord" so this is intriguing news. No TCM was one of the few regrets.

It also again demonstrates the unreliablity of streaming availablity. Movies are going to come and go from all these services all the time, so if you really want access to something, buy the physical product if you can.

[pedromvu]

Any Idea when the movies will be expiring on Hulu? need to catch up with a lot of films on my queue

[shadedpain4]

Originally Posted by pedromvu

Any Idea when the movies will be expiring on Hulu? need to catch up with a lot of films on my queue

Midnight tonight.

[Show spoiler]I'm kidding, I have no idea.