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Old 05-13-19, 10:04 PM  
carole r.
 
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A question about paid subscription services

So, I really enjoy streaming workouts. I have mixed feelings about paid subscriptions. I subscribed to Gaia a long time ago, and I really love it. I get Jessica Smith on Youtube. I've also purchased some of her streaming workouts as well as workouts by other instructors. I subscribed to Sara Beth Yoga, but I'm not sure that I'm going to continue with her next year since I can get a lot of the same workouts on Youtube. I also get Walking Online. In general, I would rather just purchase workouts that I like and not deal with a subscription. I recently had purchased some Misti Tripoli workouts and really enjoyed doing them. Now I just found out that she doesn't allow purchasing streaming workouts anymore. You have to subscribe to her new streaming service. I really enjoy her workouts, but I probably won't be getting them anymore because of the subscription thing. My question for all of you is: What do you think of subscription services and how many do you have? Would you rather just buy the workouts separately? Thanks for your input.
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Old 05-13-19, 11:33 PM  
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I think of streaming like a gym membership. It's worth it if you use it. If you like variety and don't tend to do the same workout all the time then you may like streaming.

A lot of streaming sites offer more than just workouts. There can be recipe guides, workout calendars, community support, etc.

A membership with The Balanced Life Sisterhood will let you download Robin's monthly workouts to keep. I wish more sites offered this. That way you're paying for the streaming but also keeping the workouts.

I currently subscribe to 3 sites. It's hard to choose just one when each of them have something the other doesn't. The Balanced Life for Pilates, SBF for barre/cardio/strength/stretching/rebounding, and Bellicon Home for rebounding (although I won't renew BH next year).

ETA: It’s also hard when you’re grandfathered into a lower price and know you will lose it if you cancel.

Last edited by sillygirl; 05-13-19 at 11:55 PM.
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Old 05-14-19, 01:04 AM  
yogapam
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I love streaming as I travel a lot. I have four subscriptions I’m using right now, all but one were discount deals like Black Friday. I like to combine short workouts and quite often use two or three together.

I also like downloads and have quite a few from Jessica Smith, Jenny Ford, Margaret Richard, and BellyFit. I live in Canada so I save a lot of $ in shipping costs compared to buying dvds.
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Old 05-14-19, 05:55 AM  
Carol K
 
Join Date: Nov 2001
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Now that there will be no more FIRM DVDs, my annual subscription to FitFusion is all that I spend on workouts. At $90 per year, it is way less than what I spend on getting my hair cut and colored and more important for my health.
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Old 05-14-19, 06:26 AM  
Rhonda
 
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The only one I plan on keeping is Peloton. I do the treadmill workouts at least 3 times a week. I really like them. then I can search for a quick 5-10 minute stretch on peloton and be done.

I have BBOD but won't get it again, I also have LMOD and was using this 2-3 times a week but haven't touched it in a month or so, so don't plan on renewing.

I don't plan on getting any others as I find I don't keep using them. Peloton has been the exception.
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Old 05-14-19, 08:04 AM  
JackieB
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Agree if you use it streaming memberships are a great deal. I have 4 memberships right now and am looking at dropping one. It's all very minimal dollars as I used to spend more purchasing dvds.

I wasn't initially excited about streaming, but I have really grown to love it. I like the convenience and ease of online workouts, and the fact that we get new workouts so much more frequently. I like downloads, too.

I fully understand those of you that enjoy dvds but like it or not they are on their way out. I like them too....no point in arguing or "discussing" that.
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Old 05-14-19, 09:32 AM  
Usia
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I limit my streaming to only 1 paid membership at a time. Currently and for the past 2-3 years it's been Pilates by Lisa which I've enjoyed a lot but will not renew when my membership is up later this year. It's time to move on to something else. Don't know what yet. I also work out with random instructors on youtube for variety.
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Old 05-14-19, 01:47 PM  
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What frustrates me the most is when a subscription includes routines I already bought on dvd like Ellen, Misty and Kukuwa.
I believe people who bought their dvds should get a discount LOL

Whether dvd or a stream, I rarely do any routine more than once so streaming one month when there is enough new content or a free trial works for me, except for WOW. During my first year, I would pause my WOW subscription for a few weeks in between monthly subs but once I realized that I was not really saving any money and felt deprived when a new weekly workout was released, I caved and subbed for the whole year. I used to donate $$ to Jessicasmithtv years ago and want to now support Val because WOW was and is my favorite way to move to music and worth every penny.

I also have a lifetime sub to BollyX converted from a year sub and a year sub to Get Healhy UTV Gold for $20 but do not use these two much.

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Old 05-14-19, 02:57 PM  
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Hi Carole,
My feelings about streaming are currently evolving. I love my DVDs! Love them!! I have enough of them that I’m embarrassed to give you a number. But Hey! That’s why it’s called a collection, right? I also have several DVD players so you could say that I’m prepared for the end of the era of the DVD, which as Jackie reminds us is inevitable.

I currently have a yearly subscription to Pilates.ology. This is worth every penny and more. The classes feel like just that, real classes and I’ve benefited immensely during the two years that I’ve subscribed. I already plan on extending my membership.

I canceled my Bellicon home subscription even though it’s very inexpensive. The WOs just aren’t what I’m looking for. I prefer my rebounding dvds or just doing my own thing.

I recently bought Travis Eliot’s Yin Yoga set. I get the ability to stream that for as long as his site is there and also was able to download the set. I purchased a streaming/download set from Karin Gurtner as well. IMO, if DVDs go extinct, this would be the best of all worlds. I already know I’ll purchase more from both of these folks in order to support them.

I also purchased Leah Sarago’s downloads prior to her changing over to streaming only. I so wish she still sold downloads or maybe offered a lower quality download for each month you streamed with her.

One of the biggest reasons for the change in my attitude toward streaming is that I’m finally able to stream with relative ease. That’s a game changer but I’m still not willing to do more than one yearly and possibly one short term streaming membership at a time.

I agree with what horsemom said about streaming when you already own a lot of the content available. That’s why I don’t stream Essentrics. I have everything available up to and including a few of the new offerings. I much prefer the older stuff so at this point streaming would be throwing away money. Maybe someday streaming will evolve allow us to pay to stream only a certain number of workouts for a certain amount of money rather than all or nothing.

I don’t think that it’s just the consumer who needs to evolve to make streaming a fit. I think streaming needs to evolve to fit our needs. Otherwise we’ll be here talking about the end of streaming sooner than anyone could predict.
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Old 05-14-19, 03:57 PM  
Nuggie's Auntie
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Lannette View Post
One of the biggest reasons for the change in my attitude toward streaming is that I’m finally able to stream with relative ease. That’s a game changer but I’m still not willing to do more than one yearly and possibly one short term streaming membership at a time.

...

I don’t think that it’s just the consumer who needs to evolve to make streaming a fit. I think streaming needs to evolve to fit our needs.
Agree on both counts! I think much of my initial irritation toward streaming was due to difficulty playing videos, constant buffering, etc. We had high speed internet, but I would still often have problems. And don't even get me started on hotels... we'd try to watch something on Netflix on our iPad when we'd travel and the buffering was constant. We'd finally just give up and go to bed.

Now I almost never have technical issues with streaming. It has made me much more willing to consider streaming subscriptions... even though I have enough DVDs to last a lifetime.

I'm still very wary about subscriptions, though, just from a cost perspective. I had special pricing to stream Physique 57 for goodness... a year or two! I loved it for quite a while and got a lot of use out of it, but then life got in the way and I just wasn't using it much. You really have to pay attention to your subscriptions or you could end up spend a LOT of money over time. We have Netflix, Amazon Prime, PBS Passport, the WSJ, a math app for my son and I just subscribed to barre3. If I totaled all those up, we are really spending quite a bit! I think as a household you need to do a subscription audit from time to time because those charges can get out of hand.
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