Episode 1 br Continue Watching Episode 1 Continue Watching

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Am I crazy for absolutely hating when streaming platforms have their "continue watching" buttons navigate straight to the episode?

• Thread starter Robin
• Start date May 3, 2022

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• #1

On paper it feels like the most sense, like that you'd want as few clicks as possible to navigate to the content the consumer most likely wants to watch. But in practice it's usually a nightmare.

It's not actually the content I want more often than not, and even when it's the correct episode, I'd probably like to check and see the summary, make sure I watched all of the previous episode, or that I'm not clicking into like the last 45 seconds of an episode I already completed. And once you're in the damn episode, you have to scramble to find a way back to the episode list, and sometimes there's no way at all so you've gotta go back to the home menu and then find the actual listing on some other category to find the episode list to find the thing you actually wanted.

If it's the content you wanted, great, you saved a click. If it isn't the content you wanted, a nightmare ensued. Just make the "continue watching" panel navigate to the episode listing of the episode in progress. It's one more click, you have confidence you're queuing the right episode, and you've got a refresher of what you were watching. Am I wrong?

• #2

Yes.

If I hit continue watching I want to continue watching, not continue browsing. If I don't want to continue watching or want to watch a previous episode, I would specifically go to the episode list.

I would wager that the vast majority of people who click continue watching want to continue from where they left off. It would be bad UX to make things harder for the 90% to make things slightly easier for the 10%.

• #3

They want you to watch, not read.

• #5

It's not actually the content I want more often than not, and even when it's the correct episode, I'd probably like to check and see the summary, make sure I watched all of the previous episode, or that I'm not clicking into like the last 45 seconds of an episode I already completed.

what kind of non-euclidean streaming service are you using

when i hit 'continue watching' it goes to the next episode in order like i expect it to

• #6

It almost always does what I want, but I wish they would have an overlay that shows up for about 5 seconds that lets you choose to navigate to an episode list. Netflix does this when you click on a show for the first time, but does not do it when you start a new episode from continue watching.

• #7

It almost always does what I want, but I wish they would have an overlay that shows up for about 5 seconds that lets you choose to navigate to an episode list. Netflix does this when you click on a show for the first time, but does not do it when you start a new episode from continue watching.

when you back out of an episode doesnt it bring you right back to the episode list where you started anyways

• #8

Yeah that's wrong OP, if I hit continue watching on a show that better be it. Done

For another thing, I hate seeing an episode synopsis before I start that episode

• #9

when you back out of an episode doesnt it bring you right back to the episode list where you started anyways

Not if you're resuming a series from the main screen, I believe. You have to search for the series if you want to get back to the episode list.

I'm with the OP.

• #10

when you back out of an episode doesnt it bring you right back to the episode list where you started anyways

HBO Max errors out every time I do that, and I have to restart the app.

• #11

On paper it feels like the most sense, like that you'd want as few clicks as possible to navigate to the content the consumer most likely wants to watch. But in practice it's usually a nightmare.

It's not actually the content I want more often than not, and even when it's the correct episode, I'd probably like to check and see the summary, make sure I watched all of the previous episode, or that I'm not clicking into like the last 45 seconds of an episode I already completed. And once you're in the damn episode, you have to scramble to find a way back to the episode list, and sometimes there's no way at all so you've gotta go back to the home menu and then find the actual listing on some other category to find the episode list to find the thing you actually wanted.

If it's the content you wanted, great, you saved a click. If it isn't the content you wanted, a nightmare ensued. Just make the "continue watching" panel navigate to the episode listing of the episode in progress. It's one more click, you have confidence you're queuing the right episode, and you've got a refresher of what you were watching. Am I wrong?

You are not wrong and I will give you my full support in taking this all the way to the president of HBO (I assume you're talking about HBO Max).

• #12

You're right OP, like on Disney+ if I just want to put on a random simpsons episode or if there's one I have in mind, the Continue Watching goes straight to the episode I was on or the next one and I have to search out the Simpsons series icon instead which is hidden in the left panel (on my LG tv) and find my Watch List to get the series itself. For some reason (probably because I have The Simpsons on my watch list) it doesnt surface the button on the main page.

• #13

when you back out of an episode doesnt it bring you right back to the episode list where you started anyways

Yeah but it's not as nicely integrated as the UI you have when you are browsing through new shows, and the transition is a bit more jarring at least on the embedded app on my TV.

• #14

The worst is Netflix and how it starts playing when I'm just trying to look at the info for a show

• #15

when you back out of an episode doesnt it bring you right back to the episode list where you started anyways

Ironically enough, it doesn't fit Disney Plus if you hit continue watching from the home screen. It just takes you back home. It's really annoying, especially when the next episode button doesn't pop up until super close to the end of the episode.

• #16

Like I get how it would feel like, continue watching should logically be the button that gets you into the content the quickest, right? It makes sense when you think "theres a button for this and a button for that and this button is for getting you there QUICK and its right at the top" but considering how hard it is to find the episode list sometimes, and how often I want the episode list and can't get there easily, and how not that big a hassle it is for people who actually just want to continue watching is to just continue watching FROM THE EPISODE LIST, just give me the episode list every time.

And yeah, looking at you HBO Max and Paramount+

• #17

You're 100% right and it's so annoying that many services don't have obvious shortcuts to the episode list. I always want to confirm that the episode they're giving me is actually my next one just take me to the list with the one selected and let me click again to play

• #18

Also bad is if you stop an episode close to the end, but "continue watching" automatically plays the next ep and not the remaining part of the episode you hadn't quite finished.

Or worse if the app just goofs and doesn't point at the actual next episode but replays one you've already finished.

• #19

OP i am with you. My girlfriend thinks I'm crazy for always having to navigate back to the episode list.

• #20

Yes, you're crazy and wrong.

• #21

Continue going to the next episode directly is fine IMO. It is really annoying though that not a single streaming service as far as I know has a simple way to just go the episode overview.

• #22

I have no problem with this being the default, as long as there's a quick way to switch to the episode list.

It's really annoying when choosing an episode isn't just another button click and you have to search first, especially when the show isn't even serialized. I want to pick my Simpsons episode, dammit!

• #25

I'm with you, OP. I find it an obnoxious feature, made moreso by the fact that D+ and HBOMax don't seem to keep track of my watched episodes super well. And navigating back to the series page is often awkward on mobile, too.

• #27

It drives me crazy with Disney+ since I'm just watching random old Simpsons episodes whenever I want, but it wants me to watch in order.

I have to search around for the show every time to get to the episode list. At least put a shortcut under it or something.

• #28

It drives me crazy with Disney+ since I'm just watching random old Simpsons episodes whenever I want, but it wants me to watch in order.

I have to search around for the show every time to get to the episode list. At least put a shortcut under it or something.

Yes. Jesus Christ, they definitely have the metrics to prove this is a common complaint.

• #29

Like I get how it would feel like, continue watching should logically be the button that gets you into the content the quickest, right? It makes sense when you think "theres a button for this and a button for that and this button is for getting you there QUICK and its right at the top" but considering how hard it is to find the episode list sometimes, and how often I want the episode list and can't get there easily, and how not that big a hassle it is for people who actually just want to continue watching is to just continue watching FROM THE EPISODE LIST, just give me the episode list every time.

And yeah, looking at you HBO Max and Paramount+

You're right OP.

Paramount+ in particular was fucking awful to navigate. Trying to rewatch an episode of something was a terrible experience

• #30

You're not wrong. I regularly switch between mobile and desktop when I'm streaming shows and pretty much every streaming service fails to remember my progress between the two. Sometimes it will restart an episode I've already finished. It's pretty obnoxious. If it worked as intended it would be fine.

• #31

You're not crazy, this is infuriating. I use an Apple TV and usually you can long-press to be taken to the show's page rather than just start the episode, but it depends whether the developer followed standards or not.

• #32

Paramount is pretty awful about saving which episode I watched last, so it always starts me a season or two behind where I left off if I'm bingeing something. Not sure if that's a problem with the service itself or if the Sony TV app is just shitty

• #33

I like it a lot. It sucks on Disney+ though.

• #34

Nope. You are not wrong OP. I am right there with you.

HBO Max does this and it's annoying as fuck.

• #35

Paramount is pretty awful about saving which episode I watched last, so it always starts me a season or two behind where I left off if I'm bingeing something. Not sure if that's a problem with the service itself or if the Sony TV app is just shitty

I agree. Its a total pain in the ass.

• #36

I feel you. When I hit continue watching I want to go to episode list. Crunchy roll is especially bad about navigating to the series you want so I have to click the last episode and then quickly hit back to get to the episode list.

• #37

By my (now outdated) count, nearly 20% of the users responding to this thread have mentioned how annoying this is for the Simpsons specifically.

It's time to organize an angry mob.

• #38

Yes, you are wrong. This is, without a single doubt, an extreme outlier in terms of what people want out of a keep watching button.

• #39

I agree. But for me it's more about it interfering with my appreciation of the work.

When I finish watching a really good movie or episode, sometimes I just wanna be able to sit with it in the moment. The credits and the accompanying music(or lack thereof) are sometimes part of the intended experience.

This auto function to the next episode robs me of that moment, and I fucking hate it with a passion.

• #40

It's a handy shortcut to jump straight in, but they should also make it easier to go to the episode list from there. Sometimes I fall asleep and the continue watching is like 2-3 episodes ahead of the episode I was at when I fell asleep.

• #41

I despise when I can't see who's worked on a show. As the window shrinks and you have 5 secs to reselect it before it goes to the next episode

• #43

Continue Watching should always send you straight to (what the app thinks is) the next episode you were going to watch.

HOWEVER

Every streaming service SHOULD ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS have a clear option for you to instead simply view the list of episodes and/or the details of the show/movie. It's beyond frustrating how many apps don't let me just click on a show and look at the episodes list, and in rare cases it's actually impossible unless you're using the website. Most of them make me search for the show itself, or go back to my watchlist or the main listings area to get to the show, THEN they show me the episodes.

• #44

It's the best when it works, annoying when it doesn't. Netflix has it figured out. It tells you which episode and what point you're at, and it's really good at skipping end credits. And the option to go to the episode list instead is right there too, at least on PC.

One thing that is infuriating with Netflix is that it skips to the next episode if you're in the middle of an episode for a while. I'm sure there's some moronic data driven decision behind that, but it's absolutely useless for actually watching stuff.

• #45

When it doesn't work properly it's infuriating for sure.

Disney+ is bad for it, as sometimes it doesn't seem to have the credits blocked off properly and you get sent to the same episode again, or punted to the next episode when it shouldn't. And for me, at least, when I press back on the remote it only sometimes takes me to the episode list itself. Other times I have to manually search for the show just to get to the season/episode listings and can select the right episode on my own.

• #46

Robin is this a thread to complain about HBO Max having the most dog crap navigation of all the streaming apps? Or are we on Amazon Prime's ass right now?

Like WHY can't I click into the series page? All they have to do is make clicking on the title of the series go to the summary page, while clicking on the play symbol continues the last episode. It's not that hard.

I feel you. When I hit continue watching I want to go to episode list. Crunchy roll is especially bad about navigating to the series you want so I have to click the last episode and then quickly hit back to get to the episode list.

I've probably been giving Crunchyroll an undeserved pass because it's pretty much my main anime hub so I have to use it.

• #47

I like the continue watching button and that it takes me to the next ep.

What I hate is when Netflix automatically takes me to the next ep while the credits are scrolling so I miss any mid credit scenes and also i have to get up and turn it off if I fall asleep otherwise it keeps playing

• #48

Netflix continue watching works better then my bluray player(whatever console I'm using) does. Without fail if I am continuing watching something the next day it forgets and makes me go through everything again. But If I'm watching something for the first time in 4 years, it warps to the credits.

Netflix has a better success rate then that by miles. I'll deal with hitting back the odd time I want to do that.

• #49

this would all be solved if streaming services offered proper playlist building. None of them seem to outside of Youtube.

• #50

The way Disney+ this is horrible as they don't have a way back to the shows your watching. Makes watching the Simpsons a pain. Lots of the other ones will pull up the series page somewhat near at least but Disney keeps trying to hide the Simpson page and promote their horrible shorts

armstrongthicat.blogspot.com

Source: https://www.resetera.com/threads/am-i-crazy-for-absolutely-hating-when-streaming-platforms-have-their-continue-watching-buttons-navigate-straight-to-the-episode.579641/

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