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[remnant]

Or Netflix is incompetent as fuck. Even if an increase is inevitable as content providers fight for a bigger slice of the pie, you have to habituate people by degrees. You can't just double the amount someone is paying from one month to the next and expect customers not to react negatively. Sounds to me like people are voting with their wallets. Isn't that exactly how the system is supposed to work? Even beyond the price changes Netflix has been screwing up. I mean, what the hell was that whole Quickster thing about? What moron thought diluting an already known brand and forcing customers to manage accounts separately was a smart move? Are you going to blame their awful PR on customers as well?

This is how the market is supposed to work, but this move is irrational to me. Yes Netflix doesn't have a perfect library and doubling the price is a big move, but they still have a better library than everyone else and their costs are much lower than the compeition. it's saying something to me at least that every "alternative" to Netflix requires jumping through 2 or 3 hoops. Going to Hulu, Amazon, youtube and praying itunes has a streaming service one day is better than just paying 8 fucking bucks?

 

[Hero_of_the_Day]

Am I the only one that disliked them mashing all the seasons of TV shows together into one big listing?

No, it's stupid.

 

[Cipherr]

Netflix stock tanked as a result in after hours trading. It went from 118 to 87. Man, it was over 300 back in August. What a train wreck!

Holy FUCK

 

[Mims]

People are bitching cause they were getting both streaming and dvds for 7.99 a month but then they doubled the price. It sounds like they expected people to be lazy and just keep going with it. Then on top of they lose a contract with starz (not that I watch anything from them that much). With the price jump and them losing content is why people opted out.

 

[Leona Lewis]

I don't think I've ever wanted a company to succeed as much as I do for Netflix. It's been such an incredible discovery tool for me, and even an educational resource (documentaries galore), that I can't imagine living without it. And yet it seems to be slowly slipping away...

:-(

 

[Marvie_3]

$8 a month is a steal. I find a lot of good stuff just by randomly watching things.

 

[Eljay]

Netflix suffers from the same problem that companies like Groupon do: they don't own any of their material, they just happened to be first to market with an addictive business model that is now being copied by an array of competitors. As content providers continue to build out and lock down their own services I think Netflix is going to slowly fade away.

 

[Domino Theory]

Netflix needs to introduce a membership called Netflix Platinum.

You get everything that Netflix offers today for unlimited streaming + HBO, Showtime, Starz, and CineMax content. $19.99

 

[Eaten By A Grue]

Am I the only one that disliked them mashing all the seasons of TV shows together into one big listing?

I am actually glad they did it. I hating having an entry for each season, it was just more items to browse through. I also find it easier to see how I am progressing through a TV series and I even use the total episode count to base my decisions of what series to start watching next.

Although they probably should have made it a config setting for people to opt-out of grouping TV seasons together for people of your opinion.

 

[Eljay]

Netflix needs to introduce a membership called Netflix Platinum.

You get everything that Netflix offers today for unlimited streaming + HBO, Showtime, Starz, and CineMax content. $19.99

HBO will never agree to let someone else stream their content. They know their original programming is the only reason people care about their network.

 

[Huevos de Oro]

I was really excited when it finally arrived here in Mexico. In the end, it turned out to be disappointing and underwhelming, so I cancelled my membership. They had already billed me the first month after the free month trial period was over, but I really didn't care.

 

[Mrbob]

Netflix has angered me, but I really want them to succeed rather than fail. There is a doomsday scenario looming if Netflix streaming fails, and this is having to access 20 different pay sites to get all your content.

Netflix needs to introduce a membership called Netflix Platinum.

You get everything that Netflix offers today for unlimited streaming + HBO, Showtime, Starz, and CineMax content. $19.99

Good luck with that. HBO + Cinemax are 20 dollars a month on their own. I would be happy if I could access HBO Go without a cable subscription.

 

[Buddha Beam]

I was thinking about canceling my subscription, but then I realized that if I and everybody else abandons Netflix, the studios would all start their own streaming services...
And when that happens, complaining about spending $15 bucks a month for streaming and DVD rentals from is going to seem like halcyon days.

 

[bill gonorrhea]

Looks like im buying some shares..

 

[Sean]

I am actually glad they did it. I hating having an entry for each season, it was just more items to browse through. I also find it easier to see how I am progressing through a TV series and I even use the total episode count to base my decisions of what series to start watching next.

Although they probably should have made it a config setting for people to opt-out of grouping TV seasons together for people of your opinion.

I mainly hate that its now one rating for the entire series.

I liked how each season had its own rating before, many shows have seasons which drastically differ in quality (Heroes for example went to shit after season 1).

 

[Byakuya769]

indeed....people really dont remember what it was like just a few years ago with blockbuster and hollywood video.

those were the dark times, netflix is a goddamn miracle that everyone pffts at because they can't get this or that, but ignore the thousands of choices presented for only 8 fuckin bucks...

like I've met some cheapskates in my life, but they were never as bad as former netflix customers.

Blockbuster and Hollywood video had shit I wanted to watch.

 

[ZombieSupaStar]

whelp it had a good run, now we get to be nickel and dimed to death paying at least $8 PER COMPANY for their streaming services a month.

by the time people realize how cheap netflix really was, it'll be too late (it already is).

 

[Cyrillus]

Netflix needs to introduce a membership called Netflix Platinum.

You get everything that Netflix offers today for unlimited streaming + HBO, Showtime, Starz, and CineMax content. $19.99

Yeah, that's all they need to do to succeed: the impossible. Seriously, Each of those premium networks cost ~$10/month, with a cable package, and you expect them to sell them for unlimited streaming for less, without the subsidy of cable? I mean sure that'd be amazing, but it's not going to happen.

 

[LuchaShaq]

whelp it had a good run, now we get to be nickel and dimed to death paying at least $8 PER COMPANY for their streaming services a month.

by the time people realize how cheap netflix really was, it'll be too late (it already is).

Will also be too late for movie studios as the millions of people who moved from torrents to netflix move back to torrents.

 

[BlackNMild2k1]

Today:
Me: I love Netflix, it's a deal at <$20 a month
Everyone else: FUCK NETFLIX!! I ain't paying $20 a month for that shit!!


2017: Post Netflix (RIP)
Me: Damn, got a good package deal on internet content streaming... only $89.99 a month
includes pretty much every show... and only $4.99 per new movie release w/ 48 hr access!
Everyone else: Remember that service back in the day called Netflix.... what ever happened to that? That service was the shit! and it was only like $10 a month. They need to bring that back
Me:

 

[DR3AM]

if netflix started their plans at $15-$20 at the beginning they would not have that many subscribers in the first place. people only signed up because it was cheap. now that they increased their prices, some people simply dont think its not worth it anymore.

 

[WillyFive]

Blockbuster and Hollywood video had shit I wanted to watch.

Netflix has a far bigger and better library than those guys.

Unless you only use streaming, I suppose.

Today:
Me: I love Netflix, it's a deal at <$20 a month
Everyone else: FUCK NETFLIX!! I ain't paying $20 a month for that shit!!


2017: Post Netflix (RIP)
Me: Damn, got a good package deal on internet content streaming... only $89.99 a month
includes pretty much every show... and only $4.99 per new movie release w/ 48 hr access!
Everyone else: Remember that service back in the day called Netflix.... what ever happened to that? That service was the shit! and it was only like $10 a month. They need to bring that back
Me:

If movie studios get their way, this dark future may be real.

 

[Saren is Bad]

Overvalued. Just like Apple.

Haaaaaaaaaaaaaa no

 

[tirminyl]

Am I the only one that disliked them mashing all the seasons of TV shows together into one big listing?

At first I did, but now I love it! I was more upset by them taking away the ability to manage my dvd queue on portable devices. I canceled it so I don't have to worry now.

And wow to the crash. Wish I snapped up some stock early on.

 

[Phobophile]

Netflix is ONLY $7.99 a month for streaming?

And people are bitching over that?


Holy fuck.


We pay $160 for cable here, phone/internet/tv of course but I mean sheesh... $8 bucks a month..

It was $9 for 1 BRD + streaming over 2 years ago when I joined up. Then it slowly fucking doubled up to $19.42. The cost of everything's gone up and when you cut $10 from several different services, it adds up.

 

[WillyFive]

Am I the only one that disliked them mashing all the seasons of TV shows together into one big listing?

I think that was a great decision.

It's cumbersome on some specific Netflix clients and shows with an obscene amount of episodes, but otherwise it's a great decision.

 

[Mrbob]

Nevermind.

 

[Cyrillus]

It was $9 for 1 BRD + streaming over 2 years ago when I joined up. Then it slowly fucking doubled up to $19.42. The cost of everything's gone up and when you cut $10 from several different services, it adds up.

And at the price of $19.42, it's still the best content delivery service by far.

 

[NomarTyme]

8 buck I was willing to pay, but I got tired of the waiting the and the stream content was shit. The rise in price didn't help things.

 

[Vyer]

indeed....people really dont remember what it was like just a few years ago with blockbuster and hollywood video.

those were the dark times, netflix is a goddamn miracle that everyone pffts at because they can't get this or that, but ignore the thousands of choices presented for only 8 fuckin bucks...

like I've met some cheapskates in my life, but they were never as bad as former netflix customers.

I kinda agree.

I wonder where everyone thinks they are going to go. There are other good services, but nobody has the lions share of content. For the price it's still a great deal. I find a combination works best, and still cheaper than the cable/sat packages.

It's a shame, Netflix helped push a technology forward into many homes. They obviously made some bad PR moves this year, but the reaction is too extreme IMO. Sadly, the studios are going to get what they want and one day when they have us bent over for their streaming services we may be lamenting how we helped them kill Netflix.

 

[JaggedSac]

Netflix + Hulu is much better than the $100 I was paying for cable. Keep on keepin on Netflix.

 

[Cloudy]

who's baller enough to buy shares now?

I am buying tomorrow. It's way oversold

 

[Liu Kang Baking A Pie]

Netflix needs to introduce a membership called Netflix Platinum.

You get everything that Netflix offers today for unlimited streaming + HBO, Showtime, Starz, and CineMax content. $19.99

I don't understand how people get the idea that Netflix is holding back HBO from us or something. Like Netflix doesn't want HBO more than anyone else.

 

[BertramCooper]

The day HBO starts offering HBO Go as a monthly online subscription to non-cable subscribers, I'm done with Netflix.

It will happen eventually, but it might take a while.

 

[Trent Strong]

The resurrection of Blockbuster, coming soon.

 

[flyover]

Amazon has to be excited about this -- especially with the Fire coming out.

But, until they have an Amazon streaming app on the PS3, I'm definitely keeping my Netflix account. Their messaging has been horrible lately, but I still like the company.

The day HBO starts offering HBO Go as a monthly online subscription to non-cable subscribers, I'm done with Netflix.

That would be nice, too.

 

[planar1280]

this is relevant:

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/25/t...0-members-with-price-rise-and-split-plan.html

Reed Hastings was soaking in a hot tub with a friend last month when he shared a secret: his company, Netflix, was about to announce a plan to divide its movie rental service into two — one offering streaming movies over the Internet, the other offering old-fashioned DVDs in the mail.

“That is awful,” the friend, who was also a Netflix subscriber, told him under a starry sky in the Bay Area, according to Mr. Hastings. “I don’t want to deal with two accounts.”

Mr. Hastings ignored the warning, believing that chief executives should generally discount what their friends say.

He has since regretted it. Subscribers revolted and many dropped the service. The plan further tarnished a once widely respected Internet service that had already been wounded by an unpopular price increase in the summer. Mr. Hastings was forced to reverse the planned split — but not the price increase — three weeks later and apologized.

On Monday, the company revealed the damage that had been done. It told investors that it ended the third quarter of the year with 800,000 fewer subscribers in the United States than in the previous quarter, its first decline in years. The stock plummeted more than 25 percent in after-hours trading.

Despite the decline in subscribers, the company did well financially in the quarter. It reported net income of $62.5 million, or $1.16, a share, compared with $38 million, or 70 cents a share, in the year-earlier quarter. Revenue rose 49 percent to $822 million. Both revenue and income topped analysts’ expectations.

Like many other companies built in Silicon Valley, Netflix prides itself on its analytical, data-driven approach to making decisions. But it made a classic business misstep. In its reliance on data and long-term strategy, the company underestimated the unquantifiable emotions of subscribers who still want those little red envelopes, even if they forget to ever watch the DVDs inside.

Mr. Hastings said in an interview last week, his most detailed discussion yet of the bruising period, that he had been guilty of overconfidence and of “moving too quickly.” But he said he still believed — as do nearly all investors and analysts — that Netflix’s future lay not in DVDs but in streaming over the Internet. “We still need to move quickly in streaming,” he said.

Twice in the interview, Mr. Hastings linked the hostility toward Netflix’s price change and proposed breakup to the angry mood of the country, even citing the Tea Party and the Occupy Wall Street movement by name.

He said — and repeated it on a conference call for investors on Monday evening — that subscribers had been bothered more by the summer price shock than by the breakup plan. Until September, a combination of video streams and DVDs cost as little as $10 a month; now, that same package costs $16. “We are done with pricing changes,” Netflix said Monday in a letter to shareholders.

Mr. Hastings said he was not sure whether the plan to split the company had been presented to customer focus groups before it was made public. Mr. Hastings said he assumed it had been. But he said he did not recall what those focus groups had said about the plan.

He said Netflix was now trying to slow its decision-making to ensure that there was more room for debate about major changes at the company.

How Netflix came to be so out of touch with its customers is a cautionary tale for other companies that try to transform to new media from old. As the company’s streaming Internet service caught on with consumers, subscriber numbers soared and, with them, the company’s stock, rising ninefold from the start of 2009 to peak above $300 in July.

Last year, Fortune magazine put Mr. Hastings, 51, on its cover as the businessperson of the year after he seemed to pull off the rare feat of finessing the “innovator’s dilemma” by navigating Netflix to the digital future from its DVD rental business.

A key to its success was the way it blended its new and legacy businesses. While the library of material available for streaming was relatively sparse because of Hollywood licensing restrictions, Netflix customers could find many of those missing movies, especially new releases, in the company’s far larger DVD selection.

But Netflix needed to spend more money to license additional material for its streaming service. Collecting $10 a month from subscribers was insufficient as costs ballooned. Mr. Hastings defended the increase last week and again on Monday, but he said it was “too big a price change all at once.” Hubris played a big role in the errors, he said.

For well over a year, all the signs seemed to indicate to Netflix that customers were ready to move quickly to a future in which movies and TV shows would come to them instantly over the Internet instead of in the mail. Mr. Hastings said the decision to form Qwikster, as the mailed DVD company was to be called, had been based in part on data that showed a faster-than-anticipated increase in streaming by its customers.

In the first quarter of this year, for the first time, DVD shipments were down year over year, leading Netflix to declare that the DVD business had peaked. “Very few” new subscribers were choosing to get DVDs in the mail, Mr. Hastings said.

Stuart Skorman, a Bay Area entrepreneur who previously ran a chain of movie rental stores and an Internet movie venture, last year worked with Netflix managers after licensing to the company a database of movie recommendations. He said he was struck at that time by how little Netflix seemed to care about its DVD rental business.

“I think they should have been paying much more attention to it because that was their customer base,” he said. “That’s what made them special.”

Steve Swasey, a Netflix spokesman, disputed the idea that the company did not care about its DVD business, saying it was still acquiring discs for the service and was focused on speedy delivery of movies.

The breakup announcement in September seemed “very data-driven,” said Rich Greenfield, a media analyst for BTIG Research. “I think the company thought, because many people aren’t watching the DVDs, let’s accelerate the transition.”

What the company seemed not to respect was the premium that consumers place on having options — even if they don’t actually take advantage of all those options. Just ask any all-you-can-eat buffet operator, or a gym owner who sells six-month memberships.

Netflix’s red envelopes “were basically occupying slots in between the couch cushions for long periods of time,” Mr. Greenfield said. “But even if there wasn’t usage of the DVDs, there was a perception of value.”

Mr. Hastings said he expected that the DVD-by-mail business would “last a long time.” He identified two long-term markets for it: rural customers who cannot or do not have broadband Internet access for streaming, and “film school types” who want a comprehensive catalog of old films.

The scrapped plan to form Qwikster has led to speculation among analysts and executives, like Mr. Skorman, that Mr. Hastings wants to sell Netflix. While Netflix beat big rivals in the DVD rental business, like Blockbuster and Wal-Mart, it faces an increasing phalanx of formidable players in streaming movies, like Apple, Amazon and Hulu.

Mr. Hastings denied he had any such plans. “Mercenary C.E.O.’s are always preparing for a sale, and missionary ones are always preparing for the long term,” he said. “I’m clearly in the latter camp.”

 

[Anno]

The problem (for me and the girlfriend at least) is that content just isn't released quickly enough. There's no reason to pay even $8.00 a month when nothing new and interesting is released. Netflix isn't going away any time soon but it was certainly overvalued as a company. They don't have control over anything but their brand and distribution service. With such an easily assailable business model it was only a matter of time before they came back down to Earth.

 

[Cyrillus]

I don't understand how people get the idea that Netflix is holding back HBO from us or something. Like Netflix doesn't want HBO more than anyone else.

Logic, how does it work.

 

[Hero_of_the_Day]

The resurrection of Blockbuster, coming soon.

Was shocked to see my local blockbuster still alive two days ago. Wife and I went in just for the hell of it. The lady working was really awkward when we left, practically begging us to rent something. It was awkward, but funny cause the last time I was in there she was talking to her friend about how terrible she thought their prices were and she didn't know why anyone would rent from them. Fucking blockbuster.

 

[Trent Strong]

Was shocked to see my local blockbuster still alive two days ago. Wife and I went in just for the hell of it. The lady working was really awkward when we left, practically begging us to rent something. It was awkward, but funny cause the last time I was in there she was talking to her friend about how terrible she thought their prices were and she didn't know why anyone would rent from them. Fucking blockbuster.

I haven't been in a blockbuster for a long time, but from what I remember you could rent a movie for five days for 3 dollars. That's cheap. Much cheaper than any on-line rental service. (It's just to big of a pain to go to a store when you can download a movie from a couch.)

 

[Mr. Enigma]

The resurrection of Blockbuster, coming soon.

In all seriousness, this is probably now or never for Blockbuster to get back into the game.

 

[Hartt951]

8$ is a steal for the service offered... but I'm glad the whole change backfired like a motherfucker.

Hopefully it's a lesson to CEO's everywhere: stop changing shit that is amazing and making it worst. Just because you're rolling in money doesn't mean you need to go crazy and completely change everything for no fucking reason.

 

[GodfatherX]

Am I the only one that disliked them mashing all the seasons of TV shows together into one big listing?

no I hate that too, but it does make navigating my queue a little easier when wanting to watch something else, but i would prefer them seperate

 

[Aselith]

Doesn't contribution profit/(loss) mean how much that division made or lost? I'm confused why they were trying to cut ties with the DVD business when it seems to have made such large revenues with a smaller userbase. Am I misinterpreting?

 

[Rubenov]

Doesn't contribution profit/(loss) mean how much that division made or lost? I'm confused why they were trying to cut ties with the DVD business when it seems to have made such large revenues with a smaller userbase. Am I misinterpreting?

They're idiots. "StrEAming Is Tha FUturE!! Should have kept streaming + DVD together, and maybe raise the price like 2 bucks per subscription if studios were being a pain in the ass.

 

[davepoobond]

they're dumb. they dont know how to run a business, apparently.

you could ask any dumbshit on the street what they think netflix should do and it would make more business sense than what reed hastings could hatch in his stupid head.

 

[CabbageRed]

I tried them again recently and was unimpressed by their selection and interface. I would imagine if longterm costumers were feeling lukewarm about the service, a price and service change would trigger them to re-access how much they needed Netflix.

you could ask any dumbshit on the street what they think netflix should do and it would make more business sense than what reed hastings could hatch in his stupid head.

Be able to order a movie over Netflix at which point they would send you a bag of popcorn and a thumb drive with a unique key. You take the thumb to the nearest Red Box and the key will allow you to stream the movie from there or download it. If you return the thumb drive to the same Red Box within three days to deactivate the key, and then mail back the drive itself within a week's time, you get to keep the popcorn to enjoy with the next movie you rent. If you do not return everything in time, you must throw away the popcorn and provide visual evidence the next day or be charged for the full price of the movie.

Out dumb that, Reed.

 

[Shurs]

The day HBO starts offering HBO Go as a monthly online subscription to non-cable subscribers, I'm done with Netflix.

It will happen eventually, but it might take a while.

Six months ago, I would have said the same thing, but their agreement with AMC is enough to keep me subscribed.

 

[thefit]

My wife cancelled our account and I never even noticed (again)