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Netflix Data Harvesting and The Future of Interactive TV
Ok, so we have talked about Netflix Data Harvesting, but what about Interactive TV? Black Mirror is one of the most popular Netflix shows out right now and they just released a movie of sorts. On December 28th, Bandersnatch was released and has revolutionized the way that we stream tv. It stands as one of the first attempts at narrative-driven gameplay.
Instead of passively watching the movie, you get to choose as the viewer what the main character does next. At first, the choices seem to be simple ones such as what type of cereal you will eat for breakfast. As the movie goes along, the choices get deeper and darker.
Many experts believe that the choices that you made during the time that you watched Bandersnatch has been collected. We already know that Netflix keeps a log of the type of shows that you watch and uses that information to recommend content to you. So, how will they use this data to their advantage.
In September of 2018, Netflix had accumulated 137.1 million subscribers who were plugged into the recommendation algorithm. Users are in fact more likely to watch programs that have been recommended to you. This changes how you perceive the world. The same goes for when you are using social media. Facebook’s algorithms delivers content to you that they know you will enjoy which limits you to the other content.
The irony of it all is that Black Mirror is all about big data having control of their audience yet is using it right before our very own eyes. As the average consumer watches Netflix mostly every day, it is no wonder that they would take advantage of data harvesting through monitoring streaming. Bandersnatch might be the first of its’ kind but it signals a change in the way that we are watching TV in 2019.
As ratings on Netflix have gone through the roof, Netflix has now announced that they will be raising their rates and many consumers have declared they will be abandoning ship. Netflix will increase the price of its most popular plan 18% to $13 a month from $11. That plan allows users to stream from two screens at the same time. The most basic plan, which allows a single stream in standard definition, will go up one dollar, or 13%, to $9 a month.