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Netflix Isn't Doomed

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Re: Netflix Isn't Doomed

#31

Post by AJ007 »

wanorris wrote: post #12

Honestly, Amazon may have the best streaming solution right now. I have a Roku box that gets both, though I usually stick to Netflix. I got an episode that glitched the other day, so I flipped over to Amazon Prime, which turned out to have it, so I watched it there. I then flipped around a little bit to see what was new. The great thing about Amazon is that their streaming library is way, way more comprehensive. Want…

What I really like most about Netflix is that it works on nearly all devices. It seemed really strange Hulu was going out of their way to block devices while Netflix was going out of their way to do the opposite.

I've been using Amazon since they had Amazon Unbox (which was a horrendous abomination of a program.) Back then I had to futz with the software, wait for it to download and then only watch it on that computer.

For me now, I watch Netflix on my iPad, multiple laptops, desktop, Apple TV, and Roku. I pause a show on one device and resume it on another. That is the way video should be.

If Amazon can do this, great, then I don't need Netflix anymore. The Amazon Prime library is getting closer and closer to Netflix by the day. Perhaps the larger open question s will Apple attempt to lock Amazon out of their platform.

I have no problem subscribing to multiple services (right now I've got Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hulu, CrunchyRoll.) I pay for video content on Amazon & Apple too. The reason I use Netflix for 90% of my video is because it works on 100% of my devices.

Re: Netflix Isn't Doomed

#32

Post by AJ007 »

nobody3141 wrote: post #6
Shengster wrote: post #4

I'm not long on Netflix, and here's why: 1. Netflix is at the mercy of media companies that control the content. Media companies can basically charge whatever they want for their content on Netflix. If Netflix can't afford it, they'll let their contracts expire and people will no longer get to see the movies and shows they want to watch. Unfortunately, the pricing hikes made consumers realize that it was extremely ex…

I doubt that anybody 'doubled up' and now pays for both the DVD and streaming option. The reason for the DVD service to exist at all is to do with Hollywood accounting and the way the licenses are counted - the idiocy of this has been discussed here before. The studios can't start their own streaming service simply because they do not have the branding they think they have. This isn't the 1950s, nobody thinks "I must…

Have you used HBO Go? It works. Its awesome. You can watch almost every HBO show, every episode from every season along with the newest episodes when they air. The catch, you have to have a subscription to a supported cable provider. Thus I no longer have it.

I think HBO has a very realistic shot of hitting it out of the ballpark. They have already proven they are capable of doing it. In a few years I expect most people will just subscribe directly to HBO.

As for Dreamworks, 20th Century Fox, MGM, Paramount, and every other movie studio having their own service, the economics won't work. They will make more per subscriber than they would from an aggregater deal, but they will have less subscribers.

A few other providers might be able to do what HBO can do. Niche providers, like Crunchyroll, will likely do very well.

I expect all of the movie & cable players will make moves on their subscription services. A handful will do a really good job and make out well, the rest will get to sell their libraries to Netflix, Amazon, and may be Google, and return back to what they do best.

Re: Netflix Isn't Doomed

#33

Post by ericd »

hugh3 wrote: post #15
sirclueless wrote: post #11

The fact that media companies are unwilling to let any one company have a full listing of all movies is one of the major failings of the industry. The videogame industry has the same fundamental problem but the near monopoly of the Steam service actually does them some good in my opinion. The problem I think is rooted in piracy, at least as it is practiced in first-world countries where convenience is worth more than…

The problem I think is rooted in piracy, at least as it is practiced in first-world countries where convenience is worth more than price. Piracy has several built-in practical issues, because it is frankly inconvenient to be conducting illegal business, and DRM provides another inconvenience. But despite these endemic problems with piracy, it does offer a huge convenience: universality. The legal movie market is frag…

I know a lot of non-tech-savvy young folks who know how to pirate effectively. The convenience to watch anything you want at any time is a big enough carrot that they're willing to learn the procedures to follow.

Re: Netflix Isn't Doomed

#34

Post by jahmed »

slowpoke wrote: post #24
hugh3 wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The problem I think is rooted in piracy, at least as it is practiced in first-world countries where convenience is worth more than price. Piracy has several built-in practical issues, because it is frankly inconvenient to be conducting illegal business, and DRM provides another inconvenience. But despite these endemic problems with piracy, it does offer a huge convenience: universality. The legal movie market is frag…

>(not to mention there are some people in the world who aren't completely amoral and as such wouldn't) You're implying that everyone follows the same code of ethics. You might not agree with it but for some people it's not in the slightest bit amoral to pirate a movie.

This is the long term problem for content creators. The current generation of sub-30 year olds have grown up/will grow up in a culture of free things. That idea is flourishing and is what really should scare content creators.

Re: Netflix Isn't Doomed

#35

Post by slowpoke »

jahmed wrote: post #34
slowpoke wrote: post #24

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>(not to mention there are some people in the world who aren't completely amoral and as such wouldn't) You're implying that everyone follows the same code of ethics. You might not agree with it but for some people it's not in the slightest bit amoral to pirate a movie.

This is the long term problem for content creators. The current generation of sub-30 year olds have grown up/will grow up in a culture of free things. That idea is flourishing and is what really should scare content creators.

>That idea is flourishing and is what really should scare content creators.

The only one scared by this is the content industry, aka the publishers, and the unfortunate people who believe their propaganda and lies. Free culture is a good thing. The internet, for the first time in human history, has made the dream of unlimited sharing possible. Creators will not die out because the industry that imposed copyright on them in the first place is no longer needed.

Re: Netflix Isn't Doomed

#36

Post by sethisa »

Netflix's biggest issue in my mind is it's content licensing costs. They have gone from under $200M to nearly $2B in just a year. These costs will become a greater proportion of their overall cost structure, especially as competitors vie for the same digital content. The real winners here are the Sony's and Warner's of the world.

Distribution eventually gets commoditized, content is king.

Re: Netflix Isn't Doomed

#37

Post by nooneelse »

ScottBurson wrote: post #27
nknight wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I doubt that anybody 'doubled up' and now pays for both the DVD and streaming option. I did/do.

Me too. As the WSJ column says, the streaming catalog just isn't adequate yet. I tried it for a few weeks, but then gave in. But I mostly hang out on the long tail; almost nothing I wanted to watch was available for streaming. My wife, on the other hand, streams a lot.

Me three. Much the same reasons.

Re: Netflix Isn't Doomed

#38

Post by jahmed »

slowpoke wrote: post #35
jahmed wrote: post #34

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is the long term problem for content creators. The current generation of sub-30 year olds have grown up/will grow up in a culture of free things. That idea is flourishing and is what really should scare content creators.

>That idea is flourishing and is what really should scare content creators. The only one scared by this is the content industry, aka the publishers, and the unfortunate people who believe their propaganda and lies. Free culture is a good thing. The internet, for the first time in human history, has made the dream of unlimited sharing possible. Creators will not die out because the industry that imposed copyright on t…

Thanks yes true creators well be fine. Its the content publishers and packagers that will feel the pressure as consumers find ways around them to the source.
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