Friends, it’s going to be a pretty dry summer when it comes to streaming releases. If I had to guess, I’d say I’ll be writing a lot more of these types of articles where I talk about an aspect of streaming rather than some show or movie that is streaming. This time around I want to talk about “the algorithm.”
The last several weeks I have heard the term “algorithm” more than I may have in my entire life, thanks to the potential that TikTok could be sold. TikTok’s sole asset is its algorithm. People who like TikTok say it almost magically knows what its viewers want to see next. (For my part, that has turned out not to be true, but I’m a little out of their core demographic.)
Here’s what Google says:
And I bet that you know even less after reading that than you did before.
When we talk about an algorithm, we mean the proprietary software used by an app to help it decide what to show you next. Whether it’s a social app or a streaming app or a shopping app, the algorithm is what turns it from “meh” to “must-have.” A good algorithm will seem like magic, keeping you entertained as the hours melt by. A bad algorithm will make you wonder why you’re spending any time at all.
As streaming apps have run dry of new content, the algorithm has become more and more important. When you’re not looking for a specific movie or show, your enjoyment of an app is going to be based on whether or not you think there’s something to watch there.
I’ve been complaining about Netflix for a decade give or take. It’s this gigantic pile of content without a terribly good search engine, and it rarely suggests anything that I really want to watch. Despite the fact that there seem to be hundreds of subcategories, they often don’t seem to correspond to my tastes.
Still, Netflix’s weak algorithm has paled in comparison with the two “franken-apps:” Disney+ and Max. Max, as we all remember, combines the old HBO Max app with the old Discovery+ app. Disney+ now includes Hulu content, as well as Disney-owned content that doesn’t really match the Disney, Marvel, or Star Wars brands.
What’s happened with the combination of such separate apps is, it seems like the algorithms have been stretched to the limit. It’s notable that neither Max nor Disney+ seem to have brought viewing history from their earlier apps, making matters even worse.
Bottom line here: not only don’t I like the things Disney+ and Max recommend to me, their failures make me actively hostile to the viewing experience. I don’t just ignore the algorithm, I tend to think less of something that the algorithm shows me.
Apps seem to want to recommend stuff because of what I’ve watched. But they can’t seem to glean why I’ve watched something. I watch because I like the cast or the crew. I watch because I’m interested in something specific about the content. I’ll watch a romantic comedy because I’ve been to the city where it was shot, even though I don’t like romantic comedies. I’ll avoid a sci-fi movie because of one performer I really didn’t like in another film.
So I get it that those algorithms are definitely not taking those things into account. But, I think there’s room to improve. I wonder if those apps are even trying to make things better, or if they think that things are just fine. Seems to me every app is complaining that customers are leaving. Maybe with a better algorithm, things would be a little easier for them.
No matter what streaming platform you use, there’s an algorithm that looks at what you’re watching on all apps and tries to build suggestions that way. Roku is the most obvious example of this. In the last couple of years, Roku has leaned heavily into putting ads on their pages and suggesting content for its users. They might have gone too far for some people’s tastes. I get that. But I will admit that Roku does a much better job of recommending content to me. I think it’s because they look at the cast of the shows I watch, and recommend other shows with the same actors.
Apple and other platforms are a little less obtrusive with their algorithms. Apple doesn’t put its suggestions front and center, and Android TV-based boxes hide it pretty effectively.
If algorithms work for you, tell me below! If you think that I’m overreacting or ranting just to hear myself rant, let’s hear it!
The post STREAMING SATURDAY: The Algorithm appeared first on The Solid Signal Blog.
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The last several weeks I have heard the term “algorithm” more than I may have in my entire life, thanks to the potential that TikTok could be sold. TikTok’s sole asset is its algorithm. People who like TikTok say it almost magically knows what its viewers want to see next. (For my part, that has turned out not to be true, but I’m a little out of their core demographic.)
What is an algorithm anyway?
Here’s what Google says:
a process or set of rules to be followed in calculations or other problem-solving operations, especially by a computer.
And I bet that you know even less after reading that than you did before.
When we talk about an algorithm, we mean the proprietary software used by an app to help it decide what to show you next. Whether it’s a social app or a streaming app or a shopping app, the algorithm is what turns it from “meh” to “must-have.” A good algorithm will seem like magic, keeping you entertained as the hours melt by. A bad algorithm will make you wonder why you’re spending any time at all.
As streaming apps have run dry of new content, the algorithm has become more and more important. When you’re not looking for a specific movie or show, your enjoyment of an app is going to be based on whether or not you think there’s something to watch there.
Most apps have pretty bad algorithms… or is it just me?
I’ve been complaining about Netflix for a decade give or take. It’s this gigantic pile of content without a terribly good search engine, and it rarely suggests anything that I really want to watch. Despite the fact that there seem to be hundreds of subcategories, they often don’t seem to correspond to my tastes.
Still, Netflix’s weak algorithm has paled in comparison with the two “franken-apps:” Disney+ and Max. Max, as we all remember, combines the old HBO Max app with the old Discovery+ app. Disney+ now includes Hulu content, as well as Disney-owned content that doesn’t really match the Disney, Marvel, or Star Wars brands.
What’s happened with the combination of such separate apps is, it seems like the algorithms have been stretched to the limit. It’s notable that neither Max nor Disney+ seem to have brought viewing history from their earlier apps, making matters even worse.
Bottom line here: not only don’t I like the things Disney+ and Max recommend to me, their failures make me actively hostile to the viewing experience. I don’t just ignore the algorithm, I tend to think less of something that the algorithm shows me.
I admit I’m hard to pin down, but not that hard.
Apps seem to want to recommend stuff because of what I’ve watched. But they can’t seem to glean why I’ve watched something. I watch because I like the cast or the crew. I watch because I’m interested in something specific about the content. I’ll watch a romantic comedy because I’ve been to the city where it was shot, even though I don’t like romantic comedies. I’ll avoid a sci-fi movie because of one performer I really didn’t like in another film.
So I get it that those algorithms are definitely not taking those things into account. But, I think there’s room to improve. I wonder if those apps are even trying to make things better, or if they think that things are just fine. Seems to me every app is complaining that customers are leaving. Maybe with a better algorithm, things would be a little easier for them.
And then there are the “meta-algorithms.”
No matter what streaming platform you use, there’s an algorithm that looks at what you’re watching on all apps and tries to build suggestions that way. Roku is the most obvious example of this. In the last couple of years, Roku has leaned heavily into putting ads on their pages and suggesting content for its users. They might have gone too far for some people’s tastes. I get that. But I will admit that Roku does a much better job of recommending content to me. I think it’s because they look at the cast of the shows I watch, and recommend other shows with the same actors.
Apple and other platforms are a little less obtrusive with their algorithms. Apple doesn’t put its suggestions front and center, and Android TV-based boxes hide it pretty effectively.
Am I way off base here?
If algorithms work for you, tell me below! If you think that I’m overreacting or ranting just to hear myself rant, let’s hear it!
The post STREAMING SATURDAY: The Algorithm appeared first on The Solid Signal Blog.
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