myliftkk
Columbus, OH
Login to Send PM
What is going on with those people? First they raise my rates, now they split into two companies...
I've got little to say about the new mail order name except that Qwikster sounds like some place I'm more likely to find Mad Dog than French film.
Trending on twitter, but not in a good way: search qwikster
ETA: And how much will they have to pay this guy to get that twitter account.
Rockmastermike
The Bacon District
Login to Send PM
meh. doesn't really change much, does it? The name is as good or bad as most company names nowadays (which are generally pretty stupid anyway. "google"? "groupon"? blah. "Netflix" was kind of a poor name to begin with for a mail-order service. Might as well have been "post-a-flick".
I suspect this has to do with negotiating licenses to either stream OR mail movies (instead of "AND") more than anything else.
Twixlen
The Weston District
Login to Send PM
The Quikster twitter account situation is comedy gold. Clearly Netflix, for all their seeming technological innovation, has missed the impact of social media on such things.
And, it *is* meh. It makes sense to me that a business does what it needs to continue to survive in a market that has drastically changed since inception. Postage, the cost of paper/printing, the price paid to distributers for rights - all of it has gone up significantly. I think they've handled their changes badly, but don't get the outcry on pricing so much. Especially when most folks pay ridiculous prices for cable teevee.
Rockmastermike
The Bacon District
Login to Send PM
Twixlen said:don't get the outcry on pricing so much. Especially when most folks pay ridiculous prices for cable teevee.
+1
How much is "HBO + SHOWTIME" as an addon to an already high bill? a lot of people pay it without question just to watch one or two shows (madmen, breaking bad, game of thrones...whatev) as first run instead of waiting for them to be on netflix. People pay if they think it's worth it. Or not. whatever.
Liner Notes
Short North
Login to Send PM
Rockmastermike said:
meh. doesn't really change much, does it? The name is as good or bad as most company names nowadays (which are generally pretty stupid anyway. "google"? "groupon"? blah. "Netflix" was kind of a poor name to begin with for a mail-order service. Might as well have been "post-a-flick".I suspect this has to do with negotiating licenses to either stream OR mail movies (instead of "AND") more than anything else.
Agreed that the new name is meh, whatev. But they did have the foresight to name their original company NETflix. It may have started as mail order, but their intention all along was to move to online subscriptions. Whether they are doing a poor job of changing their business model or not, I still think the endgame is to do away with the mail service all together. So I believe all of this just means better content for online users in the near future.
kit444
Elsewhere
Login to Send PM
Liner Notes said:
I still think the endgame is to do away with the mail service all together. So I believe all of this just means better content for online users in the near future.
I agree. The future for mail service is iffy, especially when the USPS has an iffy future. I think Qwikster is a company established to die, so Netflix's share price doesn't take a hit in the future.
Coremodels
Really close to Explorer's Club.
Login to Send PM
wait...people use netflix for something other than streaming?
Coremodels
Really close to Explorer's Club.
Login to Send PM
Legally, at least. ;-)
ahhhh...there's the rub ;)
catnfiddle
Peeghaven
Login to Send PM
My only concern is there is currently SO much more material available through the mail than is online. Will the online platform be expanded to include the entire library?
jimbach
Your father's Short North
Login to Send PM
catnfiddle said:
My only concern is there is currently SO much more material available through the mail than is online. Will the online platform be expanded to include the entire library?
Not likely, since many studios refuse to release anything on streaming. Some only allow it for a short time, and others pull the stuff when agreements expire.
The other day I happened to notice all the different items on my streaming queue that are no longer available. It was something like 25% of the list. And mind you, these are things that once were available to stream and aren't any longer.
kit444
Elsewhere
Login to Send PM
catnfiddle said:
My only concern is there is currently SO much more material available through the mail than is online. Will the online platform be expanded to include the entire library?
Not anytime soon, but I think eventually the market will force the studios to move from physical media to streaming once customers develop the expectation they don't have to buy a DVD/Bluray to watch their favorite movie whenever they want.
myliftkk
Columbus, OH
Login to Send PM
I'm not clear why people think the DVD business is the part in trouble. Streaming content costs are a big part of why the initial price rose in the first place, as it became clear that streaming was way under-priced at the terms Netflix was shelling out it out for.
gramarye
In Exile
Login to Send PM
The Quikster Twitter feed has provided some definite afternoon entertainment, but let's just say that it's small solace for NFLX shareholders (including myself) who have watched the value fall by more than 50% (from over $300 to below $150) in the past couple of months.
bastardsuperstar
[] | | | | []
Login to Send PM
jimbach said:
The other day I happened to notice all the different items on my streaming queue that are no longer available. It was something like 25% of the list. And mind you, these are things that once were available to stream and aren't any longer.
that's likely the beginnings of STARZ pulling their content out of the streaming library. they hope to have it all removed by feb if i remember correctly. losing the starz content will put a MAJOR hurt into the streaming catalog.
myliftkk
Columbus, OH
Login to Send PM
bastardsuperstar said:
that's likely the beginnings of STARZ pulling their content out of the streaming library. they hope to have it all removed by feb if i remember correctly. losing the starz content will put a MAJOR hurt into the streaming catalog.
I say shit, you say content. ;)
gramarye
In Exile
Login to Send PM
Incidentally, some speculation on some investing Web sites that I also frequent suggests that the real motive behind this split was to pave the way for the acquisition of either the streaming service or the DVD-by-mail service (but not both) by a potential suitor. Apple, Amazon, and Google all have enough cash on hand to acquire Netflix whole, for example, but might be interested in just the streaming service. I don't know what other companies are out there that might be interested in just the mail-order service.
Obviously, it's all rumor, but this narrative is plausible to me for the main reason that it could explain some of the characteristics of this split that appear to be completely amateurish from a marketing and customer-satisfaction perspective, and which Netflix is usually good about avoiding. I'm not even just talking about the name "Qwikster." The separation of the queues, billing accounts, databases linked to the popular recommendation engine--that is all a much sharper divide between the two new companies than would be necessary for related entities. That clean, sharp break might be attractive to a potential acquirer--and I certainly can't see how it's attractive to any significant number of customers, so I'm easily convinced that this reorganization wasn't designed with them primarily in mind.
Twixlen
The Weston District
Login to Send PM
The kid with the Qwikster twitter handle changed his profile picture... and he aquired about 9500 new followers since I looked up the handle yesterday.
Hilariously stupid move on Netflix's part to have not secured that handle before going live with their business change. Nothing like pointing people to someone promoting a fattie-smoking Elmo.
BBC News has a story on it this morning - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-14986900
You must log in to post.
Launched in August 2010, TheMetropreneur.com is a local online resource devoted to small business development and entrepreneurship. Its aim is to tell the stories of Central Ohio's business community, foster regional economic development and assist entrepreneurs with its resource-heavy focus. Click here to visit TheMetropreneur.com.
RSS
Twitter
Facebook
YouTube
