Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?

Started by pookiethecat, October 08, 2003, 02:40:05 PM

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Stefen

Quote from: RegularKarate on September 22, 2011, 12:13:13 PM
Haha, P... I know it seems like I came here for a fight, but I didn't.

Stefen, you might be right... hell, it's very likely you are.  I don't know what you thought you were accomplishing by quoting other people who are freaking out too, but I get that's what you think.

Honestly, the only thing I can't agree with is this:

Quote from: S.R. on September 21, 2011, 02:55:36 PM
there is a 0% chance that all content, in BD sound and picture, along with all the special features, will EVER be available to stream from Netflix,

Special features, you have a point with.  That may be where the studios get people to want to buy discs (but really, most people don't care about them any more so who knows what weight that will hold) and if that's the compromise, that's the compromise.  I can deal with it and honestly, it was already happening with the discs.  Studios were making special "Netflix Only" discs with limited or no special features.

Quality though... that's what we thought about DVD quality streaming years ago.  Technology will get better.  Netflix has enough power to make the studios want to get involved.  It can happen and I think it's very possible.

Yes, that's my WHOLE point. blu-ray quality with special features will NEVER be streamed on Netflix. One or the other may eventually be, but together? No way. Studios won't allow that. There will ALWAYS be a need for a rental service to get everything that's on a disc because the studios aren't letting discs go anywhere anytime soon regardless of when Netflix, Quikster, Qwikster or whatever it's called decides not to rent them out to their customers anymore. And with most local video stores being put out of business by Netflix, the only way there's going to be to get actual discs to get the best quality picture and sound and all the features, is going to be to buy the discs at retail price instead of just renting it for a couple days, and in this economy, that's just not realistic. I guess the next logical argument is that we shouldn't blame Netflix for not having a better job that pays more money so we could blind buy every movie we want to see.
Falling in love is the greatest joy in life. Followed closely by sneaking into a gated community late at night and firing a gun into the air.

Sleepless

I do agree with the argument about broadband capabilities (and the cable providers' choke-hold on it). That will be a big issue in the future, and it only goes to show once again the importance of net neutrality.

In an interesting side note to all of this, with the f8 announcements today it has been announced that Netflix will be integrated into Facebook in 44 countries so you can watch movies that your friends are watching. Except in the US.
He held on. The dolphin and all the rest of its pod turned and swam out to sea, and still he held on. This is it, he thought. Then he remembered that they were air-breathers too. It was going to be all right.

RegularKarate

...and MY point was that you were losing the special features anyway.  It's more the studios doing than Netflix though.
I guess I'd be a little more upset if I felt a need to watch special features on movies I rent.  I never want to watch special features unless I buy a movie anyway.  I've hardly got time for that shit unless I really love a movie and then I'm just going to probably buy it anyway.

I still think it's funny that you keep jumping to your only other option being "blind buying" a movie.

Stefen

Quote from: RegularKarate on September 22, 2011, 03:41:41 PMI guess I'd be a little more upset if I felt a need to watch special features on movies I rent.

lol. Yeah, you would. You would be very upset if you enjoyed watching special features on movies you rent and now with Netflix essentially killing all video stores, they're now making moves to completely distance themselves from renting blu-ray discs with high quality sound, picture and special features in order to offer simply an inferior streaming product with no features whatsoever. As a matter of fact, you would be upset just like myself and countless others are.

I think you understand now.
Falling in love is the greatest joy in life. Followed closely by sneaking into a gated community late at night and firing a gun into the air.

Stefen

Quote from: Sleepless on September 22, 2011, 02:43:07 PM
I do agree with the argument about broadband capabilities (and the cable providers' choke-hold on it). That will be a big issue in the future, and it only goes to show once again the importance of net neutrality.

Totally. Net neutrality is probably the single biggest dilemma facing this current digital age. If the broadband conglomerates are able to control how much bandwidth we use and how much we pay for it, it will be a disaster.

I don't see how the majority of people would let it happen. We saw it happen with mobile internet, but I think that's only because the product was so new that they were able to cap data usage and almost nobody even noticed or made an uproar about it. But with home internet and broadband, it's already settled in. People are already used to the way it is and the way it has been. Unlimited internet for a monthly fee. If people have to start watching how much they use the internet, heads will roll. Reddit would crash!

For those of you who do have tiered and capped internet bandwidth, how did it come about and how do you monitor it?
Falling in love is the greatest joy in life. Followed closely by sneaking into a gated community late at night and firing a gun into the air.

JG



polkablues

At least until it's time for the "Qwikster: What Were We All Freaking Out About?" thread to start up.
My house, my rules, my coffee

Pwaybloe

Netlix?  That must be the new Adults-Only spinoff. 

Sleepless

Quote from: wilderesque on September 23, 2011, 02:32:50 PM
Also, anyone else hearing the rumors that Amazon may acquire Netlix?

I hadn't heard anything, so I googled it. Found this. Seems purely speculative at this point, although the guy makes some interesting arguments for it and adds another dimension to the whole need for Qwikster theories. However, there is absolutely no facts behind his speculations so far as I can tell. It could be interesting if it happened, and I would be inclined to say it could be in the best interests of consumers if such a deal did transpire, but it's all to vague at this point.
He held on. The dolphin and all the rest of its pod turned and swam out to sea, and still he held on. This is it, he thought. Then he remembered that they were air-breathers too. It was going to be all right.

Sleepless

Interesting blog by Marc Randolph, one of the original founders of Netflix (no longer with the company) on why it was the right decision to split the company. Stefen, you might not be happy to learn that he does indeed predict DVDs-by-mail are going to go much the same way as DVD-for-purchase. You remember when Netflix did that, right?
He held on. The dolphin and all the rest of its pod turned and swam out to sea, and still he held on. This is it, he thought. Then he remembered that they were air-breathers too. It was going to be all right.

Stefen

Quote from: Sleepless on September 26, 2011, 10:44:12 PM
Interesting blog by Marc Randolph, one of the original founders of Netflix (no longer with the company) on why it was the right decision to split the company. Stefen, you might not be happy to learn that he does indeed predict DVDs-by-mail are going to go much the same way as DVD-for-purchase. You remember when Netflix did that, right?

So basically what he's saying is that it's a really good move for the financial bottom line of Netflix. That's pretty cool, I guess. But to be honest, I'm a customer and a consumer so I don't really give a shit about the financial bottom line of Netflix. It doesn't really matter to me if Netflix makes A LOT of money or a lot of money. I don't see why anyone who doesn't hold a financial interest in Netflix and is simply a customer, would be happy with, over the last 12 months, paying $9.99 a month for DVD by mail and streaming, to paying $8.99 a month for streaming and $8.99 a month for DVD by mail, and also having to use two separate websites with absolutely no integration whatsoever. But that's just me. Paying more for less just doesn't make sense to me.

But that's all fine and dandy. It sucks, but I'll pay it since I like the service, but the part that troubles me and pretty much confirms my fears are...

QuoteNot having to worry about compatibility between the services makes it infinitely easier to optimize every decision around the real prize, which is clearly streaming.

Well, that sucks. I don't really consider an inferior quality product with no special features "the real prize," but again, that's just me. And were people really having trouble with compatibility between the two options of content? I mean, was it really that difficult to decide if you wanted to rent the dvd disc, with all the features, or just stream it to your television, if available, and chances are, it wasn't? If people were really having a difficult time dealing with this, wouldn't it have been better to just optimize your website to where if someone is on the streaming only plan, they only see streaming content, and if someone is on only the DVD by mail plan, they only see DVD by mail content, and if someone was on both, they see both? That seems like a better solution to people not being smart enough to navigate a website. Oh, but that would force Netflix to keep around the DVD by mail part of their service, when they would much rather just spin it off into another separate company for easy dumping in case the going gets tough and they want to get rid of their customers who prefer quality and features, but don't want it to look bad for the Netflix name.

QuoteAre customers upset?  Undoubtedly.  And I'll be the 27,184th to say that the communications surrounding both the price increases and the Qwixter launch were ham-handed, tone-deaf, and have unquestionably damaged the brand.  But should fear of either of these things have prevented Netflix from taking this step and ensuring that their streaming service has every possible advantage going forward? Absolutely not.

Whoa -- slow down there, buddy. Sure, I guess if you only care about accessibility and getting a small dose of content as quickly as possible, however bare bones and crappy quality it is, then yeah, this is good news, but for a lot of us, we really care more about quality and features.

Basically, what he's saying is, you should be happy just ordering a pizza from Pizza Hut and having it delivered right to your kitchen table than you should be going out and dining in a fine Italian restaurant, where you're waited on by a server who reads to you whine list (basically what I'm doing now) and even offers you desert, all for the same price as the delivered, cold, basic pizza from Pizza Hut. Oh, and did I mention you can't even order the pizza you want? Nope. They only have a few choices and those are what you're stuck with.
Falling in love is the greatest joy in life. Followed closely by sneaking into a gated community late at night and firing a gun into the air.

Sleepless

This may have been posted elsewhere. It probably has, but I just found out about it today (maybe I forgot I heard about it before, I dunno), but I wanted to mention it here since it ties in with much of the recent discussion. Netflix has bought/is producing the new David Fincher/Kevin Spacey drama House Of Cards, and have committed to a two season order. I think it's a move closer toward what I've talked about in the past. Not necessarily the exclusive content shit, but the idea that Netflix and inevitably competing services will eventually take over from cable as the de facto source of home entertainment.
He held on. The dolphin and all the rest of its pod turned and swam out to sea, and still he held on. This is it, he thought. Then he remembered that they were air-breathers too. It was going to be all right.

Stefen

Quote from: Sleepless on September 29, 2011, 04:54:42 PM
This may have been posted elsewhere. It probably has, but I just found out about it today (maybe I forgot I heard about it before, I dunno), but I wanted to mention it here since it ties in with much of the recent discussion. Netflix has bought/is producing the new David Fincher/Kevin Spacey drama House Of Cards, and have committed to a two season order. I think it's a move closer toward what I've talked about in the past. Not necessarily the exclusive content shit, but the idea that Netflix and inevitably competing services will eventually take over from cable as the de facto source of home entertainment.

^I hope so. Cable used to be awesome before it became too complicated.

Back in the day when you could actually channel surf and see what was on the channel was the bomb. You could just press up, up, up, up, up and up until you found something that looked interesting. And you always knew where your favorite channels were so you knew when you were getting close. That was the best way to discover cool stuff. When I was 12 I used to stay at my Grandmas house on the weekends because both my parents worked and I would sleep on the couch in the living room, but since I was a pussy, I was always scared of the dark so I would stay awake until the sun came up just watching TV and channel surfing. I remember channel surfing at 2am and seeing Vampire Hunter D on TBS. It was the greatest thing I had ever seen. I would have never watched it if I didn't accidentally stumble on it and see the violence it had. If I read the title Vampire Hunter D on a channel guide, I wouldn't checked it out.

Now, even the channel guides are complicated and they take FOREVER to navigate through. At least that's how it is on my moms DirecTV and my dads Comcast. You bring up the guide to see what's on and you click down and it takes 2 seconds to make the move, but you don't know that, so you click down again thinking it didn't register and before you know it you have skipped 5 channels, then gone back 4, then skipped 6 more, hop-scotched back 9. Eff it. Now, the only thing you have to go by is a title and a description and they're always written terribly and make no sense. Plus, there's a million channels that you don't even get and configuring your system to only show channels you get is virtually impossible so you have ESPN in the beginning around channel 137 then you have 100 PPV channels you have to skip over before getting to other channels, then you have all the movie channels that you may or may not get, then you have all kinds of weird channels that make no sense and just have like a random number and a code, then you have MTV, then 50 other channels who knows what the fuck they are, then Discovery, etc, etc.

I sound like the biggest hipster in this thread. Everything was better before.
Falling in love is the greatest joy in life. Followed closely by sneaking into a gated community late at night and firing a gun into the air.

Pubrick

under the paving stones.