IMDb Launches Ad-Supported Movie Streaming Service (theverge.com) 39
An anonymous reader quotes a report from The Verge: IMDb is known as the place to go to look up details for any film under the sun, and now it's entering the streaming video arena. The company has launched Freedive, a free streaming platform that's supported by periodic ad breaks. The service's films and TV shows are available to registered IMDb or Amazon users and Amazon Fire TV owners. (The list of compatible devices is the same as the list for Prime Video.) Fire owners can navigate the service by way of a new icon in the "Your Apps & Channels" section or by telling their Amazon smart device, "Alexa, go to Freedive." The site says it will continually add new offerings to the site. The site will also indicate on a film's page if it's available on Freedive.
A movie that can stream movies! (Score:4, Funny)
They put streaming in your streaming!! Incredible.
Re: (Score:3)
Yo Dawg! I heard you like movies...
Re: (Score:2)
I don't understand how this works. Can you make some kind of movie tutorial about it? Then make an IMDB entry about that tutorial movie so I can find it. Or better yet, just make another movie explaining how to find it. I'm sure I'll find a movie on YouTube explaining how to find that one.
Re: (Score:1)
Using what facts do you base your presumption that most readers of this site are outside the US? Especially when actual site staff have stated the opposite for many years.
US only, of course... (Score:3)
"IMDb Freedive is only available to customers in the U.S. at this time."
I don't see any mention on the website as to when it may be available outside of the US.
Also, it doesn't support chromecast or apple tv, so that'll make it useless to a lot of people. Chances are most of them won't want an Amazon stick. Yes you can cast the screen of your phone to the TV, but that never works out well.
Re: (Score:2)
Or, you know, just don't use the service and let it die a quiet death from disuse. Not using it takes a lot less effort than what you've described and it frees up time that you can spend doing something more enjoyable.
Works on Linux (Score:1)
Works on Firefox on Linux Mint, only I let Firefox enable DRM.
I've got Momento playing now.
Frankly, I don't see why it took so long for this to be a thing. It's basically like viewing a movie on TV except the ads are more targeted.
Why do I care about this? (Score:4)
Frankly, I don't see why it took so long for this to be a thing. It's basically like viewing a movie on TV except the ads are more targeted.
I'm confused. Are you somehow implying that is a good thing? Personally I prefer to watch movies without any ads at all much less targeted ones that still somehow manage to have no relevance to me.
Re: Why do I care about this? (Score:1)
Then buy them, dang. Some of us are willing to watch a couple ads and save a little cash. For that audience, itâ(TM)s a good thing.
interesting (Score:2)
this will live or die depending on how many ad interuptions there are and how they will be.
it looks that, for now at least, it's mostly older movies that have been made available. i quickly scrolled through the recommended lists, and there were no movies that i hadn't seen before, nothing recent from the last 5 years (or more).
Not interesting (Score:3)
this will live or die depending on how many ad interuptions there are and how they will be.
If the number is greater than zero it is dead to me already.
it looks that, for now at least, it's mostly older movies that have been made available. i quickly scrolled through the recommended lists, and there were no movies that i hadn't seen before, nothing recent from the last 5 years (or more).
In other words, it's yet another shitty catalog of old movies that nobody really cares about anymore. How bored does one have to be to find something like that to be a worthwhile use of your time?
Re: (Score:2)
Yay! they have Ernest Movies! I can't wait!
NB (Score:4, Informative)
Available only for US citizens (to be precise to US IP addresses). A full list of movies/series is here: https://www.imdb.com/freedive/ [imdb.com]
Lastly, IMDB is an Amazon company.
Re: (Score:1)
For now... it's available to US IP addresses. I was able to login using my IMDB credentials (different from Amazon) and the movies played w/o issue: on Desktop Linux, DRM install required under Firefox and VPN.
I say "for now" because on my FireOS Tablet, I am unable to view Prime Videos using a VPN. Amazon knows who I am (I'm logged in on their proprietary tablet, they track the hell out of everyone as it is). I can do everything else (including ordering) except view Videos with VPN engaged. Once I turn my
They killed knowledge from forums/comments (Score:2)
Ever since IMDB dumped down the drain all the accumulated invaluable information about old/obscure/non-Holywood movies you could find on their forums I stopped visiting/using them.
Most of the other information can be now looked up on Wikipedia and other sources.
Region-restricted ad-infested streaming? Meh...
At least EU condemns geo-blocking:
https://www.consilium.europa.e... [europa.eu]
Nothing good to watch anyway (Score:2)
words (Score:2)
Someone Launches Video Streaming
Of course they are.
It'll be real news when the fragmentation is so fucked that they're losing money chasing increasingly divided slices of the pie.
Screw it (Score:2)