Netflix splits off DVDs - separate company Qwikster

paulney

Diamond Member
Sep 24, 2003
6,909
1
0
Dear PaulNey,

I messed up. I owe you an explanation.

[no kidding]

It is clear from the feedback over the past two months that many members felt we lacked respect and humility in the way we announced the separation of DVD and streaming and the price changes. That was certainly not our intent, and I offer my sincere apology. Let me explain what we are doing.

For the past five years, my greatest fear at Netflix has been that we wouldn't make the leap from success in DVDs to success in streaming. Most companies that are great at something – like AOL dialup or Borders bookstores – do not become great at new things people want (streaming for us). So we moved quickly into streaming, but I should have personally given you a full explanation of why we are splitting the services and thereby increasing prices. It wouldn’t have changed the price increase, but it would have been the right thing to do.

So here is what we are doing and why.

[blah-blah-blah]


It’s hard to write this after over 10 years of mailing DVDs with pride, but we think it is necessary: In a few weeks, we will rename our DVD by mail service to “Qwikster”. We chose the name Qwikster because it refers to quick delivery. We will keep the name “Netflix” for streaming.

Qwikster will be the same website and DVD service that everyone is used to. It is just a new name, and DVD members will go to qwikster.com to access their DVD queues and choose movies. One improvement we will make at launch is to add a video games upgrade option, similar to our upgrade option for Blu-ray, for those who want to rent Wii, PS3 and Xbox 360 games. Members have been asking for video games for many years, but now that DVD by mail has its own team, we are finally getting it done. Other improvements will follow. A negative of the renaming and separation is that the Qwikster.com and Netflix.com websites will not be integrated.

There are no pricing changes (we’re done with that!). If you subscribe to both services you will have two entries on your credit card statement, one for Qwikster and one for Netflix. The total will be the same as your current charges. We will let you know in a few weeks when the Qwikster.com website is up and ready.

[blah-blah-blah]

Respectfully yours,

-Reed Hastings, Co-Founder and CEO, Netflix

p.s. I have a slightly longer explanation along with a video posted on our blog, where you can also post comments.

-----

Screw you, Netflix, I'll cancel my streaming-only subscription soon anyway. There's practically nothing to watch.
 

zinfamous

No Lifer
Jul 12, 2006
111,856
31,346
146
oh fuck that shit.

is this a real email?


if so, they obviously hired the same shit-for-brains overpaid consultant that created the "xfinity" moniker of garbage.
 

zinfamous

No Lifer
Jul 12, 2006
111,856
31,346
146
welp, that settles it. I was planning it anyway, but I'll be cancelling my 2 BD deal at the end of the month, then relying on streaming for the next ~year, or until they either lose all their current license or raise subscription a minimum 30% to cover the astronomical renewal fees that they will have to pay.
 

brblx

Diamond Member
Mar 23, 2009
5,499
2
0
soooo...what's the cost?

if they offer the same services at the same prices, i dont care.

although crapfinity can suck my ass. i still don't even think THEY know what the hell they're doing with their branding.

netflix seems pretty sure here. this is to avoid backlash, not create confusion. unfortunately, it's going to create confusion and backlash...
 

zinfamous

No Lifer
Jul 12, 2006
111,856
31,346
146
soooo...what's the cost?

if they offer the same services at the same prices, i dont care.

although crapfinity can suck my ass. i still don't even think THEY know what the hell they're doing with their branding.

netflix seems pretty sure here. this is to avoid backlash, not create confusion. unfortunately, it's going to create confusion and backlash...

it's the same exact strategy, and i think it's dumbshit. (change name, deny your history of horrible customer service)

...not that Netflix had horrible customer service, mind you.


Honestly, I think it's just re-branding themselves as streaming-only, which I believe was their goal all along. The company will likely experience a complete split, as they need to focus their finances on the sudden ridiculous costs to keep their streaming content where it is now...and if they're lucky, to actually increase it (which is certainly their goal).

the mail-order market is just way too much overhead for such an entity.

Likely, that will die off, which is kind of sad...and imagine the piles of workers that sit in those warehouses sorting and stuffing envelopes 24/7.

:(
 

Gooberlx2

Lifer
May 4, 2001
15,381
6
91
I can certainly see the de-integration of queues and ratings as a big hassle for those who want to retain both services.

Not sure if I get the point. I don't really see how a new website + rebranding helps improve the disc-based service, or with introducing games, versus having to deal with the confusion created.

Unless it is as I've seen suggested, that it's just an easier route for them to split and then kill or sell the more costly business.
 
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Aikouka

Lifer
Nov 27, 2001
30,383
912
126
I can certainly see the de-integration of queues and ratings as a big hassle for those who want to retain both services.

Agreed. Before if you wanted to watch a movie, you would just search for it. If you found out it was disc-only, you would just add it to your queue. If it was streamable, you would stream it or add it to your instant queue. Now, if I don't find it on netflix.com, I have to head to qwikster.com just to see if it's available on disc?

o_O
 

brblx

Diamond Member
Mar 23, 2009
5,499
2
0
i didn't even consider that as a factor. if nothing else it will link your accounts through facebook or some dumb shit.
 

Nik

Lifer
Jun 5, 2006
16,101
3
56
I really don't care. There's a lot of people bitching like they deserve all this shit for free and I won't be one of them.

I gladly pay my EIGHT WHOLE FUCKING DOLLARS a month (omg! break the bank!) for their streaming service.

Jesus.

"Being poor must suck!" :rolleyes:
 

Aikouka

Lifer
Nov 27, 2001
30,383
912
126
I really don't care. There's a lot of people bitching like they deserve all this shit for free and I won't be one of them.

Netflix did give it to them for free for years... so I don't know if I can blame them too much for being annoyed. Is it logical of them to expect to continue getting it for free? Of course not, but I think that logic is better understood by the technologically inclined.

Remember... there are people who think that Internet Explorer = The Internets.
 

eits

Lifer
Jun 4, 2005
25,015
3
81
www.integratedssr.com
i got the same email a couple hours ago.

i suspect that the only people who got the email were those who canceled their mail service and stuck with just the streaming, since most of you who said you were cancelling after reading the op never got the email. i canceled the mail dvd service about a week ago and i got the email.
 

shortylickens

No Lifer
Jul 15, 2003
80,287
17,081
136
Agreed. Before if you wanted to watch a movie, you would just search for it. If you found out it was disc-only, you would just add it to your queue. If it was streamable, you would stream it or add it to your instant queue. Now, if I don't find it on netflix.com, I have to head to qwikster.com just to see if it's available on disc?

o_O

Thats gonna irritate me and infuriate my mother. We both have netflix for discs and streaming. But her system is slow and she cant get good use of her streaming service. I was gonna buy her a new computer for Christmas. Now she may just cancel the streaming and use disc only.
 

slayer202

Lifer
Nov 27, 2005
13,679
119
106
I really don't care. There's a lot of people bitching like they deserve all this shit for free and I won't be one of them.

I gladly pay my EIGHT WHOLE FUCKING DOLLARS a month (omg! break the bank!) for their streaming service.

Jesus.

"Being poor must suck!" :rolleyes:

:thumbsup:

It's a fucking business. They made a change. Quit fucking crying about it. If you want to cancel, just fucking do it already. For the sane of us, we'll continue getting an incredible value
 
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ch33zw1z

Lifer
Nov 4, 2004
39,749
20,323
146
Guess that explains the price changes and the splitting of DVDs from streaming, they're just getting rid of the DVDs.
 

TwiceOver

Lifer
Dec 20, 2002
13,544
44
91
Got the email this morning also. I guess I don't really care who gets my $8 but doesn't anyone else think this is really going to alienate the average consumer of both services? Two names, two separate bills, sounds like a really dumb idea.
 

Slew Foot

Lifer
Sep 22, 2005
12,379
96
86
they just moved the dvd business into a whole new building too. Seems like an odd thing if they were trying to kill it off.
 

Wyndru

Diamond Member
Apr 9, 2009
7,318
4
76
At least they are finally adding games.

Not sure why they would think splitting would be helpful to the company though. I wonder if they want to get away from the netflix name because they know the streaming selection is going to continue to get worse, and they don't want their DVD sales to suffer because of people canceling.

Stupid name though, enough with the "ster" names already. No one even remembers or cares about napster anymore.
 

xSauronx

Lifer
Jul 14, 2000
19,582
4
81
I can certainly see the de-integration of queues and ratings as a big hassle for those who want to retain both services.


this. i have streaming, and lately have been considering getting dvds/blu rays again, but really, if im going to have to deal with the hassle of going to two places to login and manage, its not going to happen. i know the lack of streaing content isnt their fault and was about to go dvds again to watch what i want....but this is fucking dumb.