Internet Braces for Stream-Only Netflix

CommanderFrank

CommanderFrank

Cat Can't Scratch It
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May 9, 2000
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Netflix is making plans for new distribution methods of its movies now that the USPS is all but eliminating one day delivery. One of those contingency plans includes eliminating the famous red mailers entirely and going full-bore streaming to all customers. Internet analysts are working overtime to evaluate the possible ramifications of the added traffic on the Internet.

During peak hours — after dinner time until around midnight — Netflix already accounts for somewhere between 20 and 30 percent of all US Internet traffic.
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I don't like the looks of this. I am still a loyal Netflix subscriber and now that the infrastructure for delivering the discs is going away, that means a huge chunk of the aggregate library is going away. I will stream if they eliminate the discs but if all the streaming deals go south and I am stuck with Curious George and old PBS documentaries as the last on the vine, then I walk. I don't exactly know how the television execs and movie makers think this is going to make me get cable. I will just go back to no tv in the house as we were before Netflix. I will never pay that much money for 95% crap, 4% alright, and the true 1% of programming I really want.
 
...and our next story is...

Today, Comcast has announced dividends will increase 30%. The CEO was quoted, " we are making so much new revenue, it was time to kick a few bucks back to our shareholders instead back into our outside plant. It was a good thing we "restructured" when we did. Our shareholders will benefit greatly."
 
oh yay more being screwed all around.

as a first world nation we get raped on telecom because of govt bureaucracy, and the usps is in the gutter thanks to those same ones (prefund 75 years of medical benefits.......).

as usual the citizen gets stuck with the bill and the inconvenience.

This is why we can't have nice things.
 
Also what's the deal with the USPS stopping delivery of 1 day first class? I mean did someone in their mind get the bright idea to say "How dare all those people sending mail to those in the same city/area get next day service at regular rates!?" Last I checked you're basically buying a guarantee not the actual service itself. So they're going to just not process any mail that gets there until the next day or something? What's next? 2-3day express mail? Sorry we won't process the mail for up to 3 days just so you don't possibly get mail delivered in 3 days.

Talk about shooting themselves in the foot, whether they process mail the first day or the next day you're still going to have the same amount of work/man hour on it.
 
sfsuphysics said:
Also what's the deal with the USPS stopping delivery of 1 day first class? I mean did someone in their mind get the bright idea to say "How dare all those people sending mail to those in the same city/area get next day service at regular rates!?" Last I checked you're basically buying a guarantee not the actual service itself. So they're going to just not process any mail that gets there until the next day or something? What's next? 2-3day express mail? Sorry we won't process the mail for up to 3 days just so you don't possibly get mail delivered in 3 days.

Talk about shooting themselves in the foot, whether they process mail the first day or the next day you're still going to have the same amount of work/man hour on it.
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Did you miss the news that the USPS is billions of dollars in debt? This allows them to process the mail on fewer days. They're doing this to save money, but unfortunately this is only going to hurt their business even more.

As for Netflix, I'd love it if they went to all streaming content, but only if they improve their content library so you can stream newer stuff.
 
I will cancel my netflix if it goes to all streaming. I don't to watch streaming on my 120inch theater screen with crapy pro logic audio. If they bump up the quality and Let my pc out put better audio I'll keep it. If not I guess I'll just be buying alot of movies from now on.
 
I really hope Netflix does not do away with the dvd business. I wouldn't mind if it took an extra day or two to get my movies. Why is everyone so focused on the I gotta have it now. Be a bit patient and stretch out your viewing. If you have the 4 movies out at a time, you can easily watch one send it back, repeat the next day, repeat again the next day, repeat again, and by the 4th or 5th day you will have another movie. Keep up this process, and be happy. Still keeping netflix no matter what.
 
Jarod888 said:
Why is everyone so focused on the I gotta have it now.
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Because you can get a movie, watch it, return it the next day, and get a 2nd one in the same week the way it is now thus costing you less money to watch more content. You can't do that if it takes an extra day to process mail.
 
A lot of people cancelled their subscriptions after the price hike for plans that included movie delivery or they changed it to the cheaper streaming only service for $8 (as I did). It is a smarter move to switch to streaming only now since USPS has eliminated 1 day shipping because there is even less appeal to the movie delivery subscriptions.

Too bad Netflix's generally has crap to choose from for their streaming services. Hopefully they'll improve their streaming library by moving to streaming only.
 
The day the mailers disappear will be the day my subscription disappears as well.

That'll be the day I actually consider the blockbuster service...

I don't have a computer or a console hooked up to my main television. I don't have a blue ray player.
I'm not about to purchase any of those either just so I can watch less content. Not everything is streaming you know...
 
Makeroflostsouls said:
I will cancel my netflix if it goes to all streaming. I don't to watch streaming on my 120inch theater screen with crapy pro logic audio. If they bump up the quality and Let my pc out put better audio I'll keep it. If not I guess I'll just be buying alot of movies from now on.
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some of the HD programs on Netflix are showing a 5.1 icon, isn't that Dolby Digital 5.1 now?
 
Netflix is stuck between a rock and a hard place, or worse. They TV AND movie studios are more than happy to keep squeezing until Netflix just doesn't appeal to anyone, they view Netflix as lost disc sales and lost VOD contracts/sales. Netflix's an albatross that's limiting profits, in their minds.

At the same time the USPS can't keep up with Netflix and other competitors are doing everything they can to nab some of Netflix's contracts away even tho none of them is gonna be allowed to gain the marketshare Netflix has. So users keep clamoring for more contracts without price hikes, basically expecting Netflix to pull a rabbit out of a hat.

TV/movie execs saw what happened in the music industry and they'll fight to the death before actually ceding some ground to consumers like the music industry did (by giving up on DRM). Even worse, they'd rather shoot themswlves in the foot than allow someone to have as much influence over music/TV distribution as Apple has over the online music business.

I think this society often runs to court far too often to solve its issues, but at some point Netflix's gonna have to try proving that studios are simply colluding against them. It's a lose/lose situation tho.
 
kirbyrj said:
Because you can get a movie, watch it, return it the next day, and get a 2nd one in the same week the way it is now thus costing you less money to watch more content. You can't do that if it takes an extra day to process mail.
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You are already getting your content at a severely reduced price in comparison to cable, part of the drawback is that it isn't instant. If you want instant, get cable. I think the problem is that people have this expectation that they can completely eliminate cable and maintain the same service level and access, and when there is a slight delay or deviation they bitch and complain about it. There are positives and negatives to both ways of accessing content, people just need to find the right mix for themselves. I have cable, netflix both dvds and steaming, I watch a few things online, and I am considering building a htpc. I still purchase movies, but I don't do redbox or blockbuster. I have found what works for me. Like I said originally, I don't mind waiting a day or two extra for movies, Hell, I've have had the current four for months. I'll send them back eventually and get some new ones.
 
When they get rid of the DVD's, Verizon will be purchasing Netflix.
 
PeaKr said:
This will be Hastings final mistake.
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See my previous post... I seriously don't see what they could do better, they basically spend the entire year renegotiating content contracts, can't serve what you don't have tho. The only reason competitors like Redbox/Blockbuster are thriving some is because the content providers want Netflix gone. Once Netflix goes they'll put the squeeze to those as well (and it'd be very easy) until we're back to $4-5 B&M rentals and $15+ VOD over cable.

I dropped Netflix because I didn't stream much and i don't watch more than 4 movies a month either, so for the occasional rental it was cheaper to do Redbox or just buy the movie a few months after it's out; but I would like to see Netflix thrive. I just dunno how consumers can voice that opinion other than to keep paying for Netflix thru price hikes and everything, studios win either way in the long run.
 
I'm willing to bet the streaming library is going to be improved to account for the losses in physical DVDs. If not, oh well.
 
Internet braces ? Internet doesn't care. Maybe US bandwidth will suffer, but US does not equal Internet.
 
I welcome whatever will rise from the ashes of Netflix. This will be good for consumers in the long run. Eventually we'll have something like Netflix, but where everything is available for streaming. Imagine if Netflix's current DVD library was all available for streaming. Win.

It's gonna take time, but eventually everything will be available streaming online. That's all I care about. I haven't watched physical media in years.
 
The only way I wont cancel my subscription if they did this is if a couple things happened:

1.) Every movie currently on disk will need to become a streaming option if it already isn't. For new movie releases, im fine with a month of two delay.

2.) Every device that is Netflix capable needs to start streaming 5.1 tracks. I believe the PS3 is still the only device that truly supports this. I notice the 360 is starting to support 5.1 with the Dolby Digital Plus audio option. I know this is a big deal for a lot of us with home theater systems. Also it goes without saying, every movie needs these tracks added to them.
 
officer921 said:
I welcome whatever will rise from the ashes of Netflix. This will be good for consumers in the long run. Eventually we'll have something like Netflix, but where everything is available for streaming. Imagine if Netflix's current DVD library was all available for streaming. Win.

It's gonna take time, but eventually everything will be available streaming online. That's all I care about. I haven't watched physical media in years.
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???

Nothing rises from the ashes except VOD from the cable companies or the cable companies doing the streaming, and guess what, it will be $80 a month or $40 if you have cable with them. The only thing left of Netflix will be ashes and the cable companies and movie studios trampling through them.

I am not saying that I want it all, right now, for $10 a month. I know that is expecting to much (or is it?). I am just saying that Netflix came in and did it for cheap, others (cable companies/movie studios) saw the dollar signs and now are going to take back that market with their crappy substitutes or just cramming their already horrible alternatives. I just know that I will ride it out until the cable companies stand on top again just counting their profits and my family will go back to watching movies we already have OTA tv.
 
Kenworth said:
???

Nothing rises from the ashes except VOD from the cable companies or the cable companies doing the streaming, and guess what, it will be $80 a month or $40 if you have cable with them. The only thing left of Netflix will be ashes and the cable companies and movie studios trampling through them.

I am not saying that I want it all, right now, for $10 a month. I know that is expecting to much (or is it?). I am just saying that Netflix came in and did it for cheap, others (cable companies/movie studios) saw the dollar signs and now are going to take back that market with their crappy substitutes or just cramming their already horrible alternatives. I just know that I will ride it out until the cable companies stand on top again just counting their profits and my family will go back to watching movies we already have OTA tv.
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That's your outlook I guess. Netflix has made a massive amount of money, but screwed the pooch a couple times, which is why they are hurting. It's ridiculous to think that another company or big investor won't look at the Netflix debacle and say "Hmm, this is what they fucked up. If I do X and Y, I can make a fuck load of money". Netflix proved that streaming is the future, and showed what to do and what not to do. Netflix is builit into fucking TV's, DVD players, and Window Media Center. Streaming is the future, if done properly.

As far as the cable companies, they are greedy bastards who couldn't make it work. Yeah, they might come out with some shitty VOD services that are way overpriced, but the masses have already had $8 unlimited streaming, so no way they will eat the shit the cable companies will be pushing. If they would have done this pre-Netlfix, maybe. But now now.

Like I said, our opinions differ greatly. I foresee Netflix being bought out and retooled to what it should have been, or another company, like Amazon, stepping in and make a streaming service that we would all do cartwheels over. Prime is nice, imagine if they decided to go full steam and take Netflix out.
 
B2BigAl said:
Did you miss the news that the USPS is billions of dollars in debt? This allows them to process the mail on fewer days. They're doing this to save money, but unfortunately this is only going to hurt their business even more.
.
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No didn't miss that fact they're in debt. I get the fact very often they're paying people for not working. But if they process mail on fewer days you could technically mail stuff on those days and still get the 1 day service no? From what it sounds like is they're not going to make it possible to get 1 day service on standard first class, which to me sounds silly, because whether they process it on the day they get it, or 2 days later when the next processing date is they're still using the same amount of man-hours to do it. ( Even though a vast majority of mail is processed electronically)
 
And the bandwidth caps by our ISPs are just waiting in the background.... :(
 
officer921 said:
Like I said, our opinions differ greatly. I foresee Netflix being bought out and retooled to what it should have been, or another company, like Amazon, stepping in and make a streaming service that we would all do cartwheels over. Prime is nice, imagine if they decided to go full steam and take Netflix out.
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I think you hit it there. For myself and my family we look at the way this is has been, is going, and will be differently. I am greatly disappointed in many ways but have been grasping to the streaming dream of everything through our internet pipes. The way it should be? In my opinion yes but I am not expecting today or tomorrow realistically. I hate to see the innovators like Netflix getting squeezed from all directions but Amazon could just come in and do that X and Y analysis and really blow the doors off of this thing. Or some other company that his been waiting in the shadows just contemplating the right time. I am all for it. Put the client in my PS3 next to Netflix and I will crank that up for the movie/tv show/documentary that I want.
 
I really don't blame netflix this is all the blame of the postal service and movie companies and ISP data caps. I think there streaming only is fine people love to hate on netflix when there is so much blame to spread around here!
 
This sounds like a cheap cop-out excuse to drop the physical disc portion of Netflix, since they failed to shed it this summer.

There's no reason to eliminate physical disc delivery just because it takes one more day. I'd still subscribe.

I still do both plans, but the streaming is still the lesser valuable of the two for me. Granted, when I stream, I don't watch one of the 3 discs I have in my possession, but at least everything I add to my queue is available physically. Streaming, not even close.
 
Also, I still don't blame Netflix for their lack of streaming choices. I really believe this problem still lies in the movie/television industry being extremely hesitant in protecting viewing rights and revenues and such. Can't necessarily blame them, but they're moving at an abyssmally slow rate compared to technology and consumer desires.

But if streaming can help bury the bluray format (which is awful and stupid as a long-term tech), I'll do what I can to help. Disclaimer: I only buy bluray physical media now; not a hater, just don't believe a changing format that requires player firmware upgrades and backward steps in UI (can't skip the main menu? really?) is a viable product in the long run.
 
When the postal service eliminates next day delivery, the turn-around time for DVDs will effectively double, which saves Netflix a bundle on postage.
Here are two possible solutions to keep non-streaming customers happy:

1) Simply bump up the number of movies up from say 4 to 6 at a time, for the same price.

2) Netflix could ship replacements before receiving the old ones, as long as customers have checked “RETURNED” in their out queue.
Since so few customers would bother to do this on a regular basis, this would be the best solution from a business standpoint.
 
you mean to tell me this day in age, people still get DVD's from netflix? hahahaha :p
 
officer921 said:
That's your outlook I guess. Netflix has made a massive amount of money, but screwed the pooch a couple times, which is why they are hurting. It's ridiculous to think that another company or big investor won't look at the Netflix debacle and say "Hmm, this is what they fucked up. If I do X and Y, I can make a fuck load of money". Netflix proved that streaming is the future, and showed what to do and what not to do. Netflix is builit into fucking TV's, DVD players, and Window Media Center. Streaming is the future, if done properly.

As far as the cable companies, they are greedy bastards who couldn't make it work. Yeah, they might come out with some shitty VOD services that are way overpriced, but the masses have already had $8 unlimited streaming, so no way they will eat the shit the cable companies will be pushing. If they would have done this pre-Netlfix, maybe. But now now.

Like I said, our opinions differ greatly. I foresee Netflix being bought out and retooled to what it should have been, or another company, like Amazon, stepping in and make a streaming service that we would all do cartwheels over. Prime is nice, imagine if they decided to go full steam and take Netflix out.
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If only it were that easy... With some minor exceptions Netflix has actually been lead very well, the price hike was inevitable and the spin-off flip flop was dumb, but it was more a question of bad timing than anything else. What makes you think anyone will have better luck negotiating with content providers while keeping prices low?

From what I've seen Netflix has done everything in it's power to expand its streaming library, but content providers are simply not on board. They KNOW there's plenty of consumers that will indeed pay much more for the same content. If that wasn't the case the overpriced cable VOD services would've already dies off completely.

There's no magical solution here that doesn't involve a big public outcry and TV/movie studios seeing the light. If Netflix flops we're in for 3-4 years of no viable alternative until, at best... At worst people eat whatever cable companies serve and we all lose.
 
Canceled cable @$70 a month. Added Hulu Plus to our Netflix subscription. $16 a month, a little bit of commercials. Lots of stuff I've never seen before. Can watch on my phone on lunch break. I'm happy.
 
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