Netflix Tests 'Collections' That Are Curated By Humans Instead of Algorithms (techcrunch.com) 32
Netflix is testing an all-new recommendation system called "Collections" that relies on humans instead of neural networks. TechCrunch reports: While Netflix today already offers thematic suggestions of things to watch, based on your Netflix viewing history, Collections aren't only based on themes. According to Netflix, the titles are curated by experts on the company's creative teams, and are organized into these collections based on similar factors -- like genre, tone, story line and character traits.
This human-led curation is different from how Netflix typically makes its recommendations. The streaming service is famous for its advanced categorization system, where there are hundreds of niche categories that go beyond broad groupings like "Action," "Drama," "Sci-Fi," "Romance" and the like. These narrower subcategories allow the streamer to make more specific and targeted recommendations. Netflix also tracks titles that are popular and trending across its service, so you can check in on what everyone else is watching, as well. The feature is currently in testing on iOS devices and can be found at the top right of the app's homepage, if you've been opted in to the test.
This human-led curation is different from how Netflix typically makes its recommendations. The streaming service is famous for its advanced categorization system, where there are hundreds of niche categories that go beyond broad groupings like "Action," "Drama," "Sci-Fi," "Romance" and the like. These narrower subcategories allow the streamer to make more specific and targeted recommendations. Netflix also tracks titles that are popular and trending across its service, so you can check in on what everyone else is watching, as well. The feature is currently in testing on iOS devices and can be found at the top right of the app's homepage, if you've been opted in to the test.
Assuming Direct Control (Score:4, Interesting)
the titles are curated by experts on the company's creative teams
Of course.
User ratings couldn't be tolerated after publically exposing some real garbage content. It's such a natural (and predictable) progression to toss aside the remaining uncertainty of algorithms for the opinions of your own paid stooges.
Re: (Score:1)
Its like with movie reviews on social media. Comments about average actors by social media users.
Time to move all reviews back to approved experts.
To tell people what the content is about and how good it is.
No spoilers, no comments about remakes, no comments on an actors ability, suitability. No reviews on the politics of the content.
How good the actor is at acting and why it is so im
Re: (Score:3)
Cant have average users down vote on movies/scripts assured by cultural experts would resonate with all of the USA.
I think the bigger problem was that users often down-voted Netflix's self-produced content even though their "predictive AI" would tell those users they'd probably value the shows at 4.8-5.0 stars to drive viewership. After a while it was simply too obvious that Netflix was consistently gaming their own rating system - so the solution was to eliminate the rating system.
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Imagine investing in an AI to "help" users sort and then buy more content.
Only to have the AI side with users?
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That explains why it keeps suggesting people watch Another Life, rather than just deleting the series from all listings.
Re: (Score:2)
NetFlix, as far as I can tell, did away with their rating system a long time ago, when they replaced the 5-scale star rating system with the up/down garbage. Now, not only can you not see a projected rating, but you cannot even tell if you have watched something or not, and things you have watched already are not (never were) removed from (or moved to the end of) the lists. Plus they change the "icons" every couple of hours if you haven't watched something in the prayer that you will be fooled into believ
Re: (Score:2)
Netflix (and Amazon) used to have lists, back in the pre-streaming days. Anyone could create a list of movies, and you could browse these. See a movie you like, and you could see other movies random people thought were related. This was the best feature on Netflix.
Why the heck they moved away from that I'll never know. It was the single best way to find unfamiliar movies you might like, and I can't imaging it cost them much to maintain. This was before Netflix was a content creator, before they had any
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None of these companies want people making their own choices, they want them steered into making the most profitable choices for the person making a buck.
Re: (Score:2)
You're right. I'm also old enough to remember when Netflix had a spectacular back-catalog of older movies, from film noir to 1970's auteur flicks and obscure goodies.
Re: Assuming Direct Control (Score:2)
'What do you think Netflix' "political agenda" is?'
Indeed it must be difficult to see Netflix's blatant political agenda when your head is stuffed so impressively far up your ass. I guess that yoga practice paid off!
Re: (Score:2)
OK, so what you're saying is that this Netflix "political agenda" is so blatant and obvious that you are unable to describe it or give any kind of actual information about it.
So noted.
Political (Score:1)
Netflix navigation is braindead (Score:2)
Re: (Score:1)
I bet they have a better price point on context from some sources. EG, some content is more costly.
And I bet they also have a per-watch clause for some content. So it might behoove them to point you towards less-costly content (think 1 cent saved 100k times, per episode), and of course their own content is sort of 'free', because they already paid to create it, and any watch reduces the per-user cost.
So, making it hard to find stuff not recommended would make sense in the above scenario. Plus, they're lo
Re: (Score:2)
I've always wondered if per-view content licensing was involved in Netflix's often weird and complex content navigation.
If I had to guess it started when they first began streaming as a means to hide the fact that streaming had so little content. Now I'm guessing it has more to do with pushing Netflix's original content over other licensed content, although I'd guess per-view content licensing has some impact to.
There may also be high profile titles they license for big money and steer you to, to help perp
Re: Netflix navigation is braindead (Score:2)
Re: (Score:3)
Brain dead? Unfortunately, I think not.
Years ago, we had the research to support the design of better UIs, but interfaces remained bad because of a shortage of people who had basic knowledge of UI design. Today there are a lot more people with expertise in UI design, but interfaces remain bad because those people aren't working working to satisfy *your* wants. What you want is to find what you're looking quickly then get the hell out. UI designers try to keep you using their product for as long as possib
Re: (Score:2)
I don't think it goes that deep. Netflix has just severely cut down on their available content, the slow and obtuse UI is meant to hide that. To give you the impression this is just a small sample of what is available, when it really is more or less all that they have. So people request a better UI because they assume there is a bunch of content they could discover if the UI wasn't in the way, but the UI is in the way to hide the fact that content isn't really there anymore.
Doesn't matter (Score:2)
Honest categorisation (Score:2)
Love it (Score:2)
I love this idea. I'd say a solid majority of the recommendations I get via algorithms on media sites are garbage, even after the sites have an extensive viewing history and media scoring from me. A human with similiar tastes in media could do an infinitely better job.
Re: Love it (Score:2)
"A human with similiar tastes in media could do an infinitely better job."
If you don't like what the AI recommends, you're definitely not going to like what the curation commissar shoves down your throat.
Re: (Score:2)
I couldn't disagree more. I really don't see how adding proper human intellect where "ai" has failed means something bad. You certainly haven't made a case for it.
no need for "Collections" (Score:2)
Fuck NetFilx (Score:2)
ok (Score:2)
Re: ok (Score:2)
"an interface that doesn't feel like malicious people made it"
FTFY
Um... is this for their DVD business? (Score:2)
Vamo la (Score:1)
make work (Score:2)
This whole thing sounds like a make work program to provide a couple posh jobbies to the kids of some high-level nomenklatura.
No one wants "curation", but lotsa folks from affluent cultural background wanna be curators. Therefore we gotta create some commissar jobs for the lucky & well-connected few to enjoy.