Sunday, February 25, 2018

Behind the Rankings: Warner Archive Instant is changing again?

I made my weekly pilgrimage to the Warner Archive Instant website to see if it added anything (the Roku version hasn't worked properly in months). and saw something interesting: a prominent banner touting an important announcement.

However, al it does is link to a single question on a FAQ/support page saying new accounts are not being accepted because:

Warner Archive is currently in the process of transitioning into a broader service, and during the transition new accounts cannot be created and certain apps may become temporarily unavailable. We will be sending out more info in the near future to all of our users about the upcoming service.

Hmm...This is the only place I have seen this, and it being WAI, there is no other info anywhere. The service has social media accounts that haven't been updated since October 22. Why not update those and include this information?

So of course all we can do is speculate as to what is going on here. I certainly hope "broader" means more value and not less (like taking away the rare TV and dumbing down the service). I think it's safe to assume Warner isn't integrating Boomerang in here since it's already a standalone deal. Could we finally get the TCM service we have craved for years? Filmstruck is TCM-endorsed, but there is room for a classic Hollywood service, and I think many assumed WAI would be that. It started out as pretty good but has been neglected for years. Of course, it remains in my rankings and in my heart because of the handful of cool TV series it streams. I am going to try to pick up my pace of watching those, and I suggest you do, too, because who knows what is next for WAI? Certainly not anyone who visits its website, Twitter feed, Facebook page, or uses it on Roky.

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