I have mixed feelings about this, as I did when MHz moved from a PBS broadcast channel to Cable TV. It may be a good thing for those of us that subscribe, and can afford to do so. At $7.99 a month it's less costly than subscribing to cable. But you need a good Internet connection.
You see, I've watched MHz Networks for must be 20 years or more. When I first started watching it was a small Public TV station in Northern Virginia. It was a privilege to have international mysteries, movies, and programs, news, available over regular broadcast channels. All we had and needed was a TV and an antenna. (By international programming I mean non-English, non-UK, European television programs, and movies from all over the world).
The movies and programs were introduced for many years by Michael Jeck. I loved and still miss Prof. Jeck's introduction to the weekly International Mystery programs.
These intros were not everyone's cup of tea. Some of my co-workers who also watched the shows at the time didn't like his informative and quirky introductions. They somehow found it insulting that anything had to be introduced to them, and they didn't like the stories about the filming of the series, or information about the actors, the directors, and etc. They found it boring. I however enjoyed the background information, and background about the directors, and writers, and books, and actors, that Prof. Jeck provided. I hope if anyone at MHz Choice reads this that they bring him back, at least for introductions to some of the programs.
He also years ago interviewed a younger Mikael Persbrandt. It was a long interview broadcast on MHz Networks, I think an hour. Persbrandt was then, as now, co-starring in Beck with Peter Haber. They've only broadcast a small bit of the interview since then. I once contacted Prof. Jeck about the interview, but he said he didn't own the rights of course, MHz Networks did.
Anyway, back to the news of the moment. I'll see how I feel about MHz Choice after it starts tomorrow. Yes, I subscribed. I'll have to review my Cable TV bundles now, see what I can cut out.
I'm frustrated in general with the funding model for media at the moment. It seems like everyone is going to a monthly subscription model, and I find that frustrating. First of all, why am I paying to subscribe to things that include heavy advertising (network TV, NY Times)? Secondly, why am I paying for so much stuff I don't want? ESPN, I'm looking at you. Things that seemed promising at the beginning (Netflix) have very much deteriorated in quality of offerings. I'm really struggling over Hannibal because I DO NOT want to return to having TV in my apartment.
ReplyDeleteAgree with you. I can't live without TV, but it's difficult to know what is best to do, and not get caught in another web of unwanted streaming provider "bundles" to get the programs/movies you do want, very much like cable tv is now with their "bundles". I understand they are all in business and not a viewers charity, but cable tv is outrageously expensive now. I know because I'm a subscriber. But what to do, to now subscribe to a growing list of streaming program and movie services? You can't just subscribe to one!! Netflix is a strange one. I subscribed way back when they first started in DVD days, and then for a long while there was nothing (for me) worth watching if you switched to subscribe to streaming only. Then things got better and they had some good movies and shows streaming.....and now who knows what will happen!
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