Netflix, the Great Streaming UI Blocker
By: M.G. Siegler
Tags: Tech, Chromecast, Netflix, Streaming, Google Tv

I had been led to believe that the new Chromecast would treat Netflix as a first-class system citizen. That is, Netflix content would exist in all the various Google TV recommendations and guides. Then I got the device, and this was not the case, and I wasn’t sure what the situation was. Here it is from Jared Newman for TechHive back in December:

In contrast to Roku players and Amazon Fire TV devices, the new Chromecast doesn’t make you jump through multiple apps just to see what you can watch. Instead, it offers its own top-level menu system for browsing the catalogs of Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime, Disney+, and several other streaming services. To me, this approach represents the future of streaming, and it seemed like Netflix was ready to embrace it. That changed last week, when Netflix’s Google TV integration collapsed without explanation. While the Netflix app is still available on the new Chromecast, Netflix’s original movies and shows no longer appear in the Google TV guide, and you can no longer add Netflix originals to your watchlist. The sudden reversal blows a big hole in Google’s plans to make sense of streaming, but it’s also a raw deal for anyone who already bought the new Chromecast (or worse yet, prepaid for six months of Netflix to get the device for cheap). Without the backing of the biggest subscription streaming service, Google’s TV guide is suddenly a lot less universal.

No kidding this is a raw deal. This was without question the biggest selling point of the Google TV software. And it got crippled after the fact (purchase). That’s bullshit. All of these services that offer guides and recommendations without Netflix content are useless. It’s like buying a ticket to Coachella without the right to see the biggest act on the billing.

In the past, we might have attributed this to skittishness on the part of all streaming services, which generally don’t want their own apps to be rendered irrelevant. But as time goes on, other services like Disney+, HBO Max, and Amazon Prime have all integrated with universal guides like Apple’s TV app and Google TV. Netflix is exception to the rule. The overall picture is of a company that’s extremely touchy about making content available outside of its own app, where it can fully control the experience and try to keep users hooked. While Netflix generally supports search features on streaming devices, it’s been far less receptive to alternate means of navigating the Netflix catalog.

And from Netflix’s perspective, you can understand why — three reasons:

They have all the power. Using their UI to serve up content is key for their model. They have all the power.

But as an end-user, again, this sucks. The streaming ecosystem is so disjointed from an experience perspective and it cannot be fixed without getting Netflix to play ball. And this would seem to be a massive opportunity for an old, beloved friend: TiVo.

Per the article, it would sure seem that thanks to an old IP issue/agreement, TiVo is the one service that can do with Netflix content as it pleases. The issue is that TiVo isn’t what it once was. I wish that weren’t the case. I really miss that old remote (and those TiVo sounds).