Netflix to start testing warnings for people borrowing login info • Hacker News Board

Re: Netflix to start testing warnings for people borrowing login info

#51

Post by NeutronStar » Thu, Mar 11, 2021, 3:10 PM UTC

Mindwipe wrote: post #29

kmeisthax wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Right, but at the same time, Netflix also prices their product tiers around being able to pay for more simultaneous streams on the same account. Account sharing is literally a selling point for them.

Sharing inside a household is. Again, the t&cs explicitly forbid you account sharing with anyone outside your household. (As does Spotify's, and Spotify started doing something similar to do this a few years ago.)

Ok so, what if I live with you but work in another city I travel to every week, do I not live with you? What if I'm a trucker on the move? What if I'm in the army and getting deployed?

Re: Netflix to start testing warnings for people borrowing login info

#52

Post by jjk166 » Thu, Mar 11, 2021, 3:11 PM UTC

lol123456789 wrote: post #35

"The easiest way to stop piracy is not by putting antipiracy technology to work. It's by giving those people a service that's better than what they're receiving from the pirates." - Gaben

But providing a service people are willing to pay for is so much less lucrative than finding ways to force people to pay for inferior service.

Re: Netflix to start testing warnings for people borrowing login info

#53

Post by cortesoft » Thu, Mar 11, 2021, 3:11 PM UTC

The way I see it, the system currently works pretty well. Account sharing isn't totally free for the user.... you only can have a certain number of simultaneous streams, and you will have extra profiles on your account.

If people can afford their own account without sharing, they will do it. If they are sharing an account, it means they are sacrificing some functionality to save money.

Re: Netflix to start testing warnings for people borrowing login info

#54

Post by 535188B17C93743 » Thu, Mar 11, 2021, 3:12 PM UTC

backtoyoujim wrote: post #46

RHSeeger wrote: post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What is it that you think is appropriate for you to be pissed off about? You pay for Netflix for you and your household, not for anyone that happens to be related to you. Has that ever not been the case?

What exactly is Netflix pissed about ? Their stock is over $500 a share. In 2020 Netflix has positive cashflow of $1.9 billion. What are they pissed about ?

Stock owners.

Re: Netflix to start testing warnings for people borrowing login info

#55

Post by dazc » Thu, Mar 11, 2021, 3:12 PM UTC

rafael09ed wrote: post #34

chucky wrote: post #10

As part of a single person household it feels weird that there is a norm that you are allowed to share logins "within your household". Effectively this means people in the same household are paying a lower price than others - so people living in single households are effectively subsidizing that usage by paying more per person.

For products with a flat rate, the people who use it less are subsidizing it for people who use it more too. Would you say there is a problem with that?

I share my account with my dad, who does not live with me. He's been self-isolating for almost a full year and has redefined 'binge-watching' to a whole new level.

I rarely watch Netflix since it seems mostly series stretched across multiple episodes despite having a story that wouldn't justify a comic strip.

So, yes, I am subsidising him consuming stuff that Netflix would have to pay me to watch.

Re: Netflix to start testing warnings for people borrowing login info

#56

Post by fishtacos » Thu, Mar 11, 2021, 3:12 PM UTC

RHSeeger wrote: post #32

4ggr0 wrote: post #13

The Netflix I pay for is currently used by: Me, Mom, Dad, Grandparents, GF, GFs Mom. Other than myself and my GF, most of the people on this list watch something on Netflix every couple of months, when I or someone/something else recommend them a movie or show. I don't want them to use my profile, because we then obviously can't watch the same things, and it'll break my recommendations. I get why Netflix wants to spl…

What is it that you think is appropriate for you to be pissed off about? You pay for Netflix for you and your household, not for anyone that happens to be related to you. Has that ever not been the case?

Perhaps because they've doubled their streaming service's cost, reduced their content amount and availability, and are now properly warning they are going to be cracking down on geographically distant usage by users of the same account.

At this point I'm paying 20 USD/m for Netflix, roommate for HBOMax, friend's password (via reciprocal sharing) for Disney+, and our online TV service, which my elderly disabled mother can't go without.

The post-cable/satellite TV revolution has tripled my costs from what it used to be.

Re: Netflix to start testing warnings for people borrowing login info

#57

Post by eCa » Thu, Mar 11, 2021, 3:13 PM UTC

4ggr0 wrote: post #13

The Netflix I pay for is currently used by: Me, Mom, Dad, Grandparents, GF, GFs Mom. Other than myself and my GF, most of the people on this list watch something on Netflix every couple of months, when I or someone/something else recommend them a movie or show. I don't want them to use my profile, because we then obviously can't watch the same things, and it'll break my recommendations. I get why Netflix wants to spl…

From that use case, what is likely to happen is everyone having their own account but being more active in canceling and rejoining. I doubt Netflix revenue will increase to much above $240 in the end.

Re: Netflix to start testing warnings for people borrowing login info

#58

Post by dazc » Thu, Mar 11, 2021, 3:14 PM UTC

bidirectional wrote: post #30

chucky wrote: post #10

As part of a single person household it feels weird that there is a norm that you are allowed to share logins "within your household". Effectively this means people in the same household are paying a lower price than others - so people living in single households are effectively subsidizing that usage by paying more per person.

Almost everything is cheaper for multiple people living as a unit. Wait until you find out people with partners effectively have their rent halved.

Except that rents are now at a level that need two people to cover - so that issue is kind of priced in already?

Re: Netflix to start testing warnings for people borrowing login info

#59

Post by moate » Thu, Mar 11, 2021, 3:14 PM UTC

paxys wrote: post #27

Nextgrid wrote: post #3

This just gives piracy yet another advantage. The article clearly mentions that credentials sharing is currently used as a mitigation to the balkanization of streaming services, allowing the cost of all major subscriptions to be spread across several people, essentially bringing down the per-person cost to a reasonable, single subscription's cost. Cracking down on this doesn't mean people will start paying, they will…

My mom and grandma currently share my Netflix account. If Netflix cracks down on it they aren't going to start torrenting, but will either get their own subscriptions or not watch Netflix at all. I assume the suits at Netflix have run the numbers and are confident that enough people will fall into the first category to justify this move.

It feels like this is them running the numbers. It's a small rollout. Looks like a classic A/B.

Re: Netflix to start testing warnings for people borrowing login info

#60

Post by PragmaticPulp » Thu, Mar 11, 2021, 3:14 PM UTC

cortesoft wrote: post #53

The way I see it, the system currently works pretty well. Account sharing isn't totally free for the user.... you only can have a certain number of simultaneous streams, and you will have extra profiles on your account. If people can afford their own account without sharing, they will do it. If they are sharing an account, it means they are sacrificing some functionality to save money.

I have a group of friends who share a Netflix login and split the bill.

It took them several months to realize there was a simultaneous streaming limitation because it was so rare for 3 of them to try to watch at the same time.

When they hit it, the third person just watches on their shared Hulu or shared HBO account anyway.