Netflix is on another level with the care that goes into designing their streaming product. I didn't truly appreciate the Netflix app until also subscribing to HBO Now and using their Roku app.

HBO is missing the most basic UX features like discoverability, recommending the next episode of shows you've been watching, ratings, etc. Great content, but basically no effort in their apps that consume their content.

Netflix is a tech company that got into content, and HBO is a content company that got into tech.

I actually find the Netflix UX frustrating. First they removed the straightforward ability to simply say that I never want to watch a show, and then hide it from me. Beyond that I can rate a show 2 stars and yet it continues to come up in recommendations. This gives me the feeling that it doesn't really matter how I rate shows because they are going to shove whatever they want at me regardless.

The only competitor I can compare it to is Amazon. In that regard I agree that Netflix obviously puts more into the interface. Amazon's splitting shows into seasons and not even grouping them together is maddening.

It's crazy how big of a difference the various Roku apps have in terms of quality. Amazon Video and Shudder (two I have used recently) were lacking in so many ways compared to the polish that Netflix has.

I was watching Goliath last weekend on Amazon Video via the Roku player, and 6 minutes prior to the ending of an episode, they dim the screen to start a countdown of playing the next episode. While Netflix has had some hiccups in cutting off some cold opens of some shows, it's vastly better and consistent in behaviour.

Yeah their app and streaming quality are sub par in comparison to Netflix and Amazon. The app is quite slow on the Xbox One and confusing to use overall. Streaming is usually fine, but occasionally it stutters and hiccups severely despite my internet connection being fine. I'd rather pay for HBO and download copies of their shows from a torrent server for better quality.