There’s no shortage of quotable lines in the classic 1989 movie Major League. “Just a bit outside.” “You trying to say Jesus Christ can’t hit a curveball?”
And one that I keep coming back to a lot recently? The late James Gammon’s manager Lou Brown, naked and in search of hot water in the locker room: “I’ve had it with this nickel-and-dime stuff.”
It’s what comes to mind when you look at the state of the various streaming services going into 2024. You can’t begrudge them for trying to make more money — that’s literally what they’re here to do. But time and time again, one after another, they’ve been nickel-and-diming us.
And there’s not a damn thing we can do about it.
It starts with increases to monthly subscription fees. And while that’s bad enough, it’s the passive-aggressive statements that accompany them that really leave a bad taste in my mouth. Yes, everything is seemingly more expensive these days. But if you’re going to do what Lou Brown did to Roger Dorn’s contract, at least do me the courtesy of not telling me that it’s raining. Instead, just say something like, “Look, we’re going to charge you a little more because we can. Maybe you’ll unsubscribe. But more of you will stay than not. We’ll be OK.”
Even worse, lately, has been the trend of adding new tiers of service with lower prices, offset by advertising. Sure, you pay less. But Netflix — which until 2023 didn’t have any sort of advertising on movies and shows — has come right out and said it: The company makes more money off customers on that cheaper tier, because the ads more than make up the difference.
As online services fight for every single dollar, the only way we can fight back is by canceling.
Still, that’s not even the worst part. The real nickel-and-dime stuff is how features have been locked away behind more expensive tiers of service.
Let’s use Netflix again in another example: You don’t get 4K resolution without paying for its top tier of service. Maybe you’re OK with that. Maybe you’re not. YouTube TV charges extra for that, too. And I get it. Bandwidth costs money.
But Amazon twisted the knife even further with its scheme. Everyone now gets ads unless they pay another $3 a month to get rid of them. But it also did away with features like Dolby Atmos and Dolby Vision — but didn’t bother to tell anyone. I guess Amazon just hoped we wouldn’t notice?
(Not on my list: The services disallowing password sharing. They should have done that a long time ago.)
Look, the nickels matter. The dimes matter. The entertainment industry is a fickle one, and the business side of things is tough.
And I was wrong when I said there’s nothing we can do about it. We can cancel. We should cancel. We can come back if we want. But we need to take stock of what’s important. And if we’re not getting our money’s worth, it’s time to walk, even if only temporarily.
Because I’m tired of this nickel-and-dime stuff.
Instagram is making its way to yet another screen, and this time, Apple TV is getting a taste of the Reels rabbit hole. The company has launched a dedicated Instagram app for Apple TV, bringing Reels, longer videos, and live shows to the big screen. So, if watching one quick clip on a phone somehow turns into an hour of scrolling, there's now a much larger screen for that.
Instagram brings Reels and more to Apple TV
Audio-Technica, a brand well known for making some of the best studio and professional headphones on the market, has just come out with the ATH-AWX7000, which the company itself claims to be its "finest headphones ever." The new flagship closed-back headphone has debuted at an eye-watering price of $3,799. It combines hand-finished Japanese woodwork with a newly developed 58mm driver.
The earcups are made from Kiso cypress, a prized wood historically used for Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples. Each housing is finished by hand with traditional Echizen lacquer, which brings out the grain and is expected to darken over time. The frame and sliders are finished in a deep navy kachi-iro shade traditionally associated with samurai.
This post is brought to you in paid partnership with Best Buy.
Technology evolves every day, transforming how we live and work. Our devices are becoming more than tools we use. They are increasingly capable companions that help streamline day-to-day routines and spark creative ideas. If you have been waiting for the right moment to upgrade your tech setup, the Discover Samsung Shopping Event offers an opportunity to explore what connected, AI-powered living can look like.