Netflix--oh wait, I'm sorry, Qwikster

[ivyfic]

When Netflix changed the pricing structure, I wasn't annoyed. I understood that the business model is changing and they needed to separate the streaming part of their business.

Okay, well, now Netflix has managed to piss me off. You're going to make me go to two different websites to see if something is available on disc or instantly? Fuck you.

Comments

[cubby-t-bear.livejournal.com]

Does NetFlix have any advantage over Amazon Prime anymore? Without the DVDs (I'm cheap and always go for the lower tier pricing scheme - $15 for DVDs and streaming both triggers my "I don't watch it enough" limit), I'm seriously thinking of switching over, and getting myself the free delivery.

[ivy03.livejournal.com]

I use the DVD service heavily, so Netflix is still a lone competitor in the field. I'm just annoyed that the crossover benefits will disappear when they split the sites--like suggesting streaming movies based on a searched for DVD-only film, or having one page for a TV series that tells you both what is available on DVD and what is available streaming.

[firynze.livejournal.com]

I've been told that Netflix still outdoes Amazon Prime's streaming selection by a wide margin.

[embroiderama]

Yeah, what they're doing doesn't make a lot of sense to me. I subscribe to streaming-only and have been since well before they split up the pricing, but it seems to be that having the services integrated gives them the ability to constantly tempt users with the upsell: This movie is DVD-only but you can get it if you upgrade *click here*. This movie available for instant play, watch it right away if you upgrade *click here*. Why would they want to take that away?

[ivy03.livejournal.com]

Yes. This is the flaw I see. Also that before they split the pricing, a Netflix DVD customer was a Netflix streaming customer--if they wanted a streaming service, well they already had one. So the enormous business of DVD by mail gave their streaming a big boost. Now, but separating them entirely, they've freed up their suxtomers to shop for streaming services.

whywhywhywhywhywhy

[moonlightalice.livejournal.com]

I'm stunned. They'll throw away ten years of brand identity with that Netflix red envelope? They'll force people, who don't care what method of delivery they get as long as they get the movie, use two different websites and maintain two different queues? This is just crazy.

[ivy03.livejournal.com]

Yeah--I liked that at first if you added something to your DVD queue, it automatically added it to instant if it was available. Now it's not automatic, but both buttons pop up when you want to add something. I also liked that I could look for streaming films in a certain genre by searching for a DVD-only film and having it suggest similar movies to me. What the hell, Netflix?

Honestly, the price change didn't bother me at all. This does.

[moonlightalice.livejournal.com]

The price change pissed me off for the same reason this pisses me off: it assumes that the ENTIRE DVD catalog is available on instant, and it's just a matter of format preference, rather than actual availability of selection.

I'm assuming they're spinning this off to give it a quiet death--either to sell that portion of the company, or to let it die and not have it be branded a Netflix death.

[ivy03.livejournal.com]

This worries me as well. The only reason to split and rebrand the businesses is if you plan to sell it. This would upset me a great deal, as there are a lot of things I want to watch not available streaming.

[cubby-t-bear.livejournal.com]

Megan McArdle suggested that it's b/c mail-order DVD is unprofitable, and they're planning to close it down.

[ivy03.livejournal.com]

After achieving such market dominance that they have no other competition. Great. That's great. It's not even like you could go to Blockbuster now.

[firynze.livejournal.com]

My thinking as well.

[xannoside.livejournal.com]

It's especially weird, because with Starz refusing to re-up, come February, the size of the streaming catalogue is going to plummet.

They want to keep the budgets separate, fine, but why *on earth* would you make I harder for customers to use your services when you know your value as a service is going to drop.

[ivy03.livejournal.com]

And why would you rebrand it "Qwikster"? Why not rebrand it "Netflix Home" or "Netflix Classic" or something?

[firynze.livejournal.com]

The utter inconvenience of this move, for a service built on providing the ultimate in service for folk who don't wanna go to a video store etc., just boggles me.

[ivy03.livejournal.com]

Literally last night I was using a search for DVDs to generate available streaming movies. I don't know why they'd take that synergy and chuck it. I really don't.

[firynze.livejournal.com]

Because they have an overwhelming desire to load up a shotgun with grapeshot and start blasting at their own shins?

[trinityvixen.livejournal.com]

Sigh. My rage is spent yet still overflowing. It's like I cannot exhaust how utterly frustrating and stupid I find this whole development to be. It's exactly the opposite of what every business move ever (every successful one) should be, and now using Netflix is going to be a chore instead of a service I take for granted and cannot live without.

[ivy03.livejournal.com]

I got the email and I was like what? What? Not only is that insanely stupid, but you roll out to me that you're making me go to two different websites and changing your brand that sounds like the bad cover band Jeffster on Chuck and to find this out, I have to go through a page of half-assed apologies for a price increase that I don't even care about?

AAAAAAAAAGH. NETFLIX. Just stop digging.

[chuckro.livejournal.com]

This is usually the point where I chime in with a comment on why the investment community thinks this is such a great idea and it'll screw over lots of customers to make money for stockholders. Except we're all just as dumbfounded as you are. The tone in this morning's meeting was all, "Do they have any business model at all? Is there any way this story could work?"

[ivy03.livejournal.com]

They killed their competition in movie rental. But now it seems like they're taking that hard-earned juggernaut status and chucking it and I don't know why. And since they've been so damn effective for so long, it's not like there's even a viable alternative should they die from self-inflicted wounds, which is starting to look likely. There simply isn't another place with their selection and their recommendation engine, at any price. So I don't know what I'm going to do when they bite it.

[neotoma.livejournal.com]

I'm going to be looking at my other options -- there's a locally owned video store two blocks away, of all rare beasts -- but even if I don't drop Netflix, excuse me, Quickster (what a terrible name!), I'm probably going to reduce my subscription because since I've gone back to writing I don't have *time* to watch 3 disks at a week, so 3 disks at a time are too many.

I mean, the entire reason I went with the DVD-by-mail is that lots of the documentaries and foreign films I want to watch aren't available by streaming.

Also, with the Post Office deciding it's going to destroy what's left of its consumer base, DVD-by-mail looks less attractive anyway.