Live data from Hacker News

Reed Hastings responds to criticisms and announces Qwikster

blog.netflix.com

1–10 of 112 posts

Re: Reed Hastings responds to criticisms and announces Qwikster

#3
I can't see how this is a good decision. Their streaming service is cheap but lacks titles. I use DVDs to get the shows and movies I can't get from the streaming service.

Obviously streaming is the future but the DVD part generates profits. The streaming only service - if it truly stands alone - is soon going to be competing with Amazon, Google, and Apple but without as much cash as these companies.

With their stock's price drop maybe Google or Apple will be willing to buy them. I don't see them surviving on their own without being bought out.

Re: Reed Hastings responds to criticisms and announces Qwikster

#4
While they seem to be going to great pains to be genuine and upfront about what they're doing, why does Netflix need to create a separate company in order to innovate? Apple doesn't have a separate Mac and iPhone business and they seem to innovate just fine.

What really seems to be going on is that Netflix is getting ready to spin off its DVD business. That this seems so obvious makes the repeated apologies feel like an insult to our intelligence.

Re: Reed Hastings responds to criticisms and announces Qwikster

#5
post #3

I can't see how this is a good decision. Their streaming service is cheap but lacks titles. I use DVDs to get the shows and movies I can't get from the streaming service. Obviously streaming is the future but the DVD part generates profits. The streaming only service - if it truly stands alone - is soon going to be competing with Amazon, Google, and Apple but without as much cash as these companies. With their stock'…

Awful, awful decision. I have no intention whatsoever of maintaining 2 accounts, one for streaming and one for dvds. I'm straight out lost revenue.

Re: Reed Hastings responds to criticisms and announces Qwikster

#6
post #3

I can't see how this is a good decision. Their streaming service is cheap but lacks titles. I use DVDs to get the shows and movies I can't get from the streaming service. Obviously streaming is the future but the DVD part generates profits. The streaming only service - if it truly stands alone - is soon going to be competing with Amazon, Google, and Apple but without as much cash as these companies. With their stock'…

Awful, awful decision. I have no intention whatsoever of maintaining 2 accounts, one for streaming and one for dvds. I'm straight out lost revenue.

Just out of curiosity, why would maintaining two accounts be so painful? If that were so, wouldn't it be equally painful to maintain different social network accounts (assuming you have two or more).

Re: Reed Hastings responds to criticisms and announces Qwikster

#8
This is not something you see CEOs write every day. Hell, this isn't something you see CEOs write ever in their careers. It took a lot of guts to write it, and regardless of the huge controversy surrounding their pricing strategies, I hope that this split succeeds.

Also, video games!

Re: Reed Hastings responds to criticisms and announces Qwikster

#9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Awful, awful decision. I have no intention whatsoever of maintaining 2 accounts, one for streaming and one for dvds. I'm straight out lost revenue.

Just out of curiosity, why would maintaining two accounts be so painful? If that were so, wouldn't it be equally painful to maintain different social network accounts (assuming you have two or more).

Billing will be separate, which is a minor annoyance, but an annoyance nonetheless.

The bigger issue is splitting my ratings and thus my suggestions. I already ignore other places to rate movies since only netflix provided a tangible benefit to me. Split it, and it won't.

Post reply on HN