Quote :

"I also love our streaming service because it is integrated into my TV, and I can watch anytime I want. The benefits of our streaming service are really quite different from the benefits of DVD by mail. We feel we need to focus on rapid improvement as streaming technology and the market evolve, without having to maintain compatibility with our DVD by mail service. So we realized that streaming and DVD by mail are becoming two quite different businesses, with very different cost structures, different benefits that need to be marketed differently, and we need to let each grow and operate independently. It’s hard for me to write this after over 10 years of mailing DVDs with pride, but we think it is necessary and best: In a few weeks, we will rename our DVD by mail service to “Qwikster”. We chose the name Qwikster because it refers to quick delivery. We will keep the name “Netflix” for streaming."

http://blog.netflix.com/2011/09/explanation-and-some-reflections.html

tl;dr Netflix is splitting up into two companies whose accounts and queues are in no way connected and it's the worst idea ever

9/19/2011 9:51:35 AM

wormhole

message_topic.aspx?topic=618376

9/19/2011 9:58:39 AM

Exactly what I wanted:

-A price increase.
-Two sites with separate logins.
-A stupid fucking name.

Shit sounds like Quixtar.

Quote :

"Does this mean that Reed Hastings will be hanging around bookstores now trying to recruit for his new business?"

Who makes these god awful decisions?

[Edited on September 19, 2011 at 10:36 AM. Reason : asdfasdfasdf]

9/19/2011 10:34:26 AM

I see Hulu Plus and Amazon Prime benefiting from this in a big way

9/19/2011 11:21:05 AM

awesome... my decision to cancel netflix last week is looking pretty good!

9/19/2011 11:36:34 AM

Goodbye Netflix. I saw that 17 dollar charge to my account. You just assume I want both services? Fuck you, Netflix.

9/19/2011 11:39:05 AM

Did Daniel Snyder buy Netflix?

9/19/2011 11:42:20 AM

Netflix pwnt, stay home.

9/19/2011 11:50:50 AM

What is the business justification for splitting the site?

Everyone else in teh world is working hard to streamline and converge their products for consumer convience. Then you have Netflix doing the exact opposite....

9/19/2011 12:10:19 PM

kinda glad I only signed up for the streaming option in the first place


but at the same time, I also keep thinking of how I haven't used Netflix for weeks... Hulu Plus is where it's at

9/19/2011 12:18:14 PM

the only thing keeping me tied to netflix instant is the integration with my PS3....I have Amazon Instant Watch (through Prime) but haven't used it because I prefer watching content on my TV instead of my computer

9/19/2011 12:20:27 PM

this has left me completely confused. They should have concentrated on negotiating with Starz and other contracts, instead of this.

9/19/2011 12:30:56 PM

This is up there for 'worst business idea of the year'

9/19/2011 1:51:15 PM

Quote :

"What is the business justification for splitting the site? Everyone else in teh world is working hard to streamline and converge their products for consumer convience. Then you have Netflix doing the exact opposite...."

Because they know that the dvd will die and streaming will become the preferred way to watch movies. Its easier/cheaper to kill a whole company (qwikster) than to kill off part of a company. Plus as qwikster slowly dies, it won't hurt netflix bottom line.

The only real chance qwikster has is adding games, that will at least slow the demise.

9/19/2011 1:57:15 PM

Why on earth would they select a name that could be confused with quixtar? One bad choice after another.

9/19/2011 2:38:34 PM

Streaming is still limited by bandwidth. Even with homes that have broadband, local demand often degrades streaming quality to sub-DVD quality during peak hours. I do not see the streaming service obsolete the mail-in service until fiber to the home becomes widely propragated to the average home.

9/19/2011 2:40:33 PM

Also the streaming service is limited by shitty fucking movies.

9/19/2011 3:10:49 PM

I figured that was a given.

9/19/2011 3:18:34 PM

i too, am tired of instant stream and will be cancelling at the end of this month due to my sparse usage.

9/19/2011 3:22:39 PM

I agree, it will probably be another 3-5 years before streaming is good enough for mainstream use.

Maybe then the idea will seem genius. Now it just screams waaaaahhhht?

9/19/2011 4:33:57 PM

Quote :

"Why on earth would they select a name that could be confused with quixtar?"

Quixtar doesn't exist any more. They changed it back to Amway in 2009.

That doesn't mean there won't be some confusion/stigma, but my point is that no one is accidentally going to buy into Amway thinking they're getting DVDs.

9/19/2011 6:18:11 PM

Quote :

"Quixtar doesn't exist any more. They changed it back to Amway in 2009."

Interesting. Did not know that.

Anyway, people still remember Quixtar and it just makes a poorly chosen name (qwikster) even worse than it already was.

[Edited on September 19, 2011 at 6:39 PM. Reason : asfasdfadsf]

9/19/2011 6:38:44 PM

just cancelled my streaming, as soon as I get done with this CD that I have shipping to me now I will cancel the DVD as well.

Prolly go over to blockbuster or nothing at all.

9/19/2011 7:06:02 PM

they're adding games to the by mail part. i use blockbuster by mail bc i can get a game or movie for $8/month. i had been considering switching to netflix for the streaming part but i don't want to choose b/w streaming or mail, or have to pay twice. dish network is expected to make an announcement this friday about streaming movies (they bought blockbuster a while back). i wonder what it'll be...

9/19/2011 7:07:06 PM

the streaming for netflix sucks.

they have a terrible selection to choose from. thats why i dropped it.

9/19/2011 7:12:30 PM

i haven't even looked at the streaming selection

9/19/2011 7:24:39 PM

Quote :

"Goodbye Netflix. I saw that 17 dollar charge to my account. You just assume I want both services? Fuck you, Netflix."

how you missed the multiple emails and 2 month long whine fest by the USA as a whole is beyond me. not to say it wasnt retarded of them.

9/19/2011 7:44:25 PM

and to think, I was going to go out to Cali and get a marketing job with netflix... nvm. Job axed and my love for netflix finally wavered.

9/19/2011 9:14:50 PM

I'm not going to pay for Qwikster, but before becoming one of the knee-jerkers is there a better streaming movie/TV show service out there that will work on PS3/Xbox 360/whatever else for the price?

9/19/2011 10:30:05 PM

doesn't hulu work on the consoles? I don't think their online library is as big. Amazon is another source.

9/19/2011 10:35:31 PM

Quote :

"Plus as qwikster slowly dies, it won't hurt netflix bottom line."

The bottom line is already hurting: http://www.google.com/finance?client=ob&q=NASDAQ:NFLX#

Personally I was reading the email from Hastings this morning. "Gee, we messed up. We didn't think customers would mind paying 60% more. We're humbled. Oh, and now we have a stupid name and the websites won't be integrated."

Last year I was getting DVD's and streaming for a good mix of new and old. Now I'm thinking that the streaming content is getting old and it's a great time to look somewhere else.

9/19/2011 11:29:23 PM

Quote :

"Also the streaming service is limited by shitty fucking movies."

9/19/2011 11:34:36 PM

^^ Over time, like say in the next 3-5 years.

At least I assume thats their logic.

9/20/2011 8:46:10 AM

Quote :

"the streaming for netflix sucks. they have a terrible selection to choose from. thats why i dropped it."

this. i never understood the appeal of netflix, unless you had the DVDs by mail or liked watching TV series

9/22/2011 11:00:23 AM

Its the wow message, but netflix didn't have anything nearly as flashy

9/22/2011 11:24:57 AM

Yeah, Netflix is stupid if you only watch movies. The new releases take forever to come out on disc and the instant selection is terrible.

But my wife and I use it everyday for TV shows - during lunch at work, before bed, when nothing else is on. Shows like South Park, Parks and Rec, The Office, Arrested Development will never get old no matter how many times I watch. If they get rid of those and don't add anything else like Seinfeld or something you can watch hundreds of times and not get tired of it, I'll probably cancel.

9/22/2011 11:31:01 AM

^ that describes me as well. just finished arrested development last night for the 5th time. ha.

9/22/2011 11:35:19 AM

We also watched Friday Night Lights and Lost in their entirety because of Netflix (we never watched them on TV), so that was nice.

9/22/2011 11:41:33 AM

As one of my accounting professors said, why is "Qwikster" the name of the service that relies on snail mail?

9/22/2011 3:09:56 PM

^^Friday Night Lights isn't on Netflix in it's entirety.

There's a 5th season out there that hasn't yet been put on there.

9/22/2011 3:12:46 PM

I just started a Netflix subscription a few weeks ago, after the price changes went into effect. I have the streaming-only subscription. I am happy with the service. I watch TV shows, random documentaries, and movies that I've wanting to see but haven't gotten around to. If I want to see a newer movie I go to the $1.50 theatre or hit Redbox.

It's still only like $7 a month for Netflix streaming. That's very little money for the number of hours of entertainment. It's like one shot of booze at a bar.

9/22/2011 3:41:31 PM

Give it 2 months... then there will be nothing else to find on it.


It is hella worth it for those 2 months though

9/22/2011 11:43:58 PM

i watched the entire stargate sg1, atlantis, universe, and the 2 made for tv movies on netflix over about a 2-3 month period.

9/23/2011 10:15:35 AM

Quote :

"Friday Night Lights isn't on Netflix in it's entirety. There's a 5th season out there that hasn't yet been put on there."

yeah you're right. We watched it last summer before the last season was out and torrented the last one.

9/23/2011 10:28:53 AM

Quote :

"Why on earth would they select a name that could be confused with quixtar? One bad choice after another."

I second that notion...though I as well did not know that Quixtar doesn't exist any longer. Damn cult.

9/26/2011 11:16:56 AM

Cancelled my netflix account on saturday, right after I did a Breaking Bad Marathon. Yup, right till the last hour I got to enjoy what was left of the dying sob.

9/26/2011 11:32:19 AM

I'm holding on to netflix streaming for a while because i enjoy watching all of the tv series they have... eventually though if they don't update their selection in a big way i'm saying goodbye to it.

9/26/2011 11:33:54 AM

yeah, they do have a lot of tv shows if that's your bag, but they haven't really added any good ones since July and I blazed through all the startrek series, madmen and quite a few other tv shows since then. yeah... I'm a big netflix hog, but I can learn to live without.

9/26/2011 11:38:35 AM

deep space nine is coming out in October!

9/26/2011 2:21:59 PM

blockbuster streaming for dish customers only starts in october. they said they have over 200,000 titles or something like that. i haven't seen anything about pricing. i would love to think that since i'm a dish customer & a blockbuster by mail customer that it'd be free for me...but i doubt it.

9/26/2011 4:08:23 PM