Netflix shoots itself in the foot... aka no more free streaming

[bigdaddy]

RoJoHen wrote:

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Well, at least they're paying attention to their customers this time.

If they really knew anything they should have seen the issues before announcing it.

[brian577]

OmahaStar wrote:

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TAS was added at the same time DS9 was, last week.

Nope been there for at least a month

[Captain Craig]

I got an email directly from Netflix indicating the service split into two sites is indeed true.

They better get their stock up cause I read they are now, or approaching, a point where a takeover is ripe for happening.

[Professor Zoom]

Captain Craig wrote:

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I got an email directly from Netflix indicating the service split into two sites is indeed true.

I got an email today saying they changed the plan. Qwikster isn't happening.

They better get their stock up cause I read they are now, or approaching, a point where a takeover is ripe for happening.

I would bet the CEO gets pushed out before that happens...

[bigdaddy]

Captain Craig wrote:

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I got an email directly from Netflix indicating the service split into two sites is indeed true.

Welcome to 3 weeks ago.

[Guartho]

bigdaddy wrote:

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If they really knew anything they should have seen the issues before announcing it.

True, but there are so many CEOs who would've stayed the course anyway, being too proud, too stupid, or too both to admit they were going down the wrong path big time.

[cylkoth]

OsmiumJohnnycake wrote:

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I have the Star Trek films on DVD, but I went to watch one on Netflix the other day because they were there earlier this year. Now they aren't. But now TAS is there. Is that new or did I miss it the first time around?

TAS was added Sept 1. The Trek films' streaming rights are under license to the Epix pay channel (owned by Paramount, MGM, and Lionsgate), and appear on Instant Watch (NF has the same type of deal with them that they have, had, with Starz, subletting their online streaming rights) when scheduled on the pay channel-that means when the channel rotates them off the schedule, they are moved off IW too.

[Temis the Vorta]

Man, the hits just don't stop coming with this story, do they? Well, they desperately needed to reverse that Qwikster nonsense, so at least that's out of the way.

23skidoo wrote:

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When are these companies going to learn that it is a myth that the general public embraces change?

Why would anyone believe that in the first place? Human nature tends towards inertia. The more important principle is, once a company establishes a status quo, they cannot change it in a direction that customers will perceive is undermining their interests without expecting to cause a shitstorm.

This is true even if the new status quo is still good for customers. They won't think "it's still good, I'm happy." They'll think "it's not as good as before, ATTICA! ATTICA!!!" This principle is well known and is even taught in business schools. It's not some new esoteric thing, it's Marketing 101.

If for some reason, they are forced to violate that principle, they need to plan for a huge PR shitstorm and figure out a battle plan for countering that shitstorm, taking every possible contingency into account. The way not to do it is running around in a panic and coming up with bullshit like that Qwikster scheme.

Better yet, don't establish a status quo that you can't maintain. The studios clamping down on streaming, which is at the heart of Netflix's problems, was predictable, because unlike DVDs, streaming is the future and it threatens the studios' business model. Netflix's management team should have understood that. If another company threatened their business model, how would they react?

Sure, I might think "it's still good, I'm happy," but I've been through Marketing 101, and I know that my unhappiness is irrational and therefore can ignore it. Netflix can't expect that mentality from the general public.

[Professor Zoom]

Temis the Bleeding Aorta wrote:

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Better yet, don't establish a status quo that you can't maintain. The studios clamping down on streaming, which is at the heart of Netflix's problems, was predictable, because unlike DVDs, streaming is the future and it threatens the studios' business model. Netflix's management team should have understood that. If another company threatened their business model, how would they react?

You're being naive. That would work if your business was in absolutely and total isolation.

But, in the real world, shit happens. There are degrees of status quo, but, if you are relying on outside companies, you can't control everything.

Sure, you can create contracts, but, no content provider is going to sign something that gives material FOREVER, which would be the only way to maintain a status quo.

[Temis the Vorta]

Shit does, indeed, happen. But Netflix's particular shit wasn't a asteroid falling on it from out of the blue. It was predictable enough that they could have gotten out of the way a lot better than they did.

Netflix' business model threatens Hollywood's business model. Hollywood is far more powerful than Netflix. The next step in that story is obvious, and has been obvious for some time now.

[Professor Zoom]

Temis the Bleeding Aorta wrote:

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Shit does, indeed, happen. But Netflix's particular shit wasn't a asteroid falling on it from out of the blue. It was predictable enough that they could have gotten out of the way a lot better than they did.

Netflix' business model threatens Hollywood's business model. Hollywood is far more powerful than Netflix. The next step in that story is obvious, and has been obvious for some time now.

Not necessarily. Your opinion isn't fact.

[doubleohfive]

[doubleohfive]

Saw this on CNN.com:

NetFlix is the internet equivalent of a girl I dated once. She was smoking hot at first and did all sorts of cool stuff. Then she got all weird and started thinking she was something special...then when I stopped paying attention to her she started talkin' nice to me again. Now I realize there are all sorts of hot girls out there and most of them are just interested in my massive bandwidth.

[Kail]

Netflix was #1, putting everybody else out of business. The company must be run by idiots, they are ruining all the good will they had built up. They look like they do not know what they are doing any more.

[T'Bonz]

RoJoHen wrote:

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Well, at least they're paying attention to their customers this time.

No, their stockholders.

If they were listening to their customers, their price increase might have been 25%, not 60%.

So they have "one company" for both DVDs and streaming. BFD. Does nothing for me. 60% price increase meant I had to change my plan. Either pay more for the same product, or else adjust my plan (getting less product) for the same price (which is the same as paying more...)

No win for the customer. None whatsoever. So those of you keeping both streaming and DVD don't have to log into two different sites. Whoop de fucking doo.