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Netflix kills Qwikster

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Re: Netflix kills Qwikster

#121

Post by TheAmazingIdiot »

mathattack wrote: post #60

Great companies can overcome Marketing mistakes. Coca-Cola was one of the world's great marketers. How else can they get you to pay so much for water + sugar + a jolt? (And how do they charge more for water than Exxon charges for gasoline?) They made a huge blunder in the 80s abandoning the classic formula, with a New Coke that was better by all objective measures. Despite all their market research telling them how g…

Ahem.

New Coke was a known bad transition. Why would I say that? All you need do is to look on a Coke can ingredients list from before New Coke and after New Coke. There will be one change:

High Fructose Corn Syrup.

Or if you wish to try the classic formula, try the Mexican version of Coca Cola. They still use the old formula using cane sugar. There is also a Kosher version of Coca Cola that uses the older recipe.

Re: Netflix kills Qwikster

#122

Post by sbov »

smoyer wrote: post #19
uptown wrote: post #5

While this rights the ship, Netflix made the colossal mistake of rocking the recurring-billing boat. Smart businesses know that when you've got a customer setup for recurring monthly billing, there's a certain percentage of these customers who will continue to pay even though they're not actively using the service. Part of it is laziness of figuring out how to cancel. Another part is the thought that they may someday…

We switched to the streaming-only plan before our billing cycle and have been happy ... We weren't good at quickly watching the DVDs and returning them anyway plus we saved a buck a month. How did other HNers respond to the price hike? I would expect this group to be dominated by streamers anyway.

Cancelled streaming due to the split, not price hike.

Since 90% of what I actually want to watch is only available via dvd, streaming was more of a convenient addon than the core product. That I was going to lose the integration between streaming & dvd made streaming pointless.

Re: Netflix kills Qwikster

#123

Post by joshAg »

uptown wrote: post #5

While this rights the ship, Netflix made the colossal mistake of rocking the recurring-billing boat. Smart businesses know that when you've got a customer setup for recurring monthly billing, there's a certain percentage of these customers who will continue to pay even though they're not actively using the service. Part of it is laziness of figuring out how to cancel. Another part is the thought that they may someday…

If i remember correctly, netflix's streaming contracts expired and they had to sign new contracts with the movie studios for streaming that basically forced netflix to increase their prices. These contracts are also the reason that netflix "decided" to not send out dvds until 30 days after the movie has been released on dvd.

Re: Netflix kills Qwikster

#124

Post by sixtofour »

smoyer wrote: post #19
uptown wrote: post #5

While this rights the ship, Netflix made the colossal mistake of rocking the recurring-billing boat. Smart businesses know that when you've got a customer setup for recurring monthly billing, there's a certain percentage of these customers who will continue to pay even though they're not actively using the service. Part of it is laziness of figuring out how to cancel. Another part is the thought that they may someday…

We switched to the streaming-only plan before our billing cycle and have been happy ... We weren't good at quickly watching the DVDs and returning them anyway plus we saved a buck a month. How did other HNers respond to the price hike? I would expect this group to be dominated by streamers anyway.

Canceled both. I was on the streaming plus one DVD plan.

I was probably buying a different service than Netflix thought they were selling: All the streaming movies I can stand for about $10/month, with DVDs as backup if they aren't streamed.

As others have noted, neither service on its own is worth the price to me. Streaming quality is OK. DVDs are usually playable but not always. Once I start the DVD and settle in with my popcorn, a refund or the next movie can't make up for the disappointment and wasted time of a half watched movie.

I'm price sensitive these days, as are a lot of people. I'm going with the library, and the occasional PPV on Amazon or Youtube. I don't have to watch every new movie, and most of my viewing was classics, indie and foreign anyway.

Re: Netflix kills Qwikster

#125

Post by madebylaw »

hollerith wrote: post #53

In explaining the split, Hastings cited the need for the streaming business to stay focused. In other words, Netflix took away a convenience many customers wanted to address a need internal to Netflix's management. That's less than ideal, but I understand the need for the company to face up to reality and shortcomings in its capabilities. More worrying is what they did to the recommendation engine after the split. Al…

You actually can rate DVD only movies, but you have to click into the movie's actual page (where all the reviews and comments are) to do it...

Re: Netflix kills Qwikster

#126

Post by lukifer »

smoyer wrote: post #19
uptown wrote: post #5

While this rights the ship, Netflix made the colossal mistake of rocking the recurring-billing boat. Smart businesses know that when you've got a customer setup for recurring monthly billing, there's a certain percentage of these customers who will continue to pay even though they're not actively using the service. Part of it is laziness of figuring out how to cancel. Another part is the thought that they may someday…

We switched to the streaming-only plan before our billing cycle and have been happy ... We weren't good at quickly watching the DVDs and returning them anyway plus we saved a buck a month. How did other HNers respond to the price hike? I would expect this group to be dominated by streamers anyway.

I've been a hardcore user for many years, and I didn't mind the price hike. I go through maybe ten discs per month, and use streaming frequently, all for much less than cable. If the raised rate had always been the normal price, I would have paid happily and not thought twice about it.

However, the split made me livid, especially with the implicit message that Netflix doesn't want its original customers anymore. While that motivation probably hasn't changed, I'm placated for now that they're at least keeping the service under one roof.

Re: Netflix kills Qwikster

#127

Post by hollerith »

madebylaw wrote: post #125
hollerith wrote: post #53

In explaining the split, Hastings cited the need for the streaming business to stay focused. In other words, Netflix took away a convenience many customers wanted to address a need internal to Netflix's management. That's less than ideal, but I understand the need for the company to face up to reality and shortcomings in its capabilities. More worrying is what they did to the recommendation engine after the split. Al…

You actually can rate DVD only movies, but you have to click into the movie's actual page (where all the reviews and comments are) to do it...

I get it now. Thanks.

Re: Netflix kills Qwikster

#128

Post by vailripper »

TheAmazingIdiot wrote: post #121
mathattack wrote: post #60

Great companies can overcome Marketing mistakes. Coca-Cola was one of the world's great marketers. How else can they get you to pay so much for water + sugar + a jolt? (And how do they charge more for water than Exxon charges for gasoline?) They made a huge blunder in the 80s abandoning the classic formula, with a New Coke that was better by all objective measures. Despite all their market research telling them how g…

Ahem. New Coke was a known bad transition. Why would I say that? All you need do is to look on a Coke can ingredients list from before New Coke and after New Coke. There will be one change: High Fructose Corn Syrup. Or if you wish to try the classic formula, try the Mexican version of Coca Cola. They still use the old formula using cane sugar. There is also a Kosher version of Coca Cola that uses the older recipe.

From what I've read, New Coke also had more salt, in an effort to make people more thirsty, and thus drink more Coke.

Re: Netflix kills Qwikster

#129

Post by yoshamano »

dpark wrote: post #117
Terretta wrote: post #84

Earlier quoted context omitted.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SlySoft

I appreciate it, but I've used that before. I really would prefer not to spend $50 to rip DVDs I own if I can avoid it. I don't really understand why HandBrake has this capability on OSX but not Windows.

DVDFab has a free version built in called HD Decoder that relies on ImgBurn to build the ISO file. That's how I rip DVD on my Win 7 box. If you're looking for an encoded rip, then I'm not sure what your options are.

Re: Netflix kills Qwikster

#130

Post by joelmichael »

redthrowaway wrote: post #101
ck2 wrote: post #13

Wouldn't market questionnaire testing of just 100 people saved them this expensive juggling act? Anyway, I fear streaming price increases next year for sure as all the media outlets start to gouge netflix and they pass it on. Best thing netflix can do is make sure consumers know which distributors are purposely giving them horrible contracts and that it's not netflix's fault.

>Wouldn't market questionnaire testing of just 100 people saved them this expensive juggling act? Probably would've killed the ipad, too.

I dunno. Unlike the Qwikster split, the iPad is pretty popular with customers.
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