Netflix raises price $1 on standard plan

[A Casual Fitz]

I can watch everything I want to watch, and use broadcast for everything else. The one clincher is ESPN, but it'll go streaming eventually.

Besides, even if I do end up paying the same price as cable I get far more relevant content than I would with cable, and I get all of it on demand. Why should I want USA's endless NCIS marathons when the first 12 seasons are available on Netflix?

I've also rid myself of needing to see a show as soon as it comes out. Some stuff I watch only pops up on Hulu a week later. *shrug* I can wait a week.

sWait, why are you watching NCIS at all?

 

[lupi]

There's a competition for who has the best/most content, as that service will attract the most users. I know people who signed up for HBO now for Game of Thrones and then canceled their account when the season ended, but subscribe to Netflix year-round, for example.

Exclusives are a form of competition, they don't limit it. By your logic there's no competition among news programs because the individual hosts/anchors are only on one channel at a given time. If you think that "competition" means every provider having access to all the content, then the traditional cable companies are still around to welcome you with open arms and insane prices.

I can select from 4-5 cable/satellite services. That's competition. If you shop around and aren't unwilling to swap every year or so, you can get some decent discounts/freebies.

Paying each channel individually for online access is just an expensive form of a la carte, and if you get more than a couple of those channels then it becomes cheaper to just go with the full lineup cable/satellite provider.

 

[A Casual Fitz]

what competition, there is netflix and a side benefit for discount shipping, everything else is direct from the media corps.

A lot of areas have cable company monopolies. That was his point.

 

[SlitheryDee]

Why do we act shocked and outraged when prices increase? Hasn't gradual price increase been the way of things for nearly every product in existence for all of our lives? Yet every time it happens we're all like "A price increase?!? Why I've never heard of such a thing"!

 

[TwiceOver]

Netflix has gotten rid of at least 1000 movies this year. Most recently they didn't renew their EPIX deal which was over 700 shows. That deal ended on Sept. 30. And now Netflix has decided their service is worth more money?

A large Disney catalog is going to be coming in a few months, so you lose some movies and gain some others.

No one source is ever going to have everything and more than likely Epix content is now on some other provider (hulu in this case). Usually Amazon and Netflix flip flop catalogs.

 

[Atomic Playboy]

That's nearly $100 over eight years! THIS IS AN OUTRAGE.

 

[dainthomas]

Depends on what kinds of movies you're into I guess. My Netflix list is dozens of items long, I've also discovered some awesome movies and documentaries through Netflix that I probably wouldn't have seen otherwise.

It's worth it just for the older shows, especially sci fi. Every Star Trek, X files, Supernatural, Doctor Who, Buffy etc etc.... I would have to take a three month sabbatical just to get through everything in my queue. Movies are just a bonus (of which there are plenty unless you're looking for every new release).

 

[slayer202]

Wahhhhhhhhhhhh

 

[lupi]

A lot of areas have cable company monopolies. That was his point.

Disregarding appartment dwellers, most areas have at least 3 choices.

 

[zinfamous]

Everyone is laughing now but you know eventually we will have to fork over $100 a month for these streaming services.

CableTV use to cost $18 a month a one time and now it's more then $100.

Probably, but I'll worry about that....10 years from now? 5 years from now? I see no reason to be concerned with NFLX pricing right now, as I still feel that the cost is well below actual value.

I was going to investigate the 4K subscription (I think it is ~$13/month?). Not sure if I want to jump on it, because that gives me, what--3 shows and maybe 5 movies right now?

But yes, there reaches a point where you keep increasing prices, if minimally, and you reach a breakpoint where the customers will indeed balk. Remember when they tried to branch off as Netflix and Flickster or somesuch stupid entity? The masses revolted, and Netflix dumped the idea. They've been quite responsive to what their customers want.

 

[zinfamous]

Disregarding appartment dwellers, most areas have at least 3 choices.

No not really. And even when it comes to apartment dwellers, it isn't all apartment dwellers. It is a subset of residents in specific, rather large buildings that have signed contracts, amongst all apartment dwellers in a city, for example.

The regional monopolization of cable companies is very real. It is a problem that affects rural as well as large urban populations. Last I was in Chicago (2008), Comcast had more or less demolished RCN, leaving Comcast something like 94% of the market at that time. I'm not sure if ATT has moved in or not, or Fios or what-have-you.

The previous 7 years, in Berkeley/East Bay, it was Comcast only for the first 4 or 5 years, and only recently ATT has established some service. That's 2 providers...for a very large population.

Now, in Maryland just north of DC, there is Comcast and Verizon. That's it--just 2 providers.

My mother still lives in RTP (NC), and all she has is Time Warner; and it has been that way for decades. Google is supposed to be dropped fiber there, however, in the next 3 or 4 years? Yay! Choice!

 

[ponyo]

They could raise the price by another $10 and people here would gladly bend over and take it. Netflix is leaving lot of money on the table by only increasing it $1.

If you don't like it, you can easily cancel. I haven't seen anyone saying they're going to cancel because of the $1 hike. Vote with your wallet. I canceled when Netflix announced the price hike and Qwikster planned split back in 2011 and haven't looked back. I don't miss it one bit just like I don't miss the monthly $90 Dish Network bill.

 

[Fingolfin269]

The problem with this (for Netflix) is it reminds me that I actually have Netflix. And then I remember I probably haven't used it in a few months so it might be a good idea to cancel. I can always sign back up later if the need arises since there are no cancellation or sign up restrictions.

Thanks Netflix!

 

[1sikbITCH]

Depends on what kinds of movies you're into I guess. My Netflix list is dozens of items long, I've also discovered some awesome movies and documentaries through Netflix that I probably wouldn't have seen otherwise.

I think it also depends on your age. I was watching the original Star Wars in the theater in 1977 and have seen probably thousands of movies since. The only movies I find on Netflix that I have NOT seen are low budget, straight to dvd movies, or movies I decided not to watch years ago such as chick flicks and most Jim Carrie movies.

 

[irishScott]

I can select from 4-5 cable/satellite services. That's competition. If you shop around and aren't unwilling to swap every year or so, you can get some decent discounts/freebies.

Paying each channel individually for online access is just an expensive form of a la carte, and if you get more than a couple of those channels then it becomes cheaper to just go with the full lineup cable/satellite provider.

More than a couple? Netflix, Amazon Prime and Hulu Plus are less than $30 a month combined. Show me a cable deal that even comes close to that while offering equivalent content and services.

Cable is severely limited. On-demand is a limited upgrade, whereas with streaming everything I get is on-demand by default. With cable I would have to watch when a show airs, go through the trouble of DVRing a show, or wait for reruns to see an old episode, enduring lengthy and irrelevant advertisements the whole time. Subscription to a streaming service usually provides the entire backlog for a given show, or at least the most recent few episodes, with limited or zero advertising; plus I can wait to enjoy the latest episode if watching it when it airs isn't convenient. Likewise I can access my streaming services from anywhere with a decently fast internet connection, even from my phone, whereas with cable I have to be at home on my couch to "enjoy" its comparatively tepid experience.

The only downside to streaming for me is that I have to wait for stuff to pop-up online, but that's becoming less of a problem as time goes on. I also get tons of additional quality content to keep me occupied in the meantime, so I'm happy to wait. Hulu Plus alone gets me every season of South Park, family guy, as well as the latest Modern Family, Agents of SHIELD, and Arrow; Netflix gets me dozens of TV series and movies that I enjoy; Amazon Prime gets me Suits, The Sopranos and a suite of movies complementary to Netflix.

I had basic cable in college, about 50 channels provided as part of living in the dorms. It wasn't an option, everyone got it. I still barely ever watched it outside of major sporting events and live news. There was hardly ever anything good on TV, much less so at a convenient time, and my laptop's hard drive was limited for DVRing purposes. So I saved up money to pay for Netflix streaming which I spent infinitely more time with (started with Breaking Bad). So for me the experience was such that I'd rather pay for Netflix then get basic cable for free.

 

[irishScott]

I think it also depends on your age. I was watching the original Star Wars in the theater in 1977 and have seen probably thousands of movies since. The only movies I find on Netflix that I have NOT seen are low budget, straight to dvd movies, or movies I decided not to watch years ago such as chick flicks and most Jim Carrie movies.

Granted. I'm also the type to repeatedly watch stuff I like. I've probably seen every episode of DS9 at least twice.

 

[JM Aggie08]

Less than $.04/day. There are much bigger things to worry about. Lol.

 

[irishScott]

sWait, why are you watching NCIS at all?

It's a guilty pleasure. 🙂

 

[lupi]

No not really. And even when it comes to apartment dwellers, it isn't all apartment dwellers. It is a subset of residents in specific, rather large buildings that have signed contracts, amongst all apartment dwellers in a city, for example.

The regional monopolization of cable companies is very real. It is a problem that affects rural as well as large urban populations. Last I was in Chicago (2008), Comcast had more or less demolished RCN, leaving Comcast something like 94% of the market at that time. I'm not sure if ATT has moved in or not, or Fios or what-have-you.

The previous 7 years, in Berkeley/East Bay, it was Comcast only for the first 4 or 5 years, and only recently ATT has established some service. That's 2 providers...for a very large population.

Now, in Maryland just north of DC, there is Comcast and Verizon. That's it--just 2 providers.

My mother still lives in RTP (NC), and all she has is Time Warner; and it has been that way for decades. Google is supposed to be dropped fiber there, however, in the next 3 or 4 years? Yay! Choice!

And Directv and Dish which make that 4 choices.

 

[lupi]

More than a couple? Netflix, Amazon Prime and Hulu Plus are less than $30 a month combined. Show me a cable deal that even comes close to that while offering equivalent content and services.

Cable is severely limited. On-demand is a limited upgrade, whereas with streaming everything I get is on-demand by default. With cable I would have to watch when a show airs, go through the trouble of DVRing a show, or wait for reruns to see an old episode, enduring lengthy and irrelevant advertisements the whole time. Subscription to a streaming service usually provides the entire backlog for a given show, or at least the most recent few episodes, with limited or zero advertising; plus I can wait to enjoy the latest episode if watching it when it airs isn't convenient. Likewise I can access my streaming services from anywhere with a decently fast internet connection, even from my phone, whereas with cable I have to be at home on my couch to "enjoy" its comparatively tepid experience.

The only downside to streaming for me is that I have to wait for stuff to pop-up online, but that's becoming less of a problem as time goes on. I also get tons of additional quality content to keep me occupied in the meantime, so I'm happy to wait. Hulu Plus alone gets me every season of South Park, family guy, as well as the latest Modern Family, Agents of SHIELD, and Arrow; Netflix gets me dozens of TV series and movies that I enjoy; Amazon Prime gets me Suits, The Sopranos and a suite of movies complementary to Netflix.

I had basic cable in college, about 50 channels provided as part of living in the dorms. It wasn't an option, everyone got it. I still barely ever watched it outside of major sporting events and live news. There was hardly ever anything good on TV, much less so at a convenient time, and my laptop's hard drive was limited for DVRing purposes. So I saved up money to pay for Netflix streaming which I spent infinitely more time with (started with Breaking Bad). So for me the experience was such that I'd rather pay for Netflix then get basic cable for free.

So you're looking at 50-70 a month minimum for those couple of services. With a TV provider that would get you a mid tier package with dvr & on demand viewing. And unless wanting some of the more esoteric channels, that would have you watching any regular show you wanted to.

 

[SSSnail]

Everyone is laughing now but you know eventually we will have to fork over $100 a month for these streaming services.

CableTV use to cost $18 a month a one time and now it's more then $100.

Big difference is that with streaming services you have actual competitions, whereas cable services are mostly monopolized or oligopolized, which explains the $100 plus/mo for services.

 

[natto fire]

Yeah, going to take a LOT of those dollar bumps to get to where cable is today. Also, because they got smart and started producing original content, I just can't see it getting to the point that has cable customers dropping their shitty service en masse.

I spend maybe 4 hours a week watching TV, so Netflix more than keeps me satisfied, and if there is not something that catches my interest, I just do something else instead.

 

[irishScott]

So you're looking at 50-70 a month minimum for those couple of services. With a TV provider that would get you a mid tier package with dvr & on demand viewing. And unless wanting some of the more esoteric channels, that would have you watching any regular show you wanted to.

Yeah, or I could add HBO Now to my current lineup (probably will when Game of Thrones comes back around) for a grand total of $43/month with no ads outside of Hulu and practically everything I want, plus a bigger and more accessible catalog. The only disadvantage is waiting for content to be posted, but that's becoming less of an issue as the years go by. Most of the shows I watch regularly are available at some provider or other within 24 hours of airing, or at most a week. For the few outliers I can typically buy season passes on Amazon, which gets me access the day the show airs, is permanently tied to my account and is still far cheaper than adding a cable subscription.

 

[dainthomas]

Yeah, or I could add HBO Now to my current lineup (probably will when Game of Thrones comes back around) for a grand total of $43/month with no ads outside of Hulu and practically everything I want, plus a bigger and more accessible catalog. The only disadvantage is waiting for content to be posted, but that's becoming less of an issue as the years go by. Most of the shows I watch regularly are available at some provider or other within 24 hours of airing, or at most a week. For the few outliers I can typically buy season passes on Amazon, which gets me access the day the show airs, is permanently tied to my account and is still far cheaper than adding a cable subscription.

For a few extra bucks you can upgrade Hulu to get rid of the ads.

 

[PliotronX]

Sure eats into the chill budget.