(1) Quality control is for the birds. It seems that they simply make available whatever is sent by the film or television company and with no sense of making sure that it's a quality version. Sitting down for The Enemy Below I was astounded by the brilliant Cinemascope image during the credits, only to find once the director's name appeared it zoomed and cropped and gave every indication of being a version prepared for television in the early noughties. The Ipcress File is (fucking) panned and scanned.
More randomly, the versions of some BBC television programmes are the shorter ones prepared for US television and that sometimes turn up on Freeview stations here ready for adverts. So far I've noticed Spooks, Upstairs Downstairs and most pressingly Torchwood's Children of Earth. Luckily I have the blu-rays.
(2) Customer service is for the birds. Actually, to be fair, I've only used the online chat facility so far but both conversations seem to suggest the person I was talking to didn't know much about how the website works, how the streaming works and where they get the films from, that sort of thing. Here's a transcript of the chat I had about The Enemy Below. I've removed the advisors name but everything else is the same:
YouIt's still not fixed and I've heard nothing back from them. I know I probably come across as a bit ... but I think that as a paid film service the quality of the films on the site and the versions is important and so should they. If I'm watching something it should the best version available and what the director/writer/producer intended even with television programmes especially if it's the first time I've seen them.
Evening [Netflix advisor].
Netflix
Thank you for reaching out! My name is [Netflix advisor], who do I have the pleasure of chatting with today?
You
Stuart
Netflix
Nice to meet you, Stuart. What brings you in today?
You
I began watching this film The Enemy Below earlier and although the credits are in the correct aspect ratio, Cinemascope, the rest is cropped to 16:9 and is practically unwatchable. Here's a link to the page: http://movies.netflix.com/WiMovie/The_Enemy_Below/60011116?trkid=50000009
Netflix
Let me check it out for you my friend. We might need to tamper with this title a little bit.
Netflix
Are other titles still formatting correctly on that device?
You
Yes. It's not the device, it's the transfer. It looks like it was prepared for commercial television broadcast. Like I said the credits are in the correct ratio but then the image zooms and crops the sides. There's also evidence of panning and scanning.
Netflix
That's what I am thinking too. When the studios send us titles, sometimes they come a little goofed up. No worries though, we just need to reformat it for you guys, and then it will be much better. Let me flag this title for you, and then send it over to the tech guys.
You
Will I get an email or anything when it's sorted out? It's supposed to go off Netflix by 30th September and I was trying to get it watched by then.
Netflix
Yeah we can sort that out for you. For the time being, would it help to watch it from the computer? It might look a little better, at least untill they finish fixing the title.
You
Not really. It's the same transfer isn't it? It's still not going to be in the correct aspect ratio. It's not what the director envisaged. Plus it's a much smaller screen.
Netflix
That's what I figured. I just wasn't sure if it would hold us over for the time being. These guys are normally pretty quick about red flagged titles though.
You
So you'll let me know?
Netflix
For sure! I placed a note on your account. I would check on the title every couple hours, just as a safety.
You
Thanks, yes, excellent, will do. Take care.
Netflix
Have a nice weekend. Talk to you later! And one more thing, if you wouldn’t mind, please stay online for a one-question survey.
I had a similar conversation today about the BBC programmes. I was a bit sharper here I'm afraid. I've never been very good with the online chat:
NetflixThere's not much [Netflix advisor] can do here other than log my comments, but there's no sense of asking me directly about the issue or taking charge of anything. In both cases they even try to answer a question I didn't ask -- the bit about me suggesting that they edited the programmes which I didn't. Perhaps the [Netflix advisors] are all US based which would explain why they might not know that there would be different versions. The use of exclamation marks is interesting too. Perhaps it's a company thing.
It's a beautiful day here at netflix, I'm [Netflix advisor]! Who am I chatting with today?
You
Stuart.
Netflix
Nice to meet you Stuart! What can I do for you today?
You
Why is Netflix UK streaming the much shorter (sometimes as much as ten minutes) US cable versions of some BBC shows?
Netflix
You're saying the duration is about ten minutes less? Like a 30 minute show is 20?
You
Example: Torchwood: Children of Earth is 58 mins on blu-ray but 53 mins on Netflix. Scenes edited and cut to make way for commercials. It's the US version. Same with Spooks and Upstairs Downstairs.
Netflix
Oh ok! I see!
[There was a lengthy pause here were the advisor began typing something then stopped then started then there was another pause which is when I typed...]
You
Are you still there?
Netflix
in answer to what your question, those are the shows that we are given to us from the production company. We do not edit them in any way.
Netflix
We take the first version that we can get.
You
But can't you check these things before they're uploaded or make sure that the version being sent is the full version?
Netflix
That would have to happen behind the scenes when obtaining the titles. I can definitely take your feedback as well.
Netflix
We are always trying to make our services better for our customers and the only way we can is by taking feedback.
[At which point, since he was taking feedback I offered the following]
You
Since I'm here, it's the same with films. You don't check which version is going up - it's up to the viewer to complain if it's a pan/scanned or television version, then nothing happens either and there's no customer feedback even when it's asked for.
Netflix
Well I just made a note of your concerns and have sent it to the powers that be!
You
I appreciate that you can only deal with what's sent, but given the size of the company and actually how small relatively speaking the database of films is and the rate with which they're uploaded, you'd think Netflix would have people whose job it is to quality check the material being uploaded.
Netflix
I completely understand where you are coming from friend! I have made the proper notes needed to get your voice heard to the top guys in our company!
You
Thanks.
(3) If I was Netflix, I'd know that the television company wasn't supplying the right version of the episodes and ask them to send the right ones. My suspicion is that Netflix UK is using the same stream database as Netflix US and are simply making available what they have rights to. Not that this explains why Netflix US has the shorter versions, unless they were sent by BBC America or whoever and there's some complicated piece of licensing.
(4) There is a "report a problem" box on the website below streams but as I said in the second chat above that feels like we're doing Netflix's job for them and having used it a few times nothing's changed and there's been no feedback to explain why nothing's been fixed.
(5) All of which said when it works, it works brilliantly. I watched the theatrical cut of Hansel and Gretal: Witch Hunters last night on Netflix and at a certain point wanted to turn on the directors commentary before remembering I wasn't watching a blu-ray. That's quite something.
(6) Plus it is much easier to navigate than Lovefilm, with the next episode in series popping up straight away and a menu system rather than having to move from page to page to page.
Yes, well, ok, yes. At this point my feeling is I'm going to subscribe post the free trial if only for the US shows which are, wouldn't you know, all perfectly fine what there is of them. The other oddity is that they only have earlier seasons for some of the older shows. One to four of Star Trek: The Next Generation, One to three of Quantum Leap. I think I'll just go and ask them ... [ten minutes later] ... unlike Lovefilm it seems, they license them on a season by season basis...
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