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QuickFlix, you've got to be kidding me!

30 March 2012

I read with some enthusiasm yesterday that QuickFlix would be starting business in NZ in May, delivering TV shows and movies to those with computers, certain net-savvy TV sets and some spare change burning a hole in their pockets.

Woohoo... at last, some competition for SkyTV and without the hassles of satellite dishes, UHF antennas or the like.

So I dropped into the QuickFlix website to get the skinny on their $9.99 a month introductory offer.

Oh dear...

Perhaps it's early days but to say that I was totally underwhelmed by the advertised programmes and movies would be a gross understatement.

Just 10 TV series, most of which are way-old and can be had for a few bucks on DVD from The Warehouse or JB HiFi.

I mean let's face it -- Fawlty Towers was great, the first five or six times it was played on FTA TV - but I'm not going to pay $10 a month to watch it again.

And a seven-year-old series of Dr Who? Really? Is this the best they can do?

"Perhaps they'll have better movies" I thought to myself.

My spirits rose for a moment when I saw that there were 13 pages of movies but it sunk with a resounding thud when I saw what those movies were.

These are the dusty old titles that FTA trots out when they need to fill some time between ads but can't really afford to pay for any real content.

Tootsie?

The Net? Good grief, that movie is nearly 20 years old already!

These are the type of movies you can usually rent at the local video shop for a $1 a pop because nobody really wants them, even at that price.

Why on earth would anyone subscribe to a service that delivers such a dismal lack of choice and such jaded content?

I have to say that I wouldn't pay a single dollar for this content and before they could tempt me (or anyone), I suspect they're going to have to really expand and modernise their selection of titles -- especially in the area of TV series.

SkyTV -- I'm afraid you're still safe as houses and I see no reason to switch to Orcon (who are the only ISP offering unmetered traffic for QuickFlix) because my cap is in no danger of streaming or downloading anything from this lacklustre service.

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