Disney+ to Start Cracking Down on Password Sharing in November

[Alan Wynn]

So all these services are no longer portable? You can't use them while traveling??? I've never had anyone else use my streaming accounts but apparently I can no longer use my service while traveling, RV, hotel whatever........

If it is just you using it, then it is permitted. You will have to enter a two factor code to verify it is you.

Does that also apply if I want to use the service at another home I have? Again no one else uses my service but me and spouse.

Again, if it is just you, you are fine. If you are at one home and your wife it at another, on a regular basis, you may see more of a problem. If you are not streaming from multiple locations at a rate faster than one can travel among them, you are ok.

 

[whitby]

So my kids watch Disney + here at the house, then they go to Grandmas and watch it there. Do I need two subscriptions? That seems insane considering they are the only ones watching it. It's not like Grandma is sitting there watching Mickey Mouse while the kids aren't there.

They definitely need a way to support the ability to watch at multiple locations so long as there is only one TV/set top box streaming the service at a time. As one person in this thread pointed out, it could be like lending a book where only one person can read it at a time. Although a streaming subscription is not really a book, there should be a way for you to use your subscription wherever you are (in the world?) so long as there is only one system streaming the service at a time. Under this scheme managing a loaned subscription log in might be difficult for you to manage, as the person to whom you loaned the subscription may keep blocking you out, but it would allow you to travel and use your subscription at any location without forcing it to be used at one location only.

 

[MacFan782040]

Where on earth is coffee $8-12? Even a starbucks large isn’t $8.

I mean. Anything besides a basic regular coffee is at least $6 plus tax and if you leave a tip, yeah easily $8.

 

[Jamie0003]

They must pay the producers a negotiated rate to carry the content, even if Disney are the producers. So Disney+ must pay Disney Animation Studios, 20th Century Studios, Touchstone, Disneytoon, etc. and all the affiliated producers of the content, which triggers profit sharing payments and residual payments.

I never thought about that until they started pulling content OFF Disney+ to reduce the losses, and they explained why they were doing it.

Personally I think they should move to a VOD model with low rental rates for obscure content rather than pulling it off.

This makes no sense. Don’t Disney own the likes of fox? Why would they charge themselves?

 

[jwdsail]

Amazon was one of the last services which used to be worth it. But lately more and more of their content is that Freevee crap with ads, kind of a slick way for them to have ads but say they don't have ads. Now with their proposed $2.99 on top just to not have ads (although I'm sure that won't include Freevee) AND them raising the Prime price every couple of years, I'm starting to wonder if that's even worth it. What else would I lose by canceling Prime? They already fubared Amazon Music, the selection of books/audible included is really skimpy, and would I really die if I didn't get 2 day shipping?

Oddly enough, except for Good Omens, the only Amazon content I've watched in the past year was available on Freevee.. So, with them adding ads to Prime, and adding an extra $2/mo for "keep" ad-free Prime... Prime is getting close to being on the chopping block in my house, for the first time in well over a decade...

I really don't need to get the vacuum kitchen bags or 24-pack of AAA batteries in two days..

 

[370zulu]

The market will decide what happens. Vote with your dollars.

Disney deserves what it gets. Just like Netflix.

 

[supergt]

I hardly watch tv of any kind these days and if I do it's via my $20 HD antenna. I really stick to free podcasts, youtube, etc. Highly encourage everyone to "disconnect".

 

[jwdsail]

If it is just you using it, then it is permitted. You will have to enter a two factor code to verify it is you.

Again, if it is just you, you are fine. If you are at one home and your wife it at another, on a regular basis, you may see more of a problem. If you are not streaming from multiple locations at a rate faster than one can travel among them, you are ok.

When it actually works properly, sure.

I've taken multiple support calls from people having problems using a service they are PAYING for legitimately.

I've had calls from people having these problems AT HOME.

These companies expect PAYING customers to jump through hoops and do chores to use what they're paying for.. and expect people to just keep paying more and more? Higher prices and harder to use..

At the start of the streaming revolution we were hearing that "convenience trumps fidelity"... well.. where's the convenience now? The savings is quickly evaporating and seriously.. what real convenience is left with these services treating their PAYING customers like criminals?

We really need more consumers to find their backbones and tell Netflix, Disney, etc to go pound sand.

 

[dizastor]

Just make sure to only share your passwords the other 11 months of the year.

 

[compwiz1202]

I have never understood why password sharing was considered legitimate on a paid for service. I know Netflix actively encouraged the practice for a while, which makes it difficult to accept them removing the privilege. However in this case it was never a legitimate option and we should be prepared to pay for an ad free service. Now if they add ads. then it is a different matter because I will never pay a company to deliver advertising to my house and the service should be free.

And the other reason with NF is they make you pay more for 4K which gives more screens, so you should be able to use them where you want. D+ is ads or no ads but 4K and multiples screens without paying more, so they have more of a right to tell people how to use them.

 

[compwiz1202]

Crap economy, maybe?

Exactly. It's not just the price. It's the frequency and amount and that EVERYBODY is raising prices with insane frequency and amount while wages stagnate, or don't come close to rising as fast as expenses

 

[jimbobb24]

i pirate all my media anyways, this doesn't bother me.

I still all my apple gear so I feel you.

 

[compwiz1202]

‘Expensive’ is subjective. Perhaps a more appropriate term would be ‘more than they care to pay’, which we all know is zero.

LOL yea like those insurance or Priceline ads. Name your price? Free please. Or when the grocery store terminals ask if the amount is OK. NO, especially for the last few years

 

[webkit]

Did you never pay for cable? That was standard for many decades.

Yes, a pay/ad hybrid model had been the standard for “content delivery” for ages whether it be television, newspapers or magazines. The good thing about premium streaming services is that they at least typically offer a choice of going ad-free or ad-supported.

 

[webkit]

This makes no sense. Don’t Disney own the likes of fox? Why would they charge themselves?

Even when under the same corporate umbrella, companies still typically operate as separate (financial) entities. For an individual company, it's also common for "departments" to bill each other for various things.

 

[Mrkevinfinnerty]

Just make sure to only share your passwords the other 11 months of the year.

This. I never share my password during November so this won't affect me.

 

[MistrSynistr]

Some of you don't realize Disney is in dire straits. They are on the verge of collapse, not just 'losing money recently'.

 

[whitby]

Did you never pay for cable? That was standard for many decades.

When it was the only choice and we stuck with the ad free premium channels. My real concern is that the owners of the programming are removing our choices and making ads compulsory. We are not there yet, as most continue to offer add free tiers. However Amazon started putting new series on their ad channel only. Now I have a problem. Give me a choice, pay and get the content ad free or get if for free but include ads. You have to pay for the service somehow and I have no problem with that, however I will not choose content with ads if I have to pay for the service. Ad free, pay for the service. With ads, free service. I think that is perfectly fair and if the streamers cannot make money doing this they are doing something wrong.

 

[seek3r]

Some of you don't realize Disney is in dire straits. They are on the verge of collapse, not just 'losing money recently'.

Last fiscal year Disney had a *net income* of $3 Billion on $12 Billion gross, and holds $200 Billion in assets. They’re not on the verge of collapse

 

[Jumpthesnark]

Sorry, but I don't buy the fact that Disney+ is losing that much money.

And that's the great thing about facts. They exist whether people want to believe them or not.

For Disney, Streaming Losses and TV’s Decline Are a One-Two Punch​

 

[wikiverse]

Sorry, but I don't buy the fact that Disney+ is losing that much money.

Maybe they are when you apply weird corporate accounting, but the simple fact is that the TV shows on Disney+ build up a fan base. Then that fan base wants to go to theme parks, and spend money there so they can go on rides about their favorite show, and buy merchandise about their favorite show.

Even if the business unit itself is losing money, overall it is making money for the company. Disney is still highly profitable despite all this and it likely would not be if not for Disney+ and other corporate components maintaining a fan base despite technically "losing money."

Disney's own financial reports show that D+ is losing that much money. It's not creative accounting. They're desperately trying to make D+ look profitable and all of the 'weird corporate accounting' is making it look better than it is, not worse. Even then, they've been losing $1Bn a quarter on streaming and it's not translating to profits in other areas of the business.

In the case of Star Wars its killed the merchandise sales - which are down 60%. It's killed park attendance which is down at all parks. It's even killed cruises which are currently losing money.

Investors can see the poor future prospects for Disney and their falling share price reflects this.

 

[blacksurfer]

Screw it. I cancelled everything and just watch FreeVee and Pluto channel.

 

[macfacts]

actors deserve to be paid for their work

Actors already got paid, they don't get royalties from more subscribers watching.

 

[gleepskip]

Most of these services periodically offer heavily discounted subscriptions. That's when you jump in, consume all the new stuff that interests you, and cancel as soon as the promo period ends.

 

[dannyyankou]

Actors already got paid, they don't get royalties from more subscribers watching.

Yeah that was an issue, but thankfully the new contract will have residuals for streaming if certain metrics are met.