Podcast #1056: Has Netflix Jumped the Shark and Broadlink's FastCon Smart Home Protocol

This week we try to determine whether Netflix has jumped the shark and what they can do save the company. We also take a look at a new smart home protocol from Broadlink called Fastcon. It's highly reliable and very affordable. We also read your emails and discuss the week's news. News: LG 'Objet' OLED Evo TVs prioritise both style and substance Android TV reaches 10K streaming apps There's a new OLED TV panel manufacturer on the block Cox explores a smart TV strategy Other: doitforme.solutions Sonos Voice Assistant - what is it, how does it work, how does it compare? Apple Inks 10 Year Global Deal for Major League Soccer Has Netflix jumped the shark? - Listener email and discussion Just been thinking about Netflix and wanted to share my thoughts  The old saying from Happy days when the Fonz jumped a shark tank on water skis and Happy Days was never the same. Innovation & Interface No one can say that Netflix was not an innovator in the DVD delivery and then streaming service.  They showed everyone what could be done and pioneered the streaming services.  A wise person in the software business who I work with to create our company's digital platform told me this that our product was visionary and ahead of anything currently on the market.  He then said let's make sure that we keep pushing forward because the competition is coming and this is their starting point.  Netflix in my opinion is no longer the innovator they once were and have fallen behind the crowd.  I believe the lack of integrating into a box or TV streaming OS really hurts them.  This is my main way to find new stuff to watch and the what's next makes decisions easier.  Their interface I believe is one of the worst of the main stream services.  They have gone to allowing algorithms show you movies/shows that it thinks you would want to watch.  I have a soft side I don't always need to see thing blow up in what I watch.  Trying to find the vast majority of their library is difficult.  The other streaming service allow you to see everything they have very easily again in my opinion. Cost of main stream streamers & Business Model Netflix 4k streaming at $19.99 Disney Bundle – No ads 4k streaming - $19.99 Netflix - 1080P only - @ $15.49 HBO Max - 4k streaming @ $14.99 Disney Bundle adds - $13.99 All others are under $10 a month I believe    They raised their prices at the wrong time as inflation was starting to it creep up they raised the prices and in reality or the #1 & 2 highest priced streaming services as the Disney bundle is 3 separate services.  Also, it was kick in the face to be charging $15.49 for 1080P streaming – this is when I said goodbye.  I have kept my Paramount, Discovery, Apple TV+, subscription because their prices is low and upgraded to Peacock without commercials because the per month price is under $10.  I do get the Disney bundle and HBO Max free and if I had to pay for them I would pay from HBO Max & Disney Plus – wait for the $1 deal from hulu to sign back up. Their business model of binging is great for consumers but not the corporations.  Once Netflix jumped the shark with their prices I decided I could just wait till the late summer and re-activate for a month or two to see all their good content and then put the service back on pause.  Disney & HBO have the weekly release that to me makes more invested in their services and they have good content.   Future Does NetFlix go the way of Blackberry, MySpace or can they reinvent themselves?  This is the questions each stockholder is asking right now.  If I were in charge first thing I would do is realize that I'm no longer the only big dog and be honest about my place in the streaming world.  I would integrate with the Box and TV OS's integrated search.  I would redesign my interface.  I would change my $15.49 price to allow for 4K streaming.   I would not buy Roku as that does not help you but spend money.  If your plan is to make it the only way to get Netflix then you really don't know your place in the streaming war.  If you want to buy something look for a content provider with a big catalog if there is one left.  I hope Reid can see beyond his ego and reshape Netflix to be competitive and still deliver great content and reasonable price.  Roku Staffers Swirl in Netflix Acquisition Rumors  Roku stock was up nearly 10% Wednesday morning as internal discussions focus on the possibility of a tie-up with a streaming giant that suddenly needs help with advanced advertising Full article here… Ad supported streaming? - With Roku Netflix would not have to share revenue with other hardware makers.  Broadlink FastCon Smart Home Protocol We have spoken a lot about Matter this year as a way to unify the Smart Home market. Well there is another protocol that has recently been released that has some pretty cool features. We're talking about the Broadlink FastCon Smart Home Protocol. FastCon BLE is a patented communication technology based on Bluetooth Low Energy developed by BroadLink, boasting many advantages over their previous Wi-Fi based smart products. Benefits include: Zero Setup: Power up > Device Appears Batch Installation: Add up to 90 devices in one second Super Mesh Network: Extends signal range up to 500m covering all your house even in commercial buildings. Max 250 devices require only one gateway - saves your cost and time implementing and won't crash your router anymore No Internet Required: The fastest control experience is direct local access Almost all controls especially for lighting are operated locally (except voice control) Bluetooth connection enables you to control devices via App or switch at home No Account Required: Boot up, open the app and add your devices Guaranteed Success Rate: 99.99% device discovery and control rate. Enhanced mesh repeating mechanism guaranteed the delivery of control commands but avoiding duplicated signals Low Cost: Very cost-effective FastCon BLE Chipset, which lowers device cost What devices are on the market? Broadlink has a lot of devices and from what we can tell you can do your entire home with their devices and here is the kicker, their products are inexpensive. They even have an IR remote that allows you to integrate your smart home with your home theater. The best way to get started is with a starter kit that consists of 3 A19 Bluetooth Color Changing Light Bulbs with Music Sync, 1 Wireless Scene Switch and a Hub. While the Hub is not required for local control, it does allow remote access of your home as well as voice control via Alexa or Google Home. All of this for the whopping price of $34.99! There are Smart Touch Wall Light Switches available for $24.99 for the 1 Gang model that requires a hub but not included. The version that comes with a hub is only two dollars more ($26.99). Someone is taking a loss on the hub! There is a model that allows you to control three light lights for $30.99.  There are also two types of wall plugs, and the cheapest one available is $5.99 and is a simple on and off switch. The second version has a dimmable night light that sells for $11.99 You can use the $24.99 Smart Button (includes a hub) to kick off scenes and automations as well as control lights and turn on your home entertainment system. To control your home entertainment system you will need the Mini IR Universal Remote Control which runs $25,99.  They support almost all TVs and entertainment systems on the market today. But with this remote you are not limited to TVs. You can control AC Units, blinds, and pretty much anything that takes an IR command.  This system looks similar to Insteon in the sense that it is proprietary. We didn't find a Thermostat that works with it so keep that in mind. It is also unlikely that Broadlink will support Matter anytime soon. If you go this route you may be on an island. Albeit a nice tropical island.