About six months ago, I wrote about how the best TVs at the moment tend to have an HDMI problem that we could really do with seeing improved for future models – ultimately a lack of high-quality ports for the best possible image quality.
Well, now I've got a bugbear with many of the best streaming services, too. I was watching season 2 of Wednesday on Netflix – which is the streamer's most popular show ever – and noticed something commendable about the picture quality.
Unlike many of its competitors, Netflix offers a Premium tier. It costs a small fortune per month, granted, but the ad-free proposition supports 4K (Ultra-HD) and, based on my recent viewing, looks an absolute dream.
Why do some streaming services lack quality?
Sadly, the same can't be said of many other streaming services. I've previously written about how one of my fave Apple TV+ shows, Silo, clearly has a quality problem – despite its '4K HDR' badging, the bitrate at which it streams just isn't up to scratch, seeing blocking and banding in shadows that's irksome to watch.
That article gained plenty of traction, especially with Apple News readers, and many people got in contact to echo my experience. But others also suggested that from a direct Apple TV box – i.e. Apple's own product – that quality was rendered even higher.
In some regard, that makes sense: we're already banded by the quality of kit we buy and what it can deliver, with one of the best cheap TVs not able to deliver the same as, say, one of the best OLED TVs – which will cost you a lot more, too, of course. But being banded in how well a streaming service translates, which costs the same irrelevant of source, doesn't sit quite so well with me.
Physical media isn't practical for all
I've long argued that 4K Blu-ray is an unbeatable format – having streamed hundreds of movies and shows and noticing that physical media simply can't be replicated by current streaming services' standards.
I'm not talking about imaginary points of difference either. I've been tuning into the latest Dexter Resurrection – yes, I did the unthinkable and subscribed to Paramount+ – and despite having a top-notch TV to view it on, I've been really jarred by some of the clumpy blocking in shadow detail.
So much so, that I've been digging into menu setting mid-viewing and trying to rescue my eyes from the picture, changing the HDR settings and black/white-point peaks. Things that, frankly, I really shouldn't have to do from a supposedly high-quality service. It does the show a disservice, to be honest.
So what's the solution?
So what can be done about it? Well, I also think that right now we have far too many streaming services. The proliferation of platforms is getting out of control and there needs to be a logical consolidation, partnered with sensible spend in relevant areas – not a constant glut of mediocre content production.
Rather than have lots of services, I'd rather have fewer, consolidated, but higher-quality services. In argument to my Silo problem on Apple TV+, I posited that I'd happily pay more for an Apple TV+ Premium option – if a truly higher-quality image could be beamed into my living room to enjoy at scale.
After all, I'd buy upcoming seasons of Silo on physical 4K Blu-ray media and swerve the streaming format altogether if I could – but they don't exist. I'm not one to lounge in mediocrity if I can avoid it, so wish that streaming platforms would really look into ways to resolve their streaming platforms' quality limitations. The threshold, far as I see it, is too low right now – Netflix Premium the one canny exception.
Cuts the ads, up the quality
So there you have it: Amazon Prime, why not cut charging customers extra to avoid ads, and just include a Premium ad-free level that's better quality? One that preferably wraps in Paramount+, MGM+, etc., at an amicable price. Not everyone will want it – but I will. And I know many others would, too.
So, c'mon streamers, let's address the quality problem for the better. After all, it's only going to mean more cash under your belts and happier customers. Which sounds like a win on both sides to me...
