WIDE ANGLE

I signed up for Netflix for the first time in a year just to catch the Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson boxing match. Having previously canceled my subscription due to lack of use, I shelled out $23 for the top-tier plan that includes 4K streaming. I had high hopes for a big, entertaining event—and, well, hopes were all I got.

To be fair, the Katie Taylor vs. Amanda Serrano fight that preceded the Tyson-Paul matchup was worth the price of admission. It streamed in high definition with so many camera angles it felt like a movie. It was an engaging, bloody, well-fought bout with a surprising, controversial ending. Exactly what you expect from professional boxing. But it wasn't the reason I subscribed, and the main event fell spectacularly flat.

Like millions of others, I got caught up in the hype—maybe even believed in a bit of the fantasy—only to realize it was a WWE-style spectacle wrapped up in the guise of a boxing match. You can read all about the lackluster (and arguably embarrassing) action elsewhere. What stood out most for me, beyond the unfulfilling fight, was the underwhelming streaming quality.

The sound and vision aspects were just as disappointing as the event itself. The Netflix stream was unreliable and the resolution subpar. I encountered technical issues where the screen was replaced by a "Pardon the interruption" message, and when the picture returned, the quality had dropped so much that it felt like I was watching on a basic-tier plan. All this after paying for the supposed premium experience.

In the end, the $23 membership felt like a waste. I canceled it immediately after the fight, left feeling like I should have spent the money renting a couple of good movies instead. And yes, I'm aware there are movies on Netflix, but if I'm after the best quality streaming, I'll stick with video-on-demand rentals on my Apple TV 4K and iTunes. It's a lesson learned: sometimes the hype isn't worth the subscription.