[wcummings]

>most television apps have adopted the annoying "play the next episode unless the user opts out in X seconds"

To be fair, this is how broadcast/cable TV always worked.

[simmons]

This is true, and I've known people who seem to find that quality of broadcast TV addictive. Over the years, they tuned the transition to keep viewers from switching channels -- removed the trailing commercial gap, sped up the closing credits, etc. -- and perhaps increased the addictiveness in the process.