• We’re currently investigating an issue related to the forum theme and styling that is impacting page layout and visual formatting. The problem has been identified, and we are actively working on a resolution. There is no impact to user data or functionality, this is strictly a front-end display issue. We’ll post an update once the fix has been deployed. Thanks for your patience while we get this sorted.

Netflix deathwatch.

tard.jpg
 
techs said:
Ironical post considering how many people predicted the death of Netflix after their pricing fiasco.
Click to expand...

things were grim for awhile, and Richard Hastings deserves a lot of credit imo

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/27/business/netflix-looks-back-on-its-near-death-spiral.html

This week, Netflix announced that it gained three million subscribers globally in the first quarter and that revenue for the quarter exceeded $1 billion, a record for the company. On Tuesday, the stock jumped 22 percent, the first time it has traded over $200 since the Qwikster episode, and it is up 135 percent so far this year, making Netflix the best-performing company in the Standard & Poor’s 500-stock index. The company is basking in the critical glow of its original series, “House of Cards,” and this month narrowly surpassed HBO in total subscribers.

In the annals of corporate missteps, there are few parallels to such a rebound from what once looked like a death spiral, especially in the momentum-driven world of technology. Zynga, the online game maker, and Groupon, the Internet coupon company, are struggling with brutal competition. In an old-economy industry like retail, J. C. Penney was in the midst of a similarly bold attempt to reposition the company when it fired its chief executive, and is now fighting to survive.
Click to expand...
 
Netflix is a bargain for what they offer, the only problem is if your ISP provider sucks there can be issues, other than that for $8/mth it's totally worth it..
 
BUTCH1 said:
Netflix is a bargain for what they offer, the only problem is if your ISP provider sucks there can be issues, other than that for $8/mth it's totally worth it..
Click to expand...

This. I could cancel my satellite and just watch shows/movies I've missed on Netflix for months.
 
BUTCH1 said:
Netflix is a bargain for what they offer, the only problem is if your ISP provider sucks there can be issues, other than that for $8/mth it's totally worth it..
Click to expand...

Seriously. We dropped cable and just use Netflix & Amazon. Amazon works out to $6.59/mo with a $79/yr prepay (Prime with streaming videos, although we primarily got it for the free 2-day shipping feature). We also use MOG ($10/mo) for music (16 million songs, iOS app that can download local). So around $25/mo for tons of music, movies, TV shows, and documentaries. Tons of entertainment and huge savings over a cable TV package.
 
RedRooster said:
Netflix is the future of television. Cable/sat providers are the ones on deathwatch.
Click to expand...

Mmm, I'm not sure about that.

A large part of television's appeal is not having to think about it. With Netflix, you have to search for what you want to watch in a piecemeal fashion. Yes, it has suggestions, queues, etc., but it's not as much of a no-brainer thing as TV. Sometimes when I get home from work, it's nice just to plop down in front of the television and surf until I find something mildly interesting (not as much fun anymore since I only get basic cable, hah!).

It's the same with car radio. I have access to just about every song on the planet through MOG on my iPhone, but half the time I just end up listening to the radio since the work is being done for me. It's nice not to have to think about it. I think Pandora is about as close as they've come to killing radio...select a type of music you want and it does the rest. So if Netflix had something like that, or something more on the IPTV range where you could more or less "flip channels", that'd be a huge hit, I think. Nothing I hate worse than coming home from work, flipping on the Scifi channel, and only having 6 hours of Ghost Hunters available...so Pandora for TV would be epic :thumbsup:
 
Kaido said:
Mmm, I'm not sure about that.

A large part of television's appeal is not having to think about it. With Netflix, you have to search for what you want to watch in a piecemeal fashion. Yes, it has suggestions, queues, etc., but it's not as much of a no-brainer thing as TV. Sometimes when I get home from work, it's nice just to plop down in front of the television and surf until I find something mildly interesting (not as much fun anymore since I only get basic cable, hah!).

It's the same with car radio. I have access to just about every song on the planet through MOG on my iPhone, but half the time I just end up listening to the radio since the work is being done for me. It's nice not to have to think about it. I think Pandora is about as close as they've come to killing radio...select a type of music you want and it does the rest. So if Netflix had something like that, or something more on the IPTV range where you could more or less "flip channels", that'd be a huge hit, I think. Nothing I hate worse than coming home from work, flipping on the Scifi channel, and only having 6 hours of Ghost Hunters available...so Pandora for TV would be epic :thumbsup:
Click to expand...

That's true, but I should've said services like Netflix as well. Online services in general.
As media players like Roku improve their interfaces to Hulu, where its basically an unlimited PVR with the convenience of sitting in front of your TV with a remote, there's going to be more and more cable cutters. Not to mention those live HD services like that antenna subscription thing out of NY.
 
RedRooster said:
Netflix is the future of television. Cable/sat providers are the ones on deathwatch.
Click to expand...

Not quite. As long as cable providers control the pipes, and the old media companies control the content people want, then they will find a way to survive even if that means killing the Netflix golden goose.

Netflix's current business model is set on the premise that media companies were willing to allow syndication of their content online for cheap, because when Netflix started only weirdos watched TV on a computer. When Netflix started it got the same syndication rates as buses got- bottom of the totem pole.

Now Netflix has become a primary distribution platform for TV, replacing cable and OTA for many people. Media providers are going to want that much more value in media contracts with Netflix going forward to replace the TV advertising revenue they are losing to cord cutting customers, and Netflix simply can't afford all that content for $10 a month.

Already Netflix is losing content:

http://paidcontent.org/2013/05/23/no-more-dora-spongebob-on-netflix/

That is why Netflix is so keen on House of Cards and Arrested Development - they need original content to keep people paying for Netflix when a lot of the major content is gone.

Hulu is also facing this same problem. Hulu started as a joint venture between media companies to try and leverage the future, but is breaking up because they can't agree on a common platform (and payments) now that Hulu's success is threatening the primary cash cow of TV advertising. Whoever buys Hulu (hey Yahoo!) is basically buying a brand and an empty shell once the media contracts expire because the content will be gone.

In fact I think we will look back at late 2012 as the pinnacle of streaming television for at least the next five years. We are about to watch that market fragment as each content provider makes their own portal or service to maximize revenue, and the common providers like Hulu/Netflix will be a ghost of their former selves due to greed.

Its what Napster did to music industry all over again, except that content providers are determined to not allow Netflix to turned into the next iTunes.
 
Considering how bad their streaming selection sucks, I am surprised they lasted this long.

All netflix needs is one good competitor and they will go down in a ball of flame.
 
Texashiker said:
Considering how bad their streaming selection sucks, I am surprised they lasted this long.

All netflix needs is one good competitor and they will go down in a ball of flame.
Click to expand...

I don't see how a competitor could challenge them. If the competitor had better programming it would cost them more money. At 8 bucks a month the only way to compete on price would be free and then they would have to have commercials which most people would pay 8 bucks a month not to see.

Competitors like Amazon and Hulu can only pick off few series or movies or perhaps a movie studio by paying more. So, once again you have higher price for "better" content as the only possible viable competitor. And, if another streamer got serious with better content then Netflix could always just tier their service and provide a slightly more expensive plan for those interested in it.
 
Kaido said:
A large part of television's appeal is not having to think about it. With Netflix, you have to search for what you want to watch in a piecemeal fashion. Yes, it has suggestions, queues, etc., but it's not as much of a no-brainer thing as TV. Sometimes when I get home from work, it's nice just to plop down in front of the television and surf until I find something mildly interesting (not as much fun anymore since I only get basic cable, hah!).
Click to expand...

Netflix could easily add a Random button.
 
poofyhairguy said:
Not quite. As long as cable providers control the pipes, and the old media companies control the content people want, then they will find a way to survive even if that means killing the Netflix golden goose.

Netflix's current business model is set on the premise that media companies were willing to allow syndication of their content online for cheap, because when Netflix started only weirdos watched TV on a computer. When Netflix started it got the same syndication rates as buses got- bottom of the totem pole.

Now Netflix has become a primary distribution platform for TV, replacing cable and OTA for many people. Media providers are going to want that much more value in media contracts with Netflix going forward to replace the TV advertising revenue they are losing to cord cutting customers, and Netflix simply can't afford all that content for $10 a month.

Already Netflix is losing content:

http://paidcontent.org/2013/05/23/no-more-dora-spongebob-on-netflix/

That is why Netflix is so keen on House of Cards and Arrested Development - they need original content to keep people paying for Netflix when a lot of the major content is gone.

Hulu is also facing this same problem. Hulu started as a joint venture between media companies to try and leverage the future, but is breaking up because they can't agree on a common platform (and payments) now that Hulu's success is threatening the primary cash cow of TV advertising. Whoever buys Hulu (hey Yahoo!) is basically buying a brand and an empty shell once the media contracts expire because the content will be gone.

In fact I think we will look back at late 2012 as the pinnacle of streaming television for at least the next five years. We are about to watch that market fragment as each content provider makes their own portal or service to maximize revenue, and the common providers like Hulu/Netflix will be a ghost of their former selves due to greed.

Its what Napster did to music industry all over again, except that content providers are determined to not allow Netflix to turned into the next iTunes.
Click to expand...


The media companies don't have a choice. If they fail to give users the content in the way the users want to consume it the users will find their content though less than honest means.

I used to pirate music. Not because I didn't want to pay money, but because I didn't find value in CDs. I now pay a subscription fee to listen to all the music I can think of. I use netflix, hulu, amazon, and itunes. I'm not going to pay for cable in it's current format. Take that away and I'll find my tv shows the old fashioned way (using the pirate search engine know as google).
 
techs said:
I don't see how a competitor could challenge them. If the competitor had better programming it would cost them more money.
Click to expand...

There are tons of older 1960s, 1970s and 1980s movies that could be added to netflix. Stuff that is difficult to find even on ebay or amazon.

How much could it cost to add movies to netflix?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

TRENDING THREADS

Back
Top