Free Streaming Service Posts

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  Liger Zero on 10/02/2025 - 17:08

  +3

  Can't you just hide those deals?

  • 

    Nukkels on 10/02/2025 - 18:15

    They are hidden by 'store' which corresponds to the streaming service. People hid the SBS ones, and now one for YouTube has been posted. Tomorrow it'll be one of the literally thousands of other free streaming services - there's no way to block them all.

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  freefall101 on 10/02/2025 - 17:27

  +1

  Is it really so hard to just use common sense? Creating strict rules will just create something new to argue over, it won't solve it. You spelled it out here, not every song added to Spotify is important. So don't post it and if you do, expect it to be deleted.

  If you don't want to see it, hide it. If you don't like it, don't click on it. Most of those free to air or added to streaming services posts you see on the front page are there because a whole lot of people liked it, so maybe just let them be?

  JFC, I just looked at your post history. Maybe go outside for a while.

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  AustriaBargain on 10/02/2025 - 17:39

  If the free streaming service helps save you money, then it's a deal imo. There hasn't been paid browsers since the 90s, so a browser isn't a deal.

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  Nukkels on 10/02/2025 - 18:22

  I also want to add there is a HUGE difference between buying a physical copy of something that you own and just being able to look at something (with ads), until such time they decide you can't look at it any more. Therefore it cannot be compared with buying a disc as a 'paid' alternative.

  Is a particular plant being brought to the Botanical gardens for public viewing considered a bargain, just because the gardens are free?

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  kaiden on 10/02/2025 - 20:00

  How else will I know of all the free to watch sbs movies and other posts that I’ve seen lately.

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  Benoffie on 10/02/2025 - 20:58

  For me, it varies.

  SBS is just common sense. Been around for donkeys, Clickview feeds off it, not new, no deal. It's in the same category as someone posting a movie hitting Netflix.

  The YouTube one re the TV series, I thought was a deal. Previously, aside from high seas and huge TB downloads, getting that content was stupid pricing (lucky if $50 a season, later seasons are still $130~ each).

  But would I regard a movie available on a streaming service or TV now available on YouTube for free as a deal? Probably not.

  So if the plods were still on ABC iView, I'd probably have said no deal

• 

  Moderatorneil on 10/02/2025 - 21:31

  Thanks for the feedback. Will try to go through your queries

  Examples of what you shouldn't post:
  Software: Mozilla Firefox (Free Browser, Always Free)
  Websites: Google (Free Search Engine, Always Free)
  …
  Surely a free streaming service is the same thing?

  Yes it is. So if someone posted a deal to just Youtube or just TikTok or some other always free site then no.

  When Google search makes a free, playable game (which they do regularly), can that be posted as a deal, just because it's new? Our does it needs to be put in the forums?

  If the game was always free, then it is free software. It belongs in the Free Software/Websites forum.

  If it was say a paid game and now Google or let's say Steam is offering it for free, then yes. You can see the Steam Store with many of those examples.

  What about posting shows on FTA TV?

  Yes: UEFA Champions League Final Live & Free on TV @ 9Go

  Or games recently added to abandonware sites?

  I'm not very familiar with abandonware but I think that might be a separate issue of legality.

  I realise there is some moderator discretion involved, but there needs to be consistency and clarity around whether we can literally post every new show added to a free streaming service or if none can.

  I think we're pretty consistent in the fact that people can post streaming deals. I think the big thing that you and others are missing is YES, people can post every show if they think its a deal. The key being if it's a deal. There are loads of things people CAN post, like as in anything at any shop but if it's not a bargain, then no one is going to vote for them. It's a community site, if you like the post, give it a plus. Don't like it, don't vote or block the store.

  Exceptions do not work well in this instance just because someone liked the show or the movie is more recent.

  Not sure I understand this. Can you explain?

  The site rules specify that something that has become free qualifies as a deal - so the content has become free, but the service has always been free.

  Yes, content being the keyword.

  This is what needs to be clarified, as neither are 'products'. And if content is considered a product, then it needs to be permitted across all media types and services. A new song added to Spotify, a classic movie becoming public domain, a 3D print file added to printables.

  I think the guidelines cover this without having to go through numerous examples.

  We will endeavour to re-write the guidelines to make it a bit clearer.

  Just some final general points:

  • We have to accept that OzBargainers (just like Australians) are a diverse bunch and have a different view of what a bargain is. It's up to the community to decide.
  • Members can block stores, users, and even keywords. If you never want to see another SBS post, you can block it.
  • 

    Nukkels on 10/02/2025 - 22:51

    Thanks for the clarification.

    It should also be noted that a streaming service is different to buying a physical copy, in that you don't own it. You're merely viewing it, in the same way as listening to a busker on the street isn't the same as buying their CD.

    Not sure I understand this. Can you explain?

    I think you summed it up fairly well - we can post any and all content available on pretty much any free services (as long as it's not just a joke or breaking some other rule), and the moderators will not delete it, but leave it for the community to decide - even if it's not popular or recent.

    • 

      BewareOfThe Dog on 11/02/2025 - 10:28

      I hope you have the busker some silver. ;)

    • 

      Moderatoralvian on 11/02/2025 - 11:28

      we can post any and all content available on pretty much any free services (as long as it's not just a joke or breaking some other rule)

      No, that is not what neil or our guidelines said. You cannot post "any and all content on any free service" as a deal. The section of guidelines that you quoted at the end of your description is what we use to help differentiate between a forum post or a deal post.

      In general, always-free multimedia content that are available to everyone should be posted in the forums. Products that are temporarily free or have become permanently free qualify as deals.

      You asked,

      so the content has become free, but the service has always been free. This is what needs to be clarified, as neither are 'products'

      We will change the word Products to Content in the guidelines to resolve this ambiguity.

      If you think the guidelines are inadequate or inappropriate, then you are free to propose alternative criteria for discussion.

      • 

        Nukkels on 11/02/2025 - 12:02

        Then please elaborate? I read Neil's response to be approving of any 'content' that doesn't break the rules - and he clarified that it counts as a product under the current guidelines. Some of that content may not be popular but that doesn't mean we can't post it.

        I think the guidelines are pretty good, but specifying products/content instead of just products would go a long way to clarifying this particular topic. I'd also suggest the specific mention of not posting software that's always free is misleading/contradictory, so it may help to specify that only refers to the service, but not the content provided through it.

        Unless that's not what is intended, in which case, it needs to be spelled out. I'm just trying to help remove any ambiguity, and if there are certain types of content that are not permitted, I'd like a clear indication of what those are, in the same way the example in the guidelines shows that we can't post websites.

        • 

          Moderatoralvian on 11/02/2025 - 12:15

          @Nukkels: There is nothing for us to elaborate. The guidelines are as written and we use them to differentiate between a forum post or a deal post. The only reference to Products has been substituted with Content, which is the type of object the guidelines are intended to operate on. There was never a reference to Service. You are free to propose to add Service into our guidelines but we have nothing to say about Service at this time.

          The guidelines cover Free Multimedia Content & Websites. There is no ambiguity and we have nothing to add.

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  Nukkels on 11/02/2025 - 12:10

  I also noticed that my recent post had [ebook] prepended by mods. Perhaps [streaming] prepended to those posts might help those looking to avoid them?

  • 

    Moderatorscrimshaw on 11/02/2025 - 13:32

    Video On Demand (VOD) is just another word for streaming. It was set up as a tag quite a while ago and people can choose to hide this tag, if they don't want to see any streaming related deals or offers.

    https://www.ozbargain.com.au/tag/video-on-demand

    Another related tag is Streaming Subscription Addition. Hiding this tag will hide all deals related to the addition of anything to a paid subscription, like Disney, Netflix or Prime Video. So it will not include things like Youtube or SBS.