We Interrupt Your Streaming to Bring You....

Are you familiar with the song, "How Ya Gonna Keep 'em Down on the Farm (After They've Seen Paree?)"?
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Published in 1919, after the end of World War I, its core message for the returning soldiers -- who wants to go back to farm life after experiencing Paris -- still rings true today. Just not in the same context.

All you need is an update on the lyrics: "How Ya Gonna Keep 'em Streaming (After They're Watched Shows With No Ads?)"

Let's be honest. The biggest reason we all flocked to Netflix and Amazon Prime was watching content with no intrusive ads popping up every few minutes. Wasn't that why we bought DVDs, and before that, VHS tapes, and before that, recorded shows on a Betamax and hit fast forward through the commericials.

Now, one minute you're caught up in a scene where the killer is about to strike and suddenly there's a happy couple extolling the virtues of a new pharmaceutical that will rid you of itchy skin, but not without side effects too long to list. That's not why I bought streaming.

But wait. No, you don't want to watch ads at all? Just pony up more money for their premium, no ads service. Let me get this straight: You want me to pay to watch advertisers that are paying you outrageous sums to run their ads? Don't they call that double-dipping, or maybe even bait and switch?> I don't think so, thank you very much.

When all this started, Netflix was pretty much the only game in town. Remember back in the beginning, when it was mailing DVDs? Pretty cool. Then over time, streaming took over. Content on demand -- a Mother lode of entertainment options for consumers. That started the streaming Gold Rush, as more channels joined the fray. Amazon Prime, Hulu, Apple TV, Paramount Plus (anything with "plus" applied means ka-ching), Disney and on and on.

As lovers of British TV and programming, we discovered Acorn and Britbox, which opened the door to a whole wealth of quality shows and programming from the UK. Thankfully, they are still offering all their content sans ads. Another service still ad-free, as far as I know, is HBO and their companion service, MAX. 

So what's the upshot of all this? One thing could be a resurgence in DVD sales. In fact, we have spent time recently retrieving our DVD collection, which had been stored and collecting dust for a number of years. 

Just like the old song, we have seen "Paree" and have no desire to go back to the "farm," as it were. 
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