OTT Detox : Suggestions, Experiences

[drkrack]

Dear All,
I Know It is Contradictory to many of the AV forum aspirations including HFV , but offlate I've been finding most of the OTT content quite Boring, Repeatative, Too Predictable, Formulaic And devoid of Genuine Entertainment Value.
Either the content is based on Occult Practices, forcibly introduced Transgender stuff, Ultra cunning criminal villains, time travel, mafia opulence or adultery etc. The effect of watching such content on the subconscious mind is often overlooked but can be disastrous in the long run.
OTT offers ad free and wait free episodes (unlike TV Serials) which tends to be addictive and time wasting, Many a times leads to uncontrolled binge watching. The unlimited free time during Pandemic has numbed the entertainment quotient of OTT for me.
Though I'm not that serious watcher( thanks to my work schedule) , with mostly 7 - 12hrs per week but I feel the excitement is over already .

Offlate I've been restricting myself to watching light hearted Comedies, Podcasts, Stand ups, live Sports and Documentaries. Hence I am considering an OTT detox for a Year or So. I've Stopped Netflix, Sony, Voot subscriptions Etc. Prime Video and Hotstar Remain as they come free with my ISP/Mobile SP. Also I've got rid of DTH connection 4 yrs ago, so Hotstar Serials becomes essential for Maids etc. Youtube Premium will be there as its mostly educational content, live news and animation watched by kids. I'm not disregarding the genuine hardwork put forth by entertainment industry but most of the content is boring and predictable. So Going Forward, it'll be mostly YT, 2 Channel Music & Ocassional Movies for me.

It'll be Very Interesting to know opinions of other FMs who have been through this detox experience or currently on same page with me, or others who think otherwise. Kindly participate in the poll to see the mood of the forum in general.


(OTT stands for “over-the-top” and refers to technology that delivers streamed video content over the internet.
Detox refers to Detoxification mainly by abstinence or reducing the indulgence over the period of time)

 

[sbg]

Partial - but a bit long
... like recent episodes Andor - almost 3-4 weeks break, Narcos all series and a break of 5 weeks
I prefer to complete a series instead of watching a episode every week.

yet to pick the next.

 

[arj]

Detox is only if you have an "addiction" problem I guess ? ..while I do binge watch if I have the time or if something is very good, since its always there on OTT , there is no hurry.

 

[Nitin K]

Quite true DrKrack, most of the OTT stuff seems repetitive and lacks originality. Besides episodes have season1,2,3, etc with long breaks in between where you tend to forget the previous episodes..
Although I do subscribe for Netflix, Amazon Prime and Disney Hotstar for my family , I find myself rarely watching any Ott stuff from these streaming sites since I end up wasting more time in browsing in deciding what to see. I prefer watching movies which have a decent rating especially the comedy/adventure/ suspense ones and know for sure that it will end in 3 hours max unlike episodic stuff( exceptions being Andor and Mandalorian).

Offlate one seems to find a lot of these psycho genre serial murder thrillers and Zombie movies which does not leave you with a good feeling at the end.
But offcourse at the end it's each one's individual tastes to watch what one likes if you can find the content in the vast ocean of Ott.

 

[chander]

I rarely watch series - most of the series I watch are limited 3-5-8 episode series that would be twice a year maybe. I refuse to watch multi season series (- Chernobyl/Sherlock/Big Bang Theory being the exception). Sometimes I do watch a season or 2 of things but then give up - like GOT, Witcher.

My OTT consumption is almost entirely for movies & it is hard to give up streaming for that.

 

[sbg]

Detox is only if you have an "addiction" problem I guess ? ..while I do binge watch if I have the time or if something is very good, since its always there on OTT , there is no hurry.

no , no, no. Its not addiction issue. I tend to gain Jedi skills after watching lots of Star wars. Detox helps in getting back to the roots and understand hammer, nails and ladder is still needed to fix things at home.

 

[arj]

no , no, no. Its not addiction issue. I tend to gain Jedi skills after watching lots of Star wars. Detox helps in getting back to the roots and understand hammer, nails and ladder is still needed to fix things at home.

LOL..during my gaming days playing duke nukem..seeing a drum while on the road triggered the instinct to take a shotgun and shoot it. so yes relate to that

 

[Yelamanchili manohar]

Thanks to my profession, I dont have access to any video content. So I've never bothered with them even when iam home. No Insta, FB or twitter either. I mostly spend my wakeful hours browsing forums or reading whatever I find interesting on the Net. But i do it mainly to stay away from unpleasant or sad or disturbing things. No point disturbing my usual happy demeanour with unnecessary shit that might disturb or sadden me. Iam really happy living within the shell i've built around myself, and I can rarely be disturbed by the happenings in the world. Next step is to get out of this urban madness and into the country side to insulate myself further .

 

[blackscorpio]

...been restricting myself to watching light hearted Comedies, Podcasts, Stand ups, live Sports and Documentaries. Hence I am considering an OTT detox....

I guess I am not alone. Lately I am enjoying documentaries more than anything else.

Last weekend, when all the stars aligned in favor of F9: The Fast Saga (2021) & worst for me, I clicked on it. By the end of it, I was on the terrace of our apartment watching for the rocket, like thing, that was sent to space in the movie.

I wish to stick with 2 channel & a good book(not Chetan Bhagat no offense please), may be a Malayalam movie once in a while.

 

[Nikhil]

YT, 2 Channel Music & Ocassional Movies

This has been pretty much all I do for a long time now.
Although Youtube can become a bit of a rabbit hole - learn to train your algorithms!
I still watch Netflix for the occasional movie - more documentary, travel and food type content.

I also play golf about 3 times a week and it is a topic for a discussion all by itself.
But I would highly recommend getting some fresh air - preferably early mornings if you can.


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[Nikhil]

during my gaming days playing duke nukem

Duke Nukem!!! We've got to hang out more often @arj!
It was in the late 90s for me. Need to find an install just for old times sake!


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[arj]

Duke Nukem!!! We've got to hang out more often @arj!
It was in the late 90s for me. Need to find an install just for old times sake!


.

ditto...late 90s and the.IITB computer lab had them on every lab and spent nights playing and walking back to the hostel in the wee hours of dark on the edge !

 

[gurujee]

I % agree, after people started using OTT, the standard went and going downhill. Like algorithm in YouTube or Instagram, people watched more crime/thriller and they provided more thriller.

The ott also made (me) more lazy. I used to spend my leisure time more creatively (writing, reading, making something), now they are impacted.

Though, I always have and still am practising a self control method for binge watching- only one episode per night or one movie in 3 three days. In this way, I get more time to do other things and a good content lasts for 7/8 days (not just one night).