• 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's underlying "WIN"

Page 2 - Seeking answers? Join the AnandTech community: where nearly half-a-million members share solutions and discuss the latest tech.
The whole Netflix thing with people getting mad and dropping them, is really about the masses getting together making a company change their ways. Just like with Banks now dropping the monthly charge on debit cards because so many people are moving to credit unions to bank with. The money is not the important thing here, it's that we consumers have to stick together sometimes to keep companies and banks from raping us all the time.
 
TheAdvocate said:
BTW, I am now grudgingly back with Redbox.
Click to expand...

except those goofballs that stand at the machine not realizing they can peruse the selections from home or phone. Other than that, I use redbox regularly. Selection sucks but there are no other rental places in town.

But I wonder about the long term sustainability of netflix. This company relies on the bandwidth of cable companies to deliver product. These cable companies have the ability to license content and its already delivered through cable boxes. Cable companies are going to steer people somehow to buy their content rather than paying netflix.

netflix has the advantage of being more mobile for the user... but this can easily be improved by cable companies.
 
Vic Vega said:
800,000 subscribers @ $8.00/month. That's $6,400,000.00 a month in revenue or $76,800,000.00 a year. This is not a small amount, even reletive to their total subscribership. The fact that the loss is solely their fault and could have been avoided is why the stock is plummeting and investors are pulling out. It shows poor leadership and impulse decision making. Their CEO needs to go - today. They need someone in there to speak to shareholders and investors and convince them that these types of knee-jerk decisions will not happen again and that Netflix isn't going to jump in and out of markets at random.
Click to expand...

The stock price was way over inflated. It might still be high. With all the other companies offering streaming now, Netflix will have to compete.
 
Netflix's iPad app is a POS too. You click play and it freezes up then a cheap overlay with a spinner says, "Starting..." and then eventually it will play. Seems like they spent a whole week writing the app.
 
Red Storm said:
Netflix sucks IMHO. When their stream selection matches up with DVD releases, I will actually consider signing up.
Click to expand...

You would be better off buying movies on demand for $5 a pop. No way would it be possible to offer every movie on the planet for a reasonable monthly fee. People who complain about the selection are delusional. It's friggin $8 a month
 
Honestly, redbox for new releases and netflix streaming for old stuff is probably a good route for a lot of people. The locations for me are almost a half hour from my house though so I'm not interested.
 
TheAdvocate said:
BTW, I am now grudgingly back with Redbox. I kinda hate having to get in the car to return a movie and the selection is limited, but at least their insane proliferation scheme means I usually don't have to drive far and can usually work it into my other errands or lunch. I thought I went a little crazy in August, renting so many movies. I looked at my bank statement and I spent $16 and change. That's less than I was spending for a month with Netflix, and I rented 12 movies (there were a couple of thank you freebies in there) versus the 3 or 4 I was averaging with netflix after all the shipping and in stock delays. It's just a much better value.
Click to expand...

No, you spent more than $16. Are you factoring in the gas you used just to rent/return those movies? Most people do not, and with today's gas prices it adds up fast.

I still use Netflix DVD service because I can get 2 movies a week so the price is still very good in that regard.
 
much of netflix's down fall can be attributes to the street's unrealistic valuation, creating a bubbles. The company's action pale comparison to the streets.
 
slayer202 said:
You would be better off buying movies on demand for $5 a pop. No way would it be possible to offer every movie on the planet for a reasonable monthly fee. People who complain about the selection are delusional. It's friggin $8 a month
Click to expand...

I think it could be done for a reasonable price, but you basically have to turn it into a "DVD by mail" option that is really just instant. This means:
1. Fees from content providers would switch to a pay-per-play model instead of a lump sum that a bunch of the recent deals have seemed to be.
2. These pay-per-plays could be bundled, similar to how a DVD "wears out" from continued use/shipping/scratching. A fee would be paid for every x views (ex. 30). This might get content providers to offer slightly better pay-per-play rates.
3. Users would be limited to y views per z day period. This could be something like their average DVD by mail monthly count, so say 5 movies per "disc" per 30 days. So if you paid for a 2 "disc" plan on streaming, you could watch 10 movies per 30 days for your monthly fee.

I don't think the enormous lump sum payments to content providers or the all you can watch style plans are compatible with real "futuristic streaming" where every movie is available to stream day & date with the DVD release. For it to be viable, you basically have to turn it into the old DVD rental model that just has the convenience of no shipping and no discs.
 
I could see that working. The trade-offs might be enough to get content providers on board, though I think they would still be scared of loss of DVD sales. I'm not sure a system that is convenient and cheap enough for the consumer would provide the revenue that the studios want to see. We need to kill off DVDs and go really gung-ho with streaming before we have really huge streaming options. And even then, the studios will probably sell digital copies on their own. I think looking at music/cds/streaming is a helpful comparison. I don't have time to get into that right now though
 
fenrir said:
No, you spent more than $16. Are you factoring in the gas you used just to rent/return those movies? Most people do not, and with today's gas prices it adds up fast.
Click to expand...

My office is 2.2 miles from my front door. Between the two are no less than 7 Red box machines. And, as I said, thanks to the fact that there's a redbox every 100 feet, I am not doing any driving I wouldnt have already been doing.
 
TheAdvocate said:
My office is 2.2 miles from my front door. Between the two are no less than 7 Red box machines. And, as I said, thanks to the fact that there's a redbox every 100 feet, I am not doing any driving I wouldnt have already been doing.
Click to expand...

Never really checked out RedBox until this post.
Checked out their website. There are literally a TON of RedBox machines in the immediate vicinity and the cost is ultra cheap for movies I actually want to watch.

Might have to give it a try.
 
Patranus said:
Never really checked out RedBox until this post.
Checked out their website. There are literally a TON of RedBox machines in the immediate vicinity and the cost is ultra cheap for movies I actually want to watch.

Might have to give it a try.
Click to expand...

I cancelled my netflix (mostly at 10 a month for DVD and streaming, it was too cheap not to have) but when I had it I still used RedBox sometimes. If I wanted to watch a blu-ray it was a great option. Under two bucks, often at a place I would probably not mind being at anyway (grocery store, 7-11, etc). I was pretty impressed with it.
 
Can't believe there's only 9 Redbox machines in all of NYC. Seems there's a Blockbuster Express machine on every corner though.
 
Patranus said:
Never really checked out RedBox until this post.
Checked out their website. There are literally a TON of RedBox machines in the immediate vicinity and the cost is ultra cheap for movies I actually want to watch.

Might have to give it a try.
Click to expand...

I love redbox. i get 3 movies a month (wich is about what i would get with netflix). so i spend $3 vs a bunch more with netflix. wich with the price increase is why i dropped down to just streaming.

since redbox has a box everywhere i go i don't have to drive out of my way to get or return them.
 
NetFlix's big problem comes in Feb, when they lose their Starz movies to stream...

I'll be dropping them in Feb. And I've been a member for years...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

TRENDING THREADS

Back
Top