Octopus Overlords

BTW, the mushroom research officer (Discovery) is called ..Paul Stamets?! Lol!

A bit on the nose there.

At least it's not Mike Collagy.

Sudy wrote: ↑Thu Jun 29, 2023 2:54 pm Honestly, I can't remember what the unofficial rules are anymore. I apologize if I spoiled anything for you with my post yesterday... I went back and spoilered it. If we have a dedicated Picard thread I forgot.

I don't think there are, and I wasn't referring to anyone in particular. But I'd say that anything related to specific shows (released from 1938 on, of course) should be spoilered if not in a dedicated thread. There's some responsibility on the reader to avoid spoilers - it is easy to avoid the Strange New Worlds thread before you're caught up, for instance, but a general Star Trek thread should be something safe to read. It's the same reason one wouldn't put spoilers for the latest MCU film in Random Randomness.

Star Trek Very Short Treks coming soon (to celebrate 50 years of animated Trek).




And, of course, Lower Decks is returning in a couple of days.

Here's the first one:

That was...disappointing.

Finally a decent Very Short Trek

I signed up for Paramount+ again to get caught up on Star Trek. I had planned to start with S3 of Picard, that being the weakest of the new ST shows, only to find out that it's not available. WTF? Do I need the premium version of Paramount+? It's available to buy for $3 per episode on Prime, but that ain't gonna happen.

Started Brave New Worlds tonight instead.

Kraken wrote: ↑Sat Mar 09, 2024 10:29 pm I signed up for Paramount+ again to get caught up on Star Trek. I had planned to start with S3 of Picard, that being the weakest of the new ST shows, only to find out that it's not available. WTF? Do I need the premium version of Paramount+? It's available to buy for $3 per episode on Prime, but that ain't gonna happen.

Started Brave New Worlds tonight instead.

Strange New Worlds

I just went and checked and S3 of Picard is there for me.

Right. I knew that.

I don''t need to solve the Picard problem until I get caught up on the rest of the shows and am ready to cancel again. But S3 definitely is not available for me as a new subscriber to the base-level Paramount+. Seasons 1 and 2 are there. The interface is confusing but I think it wants me to buy the premium level to see S3.

I started watching Prodigy after it showed up on Netflix. I’m honestly surprised how good it is. I’m glad Netflix is making more of it.

AFAIK I dont have premium. I got P+ free with my Walmart+ or Amazon Prime membership. Think its part of Walmart.

I should be watching Reacher 1st season.

Kraken wrote: ↑Sun Mar 10, 2024 12:17 am Right. I knew that.

I don''t need to solve the Picard problem until I get caught up on the rest of the shows and am ready to cancel again. But S3 definitely is not available for me as a new subscriber to the base-level Paramount+. Seasons 1 and 2 are there. The interface is confusing but I think it wants me to buy the premium level to see S3.

I have Paramount + Essential (which is what you're calling Basic I believe, as I see nothing lower than that) and I definitely have Picard season 3 available to me. So I don't believe it's your subscription level. Sounds like you might have something else going on. Try using this direct link to get to season 3 on your PC.

Edit: did you sign up for it directly in their app, or through Amazon, Roku or some other service, it shouldn’t matter, but sometimes those services are wonky. I tend to go to the source. If not, then there’s something wrong with the cache on your streaming device, I’m guessing. Try clearing the cache for the app you’re using and reboot. Another possibility is that maybe you’re using the wrong login. Double check that.

Picard season 3 is definitely available though. Even at the lowest sub tier.

hepcat wrote: ↑Sun Mar 10, 2024 9:30 am

Kraken wrote: ↑Sun Mar 10, 2024 12:17 am Right. I knew that.

I don''t need to solve the Picard problem until I get caught up on the rest of the shows and am ready to cancel again. But S3 definitely is not available for me as a new subscriber to the base-level Paramount+. Seasons 1 and 2 are there. The interface is confusing but I think it wants me to buy the premium level to see S3.

I have Paramount + Essential (which is what you're calling Basic I believe, as I see nothing lower than that) and I definitely have Picard season 3 available to me. So I don't believe it's your subscription level. Sounds like you might have something else going on. Try using this direct link to get to season 3 on your PC.

Edit: did you sign up for it directly in their app, or through Amazon, Roku or some other service, it shouldn’t matter, but sometimes those services are wonky. I tend to go to the source. If not, then there’s something wrong with the cache on your streaming device, I’m guessing. Try clearing the cache for the app you’re using and reboot. Another possibility is that maybe you’re using the wrong login. Double check that.

Picard season 3 is definitely available though. Even at the lowest sub tier.

I subscribed through Prime, and Paramount doesn't accept my Prime login. In Prime's Paramount interface, I can watch Discovery, Lower Decks, and Strange New Worlds. Picard is available to buy.

No idea why Picard is locked for Prime customers; the ways of the streaming world are strange. I was trying to avoid installing yet another app with yet another login for a service that I don't want to keep for more than 2-3 months, but alas. I'll have to cancel my Prime/Paramount account when the free week is up and then resubscribe directly through the Paramount app. On the plus side, I should get the free week again when I resubscribe.

Getting any streaming service through Amazon is a bad idea. They often limit what you can watch. You pay the same but you get less. I had similar issues with an AMC plus sub through Amazon and I swore never again.

Well I want one ring to rule them all. Paying for half a dozen different services and still not being able to see anything I want is puppies. I don't care who wins the streaming war, I just want someone to take all of my money and give me everything. But stop screwing up my Star Trek in the meantime.

Dear god, no.

You're describing cable. I don't want a new entertainment monopoly.

We're already in a world where reconstructing cable costs as much as cable did, and there are still shows I can't watch. So yeah, bring back cable, or whatever makes TV easy again.

Except sports. Keep your sports and give me half price.

My cable place offers streaming but Im not sure what channels and networks with so many out there. Maybe its just what they normally have by wire is now streaming..so everything...maybe.

Kraken wrote: ↑Mon Mar 11, 2024 1:18 am We're already in a world where reconstructing cable costs as much as cable did

Cable cost over a hundred a month to get what you wanted for some. Netflix is really the only one that offers subs that break the 20 dollar level for their high end. The rest offer significantly less expensive tiers. I’ve dropped most of my subscriptions to ad supported when available and I think I’m paying around 50 bucks a month now for about 5 services. Plus, I can turn them on and off in seconds without having to deal with a cable company rep. We’re nowhere near cable costs….or cable inconvenience.

Besides, your attempt to use Amazon to get it all just reinforces why going back to the old model isn’t a great idea. One ring rule to rule them all means everyone has to have the same size finger.

hepcat wrote: ↑Mon Mar 11, 2024 7:56 am

Kraken wrote: ↑Mon Mar 11, 2024 1:18 am We're already in a world where reconstructing cable costs as much as cable did

Cable cost over a hundred a month to get what you wanted for some. Netflix is really the only one that offers subs that break the 20 dollar level for their high end. The rest offer significantly less expensive tiers. I’ve dropped most of my subscriptions to ad supported when available and I think I’m paying around 50 bucks a month now for about 5 services. Plus, I can turn them on and off in seconds without having to deal with a cable company rep. We’re nowhere near cable costs….or cable inconvenience.

Besides, your attempt to use Amazon to get it all just reinforces why going back to the old model isn’t a great idea. One ring rule to rule them all means everyone has to have the same size finger.

YTTV is $72 a month -- that's my cable substitute that provides access to live TV and DVR functionality. Add $16 for Max, $6 for Paramount+, $15 for Netflix, and however you want to calculate how much Prime costs (I consider it free, but of course it isn't really), and oops, we're a little over $100.

You don't need the higher level tiers, as I wrote. I pay less than 10 bucks for Max.

Also, YouTube TV isn't cable. The subject I (and you) specifically referred to was Cable. Many of the so called "cable alternatives" that exist on streaming are rather expensive because they're paying fees to all the different networks they collect under their service.

But back on the topic of streaming vs cable: streaming is still the cheaper option unless you get only the very basic channels. Even then it's oftentimes less expensive to get their counterparts on streaming.

I think the biggest selling point for me though is that I can both shop for better deals when I have time (most of the services offer deals during holidays and other times of the year), and I can control when I subscribe and when I don't via their web sites and within seconds. I realize not everyone wants to deal with that though. In which case, you'll end up paying extra for the convenience of just having someone else handle all your subscriptions, and you'll be at their mercy as to what you get. But that's the way with most services like that.

hepcat wrote: ↑Mon Mar 11, 2024 7:56 am

Kraken wrote: ↑Mon Mar 11, 2024 1:18 am We're already in a world where reconstructing cable costs as much as cable did

Cable cost over a hundred a month to get what you wanted for some. Netflix is really the only one that offers subs that break the 20 dollar level for their high end. The rest offer significantly less expensive tiers. I’ve dropped most of my subscriptions to ad supported when available and I think I’m paying around 50 bucks a month now for about 5 services. Plus, I can turn them on and off in seconds without having to deal with a cable company rep. We’re nowhere near cable costs….or cable inconvenience.

Besides, your attempt to use Amazon to get it all just reinforces why going back to the old model isn’t a great idea. One ring rule to rule them all means everyone has to have the same size finger.

If you want ad free with HDR/Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos on Max, you're shelling out over $20 a month now. Ad free on Amazon Prime is over $20 a month, too.

I pay a little less than 9.99 for the ad free version as I took advantage of a holiday sale last year. As for them dropping atmos and 4k from the the lower tier, I knew that was coming and complained about it before. But since cable tv doesn't even offer 4k and atmos (at least not since I last looked and certainly not in great numbers even if they do now), I don't think it's a fair comparison.

The real advantages of a streaming model (individual companies) vs a cable model (one company you get the others through) are 1) that the streaming model means that if they treat you like garbage, you can just cancel and watch their competition. With a single company, you get what they choose to allow you to have. And Amazon is famous for giving customers [whatever], then pulling it back piece by piece while raising prices. The cable model is easy because they eliminate options and control. And 2) you can subscribe to P+, catch up on Picard and Lower Decks without silly limitations, then cancel and subscribe to Max for whatever show you're into, then cancel and subscribe to Netflix (rinse and repeat.) Maybe subscribing to everything at once would be as expensive as cable, but that's not how streaming works for most people. You keep 2-3 subscriptions, and rotate them as shows come on that you want to see. You can always sub at the drop of a hat if you get the urge to watch something, but you're not paying for services (channels) that you aren't using.

Also, the Gorilla Channel is only available on streaming.

Well crap, they announced that the upcoming season of Lower Decks will be its last. I really grew to love this little gem of fan service.

Well I finished watching Reacher recently and Im not sure when season 3 will show up. I really HATE the way streaming sputters and spits out seasons of these great shows. By the time a new season shows up it could be years since the last one and Ive forgotten everything. Thats no way to do it in my opinion. Which is why Im mad that my favorite show Strange New Worlds wont have its season 3 until 2025.

So I wanted to watch more stuff lately and needed something. I wanted it to be sci fi. I was thinking an old movie Id seen many times or a new one I hadn't. Then I settled on Lower Decks. A series and animated. Ive always heard good things on it though and they did a real life crossover in an ep of Strange New Worlds I loved so why not. I watched the first two eps last night. I think its going to work out really well. I like it. And I have a few seasons I can catch up on and watch all I want. Im thinking after it I may give that other Trek show a go...I think its called Prodigy?

After I may actually go back and rewatch all the seasons of Hercules The Legendary Journeys I loved so much in the 90s. Im not sure that one holds up but shall see.

So seems Im in the tv watching thing again.

Lower Decks went from my most hated show to one of my favorites. I think I just needed to get past my stodgy outlook on Star Trek and accept that a funny, sarcastic show set in that universe could still be a loving one. The numerous easter eggs for old school fans is fantastic.

Prodigy won me over too. I gave it a shot after it appeared on Netflix and ended up enjoying it FAR more than I expected to. It shows the humanity of Star Trek (always one of its strongest traits) very well.

Prodigy was better than expected, having been positioned as a kids' show. It did have some kiddie elements but transcended them. I'm sad that Lower Decks is only getting one more season, but five years is a good run nowadays.

Ive been watching Lower Decks on Paramount+ through the PS4 and tv. Im on season 3 and all this time Ive been getting a buffering pause every now and then when the ep first loads up and starts playing. It usually goes away after a minute and the ep streams normally.

But tonight the ep just kept buffering pausing every few seconds for like 1 second the entire ep. The ads all played smooth with no pauses then it would go back to the ep and it would start its start stop shit again. I watched only one ep. I was gonna watch 2 or more like normal but its not very watchable like this.

Anyone else have this issue or know what causes it or a fix? I wasn't using the pc internet for anything else during this. The ps4 had all the throughput.

Paramount Plus steaming app has always been the worst streaming app for me. I don’t think I’ve ever started a show without some issues.

ya its almost funny how the ads are smooth no problem but the show itself is a stutter fest.