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Netflix loses 1M users in Spain over password policing

bloomberg.com

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Re: Netflix loses 1M users in Spain over password policing

#621

Post by inversetelecine »

mig39 wrote: post #615
bragr wrote: post #609

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Are torrents even the primary methods of piracy now? That's an actual question: I get the impression that a lot of piracy has switched to grey market file hosting and streaming sites, but I don't have the perspective to say if that's accurate.

My impression is that the tech-savvy people still use torrents, but nowadays they share these torrents with their less savvy group using things like Plex (and Plex alternatives). That's what I've witnessed with my Portuguese and Spanish friends anyway. Extended groups who depend on one or more sources of "private Netflix (ie: Plex)".

Even more savvy people use full automation with Usenet and torrents as backups.

Re: Netflix loses 1M users in Spain over password policing

#622

Post by aurizon »

This is the movie studio/streamer endgame. Netflix validated the concept and was able to get short term licences while the traditional movie studios watched these licences run out. Netflix now must create new content and compete with the old(and dated content as well as the new stuff from studios and others. Seems logical to get rid of the free loaders. Not sure how they fight copy streamers of their content unless them embed a steganographic ID in whatever they stream and scan streams for that ID and cut that subscriber off = lots of detailed work, but it could probably be botautomated - except for private streams that can not be automated via FTP etc - that would also have a subscriber cost as well. Netflix is facing an existential threat IMHO, so they need to limit free loaders AND create new content AND defeat ripoff streamers- a true challenge. I am content to pay Netflix...

Re: Netflix loses 1M users in Spain over password policing

#623

Post by mcguire »

waboremo wrote: post #498
pier25 wrote: post #483

Netflix really messed this up. They shouldn't have tried to tackle password sharing. Instead they should have enforced concurrent streams and let people pay for more concurrent streams. Psychologically it's very different and people paying for the premium plan of 4 streams would probably not be affected.

Exactly! But that's just how it goes. Once leadership identifies a problem, it takes a lot to dissuade them. They saw password sharing as a fixable problem, an area of loss revenue that they had to do something about to counter the metrics of stagnating subscriber growth. Very little would change that, even though your approach would prove to be quite beneficial

I once heard a story about Microsoft: a research group had discovered that they could control the radio-frequency emissions of computers with code, and could broadcast the license serial number of running software. Unfortunately, the signal was too weak to detect unless a large number of computers were broadcasting the same license number. But you could easily discover companies that were illegally sharing licenses by driving a radio equipped van around the business district. (I probably have most of the details wrong; it's been years.)

Anyway, the punchline was that Microsoft wasn't interested because it wouldn't catch all illegal licenses.

Re: Netflix loses 1M users in Spain over password policing

#624

Post by lazyasciiart »

nmz wrote: post #514
corbulo wrote: post #51

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Long been there. 'Hello this is Netflix, you've been greenlit, how may I help you?' was a South Park meme years ago.

Seems like they never heard of the paradox of choice.

Their entire business model is that there is value in the long tail of possible choices. The paradox of choice is not a complete description of human behavior.

Re: Netflix loses 1M users in Spain over password policing

#625

Post by WheatMillington »

ho_schi wrote: post #569

Netflix: ”You get two parallel streams with your family. Family means trust and password sharing.“ Customers: “Farewell pirating. We pay a fair flat and it is automatically shared between Netflix and artists. Great!“ Netflix: “We increase the flat permanently. And we have now competitors and doesn’t over anymore all relevant content (e.g. Star Trek Picard, Expanse, Disney). How about ruining it and blocking family me…

Users need to accept that Netflix was never going to be profitable that way. We had a taste of that amount of content at that price, but it simply can't be economically done.

Re: Netflix loses 1M users in Spain over password policing

#626

Post by BrandoElFollito »

decafninja wrote: post #608
alerighi wrote: post #603

Of course. Around 10 euros that divided by 4 means 2.5 euros a month per user (or 2 divided by 5, it's unlikely that 4 people are watching at the same time) is a fair price, the cost of 2 coffee, you say screw it I pay so I can just take my remote and watch whatever I want. Reason why they made success. For more than that, for example you have to pay a full subscription of 10 euros, you consider going back to piratin…

I don't miss the days of torrenting. The thing that still stands out in my mind is having to slog my way through tons of pornographic advertising and popups to find a single actually working torrent link.

If you automate it right, you never see these. Look at the *arr services that help a lot with that.

Re: Netflix loses 1M users in Spain over password policing

#627

Post by ModernMech »

jjulius wrote: post #552
ModernMech wrote: post #535

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Similarly, if the streaming service continues to play ads despite paying for the service, we will just pirate the content. Why though? Why don't you just watch some other content? There's so much out there, and you have so many choices, available without any ads, and also if you choose you can consume free content as well. Given that you have these alternatives, why do you feel you have the right to nonetheless vio…

>Why though? Why don't you just watch some other content? There's so much out there, and you have so many choices, available without any ads, and also if you choose you can consume free content as well. Because that content isn't this content, and I want to see this content. >Given that you have these alternatives, why do you feel you have the right to nonetheless violate IP laws because you don't like that a subset…

> Because that content isn't this content, and I want to see this content.

I see. So is this your thought process?

1) I want it

2) I can't have it my way

3) So I take it, it doesn't matter what anyone else thinks

Is that fair, or no? I notice you offered some rationalizations for your behavior, but those doesn't really change the above calculus right? They are provided to justify it.

Re: Netflix loses 1M users in Spain over password policing

#628

Post by WheatMillington »

gnicholas wrote: post #416

Losing 1M users is not good, but isn't the real question how many accounts they lost? > The move was linked to a fall in users of more than a million, two thirds of whom were using someone else’s password, according to Kantar’s research, which is based on surveys of household streaming habits. This makes it seem like they lost 333k customers. I don't know how many customers they have in Spain, but that sounds like a…

It's also based on surveys. People are so salty right now I have no doubt a lot of users responded with more passion than honesty to the surveys.

Re: Netflix loses 1M users in Spain over password policing

#629

Post by lazyasciiart »

PragmaticPulp wrote: post #584
rrrrrrrrrrrryan wrote: post #515

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Netflix has been enforcing concurrent streams for a while now, no? Four adults that live in four different houses sharing one Netflix account might not ever bump up against the four concurrent stream limit. Their concurrent usage might be quite similar to a family of four under one roof. But critically, the four adults are all technically capable of paying for their own subscriptions, while the children of the family…

> Netflix has been enforcing concurrent streams for a while now, no? Yes. They've been doing more or less what the parent comment suggested for a very long time.

I think the parent comment was suggesting that they allow more concurrent streams for additional money. ie: $4/month per additional concurrent user, now you have 10 friends on it for $56/month.

Re: Netflix loses 1M users in Spain over password policing

#630

Post by krsdcbl »

gnicholas wrote: post #416

Losing 1M users is not good, but isn't the real question how many accounts they lost? > The move was linked to a fall in users of more than a million, two thirds of whom were using someone else’s password, according to Kantar’s research, which is based on surveys of household streaming habits. This makes it seem like they lost 333k customers. I don't know how many customers they have in Spain, but that sounds like a…

My thought exactly, did they lose _sessions_ or _customers_ here?
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