NETFLIX Raises Fees - Gives Birth to QWIKSTER - REVERSES DECISION!- Page 8

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 9/20/11 at 10:03am

And if that is in fact how they plan on doing it, I think I will just switch my plan to Blockbuster online. Since I would keep the DVD's through the mail, Blockbuster has all those movies Netflix can't carry for that 28 day window.

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 9/20/11 at 10:06am

Updated On: 9/20/11 at 10:06 AM

[JbaraFan1]

Posted: 9/20/11 at 10:13am

Jordan, good point about a possible resurgence of the "mom 'n pop" stores. If that happens I wonder if their average selection would be more like that of Redbox's and Blockbuster Express' kiosks (mostly newest and most popular titles), or if they would tend to distinguish themselves a bit by also offering older DVDs, more indies, etc? To be truly retro, they'd have to have that special room in the back where the kiddies aren't allowed. Updated On: 9/20/11 at 10:13 AM

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 9/20/11 at 10:22am

In my hometown in Florida, a video store recently opened up (after all the others closing, including my dear Blockbuster stores that I spent 10 years working at) and it's apparently doing very very well. They don't just have the new releases, they have a huge assortment of classics as well. I think it might be cheaper than ever to open a video store now as far as merchandise goes, seeing that you can buy ENORMOUS assortments of used blurays/dvd's on places like eBay and pay just a fraction of what you would buying them new from a distributor. That wasn't possible 30 years ago when small independent video stores set up shop. I can't even imagine how much that would cut down on your starting costs.

[JbaraFan1]

Posted: 9/20/11 at 10:26am

(decided to do this as new reply instead of editing my previous post)
Dish is supposed to make some announcement on Friday about a Blockbuster streaming service that's expected to include Starz. Too lazy to look the exact link up that said it will (or it's expected to, forget how it was worded) be offered to DISH subscribers initially and then be up for all comers.

Jordan, yeah, the start up cost (for mom 'n pops) would have to be comparatively less than it would have been years ago.
Updated On: 9/20/11 at 10:26 AM

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 9/20/11 at 10:38am

Blockbuster will be starting to stream as well??

In that case, it's an easy decision for me. The second that happens, I'm back to my subscription with them. I bleed yellow and blue to the core from my years with the company so I'm thrilled this may help them come back BIG TIME.

[Reginald Tresilian]

Posted: 9/20/11 at 10:39am

I sort of think the worst aspect of this whole thing--the price hike and the company split--is that it encourages subscribers to THINK about it.

Honestly, that's why I reduced my membership plan. It wasn't so much that I didn't have an extra $9 or whatever it was; it was that I stopped and thought about my usage and made a decision.

For the longest time, the money was charged to my credit card, and the disks showed up when they showed up, and I watched them when I felt like it.

And NOW they're going to make me not only think about it but put extra effort into it. And charge me more for the privelege.

[Eris0303]

Posted: 9/20/11 at 10:47am

I don't know what I'll do yet. Two of the TVs in our house as set up for Netflix streaming and those are in bedrooms. My sister doesn't have access to either of them on her TV or the family TV so I mostly keep the DVDs by mail for her (and the fact that there's more available through mail). I've enjoyed being able to watch something at a click of a button.

As I've said before - if the Streaming Library was equal to the DVD Library this would be a no-brainer.

[JbaraFan1]

Posted: 9/20/11 at 10:58am

Here's something about the Blockbuster streaming upcoming announcement

[Luscious]

Posted: 9/20/11 at 11:30am

Netflix has added insult to injury by deciding to, essentially, split into two separate companies. Not only will your current DVD by mail queue not be carried over to the new Quikster website, all of those movie ratings that you've entered over the years, which allowed Netflix to know your preferences, will be lost. Even if they want to split their services, I can't believe that there isn't a smoother way to make the transition and transfer customer data from their current site to the new one. Once again, they just don't seem to have their customers' best interest in mind. Looking forward to Blockbuster's annoucement on Friday.

Updated On: 9/20/11 at 11:30 AM

[jasonf]

Posted: 9/20/11 at 8:31pm

So the company decided to commit business suicide. Incredible. It almost sounds like The Producers - like they're going to get something for trashing a great thing.

For what I said before about not canceling? This morning we canceled our DVDs. We're keeping streaming because well - it's the best thing available - but if Blockbuster does it better, we may switch entirely.

[Eris0303]

Posted: 9/21/11 at 12:13pm

Netflix, Discovery Ink Streaming Deal

[broadwayjim42]

Posted: 9/21/11 at 2:23pm

Dropped the axe on Netflix last night. Since I don't have a game system, blu-ray, laptop or anything else to stream through, I was only DVD anyway and given the fact that I held on to the discs way too long, it was time to part ways. All the Quixter crap was probably the final nail in the coffin.

May check into GreenCine for the off-the-wall stuff, hit RedBox or just wait for HBO and Starz. The latter is getting some recent titles within months after their theatrical release.

[Eris0303]

Posted: 10/10/11 at 10:16am

Just got this in my email. My feeling was that the split would go over about as well as a fart in church and they'd back pedal. I'm glad I decided to play "wait and see" rather than react immediately.

Dear Kristin,

It is clear that for many of our members two websites would make things more difficult, so we are going to keep Netflix as one place to go for streaming and DVDs.

This means no change: one website, one account, one passwordin other words, no Qwikster.

While the July price change was necessary, we are now done with price changes.

We're constantly improving our streaming selection. We've recently added hundreds of movies from Paramount, Sony, Universal, Fox, Warner Bros., Lionsgate, MGM and Miramax. Plus, in the last couple of weeks alone, we've added over 3,500 TV episodes from ABC, NBC, FOX, CBS, USA, E!, Nickelodeon, Disney Channel, ABC Family, Discovery Channel, TLC, SyFy, A&E, History, and PBS.

We value you as a member, and we are committed to making Netflix the best place to get your movies & TV shows.

Respectfully,

The Netflix Team

Updated On: 10/10/11 at 10:16 AM

[Luscious]

Posted: 10/10/11 at 10:19am

Does this company have any clue what they're doing? How has CEO Reed Hastings managed to remain employed? Mind boggling.

NETFLIX Kills Plans to Split Off DVD Rentals

Updated On: 10/10/11 at 10:19 AM

[romantico]

Posted: 10/10/11 at 10:19am

I swear, Netflix must be run by teenagers.They'll revisit this idea a year from now.Do they see how the public views them and their company?

[Luscious]

Posted: 10/10/11 at 10:33am

As posted by best12bars:

Man, they are flailing. This is what happens when technology-driven businesses jump at the "future" as if it were today. Terrible strategy.

Consumers are not fast adopters to technology. Sure, there are always the early adopters, but they make up a tiny fraction of the buying market. Netflix wishes it were ten years from now, when downloadables and streaming will actually have the lion's share of the home entertainment business. When all the kinks, glitches, fees, quality issues, bandwidth issues, and encryption techniques have been perfected. That day is not today. DVDs and BDs will be around and flourishing for at least another decade, and even then they will not die completely.

The Star Wars BD box set just broke all previous records for a Blu-ray release by selling a million units its first week. Considering the average price was $89, that's as big as a feature film release grossing $89 million. In one week. And Blu-ray, for the time being, is the biggest growth market.

So Netflix jumps the gun (by a decade) with overeager planning and says, "downlodables and streaming are today! We'll separate and sell off our home delivery of "hard copy" discs and leave the "past" behind us!"

And they went into the toilet doing it.

Read more: https://forum.broadwayworld.com/readmessage.php?thread=1037761&boardname=off&dt=0&boardid=2#ixzz1aOCt7tef

[best12bars]

Posted: 10/10/11 at 10:38am

Oops!

I'll point everybody to this thread. Sorry!

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 10/10/11 at 11:10am

Luscious is probably rock hard right now!

[Luscious]

Posted: 10/10/11 at 11:49am

No time for childish banter today, Phyl. But the only one around here with a hard@n appears to be you.

Updated On: 10/10/11 at 11:49 AM

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 10/10/11 at 11:50am

Atta girl!

[romantico]

Posted: 10/24/11 at 8:52pm

NETFLIX is STILL whining about people unsubscribing.

http://www.deadline.com/2011/10/netflix-stock-taking-beating-as-3q-subscriber-numbers-weak/

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 10/24/11 at 8:58pm

I don't see how they're whining there.

[Reginald Tresilian]

Posted: 10/24/11 at 9:32pm

I agree. It sounds more like owning up to me.

[romantico]

Posted: 10/24/11 at 9:38pm

Maybe I read it wrong then.This is what stood out to me.

"We became a symbol of the evil, greedy corporation," Hastings told the AP. "Then we faced a reputational hit that created significantly more cancellations than we anticipated."

I read is as if they were surprised by the cancellations being more than anticipated. Sensitive about why they were being labeled as evil and greedy (C'mon, this decision was based on greed)As if the 60 percent hike was nothing. Perhaps I read too much into it.