Orange is the New Black. Making a Murderer. Narcos. Arrested Development.
No, I didn’t create a meaningless string of staccato. And I’m certain the only few who refrained from judging me as being another cyber enthusiast vomiting redundant words are those who are just as hungry for quality TV shows as I am.
Have you felt the agony of staring at the screenshots of the latest episodes of the soaps that your friends from other continents have emailed to you? Or have you also played the trailers of these shows on loop, only to feel an iota of satiation in being as up to speed as your counterparts (read as fellow international TV show buffs) parked in countries where the God’s gift for the greedy entertainment consumer called Netflix is available?
I must confess here that when I heard news of Netflix making its Indian debut, the intense girdling feeling in my stomach was last felt only after I first shook hands with my crush in high school. While I was so overjoyed (that I almost wiped a virtual tear in my head, of course), the inflow of articles on social media about the launch of Netflix in India made me judge the pros and cons.
Piracy Control
A chunk of us, who make use of downloads prolifically are going to tread a non-sinful path. Many consumers will finally find relief in having a above board way to make it to their beloved shows without going through the hitches of either cultivating VPN, a way to jailbreak the Netflix security or to muddle through the often cursed world of Torrents.
A 5G Leap?
The thought of an ad-free, uninterrupted streaming of shows makes me drool. But then I remember my Blackberry days when the clock sign would refuse to budge from the screen indicating to me that I perhaps needed to inculcate patience. I want to shut my eyes and comfort myself with the thought that I wouldn’t suffer an incurable buffer rage when I of lie on my couch under a comforter, with a bowl of popcorn to watching good entertainment content. But, then my wisdom pops up to remind me gently, this country isn’t blessed with ideal broadband speed and well, it’s a reality.
Censure Censorship?
Reed Hastings, CEO of NetflixToday you are witnessing the birth of a new global internet TV network. With this launch, consumers around the world will be able to enjoy TV shows and movies simultaneously - no more waiting. With the help of the internet, we are putting power in consumers’ hands to watch whenever, wherever and on whatever device.
‘Watch whenever, wherever and on whatever device.’ It’s such a rosy picture but wait. Another article reveals a satirical piece on the censorship fiasco we witnessed some days ago.
On one hand Netflix promises uncensored content and on the other, India can’t even deal with James Bond’s kisses. Is this conflicting idea going to derail my speedy train of an undisturbed telecast? Will Netflix be brought under the Indian Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act?
Symbiotic Sustenance
I am triumphant that a bunch of us wouldn’t need to keep staring at our watches when attending a soirée, leaving half the attendees suspicious about our odd obsession with the watch. We now have the luxury to get home at any hour and catch up with the episode we paused at 34:50 on the timeline. Great feeling. The lop-side is already giving me a nudge. What now? Is this genre of content consumed widely enough for its sustenance? Or will Netflix soon have to shut shop?
Yes, I’m an unabashed buff and heavy consumer of international TV shows that take you into worlds you otherwise would never really be a part of. But are others as crazy about this experience as they are about cricket, news or the desi shows that have people thronging around the TV sets? Too soon to predict?
For now, I shall make peace with this result that The Quint’s poll assures me of. More power to this 56%.
Go ahead and cast your vote using this link:
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