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Talking about Netflix

ElkiElki get busyModerator, ClubPA mod
edited November 2011 in Debate and/or Discourse
Yep.

From the netflix blog

The DVD rental service will be called Qwikster, and will not integrated with Netflix, which is henceforth a streaming only service. Qwikster will be offering video games along with DVDs.

I think that it was an inevitable move and probably a sensible one for the company, but a bad one for me. I love Netflix's instant selection, but I'm a guy who often wants to watch specific things, and they are usually hard to find. I'm still keeping Netflix; instant is a great deal for me, and I can use it daily without ever thinking "Well, I guess I'll watch this thing since there's nothing good in here", but losing that extra option hurts. There's just no stopping progress.

Meanwhile I'm probably going to give Facets a try, to see how their selection stacks up against Qwikster.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c8Tn8n5CIPk

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Elki on
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Posts

  • VariableVariable Mouth Congress Stroke Me Lady FameRegistered User regular
    wow...

    I hope my queue doesn't erase, I now need an external list of movies to see

    BNet-Vari#1998 | Switch-SW 6960 6688 8388 | Steam | Twitch
  • DemerdarDemerdar Registered User regular
    I have a feeling that maybe we will be seeing an even wider selection of movies to stream on Netflix in the near future.

    y6GGs3o.gif
  • JebusUDJebusUD Adventure! Candy IslandRegistered User regular
    Whoa. When does DVD though mail end? I had meant to cancel that already but I haven't yet.

    I write you a story
    But it loses its thread
  • SarksusSarksus ATTACK AND DETHRONE GODRegistered User regular
    Wow. I had already cancelled the DVD service but wow.

    It doesn't seem like having two websites is going to work very well if you want both things. In the comments he says the ratings and stuff will eventually diverge. You'll have to manage two accounts.

    However, the idea that Netflix is finally going to have games is really interesting to me. Their logistics are much better than Gamefly's and I've always wanted Netflix to have games for rental. We'll just have to see how much that costs...

  • JebusUDJebusUD Adventure! Candy IslandRegistered User regular
    Actually it says they will now have video games. This might be nice.

    I write you a story
    But it loses its thread
  • ElkiElki get busy Moderator, ClubPA mod
  • JebusUDJebusUD Adventure! Candy IslandRegistered User regular
    I mean, are they just going to auto sign me up for this other thing or dump off my current dvd service?

    I write you a story
    But it loses its thread
  • KalTorakKalTorak One way or another, they all end up in the Undercity.Registered User regular
    the... fuck?

  • Casually HardcoreCasually Hardcore Once an Asshole. Trying to be better. Registered User regular
    Considering I've been sitting on this DVD for like 2 months...yeah...I won't miss the DVD side of Netflix.

  • HadjiQuestHadjiQuest Registered User regular
    If this somehow leads to netflix streaming getting more content, then hurrah.

    But I almost feel like they're intentionally trying to make DVDs an inconvenience at this point.

  • TofystedethTofystedeth Registered User regular
    I can't help but wonder about the cost.

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  • DehumanizedDehumanized Registered User regular
    Yeah, this is the point where I ditch DVDs. Not going to deal with managing what is essentially a list of movies I'd like to watch on two different, unconnected sites. When they raised prices I didn't raise an eyebrow. When they make their service intentionally less user friendly, I'm out.

  • Donkey KongDonkey Kong Putting Nintendo out of business with AI nips Registered User regular
    Qwikster wins most aesthetically awful name of the century. Could they have spent a few seconds coming up with something less markety?

    Thousands of hot, local singles are waiting to play at bubbulon.com.
  • ElkiElki get busy Moderator, ClubPA mod
    I can't help but wonder about the cost.

    If Netflix's CEO is to be believed:
    There are no pricing changes (we’re done with that!). Members who subscribe to both services will have two entries on their credit card statements, one for Qwikster and one for Netflix. The total will be the same as the current charges.

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  • ElkiElki get busy Moderator, ClubPA mod
    Qwikster wins most aesthetically awful name of the century. Could they have spent a few seconds coming up with something less markety?

    It sound like a store from the Simpsons.

    smCQ5WE.jpg
  • SarksusSarksus ATTACK AND DETHRONE GODRegistered User regular
    Netflix is gonna get sued by Spongebob.

    Quickster.jpg

  • HadjiQuestHadjiQuest Registered User regular
    My conspiracy theory is that everything about this is to get people to drop the dvd format but stick with the streaming.

    Even down to the shitty, forgettable, almost intentionally difficult to properly misspell title "qwikster."

    I think they want the customers to move away from dvd as fast as they are.

  • SchrodingerSchrodinger Registered User regular
    For a DVD company, that video sure has some crappy production values.

  • _J__J_ Pedant Registered User, __BANNED USERS regular
    This seems like a decision that is better for those two guys than it is for their user base.

  • HalfhandHalfhand a stalwart bastion of terrible ideas Registered User regular
    I rent blu-rays constantly, and until streaming matches the quality of them I won't be using it. This quikster shit is ridiculous. Maybe I'll switch to Blockbuster online.

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  • gundam470gundam470 Drunk Gorilla CaliforniaRegistered User regular
    This really pisses me off. I'll have to manage two different sites, I won't automatically be alerted when stuff from my DVD queue is available on instant, and now my ratings and recommendations will be completely independent. I still rent 3-4 discs per month, so I can't drop the service, but I'm so fucking annoyed and this hasn't even affected me yet.

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  • DasUberEdwardDasUberEdward Registered User regular
    This is where I am really glad that I dropped the DVDs a long time ago and started using redbox.

    But I am feeling pretty certain that they will not be able to get the edge on Gamefly. They give me coupons and discounts. Netflix will probably not offer that.

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  • Fatboy RobertsFatboy Roberts Registered User regular
    edited September 2011
    I wrote an article over at NerdPuddle about how I think this is a pretty shrewd move on Netflix's part, but this article at engadget says it better than I did.

    http://www.engadget.com/2011/09/19/editorial-reed-hastings-netflix-spinoff-isnt-about-dvd-succes/

    Best case scenario: Netflix manages the decline of DVD/Blu-Ray over the next 2-5 years (probably the remaining viable lifespan of DVD/Blu-Ray,) kills GameFly entirely, and sells the business off to some moron who is perfectly happy to ride the physical media wave into the side of a cliff. Using that extra time and the extra money, they secure streaming rights to a BUNCH of stuff that they know consumers are wanting, plus securing financing for original programming on top of that.

    Fatboy Roberts on
  • _J__J_ Pedant Registered User, __BANNED USERS regular
    I wrote an article over at NerdPuddle about how I think this is a pretty shrewd move on Netflix's part, but this article at engadget says it better than I did.

    http://www.engadget.com/2011/09/19/editorial-reed-hastings-netflix-spinoff-isnt-about-dvd-succes/

    Best case scenario: Netflix manages the decline of DVD/Blu-Ray over the next 2-5 years (probably the remaining viable lifespan of DVD/Blu-Ray,) kills GameFly entirely, and sells the business off to some moron who is perfectly happy to ride the physical media wave into the side of a cliff. Using that extra time and the extra money, they secure streaming rights to a BUNCH of stuff that they know consumers are wanting, plus securing financing for original programming on top of that.

    ooooh. Cause if they keep both streaming and hard-media under one label, and hard-media dies, then part of the label is tarnished given its relation to DVDs?

    But if streaming is its own thing, then it doesn't go down with that particular ship.

  • HalfhandHalfhand a stalwart bastion of terrible ideas Registered User regular
    Will streaming ever reach blu-ray quality?

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  • Fatboy RobertsFatboy Roberts Registered User regular
    It SHOULD. will it? I don't know. A side-effect I (probably naively) hope for in my article is that the increased userbase on the Netflix streaming-side causes a LOT more noise to be made regarding net neutrality and the loosening of some ALREADY tight bandwidth caps put in place by service providers.

    A more open throttle should make 1080p streams more feasible.

  • SarksusSarksus ATTACK AND DETHRONE GODRegistered User regular
    edited September 2011
    Unless there is a physical law tying our hands there's nothing stopping us from improving the technology and our Internet infrastructure until we can stream the same content as what's on a Blu-Ray disc, or beyond.

    Sarksus on
  • shrykeshryke Member of the Beast Registered User regular
    I wrote an article over at NerdPuddle about how I think this is a pretty shrewd move on Netflix's part, but this article at engadget says it better than I did.

    http://www.engadget.com/2011/09/19/editorial-reed-hastings-netflix-spinoff-isnt-about-dvd-succes/

    Best case scenario: Netflix manages the decline of DVD/Blu-Ray over the next 2-5 years (probably the remaining viable lifespan of DVD/Blu-Ray,) kills GameFly entirely, and sells the business off to some moron who is perfectly happy to ride the physical media wave into the side of a cliff. Using that extra time and the extra money, they secure streaming rights to a BUNCH of stuff that they know consumers are wanting, plus securing financing for original programming on top of that.

    What the hell? Are you serious?

    Physical media ain't going nowhere anytime soon. Not till internet infrastructure has ubiquitous capless highspeed coverage.

    I won't hold my breath.

  • DehumanizedDehumanized Registered User regular
    Long-term, any barrier to digital distribution matching quality of physical media isn't going to be because of technical limitations. It'll be fucked up business deals and/or a system of regulations designed to prop up the zombie corpses of old establishment distribution models.

  • _J__J_ Pedant Registered User, __BANNED USERS regular
    shryke wrote:
    Physical media ain't going nowhere anytime soon. Not till internet infrastructure has ubiquitous capless highspeed coverage.

    Has the availability of streaming media decreased the rate at which you consume hard or physical media?

  • Fatboy RobertsFatboy Roberts Registered User regular
    edited September 2011
    Shryke wrote:
    What the hell? Are you serious?

    Yeah. DVD/Blu-Ray has about 5 years left. It'll limp along past that point, I'm sure, but the bubble will have definitely burst by then.

    5 years ago, DVD was considered invincible. It's widely considered to be in serious decline now. Blu-Ray won't be able to replace it - it's closer to the relationship Laserdisc had with VHS. Not as niche, of course, the pricing has seen to that - but either way, Blu-Ray simply doesn't have the numbers to replace DVD as DVD dies, so it'll likely decay along with it.
    Long-term, any barrier to digital distribution matching quality of physical media isn't going to be because of technical limitations. It'll be fucked up business deals and/or a system of regulations designed to prop up the zombie corpses of old establishment distribution models.

    pretty much this exactly.

    Fatboy Roberts on
  • FeralFeral MEMETICHARIZARD interior crocodile alligator ⇔ ǝɹʇɐǝɥʇ ǝᴉʌoɯ ʇǝloɹʌǝɥɔ ɐ ǝʌᴉɹp ᴉRegistered User regular
    I had major issues with Gamefly's delivery times.

    If Qwikster can maintain 2-3 day delivery with video games, I'll sign up. fuck yes.

    every person who doesn't like an acquired taste always seems to think everyone who likes it is faking it. it should be an official fallacy.

    the "no true scotch man" fallacy.
  • HalfhandHalfhand a stalwart bastion of terrible ideas Registered User regular
    I very seriously disagree with that 5 year estimate. 15 years, maybe.

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  • DehumanizedDehumanized Registered User regular
    the biggest bottleneck would be the amount of time it'd take to roll out tons of infrastructure to service the middle of nowhere with enough bandwidth

    which also makes the assumption that telecoms are somewhat agile when it comes to do that sort of work (you'd better fucking believe they aren't)

    and that users will be willing to give up physical media of content which the content owners already insist they do not own to instead have digital copies (or viewing licenses or whatever) of content which the content owners insist they do not own

  • BarcardiBarcardi All the Wizards Under A Rock: AfganistanRegistered User regular
    edited September 2011
    Wow... really?

    Damn this sucks for me. I am one of the random people that has zero movies in my instant que because i burned through all of the movies i wanted to see on streaming, leaving 100+ regular dvd rentals to see. I guess ill keep both for now and hope that the streaming collection increases and that somehow both websites can reference each other, otherwise they both become a waste for me (but thats just me).

    Then again, the name and the quality of the video makes it look like an April Fools joke.

    edit: oh man... the facebook friends comments on that blog

    Barcardi on
  • Fatboy RobertsFatboy Roberts Registered User regular
    edited September 2011
    Halfhand wrote:
    I very seriously disagree with that 5 year estimate. 15 years, maybe.

    In 5 years, DVD will have been commercially viable for about 15 years. That's a pretty good run. About as good as VHS had it, commercially. VHS, for all intents and purposes, became a marginalized shell of its former self right around 1999. Sure, they continued production in dwindling numbers up until the mid 2000's, but it was basically a zombie media.

    I just don't think Blu-Ray has, or will gain, the foothold necessary to survive the death of DVD, since it's having a hard time simply keeping pace, even with DVD declining and Blu-Ray slowly ascending. So when DVD goes the way of VHS, Blu-Ray will probably quietly go along with it. I'm not saying they won't still be produced in 10 years. I'm saying the market for them will be pretty small.

    Fatboy Roberts on
  • shrykeshryke Member of the Beast Registered User regular
    edited September 2011
    _J_ wrote:
    shryke wrote:
    Physical media ain't going nowhere anytime soon. Not till internet infrastructure has ubiquitous capless highspeed coverage.

    Has the availability of streaming media decreased the rate at which you consume hard or physical media?

    No, because streaming media isn't convenient or cheap everywhere. The only place I can really get it is through my cable provider for more then it costs to walk to the video store and rent the movie.

    Of course, depending where you live, said video store doesn't even exist anymore either, leaving you with nowhere to get many things in some areas.

    Shryke wrote:
    What the hell? Are you serious?

    Yeah. DVD/Blu-Ray has about 5 years left. It'll limp along past that point, I'm sure, but the bubble will have definitely burst by then.

    5 years ago, DVD was considered invincible. It's widely considered to be in serious decline now. Blu-Ray won't be able to replace it - it's closer to the relationship Laserdisc had with VHS. Not as niche, of course, the pricing has seen to that - but either way, Blu-Ray simply doesn't have the numbers to replace DVD as DVD dies, so it'll likely decay along with it.

    This is an incredibly limited perspective. The infrastructure backbone and services simply don't exist for this to happen.

    More simply: not everyone can even get Netflix streaming or the equivalent, let alone has it

    The idea that 5 years from now, physical media will be mostly gone seems based on assumptions that don't hold for alot of people. The question isn't wether DVD is being replaced by streaming or the like, it's whether that replacement can continue to anywhere near 100%. And I'd say, no, it can't. The people jumping ship right now are the ones that can. There's still tons that can't.

    Fuck, you want a good example of this? Blockbuster Canada was making money. They only went into receivership because the US company sacrificed them to their creditors.
    Long-term, any barrier to digital distribution matching quality of physical media isn't going to be because of technical limitations. It'll be fucked up business deals and/or a system of regulations designed to prop up the zombie corpses of old establishment distribution models.

    pretty much this exactly.

    I'm not seeing the difference. The technical limitations of the internet are caused by those business interests and such. And there's no indication this is going to change any time soon, let alone in time to kill physical media in the next 5 years.

    shryke on
  • Fatboy RobertsFatboy Roberts Registered User regular
    physical media is already dying, though. And a lot can happen in 5 years. For accusing me of having a limited perspective, you're putting a lot of limits on what can and can't go down in 5-10 years. :)

  • shrykeshryke Member of the Beast Registered User regular
    edited September 2011
    physical media is already dying, though. And a lot can happen in 5 years. For accusing me of having a limited perspective, you're putting a lot of limits on what can and can't go down in 5-10 years. :)

    Sorry, I'm sure in 5-10 years, cable and carrier companies will magically decide to start infrastructure improvements and bandwith caps will go the way of the Dodo and so everyone will get highspeed no-cap internet and have access to online services with all the latest content.

    And then everyone will win the lottery, but in a way that doesn't cause massive inflation so we all get to be rich together.


    Or we can live in reality where the only thing the future seems to hold is content creators doing their best to bend Netflix and it's ilk over a table and rape them to death.

    shryke on
  • Fatboy RobertsFatboy Roberts Registered User regular
    You're kinda doing an All-or-Nothing thing as if the color grey never existed and there aren't degrees of progression in play.

    But yeah, magic and the lottery. They're nice. Deathrape? Not so much.

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