What do you mean I already watched every NOVA show on Netflix?

January 19, 2016 4:25 PM

I want to watch more nature and documentary shows, and the well at Netflix is running dry. Trying to figure out what combination of hardware/subscriptions to get that will give me the biggest number of good shows.

Specs: Dumb HD TV, Smart Blueray player (don't recall what services it gets - will try to update when I get home), Tivo Roamio, Antenna that doesn't get PBS well, and fast internet via wifi. A "hard" internet connection would involve serious construction. Amazon Prime member. Have Netflix already.

My favorite shows are NOVA and David Attenborough shows, but really anything science or nature is good, pretty much. Would like to watch more NOVA, Nature, Ken Burns stuff, and others such like.

I realize this is all googleable, but the Google-available information is extremely vague and some is downright misleading about how much content is available on each service (i.e., Smithsonian claims there is a vast library of content of theirs on Netflix. BS. Must be in the secret menu somewhere . . . )

Will a Roku or Firestick improve my options? Or is it just more of the same as on Netflix? I'm willing to get subscriptions; not willing to get cable TV. Should I get subscriptions? Which ones?

TIA!

posted by bluesky78987 to Computers & Internet (15 answers total)

Cosmos: A spacetime odyssey
posted by Captain_Science at 4:39 PM on January 19, 2016

I have a Roku and I rarely use it because I also have Amazon Prime, Netflix and full cable, so I can usually find what I want to watch via one of these. However, it does look like you can add tons of secret channels to Roku. Depending on what you're specifically looking for that isn't available via your other services, you may be able to find a dedicated channel that you like. When I have used it (and I've only used it for Amazon, Netflix and Hulu on my non-smart TV), Roku has been pretty great and I don't think the box was overly expensive either, so overall I'm really happy with it.
posted by triggerfinger at 4:55 PM on January 19, 2016 [1 favorite]

PBS Now is available on many platforms and has tons of science and nature shows beyond NOVA.
posted by Requiax at 4:56 PM on January 19, 2016 [1 favorite]

http://tvo.org/documentaries
posted by mikek at 5:01 PM on January 19, 2016

Have you considered looking into podcasts? There are some awesome podcasts out there about all kinds of things. I've just started getting into the British Museum's "History of the World in 100 objects". Also "Science Friday" (which also has a video cast, but only of short segments).
posted by amtho at 5:37 PM on January 19, 2016

Plus - resting the eyes is good for you.
posted by amtho at 5:37 PM on January 19, 2016

Response by poster: Sorry to threadsit but: Requiax, or anybody, do you know how PBS Now cycles its available shows? it has 39 Nova episodes and 38 Nature episodes available to watch streaming from my computer right here. I gather new ones show up frequently since the ones from last week are already up. Does that mean that old ones go away? Where's the huge treasure trove of 9838 Nova episodes? (sigh)

And anybody, can Roku get me National Geographic, Smithsonian, Discovery, Animal Planet or History Channel shows without a cable subscription? And do they have a lot of shows, or just a few new ones per week? I'm really looking for the large library of old episodes to pick and choose from.

Also, I'm not really looking for alternatives to watching about Science and Nature on TV; I already do love podcasts and watch a few things on my computer, but thank you.
posted by bluesky78987 at 6:15 PM on January 19, 2016

Best answer: I wonder why PBS Now has fewer than the pbs.org website, which has 140 for me right now.
posted by fings at 7:03 PM on January 19, 2016

Response by poster: This link comes up showing 39 episodes and a bunch of other previews and clips for me?
posted by bluesky78987 at 7:38 PM on January 19, 2016

Best answer: Interesting! If I open the link in an incognito window and select Los Angeles PBS, it shows me 39 episodes. But if I choose my actual station of WNET Channel 13, it shows 140!

So you may want to uh, fib a little?
posted by fings at 8:00 PM on January 19, 2016

It's a little pricier than stuff like the Roku, but I have a Tivo Roamio and it's awesome for this sort of thing. I have access to my normal cable stuff, although not their on-demand, OTA HD, and also Netflix, Amazon, Hulu, VuDu, YouTube, and surely others I'm forgetting. YouTube alone has hours and hours of documentaries on just about any topic.
posted by feloniousmonk at 8:00 PM on January 19, 2016

Best answer: I'm not sure if maybe you're in another country, but on my U.S. Amazon Prime, NOVA seasons 1 and seasons 3-13 are available to stream for free. Have you burned through all of those?

YouTube is a great place for documentaries and people upload them all the time. You kind of just have to search for things you're interested in though. If you want to watch YouTube on your tv, then yeah a Roku or a chromecast or whatever will help you do that.

I'm not sure how interested you are in less than legal means, but if you are, um look into torrents, particularly mvgroup releases? You could memail me if you want more details on that.
posted by katyggls at 8:23 PM on January 19, 2016

Best answer: Also if you say Channel 13 (WNET) is your local station, you get 71 episodes of Nature. WGBH (Boston) also gets you 71 Nature & 140 Nova. So I'd try one of those.
posted by fings at 8:32 PM on January 19, 2016

Best answer: I recognize that my story might not be useful for a number of reasons, but maybe someone else can expand on it.

Before pirate bay gotten taken down, I used to regularly search TV shows with just one search term: "BBC". The science, art, and history documentaries I found were better, in my opinion, than anything I've seen on PBS--by a wide margin.

I don't know if there is a way we can legally access this stuff from the other side of the Atlantic. Like I said, maybe someone else can help.
posted by polecat at 10:22 PM on January 19, 2016

Best answer: Yeah, YouTube with the term "BBC documentary" typed in.

To get fancy you can do "BBC nature documentary 2015" or "BBC science documentaries 2016."

I'm more into the history side of things, and have so much luck with YouTube.
posted by functionequalsform at 7:05 AM on January 20, 2016