Filmstruck / Criterion Channel

Anyway, they do seem to have Japanese things that aren't for sale anywhere and that I'd like to see again. Ozu's Tenement Gentleman for one. Yotsuya Ghost story as well (don't know if that's the classic version though). Pitfall.

Do they not do search by country?

Have tried every combination of streaming devices, TVs, browsers, and cables in my house and still haven't been able to watch anything due to HDCP/external monitor errors. Finding it hard to justify buying a new TV(!) or other equipment in order to access one particular streaming service, so guessing I'll end up pulling the plug on this after the free trial, super disappointing, stupid DRM.

One Eye Open: apparently this fixes the problem? Not yet personally tested: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0089DSLMY/
https://www.lifewire.com/hdcp-error-3276299

Thanks, yeah I ordered one up yesterday (not that exact one but a similar deal), got my fingers crossed, we'll see! Even if it works, it's annoying that buying it basically cancels out the cost savings of signing up early. Like I'm glad they're able to protect Jubal and the special features of Tanner '88 from the sinister threat of rapacious digital bootleggers, but still.

please report back; curious to hear if that does it.

Doing a lot of random searching and clicking on that tcclibrary site. Finding that some films are not available in Canada. All the Olympic films and all of the John Ford, for instance. White material by Claire Denis. Presumably many others. Hopefully not too many!

and i guess i finally decided to try a "smart tv"

The discs most likely to not be on CC are classic Hollywood. Well. And modern Hollywood.

Which, totally fine.

At the top of the TCC Library site, notice that there's a flag next to the number of films. If it's on the US flag, click it and it'll change to the Canadian flag and the Canada-only films.

oooh, handy. thankfully not a huge discrepancy between the two

What are known incompatibilities?
DRM-protected content will not work on the following:

Chromecast devices
Chromebooks
XBox One
Older models of Amazon Fire TV that are not Widevine L1 certified. However Fire TV Cube, Fire TV Gen 3, and Fire TV Stick 4K should work
All non-branded VHX apps
Linux systems

holy shit so a bulk of the library just... won't work on Chromecast?

that blows. why do other streaming services not have the DRM compatibility issue?

well...

But why can I watch content on other sites and apps?
Many sites and apps have different content protection requirements, and implement DRM solutions in a variety of different ways. Because of this, it’s likely that behaviors will be different across our content and theirs. However, if you’re using a supported browser or a dedicated app, and still having trouble, it might be due to HDCP protection.

another update via Reddit

I sent an email to customer service asking about the Chromecast streaming problems. This is their reply:

I’m sorry you’re having trouble playing Criterion’s content on your Chromecast.

While we have plans to build Chromecast support in the coming months, right now the technology used for our DRM implementation is not compliant with Chromecast. I’m very sorry for the frustration and disappointment I know this must bring. In case you have other options, Criterion has an app for Apple TV, Amazon Fire, Roku, and Android TV. If you have a Smart TV, you can see if it’s a TV partner with Android apps here: https://www.android.com/tv/

Yeah, this is all why i figured that a smart tv was worth a shot. I've had the same tube for about ten years and it has some weird buggy thing where it overheats occasionally and won't turn off unless you unplug it. Curious to see what this 4k shit is all about and it would be nice to be able to dial up mubi and criterion without any hassles... i might likely watch them more often

I wouldn't trust a smart TV for apps, get an AppleTV.

I actually just got a big "smart TV" yesterday. Runs on Roku, works great so far.

Our last TV was 1080p, worked/works great, but the new one is huuuuuge and cost maybe half as much as that one did 7 years ago. I got a discounted floor model of a TV that was already on sale at Costco, and no joke, the person helping me politely asked for a second, walked off, then came back and offered it for another $50 off before I even said anything.

yeah, i'm getting a TCL/Roku 43" for under $300. This shit got MUCH cheaper than the last time I bought a set... i think i paid 800 a decade ago for the one i currently have.

Roku runs Android right? Really looking forward to having some flexibility with apps; my tivo is locked into Plex/YouTube/Hulu/HBO/Netflix/Amazon and that's about it.

Tried one of the HDMI splitters for removing HDCP and no dice. Might could be I got the "wrong" one since I guess different ones work with different setups? But not interested in pursuing it further, just gonna pull the plug on this. Can't believe it can be so complicated to watch movies on TV in 2019.

After Filmstruck died I rebooted the DVD-thru-mail element of my Netflix subscription and honestly cant believe I ever stopped, they have like 98% of what was in my old queue, still lots of OOP Criterion stuff floating around in the system, think I'm just gonna keep riding that horse till they decide to put it down for good.

xpost I don't think Roku is Android, I think it's its own thing? I only use it for Netflix/Amazon/Plex/Hulu and now Criterion, but they all seem to work.

Honestly I fully don’t get the appeal of smart TVs when you can get a Roku for like $50 that will be way speedier, more stable, have way more channels, etc

My smart tv is a top of the line Vizio from 2017 and it CRASHES!! Like it will freeze and I have to turn it off and back on and it takes like 30-60 sec!

30-60 sec!

Sacre bleu!

Like my dedicated Roku was ever particularly reliable.

I didn't get a smart TV because it was a smart TV, I got a new TV that happened to be a smart TV (see also: 4K, HDR, etc, features that will have next to no bearing on what and how I watch but which are pretty much the default as of late). We'll see how it goes with crashes and stuff, but so far Plex at the least seems to work faster than it did via dedicated Roku.

AppleTV is great, just fyi.

I'm gonna plug an ethernet cable directly into this sucker; hope i'm not seeing the issues y'all are describing.
will keep apple tv in mind but i tried it years ago and was sorta meh. Then again i'm a devoted tivo guy so don't trust me.

okay, so I got one of these:
https://www.tclusa.com/products/home-theater/4-series/tcl-43-class-4-series-4k-uhd-hdr-roku-smart-tv-43s425
and on day one, it's great! set up netflix, hulu, prime, plex, mubi, criterion, youtube, pbs, spotify for streaming easily and without a hiccup; tivo/switch/ps4 are more quickly accessible than they've ever been.picture quality seems fine, but i'm going to have to tinker. all in all, fixed the problems with a reasonably cheap entry point... presuming it don't bust shortly.

asked and answered

https://films.criterionchannel.com

Very nice.

Sacre bleu!

American TV shows are 19 minutes long: if your TV just decides to turn itself off and takes 60 seconds to turn back on, you've missed over 5% of the programme.

not missing much

xp, full film list not yet on the app tho'

Nope. And in the filter function, they created a button for the 1900s (0 results) but forgot the button for the 1910s. You can do that manually in the URL and get yr 13 results.

Looks like the full film list won't come to the app or iOS. From the email they sent out this afternoon --

The number one request was for an “all films” list, and just in time for your viewing pleasure here it is! This desktop-only feature will allow you to see all the films on the Criterion Channel and organize them by title, director, year, and country. We hope this helps you navigate the more than 1,500 titles available now on the service!

i imagine the app will improve over the upcoming month. Even so, they've rolled out kinda haphazardly tbh.

I mean, this is a boutique proposition, and for clearing the rights on this library alone, it’s cool. I was able to send off my Friday with Querelle and I was very happy.

Is there a reason why some Criterion titles are apparently not available to stream? I subscribed to Filmstruck from the start and never saw The Harder They Come pop up, and it's not listed on the new channel, either.

Prickly rightsholder one presumes.

Same reason Netflix or Prime don't have things, they don't own the streaming rights.

The All Films list is nice, but its usefulness is limited in that there is no way to use it to add films to one's own list, even by clicking through to the film.

I noticed that, very frustrating.

enjoyed the bonus features for Wanda today
the documentary was kinda boring (all about acting!) but i enjoyed the interviews and hearing a little more from Barbara Loden herself

May 2019 lineup: https://www.criterion.com/current/posts/6314-coming-attractions-the-criterion-channel-s-may-lineup

HOLY SHIT THAT CUKOR LINEUP!!!

"Our Betters" is WONDERFUL and iirc never even made it to VHS (let alone DVD or Blu)

yeah really excited for that--I've only seen Gaslight out of that whole list

B-b-but have you see the original Gaslight?

I have not! I didn't even know it existed until you posted that, but I do love Walbrook

screening on VHS at my house next week

"Our Betters" was pretty delightful--thanks for repping it Stevie. It's basically a filmed play but Constance Bennett and, especially, Violet Kemble-Cooper are such fun. And I don't know what to say about the last five minutes.

Also, I'm not one to swoon over women's fashion, but Bennett looks phenomenal in every scene:

https://pre-code.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/OurBetters26-650x493.jpg

I have to say, having spent the last five years in Canada at a loss for how to see classic/arty/etc cinema, this service has been a godsend. If only they'd put a My List link in the top nav.