Friends and nothing else!

     Friends, yes the show that entertained young and old alike  in the 90's is probably the only show I watch today( apart from a couple of mythological shows). Well, I never got the chance to watch Friends during the 90s as then there was no cable network available and it was either Doordarshan or DD Metro. However if I recall those days I'd still say that the quality of content  on DD was much better than the utter crap shown on all cable network channels these days. 

    Shows like Zaban Sambhal Ke, Dekh bhai Dekh, Nukkad had a certain charm about them  and were wonderful because of their simplicity. However today, you'd find that TV shows are like the letter S. Draw the letter S and draw another one without lifting your hand, you'd be surprised that you can go on and on on a never ending spree. Such is the quality of Indian shows. Barring a few shows like 'Sumit Sambhal Lega' - the Indian version of 'Everybody loves Raymond' I think I have not enjoyed watching anything else in the past few months.

     Ohh yes I like watching mythological shows but even those are getting dragged unnecessarily.Take for instance: Siya Ke Ram, nice concept, Ramayan from Sita's perspective but God ! what's with the snail like pace of the show? For example in one of the episodes, Kaikeyi summons Ram to her palace to inform him that he has to go to vanvas.What do we see in that entire episode? Rams journey from the Raj Mahal to Kaikeyis place which actually is but a few metres away. I was wondering if Ram was circumnavigating the earth that it took him so long to reach his destination. One full episode???The next day was entirely dedicated to his return journey. I mean come on, show some progress, why drag so much. Think of how you can educate the younger generation through examples from our rich mythology rather than show 360 degree camera movement.

     Such shows because of their pace and the remaining ones because of the nonsense ( I literally say they make no sense) are enough to put me off and you would definitely agree with me on this. It's like my irritation level rises the moment I take the remote in my hand. There are times when I have felt I should lift the television and throw it down the window. Don't worry haven't done that yet as thankfully other things (reading, writing,cooking, coding) have occupied my schedule.Hence these days  it's very less TV ( I myself am surprised at this because I remember what a couch potato I was when I was in school/college. My dad, a strict dad that he's been never allowed me to watch a lot of TV but I'd always be a rebel and would want to watch more ,sometimes even sneaking into neighbours house to do so but today I do I understand what he meant then, too much TV is simply a waste of time.You know there's this saying, when your hair starts turning grey, you realise and understand your parents words but till then any amount of advice is just on deaf ears.In this case its something like that only).

     To conclude Friends is the only show I enjoy watching just because it's as fresh as a newly blossomed flower and will never ever cease to make the audience laugh. Plus one has to agree, after a day's hard work if one has to relax what better way than to laugh your lungs out? Isn't it? So Friends and Friends alone.

P.S. - Again I am finding time to write this as I have unplugged the TV cable for the entire day, not a waste of time penning my thoughts, is it? ;)

Will subscription fee driven Netflix work in a country like India?

                  Netflix -The global provider that started off as an American DVD by-mail service in 1998 is out to attract customers around the world. It is a subscription based film and television program rental service that offers media to subscribers via Internet streaming thus making it possible to watch movies and TV shows on a number of devices ranging from smart phones to smart TV. Apart from TV shows and movies, it is also known to stream a lot of original content in high resolution HD. 

      Netflix reached India in early 2016. The question looming large is ‘Will a subscription based service like Netflix survive in India when video downloads is freely available via torrents, youtube and other video streaming services? The subscription fee for Netflix in India is   500/ month, (not very cheap though), how many of us would be ready to shell out the amount when the ‘free download system’ exists in our veins. 

        Again pricing is not the only concern. Internet speeds also matter. Currently Netflix gives the following usage statistics: 

• Low (0.3 GB per hour)

• Medium (SD: 0.7 GB per hour)

• High (Best video quality, up to 3 GB per hour for HD and 7 GB per hour for Ultra HD)

• Auto (Adjusts automatically to deliver the highest possible quality, based on your current Internet connection speed)

One would definitely agree, that high speed internet connection is a must for video streaming and that is still a fancy dream in many Indian cities. The average data plans available by telecom providers do support streaming of video content at high speed but almost always at the cost of higher prices. This might be another obstacle in Netflix’s reach to a larger Indian audience.

Also to have Netflix it is necessary to have a credit card or ‘International Banking Activated’ debit card. This would further mean divulging of personal information and only time can tell how many would be interested in doing so just to watch shows as against free availability through other means. 

             Additionally the Netflix catalogue caters to a global audience providing very few Indian content based shows. Hence if it has to have a upper hand in the Indian market, it needs to capture the native audience in the real sense by offering more local content.

   To conclude, in the present scenario , Netflix might work if and only if torrents are completely banned , if the subscription fees are toned down to double digits and with an option of more local shows. However considering that India is growing and that a ‘not seen before’ 3G connection is fast gaining popularity even in the smallest towns, who knows Netflix might be able to gain its hold on the Indian market  : this however, still remains to be seen.