Netflix Splitting Streaming and Rental Services into Two Companies

[Epona]

Splitting up the two services just makes things more inconvenient for customers. I can't see how this is a good thing and the video game thing could have been done under the Netflix brand.

It isn't cute to purposely misspell a word to create your company name and it's even worse when the best name you could come up with is Qwikster. Did they have a brand name contest for 2nd graders?

 

[SonOfVoorhees]

Thats dumb. In the UK we use LoveFilm, which is the same service. If they split i bet they will charge and it will cost you more in the long run. Also will cost them more money. How can splitting save money? That makes no sense to me.

 

[LJJ1991]

You see, this could either be a catastrophically bad idea, or a really good one. I love Netflix, I use it everyday, especially the streaming. At home, where I have a lightning fast internet connection (I'm a commuter) I can watch all the anime I want via streaming. However, I'm the president of an anime club at my university. A very BIG anime club and we want to be able to watch our anime. Unfortunately, the internet connection of our university sucks and it's almost impossible to stream the anime we want (and since we're officially recognized, it all has to be legal streaming). So, we've been using Netflix's DVD service. It's been really nice until, all of a sudden, they decide they want to start eliminating the DVD service and removing series they promised to have available. This is a major problem because then we have to spend the money to purchase the anime, instead.

Now to my point. If this "Qwikster," or whatever, is going to be a 100% DVD driven service, that could be good. But to do this, they need to replensih their supply of movies, series, etc. All of the selection promised on Netflix, whether available or not, needs to be available. Otherwise, it's just a major inconvenience to the customer. I wouldn't mind cancelling half of my subscription to Netflix and switching it over to Qwikster if I had a gurantee that they'd be more reliable. The fact is, DVD's are not dead. They still are sold in retail, they're still a very big part of our economy and not everyone has the power to stream. Perhaps, someday, everyone will have inifite bandwidth and we'll be able to download an episode or two within a second, but that's not the case right now.

 

[bombadilillo]

All you same people were bitching at netflix before, and now you are bitching again when they try to do something about it.

Streaming started out small, then got rediculously popular. Over what they thought would happen. Bandwidth=$$$ so they had to charge more. People BITCHED oh how they whined. So they say alright, dont want streaming we will make it seperate. People ***** oh how they moan.

I wonder how this will affect gamefly...have to see the pricing teirs before I make my choices.

 

[Something Amyss]

I will never understand why people get so pissy about netflixs price hike.

Netflix themselves addressed this. They were complete and utter dicks about it, and it bit them in the ass.

Saying "it's still cheaper" is missing the point, and it's pretty much the point that dropped their membership and stock prices.

 

[Something Amyss]

All you same people were bitching at netflix before, and now you are bitching again when they try to do something about it.

Pay more attention. They're not trying to do something about it.

Streaming started out small, then got rediculously popular. Over what they thought would happen. Bandwidth=$$$ so they had to charge more. People BITCHED oh how they whined. So they say alright, dont want streaming we will make it seperate. People ***** oh how they moan.

They already made it separate. This is not that move. Try and keep up.

Bandwidth? Not that expensive. Especially since it takes weight off the more expensive physical shipping options. You know, the reasons companies want to do it in the first place.

I don't know, maybe you're trolling, with the PEOPLE ***** every five seconds, but I'm treating you as legit and uninformed. Call it benefit of the doubt. If you are going to revel in people "bitching" at least try and be up to date on what's actually happening.

 

[bombadilillo]

I will never understand why people get so pissy about netflixs price hike.

Netflix themselves addressed this. They were complete and utter dicks about it, and it bit them in the ass.

Saying "it's still cheaper" is missing the point, and it's pretty much the point that dropped their membership and stock prices.

What point? I seriously do not understand why people are whining about it. All I hear is things like this./ "They missed the point" Do you have a point?

 

[bombadilillo]

All you same people were bitching at netflix before, and now you are bitching again when they try to do something about it.

Pay more attention. They're not trying to do something about it.

Streaming started out small, then got rediculously popular. Over what they thought would happen. Bandwidth=$$$ so they had to charge more. People BITCHED oh how they whined. So they say alright, dont want streaming we will make it seperate. People ***** oh how they moan.

They already made it separate. This is not that move. Try and keep up.

Bandwidth? Not that expensive. Especially since it takes weight off the more expensive physical shipping options. You know, the reasons companies want to do it in the first place.

I don't know, maybe you're trolling, with the PEOPLE ***** every five seconds, but I'm treating you as legit and uninformed. Call it benefit of the doubt. If you are going to revel in people "bitching" at least try and be up to date on what's actually happening.

Really? Streaming hundred of thousands of high def movies every month "isnt that expensive"? Normal sites that are text and pictures use insane bandwidth. You are dismissing that pretty offhand. Explain to me how netflix bandwitdh cost hasnt gone up since they started streaming and its popularity took off. Try and keep up.

Go read any netflix netws story and see every comment whining about netflix.

Some guy just said "As a Streaming only customer I am getting screwed?" 1. How is he getting screwed. 2. How is that not bitching about something that doesnt even affect him.

 

[Dendio]

Streaming is more convenient. Streaming is the future. The problem is that currently the library of stream available movies is pitifully small. Most of the movies I'm interested is mail in only. This needs to change, otherwise the streaming isn't worth paying for.

On a related note I think that Netflix's hands are tied. There are legal issues that keep the majority of the dvd only content off of the streaming list. Mostly contracts with on demand services. Stream-only movies will only be fully realized once these contracts giving companies exclusive rights to the most popular properties expire.

My fix is for Netflix to go back to the previous model, namely DvD and streaming for one reasonable price. Until they can bring the popular stuff over to stream-only its a compromise for everyone.

 

[Worgen]

I can understand the need to do this but ultimately it seems like it does more to damage net-flicks then really help them.

 

[bombadilillo]

Streaming is more convenient. Streaming is the future. The problem is that currently the library of stream available movies is pitifully small. Most of the movies I'm interested is mail in only. This needs to change, otherwise the streaming isn't worth paying for.

On a related note I think that Netflix's hands are tied. There are legal issues that keep the majority of the dvd only content off of the streaming list. Mostly contracts with on demand services. Stream-only movies will only be fully realized once these contracts giving companies exclusive rights to the most popular properties expire.

My fix is for Netflix to go back to the previous model, namely DvD and streaming for one reasonable price. Until they can bring the popular stuff over to stream-only its a compromise for everyone.

You do realise they had to raise prices because the rights to stream movies is expensive right? Your solution is to make it get the service for cheaper? Huh how novel.

 

[Dendio]

You do realise they had to raise prices because the rights to stream movies is expensive right? Your solution is to make it get the service for cheaper? Huh how novel.

I say raise the prices once most of the dvd-only movies are up for streaming. Currently most of the popular movies are not available for streaming. Its my opinion that streaming currently is filled with older/B quality movies and shows that are not worth paying for. I'll be cancelling next billing cycle. But there are those who enjoy the older stuff and B quality horror films ( my girlfriend's sister for one) so to each their own.

 

[DeadlyYellow]

You could say Hastings couldn't apologize fast enough.

 

[GonzoGamer]

Even with the price raise, it's still a good value but making it two completely different services is pretty stupid: wouldn't it have been easier/cheaper to just shut down the mail out service or sell it to Blockbuster?

I still think the prices are still reasonable but there is definitely a convenience to having one search for streaming and dvd. I've gone looking to rent a dvd and found that it streams. Now I'm going to have to check two separate sites. I'm not going to flip out about it but it's weird that they're trying to move it away from convenience when it's a service based on convenience. It will only encourage people to explore competitors. If it's not all on the same site, what's the difference?

 

[Alphakirby]

Well shit,and here I was thinking that Gamefly and Netflix were within the same company. I guess I was wrong.

 

[Plurralbles]

makes sense. I don't eventhink about netflix's mail portion and to give it a different name is awesome.

 

[Epona]

Even with the price raise, it's still a good value but making it two completely different services is pretty stupid: wouldn't it have been easier/cheaper to just shut down the mail out service or sell it to Blockbuster?

Kind of hard to sell something off to a company that wont exist in a month. Blockbuster is 100% bankrupt and going through the process of selling off all of its assets before it shuts down all of its stores for good.

Starz dumped Netflix to go to Blockbuster, how can that be if they are 100% bankrupt?

 

[GonzoGamer]

Even with the price raise, it's still a good value but making it two completely different services is pretty stupid: wouldn't it have been easier/cheaper to just shut down the mail out service or sell it to Blockbuster?

Kind of hard to sell something off to a company that wont exist in a month. Blockbuster is 100% bankrupt and going through the process of selling off all of its assets before it shuts down all of its stores for good.

I know the stores are going away but I heard that their own mail service was doing pretty well.