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Netflix Is Betting Its Future on Exclusive Programming

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Re: Netflix Is Betting Its Future on Exclusive Programming

#22
post #10

When Netflix first started, they were able to buy the streaming rights to old movies and TV shows for cheap, because executives thought they weren't worth anything. Now those contracts are expiring, and the studios want to jack up the rates or start their own service. Netflix is also getting squeezed by ISPs like Comcast, who want to charge them for the right to deliver video to Comcast's customers who already paid f…

So big media created their own competitor by jacking the price up for netflix.

Oops.

Re: Netflix Is Betting Its Future on Exclusive Programming

#23

> "They will take HBO linear and call it HBO Linear,” he said. “That is HBO if you really want to watch it on somebody else’s schedule.” Am I the only one who likes shows being made available once a week, rather than all at once?

We'll lose the sense of community that comes from simultaneous viewings. But, people still bond over books and book series, which is what Netflix programming will be like.

Re: Netflix Is Betting Its Future on Exclusive Programming

#24

> "They will take HBO linear and call it HBO Linear,” he said. “That is HBO if you really want to watch it on somebody else’s schedule.” Am I the only one who likes shows being made available once a week, rather than all at once?

Is that because you don't trust yourself not to watch it all in a binge situation? The shows on netflix could easily be watched one episode at a time on a regular schedule if that's what you prefer. You get both options (and hundreds of other scenarios) instead of just the one decided by someone else (or else having to record it on a DVR to make your own schedule).

Re: Netflix Is Betting Its Future on Exclusive Programming

#25
post #10

When Netflix first started, they were able to buy the streaming rights to old movies and TV shows for cheap, because executives thought they weren't worth anything. Now those contracts are expiring, and the studios want to jack up the rates or start their own service. Netflix is also getting squeezed by ISPs like Comcast, who want to charge them for the right to deliver video to Comcast's customers who already paid f…

No kidding about Comcast - Streampix? Talk about derivative naming. And it's priced to kill Netflix at $5/mo for cable subscribers.

I'm not so sure about the pirating scene - while big content providers likely will never kill it, they seem to have lawmakers in their pockets, and so will criminalize it as much as possible - expect draconian measures to destroy the most dangerous threat to big content providers.

Re: Netflix Is Betting Its Future on Exclusive Programming

#26
post #10

When Netflix first started, they were able to buy the streaming rights to old movies and TV shows for cheap, because executives thought they weren't worth anything. Now those contracts are expiring, and the studios want to jack up the rates or start their own service. Netflix is also getting squeezed by ISPs like Comcast, who want to charge them for the right to deliver video to Comcast's customers who already paid f…

Don't forget the rather oppressive DRM required by Hollywood for 4K video content. This is why 4K is currently only available for Netflix original content.

And even then, 4K is only available on a limited number of devices (TVs and some set top boxes); not from a regular web browser.

https://help.netflix.com/en/node/13444

Re: Netflix Is Betting Its Future on Exclusive Programming

#27

> "They will take HBO linear and call it HBO Linear,” he said. “That is HBO if you really want to watch it on somebody else’s schedule.” Am I the only one who likes shows being made available once a week, rather than all at once?

Netflix did exactly this for Better Call Saul in Latin America and Europe, where the show is not aired on regular cable channels. http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Better_Call_Saul#Broadcast

Re: Netflix Is Betting Its Future on Exclusive Programming

#28

> "They will take HBO linear and call it HBO Linear,” he said. “That is HBO if you really want to watch it on somebody else’s schedule.” Am I the only one who likes shows being made available once a week, rather than all at once?

Is that because you don't trust yourself not to watch it all in a binge situation? The shows on netflix could easily be watched one episode at a time on a regular schedule if that's what you prefer. You get both options (and hundreds of other scenarios) instead of just the one decided by someone else (or else having to record it on a DVR to make your own schedule).

It's nice to know that the other people watching a show are also at the same point as you are (or relatively close), allowing you to speculate on what might happen next in the time between episodes.

I also like looking forward to the next episode, which doesn't really happen when you can watch that next episode immediately (and self imposed waiting doesn't feel the same).

Re: Netflix Is Betting Its Future on Exclusive Programming

#29
post #5

About 2-3 years ago, I said NF couldn't do what it is doing forever, as there is nothing preventing e.g. Disney or Time Warner from selling their content direct to consumers. Obviously the netflix executives were ahead of me on this one.

It takes much longer to steer a huge ship, or however that saying goes.

Re: Netflix Is Betting Its Future on Exclusive Programming

#30

> "They will take HBO linear and call it HBO Linear,” he said. “That is HBO if you really want to watch it on somebody else’s schedule.” Am I the only one who likes shows being made available once a week, rather than all at once?

I prefer to develop my own schedule for watching a show.

Generally I wait for the entire season of a show to come out and then schedule several nights of viewing (over a couple months) with friends where we watch 3-4 episodes at a time. The downside of this is having to avoid discussion of the show in the few months after release.

With Netflix dumping seasons at a time it makes it much easier, and much more fun, to do this.

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