Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Netflix shares decline after reporting disappointing subscriber growth

bbc.co.uk

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

121–130 of 191 posts

Re: Netflix shares decline after reporting disappointing subscriber growth

#121

Post by xevb3k »

codebje wrote: post #90
geoffmcc wrote: post #43

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I have noticed lately that the "Are you still there" message has gone away. While it is nice when you are awake, it sucks when you fall asleep and wake up on season 6 of something when last you knew you were on season 2. Then you have to figure out exactly what episode you fell asleep on, not impossible but can be a pain.

Netflix carries a decent selection of kid's entertainment, where having a 10-minute show followed by the next episode automatically is useful. On the Apple TV app, at least, the "Are you still watching" message is still there.

I don’t find this useful. I really just want for my kids to watch one episode and then we can decide if we want to do something else.

I also find it infuriating that when we watch a kids film, your immediately shown a preview for another film during the credits.

I get it, but I wish there was an option to turn them off.

Re: Netflix shares decline after reporting disappointing subscriber growth

#122

Post by voltagex_ »

wavefunction wrote: post #59
Chazprime wrote: post #18

It seems as if Netflix is focusing on quantity instead of quality lately...their original content isn’t as compelling as it used to be.

Sacred Games and Secret City (among others) are far more well-done than most other recent offerings from other providers imnsho. Hulu has The Handmaid's Tale and HBO has Westworld but that's about it.

Secret City seems to have been bought off Foxtel in Australia about 2 years after they aired it.

Re: Netflix shares decline after reporting disappointing subscriber growth

#124

Post by jogjayr »

redthrowaway wrote: post #88

I'm curious about their decision to push original content as hard as they have. In some cases, like comedy specials, it's a clear win. But their original dramas are really hit or miss, and for every Altered Carbon you have a half dozen utterly forgettable shows. It makes the "Netflix Original" badge pretty meaningless as an indicator of quality, so I still have to wait for a buzz to develop to commit to trying a show…

> for every Altered Carbon you have a half dozen utterly forgettable shows

That's no different from regular TV. We were spoiled in the early years of Netflix streaming because they could cherry-pick license all the good stuff from earlier for cheap. Now they have to go on the same "fund a bunch of stuff, discover some hits" journey that all the other content producers have gone through.

On the plus side you can watch anything you want on demand, there are no ads, and the website and apps are fast. And you don't have to pay $100/month for a cable bundle with shitty customer service.

If there's some show or movie I'm really missing, my local public library does a great job of filling that need.

Re: Netflix shares decline after reporting disappointing subscriber growth

#125

Post by stingraycharles »

axaxs wrote: post #11

Netflix is in a weird position. Early on I loved it, but over time it seems down to a few good originals and a lot of bad ones, and third rate third party content. I haven't cancelled yet but probably will, as I rarely use it. I don't blame Netflix for this necessarily, but it has made it's consumer value much weaker. Internationally, there are much cheaper options typically. As an aside, their taking of a political…

Yes, I’ve also noticed that generally their original content isn’t very great. I can see how this happens when you optimize for binge-watching, but it feels like they just throw a lot of stuff against the wall and see what sticks.

I’ve recently got an HBO subscription and the difference in quality is staggering.

Re: Netflix shares decline after reporting disappointing subscriber growth

#126

Post by voltagex_ »

aslkdjaslkdj1 wrote: post #105
wolco wrote: post #66

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm trying out HBO/Movie network. Once you get through 15 mostly goid series the content gets very thin. For half the price netflix has more original and unique content and provides more value at half the codt. I like the variety I wish the UI promoted it a little better

HBO has a much better movie selection than Netflix.

In the US.

Re: Netflix shares decline after reporting disappointing subscriber growth

#127

Post by calvinbhai »

I think the growth stall in this quarter is the lull before the storm.

Netflix has enough India specific content in the pipeline, and only one of these “made by Netflix” series has been released yet.

If there is one thing Netflix does good, it is the focus on content that is relevant to the region, without compromising on the language and characters.

Another recent thing in India, is the plunging broadband prices in India, especially wireless (4G LTE, 2 GB per day, for 89 days costs less than $10 ).

Netflix, Amazon Prime and other streaming video options are going to get more signups soon, especially from the younger population that may not have a TV at home, but will certainly have a smartphone and/or a laptop. For them, Netflix is certainly a cheaper option, especially if you divide monthly cost of the top tier plan ₹800 by 4 = ₹200 which is certainly bang for the buck compared to cable tv, that you can watch only at home.

The only disadvantage for Netflix is for those who prioritize watching sports, which is still a major reason for people to subscribe for cable.

Until the recent price war on 4G/LTE/5G pricing (in early 2018) that has led to dirt cheap wireless internet access, I thought Netflix in India was a wrong move. With such cheap internet access, Netflix and other streaming video platforms certainly have a huge growth phase from the next quarter onwards.

Watch out for Netflix growth numbers over the next few quarters in India. I'm extremely bullish of Netflix in India and I'll be shocked if Netflix fails to grow from here onwards.

Re: Netflix shares decline after reporting disappointing subscriber growth

#128

Post by matte_black »

blt wrote: post #93
matte_black wrote: post #29

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I do think they will grow but now I’m planning when my actual exit will be. I think I’ll give it another year or two before pulling out and realizing the gains.

Thanks for letting us know

You might be making a joke, but much of the stock market is driven by herd mentality.

Re: Netflix shares decline after reporting disappointing subscriber growth

#129

Post by jogjayr »

onlyrealcuzzo wrote: post #101
mrep wrote: post #58

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't blame them. Netflix had 2 options: 1. Continue licensing content and be subject to the whims of the content creators who can destroy their margin by increasing fees. The content creators can also start their own streaming services like disney is planning on doing eating into that market of streaming. 2. Create their own content eliminating the 2 main risks in option 1. Option 2 is really the only viable optio…

Creating good content is harder than leasing it. Option 2 has it's risks, and honestly they seem higher. Why would Disney or Comcast want Netflix to fail when it's a boon for them currently? Sure, they'll aggressively negotiate the best deals for themselves, sure they'll plan for a backup in the event Netflix would ever stop leasing their content, but why kick a cash cow in the teeth? It's bad business. If anything,…

> Why would Disney or Comcast want Netflix to fail when it's a boon for them currently?

See Pandora for a lesson in what happens when a content distribution company has no pricing power with their suppliers (content producers). Note that Spotify has been paying attention. [1]

1. https://techcrunch.com/2017/02/23/spotify-expands-its-push-i...

Re: Netflix shares decline after reporting disappointing subscriber growth

#130

Post by dmode »

I think the market overreacted a bit. They have been growing for so many years, there is bound to be a quarter here and there where growth stalls.

Having said that, I feel Netflix's biggest problem is content discovery. They have the best multilingual content that can be consumed globally like Narcos and Sacred Games. Yet they make it really hard to find such content. Their categorization is weird and not easily understandable. But what really bothers me is that their content preview is just a short paragraph. So you are asking viewer to watch 10hrs of content based on a short paragraph ? I would prefer a lot more info about a particular show before I commit to it. Info such as critics reviews, rotten tomato and IMDB rating, popularity in native country, more detailed description of the show, similar shows, etc etc. Basically I have to go ask r/television about a particular series or movie on Netflix before I start watching. I am pretty sure this leads to a lot of user frustration and ultimately cancellation

Post reply on HN