Netflix CEO Says He's 'Tired of Making Excuses'

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And the "Quote of the Day" is brought to you by the guy running Netflix.

"You're very gracious, because I imagine what you really feel is 'Why do we make seasonality excuses and then Olympics excuses and aren't you getting tired of hearing it?'" Hastings said. "We are tired of making those excuses, as opposed to getting back to our track record."
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Netflix will now finish the year with between 4.7 million and 5.4 million new streaming subscribers.
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LOL only 5 million new subscribers.. tell me how that is still not a win?
 
Not sure why netflix has to make excuse (other than to their stock holders). They offer a great service.
 
The first being whether the service is as attractive as it was before the company started losing rights to films from some of the top Hollywood studios
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It always has been for me. Watching movies on Netflix accounts for about 1% of my total streaming. I have old television series on while I work around the house and my daughter is in the watch the same thing over and over phase which Netflix is brilliant for. Well, that and she seems to have discovered the old Spiderman and He-Man type cartoons which simply captivate her for some reason.
 
Every time this D-Bag opens his mouth the stock craps itself. Down 10 so far today...
 
Nooooo.. I'm only on episode 3 of The Walking Dead.. Don't take my zombies away bro. Netflix, get your act together! I seriously love the streaming service. There is so much on there for a measly $8 a month.
 
must be a US thing, most of my family has cut the cable in there homes using nothing but netflix now and couldn't be happier... so he has nothing to make excuses for.
 
LordCalin said:
must be a US thing, most of my family has cut the cable in there homes using nothing but netflix now and couldn't be happier... so he has nothing to make excuses for.
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We cut the cable a couple of years ago. The amount of media on Netflix is more than I could even think about watching all of. It really works for us since we are not big TV watchers - meaning we only spend a few hours a week watching shows, and it's nice to be able to sit and watch a few episodes sans commercials when time allows.

I've only had one or two issues with Netflix in the years that I have been a member. Have had a couple DVDs not work, and a few server issues with the streaming which they fixed pretty quickly.

"only" 5 million new subscribers... heh. ... only.
 
Netflix is what it is because they offered a service at a reasonable price nobody else did.
That is innovation which breeds competition. Other are more than willing to take your ideas and try to out do you.
DVDs by mail vs all the hassle of a video store was a win-win for consumers. People voted with their dollars. Now the video rental store is just about a thing of the past.
Video streaming was a novelty at first but look at it now. All Netflix needs to do is MORE of giving customers what they want. Streaming demand is growing an is starting to make cable companies and the broadcasters nervous. (People are sick of Trash-tainment)
And make some changes their existing customer base is asking for. Like making Netflix streaming available to Linux users. They are excluded for no good reason. Many streaming media players run on linux and always have but desktop users of linux get pissed on.
There is a big demand for 3D content. Provide 3D Blu-rays and 3D streaming to the customer!
If NetFlix does not step up in these areas their competition will.
 
I'm okay with Netflix though I shut my subscription down about a month ago and am living happily without any video entertainment (cable TV or otherwise). It's a good service even if it isn't all-encompassing. Seriously though, can someone get Hastings to totally just shut up already? He's a lot like that creepy guy that used to be CEO for Google with his always saying something utterly stupid in public.
 
Add more new content. I'm rather bored of what the streaming selection. I guess I still have to watch Sherlock, though.
 
LeninGHOLA said:
Add more new content. I'm rather bored of what the streaming selection. I guess I still have to watch Sherlock, though.
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You should. Benedict Cucumber is like the most awesome actor ever, though the second season isn't as witty as the first one.
 
SkribbelKat said:
You should. Benedict Cucumber is like the most awesome actor ever, though the second season isn't as witty as the first one.
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I don't know how they got Morgan Freeman to play Dr. Watson. I don't see how he could pass for a proper Scotsman, either. Americans can rarely pull it off.
 
LeninGHOLA said:
I don't know how they got Morgan Freeman to play Dr. Watson. I don't see how he could pass for a proper Scotsman, either. Americans can rarely pull it off.
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Maybe if he had a Michael Jackson style skin disease/infatuation with being a white chick, he'd pull it off better.
 
I do enjoy netflix. It takes me off the cable. However that said they need to really start playing hardball with studios to get streaming content...what is there is fine for me for the most part...but that is the biggest complaint about the service that i hear of from the average user.

they need to start pouring through and finding every acquisition loophole they can like they used to.
 
Kenworth said:
I have old television series on while I work around the house and my daughter is in the watch the same thing over and over phase which Netflix is brilliant for. Well, that and she seems to have discovered the old Spiderman and He-Man type cartoons which simply captivate her for some reason.
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Still running SageTV in my house, and another box to play Netflix isn't exactly desirable, but I can see the appeal. Luckily I've accumulated lots of older cartoons and TV series over the years and have them stored on my htpc server. When I move away from SageTV I'll definitely be looking at Netflix though. We record a lot of TV, but due to multiple instances of recording issues (bad compression from Comcast, poor signal quality, or just random corruption in the streams) I usually get a copy from another source to make sure I can watch it. For example, the premier episode of Arrow on CW (holding judgement for at least a couple more episodes) was so corrupted it was unwatchable for me. All it takes though is a couple stutters or a few seconds of audio dropping out and I'll give up and find another source.

Off topic... couldn't resist your comment about your daughter. My 3 year old daughter has apparently become obsessed with the old Dungeons and Dragons TV series. Still can't figure out why, but at least it is a change from Baby Loony Toons. Just borrowed a coworker's ipad and searched Netflix and apparently that series isn't carried :(
 
LeninGHOLA said:
Add more new content. I'm rather bored of what the streaming selection. I guess I still have to watch Sherlock, though.
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This is one of the reasons I stopped the streaming service. The other is video quality and sound quality through streaming. I rather rent blu-ray discs and stream other content through XBMC. Hulu has allowed me to forget about Comcast, which I've cut other than internet, since it's the only provider in my area.
 
Dr. Righteous said:
And make some changes their existing customer base is asking for. Like making Netflix streaming available to Linux users. They are excluded for no good reason. Many streaming media players run on linux and always have but desktop users of linux get pissed on.
There is a big demand for 3D content. Provide 3D Blu-rays and 3D streaming to the customer!
If NetFlix does not step up in these areas their competition will.
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Could you explain how an getting set up to run on an OS is which the installed base if less then 1.6% of desktops would be any real help to netflix?

As for 3D content, if the demand were that high surely they would offer it but 3D tv/monitor sales only make up a small fraction of the tv/monitor market and most people buying them aren't even using them for 3D but instead bought it due to price/features that have nothing to do with being 3D ready.
 
kattana said:
LOL only 5 million new subscribers.. tell me how that is still not a win?
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Netflix promised 7 million new subscribers this year. From their Q3 report yesterday they're set to miss that mark(barring a huge Q4 surge) and the stock's plummeted since.
 
DarkStar_WNY said:
Could you explain how an getting set up to run on an OS is which the installed base if less then 1.6% of desktops would be any real help to netflix?

As for 3D content, if the demand were that high surely they would offer it but 3D tv/monitor sales only make up a small fraction of the tv/monitor market and most people buying them aren't even using them for 3D but instead bought it due to price/features that have nothing to do with being 3D ready.
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Another person who doesnt get that soon Linux will be EVERYWHERE. Not on the desktop but in the walls, in the floors, in wall plug computers, etc. That 1.6% figure is very skewed from the penetration of Linux in the real world.
 
kattana said:
LOL only 5 million new subscribers.. tell me how that is still not a win?
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Because the original forecast was 7 million. That's a huge shortcoming. Wall St. is rightly punishing Netflix's stock today. :cool:
 
DarkStar_WNY said:
Could you explain how an getting set up to run on an OS is which the installed base if less then 1.6% of desktops would be any real help to netflix?

As for 3D content, if the demand were that high surely they would offer it but 3D tv/monitor sales only make up a small fraction of the tv/monitor market and most people buying them aren't even using them for 3D but instead bought it due to price/features that have nothing to do with being 3D ready.
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First does Netflix want to loose 1.6% of it's customer base? Most media streamer boxes run linux already. It isn't a fact of compatibility. Netflix chose to only use the SilverLight plugin for browser based streaming. Of course Microsoft excludes Linux users from using their plugin.
And there is PLENTY of interest in 3D but people are waiting for content. Most people HDTV isn't that old; and they are not going to go with a new set when service providers (Like NetFlix) does not offer any content.
The overall cost of a 3DTV isn't all that much. I paid $340 for my set and it uses passive glasses, (RealD method). What little bit of content I can find looks fantastic in 3D. I already pay for full service from NetFlix and they don't bother to offer 3D?? But some of the competition is like VUDO.
 
More content please. Bascially if I can run past a movie showing on TV for the 15th time this month, why can't I see it on netflix without the commercials. I know, I know, those content providers are probably playing hardball, blah blah blah. I don't think there's a single netflix user that wouldn't pay double or maybe even triple if the content selection were MUCh better.

$25/mo for an excellent selection of film and TV? Yeah, sign me up.
 
LeninGHOLA said:
There really isn't much demand for 3D content in the home.
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Asked those who purchased a 3D TV and is still waiting on the service providers to offer content. Keep in mind 3D sets also support 3D gaming.
The big picture is 3D is linked to the very sparse adoptions of Blu-Ray. Many people think it is a only on Blu-Ray DVDs. Not accurate. Blu-Rays is the only DVD format that supports it
but you can stream 3D content just as easily. Easier, crap you don't need a disc or a player!
For those waiting for the "glasses free" 3D, keep waiting. The technology needed will prove to be very expensive. But again, if the content isn't there, who is going to rush to adopt it?
 
Mr Hastings might need to cut back on lattes to make ends meet.
 
First of all Wall Street is on crack and their attitudes(also american consumer attitudes) is what causes all these bubbles and problems afterwards.

Last numbers I saw was q4 last year where netflix has 21 million streaming subs... 4-5 mil new ones is a pretty good growth rate imho. Sure netflix shot itself in the foot by estimating 7mil but the end results are pretty darn good.


$8 for what they provide is a good deal, I still think they should just put all their cards on the table and allow tiered or studio based pricing. Let us consumers decide how much content is worth. If we are willing to pay $30 a mo just for HBO (based on a comment last year from HBO), fine so be it. At least the content is available, foot in the door as it were.

If people think they will get ALL/Most content for 8 bucks per mo with no commercials, you are on crack period.
 
The problem with netflix is very simple, they are unwilling to offer paid rentals. Simple offer me a new release DVD for $1 streamed. I am not so selfish I think they can give us everything for free but the reality is tons of people figured out netflix just cost to much when you could drop by redbox and get the real new release. Everyone of the companies is missing the $1 mark, make things a freaking dollar and watch how people run up $50 bills in no time. Heck even give them discounts if they offer more.
 
dandirk said:
$8 for what they provide is a good deal, I still think they should just put all their cards on the table and allow tiered or studio based pricing. Let us consumers decide how much content is worth. If we are willing to pay $30 a mo just for HBO (based on a comment last year from HBO), fine so be it. At least the content is available, foot in the door as it were.

If people think they will get ALL/Most content for 8 bucks per mo with no commercials, you are on crack period.
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It's a great deal IMO, Im dropping like $120 a month on Comshit cable and watch the occasional sport or sports program, for the $8 I watch Netflix everyday, even if I watch the same shows that I love over and over, they could double the rate and I would not care at all.
 
Spire3660 said:
Another person who doesnt get that soon Linux will be EVERYWHERE. Not on the desktop but in the walls, in the floors, in wall plug computers, etc. That 1.6% figure is very skewed from the penetration of Linux in the real world.
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Since we are talking specifically about a desktop application for netflix so any other uses of linux is meaningless.
 
Spire3660 said:
Another person who doesnt get that soon Linux will be EVERYWHERE. Not on the desktop but in the walls, in the floors, in wall plug computers, etc. That 1.6% figure is very skewed from the penetration of Linux in the real world.
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Agreed. Linux is everywhere and it is the embedded OS of choice by most. Perfect example is -Android-.
As far as desktop adoption, it always seemed to me there was a propaganda war against Linux. There are companies that think they own the desktop OS market. Don't know but the fact there is an OS with all the capabilities for real productivity and ease of use for FREE; this makes some nervous.
Goes back to the old saying; Freedom is for the Brave. ;)
 
Dr. Righteous said:
Agreed. Linux is everywhere and it is the embedded OS of choice by most. Perfect example is -Android-.
As far as desktop adoption, it always seemed to me there was a propaganda war against Linux. There are companies that think they own the desktop OS market. Don't know but the fact there is an OS with all the capabilities for real productivity and ease of use for FREE; this makes some nervous.
Goes back to the old saying; Freedom is for the Brave. ;)
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:rolleyes:
 
Spire3660 said:
Another person who doesnt get that soon Linux will be EVERYWHERE. Not on the desktop but in the walls, in the floors, in wall plug computers, etc. That 1.6% figure is very skewed from the penetration of Linux in the real world.
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Please keep your Linux out of my Uterus....thank you. :p
 
Dr. Righteous said:
Agreed. Linux is everywhere and it is the embedded OS of choice by most. Perfect example is -Android-.
As far as desktop adoption, it always seemed to me there was a propaganda war against Linux. There are companies that think they own the desktop OS market. Don't know but the fact there is an OS with all the capabilities for real productivity and ease of use for FREE; this makes some nervous.
Goes back to the old saying; Freedom is for the Brave. ;)
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Ease of use? Sure the current versions are easier then the older versions but advances have made brain surgery easier as well but no one would call it easy and nothing turns potential new users away more then the current Linux users themselves who tend to vriew anyone now fully skill with Linux to be a complete idiot.

It's funny that posting a simply fact has people rushing to Linux defense spouting data that is completely meaningless to the discussion.

The issue was netflix support for desktop linux, not android or any other linux based system.
 
SkribbelKat said:
You should. Benedict Cucumber is like the most awesome actor ever, though the second season isn't as witty as the first one.
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They finally subtitled Series 2 last week too. Yay!!

It's somewhat annoying when Netflix releases new shows but don't put subtitles up for another 3-4 weeks. :-P

Ah well, plenty other shows to watch while I wait.
 
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