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Netflix has made no secret of its intention to be primarily a streaming company. Although, much of the content out there is only available in disc form. Netflix's recent decision to limit the ways customers can add those discs to their queue has caused quite an uproar. Users can no longer use connected streaming devices, like the PS3 or iPad, to add items to their DVD queue. These are now streaming only devices with no ability to manage the DVD queue.
Many users who commented on the Netflix blog post about the change accused the company of moving to dismantle their disc rental business in favor of streaming. It does fit with the recent addition of streaming-only plans, and the increase in price of disc rental plans. The change in queue management may have also been done in part because the new streaming-only users don't even have disc queues to manage.
Netflix for its part said, "We’re doing this so we can concentrate on offering you the titles that are available to watch instantly. Further, providing the option to add a DVD to your Queue from a streaming device complicates the instant watching experience and ties up resources that are better used to improve the overall streaming functionality." While that may be true, we have a hard time believing this isn't also another step in phasing out discs.
Comments are closed on this article
deadsenator
January 18, 2011 at 11:40am
"...providing the option to add a DVD to your Queue from a streaming device complicates the instant watching experience and ties up resources that are better used to improve the overall streaming functionality."
What a crock. "Complicates the instant watching experience"? How complicated is it to add a DVD to your queue? Are the viewers that stupid? Really? Come on. I have to laugh at that one. It's just an excuse.
Furthermore, tieing up recources in this manner makes many customers happy and this should be the goal. Yes, improving the streaming experience is important too, but don't drop existing functions that alienate already paying customers. The streaming will get better in time. Do it right. Just another excuse.
As someone else has mentioned, folks are getting hit with caps at the ISP. This could get in the way of the streaming content pretty soon if you fatten up the A/V data.
Anyone worked the numbers? If you watched three hours of Netflix a night (maybe more on a weekend), what does that get you at the end of the month with regards to data totals?
bling581
January 18, 2011 at 11:17am
I think they're moving way too fast towards this "streaming only" business. Most of their content is still on disc so it seems like they're getting ahead of themselves. I've actually used my iPhone a few times to add disc titles to my queue or even streaming titles because I didn't want to stop what I was already watching. Families are getting pretty techy these days but I would bet that a large number of people don't have or can't afford devices to stream internet content to their TV. They're going to lose out on business.
michaelh
January 18, 2011 at 10:15am
I'm doing more and more streaming, but for a movie I've been looking forward to I stick to Blu-Ray. The "HD" quality is pretty poor. In motion, I'd be hard-pressed to differentiate their highest bitrate from their midrange one. Not having surround sound also makes blockbuster movies feel flat.
If they increased the bitrate and added at least 5.1 support (even if it meant caching for an extra 30-60 seconds) I'd be all for eliminating discs - that is, if broadband speeds were more reliable and there weren't bandwidth caps. My 250 GB limit is nearly reached every month between miscellaneous downloads and content-streaming.
I appreciate that they're trumpeting progress, but if they get too far ahead of themselves they'll fall flat on their faces.
TechLarry
January 18, 2011 at 8:08am
Dumb decisions will be there demise.
I cancelled when they signed the stupid 28 day delay agreement.
jraschke11
January 17, 2011 at 4:56pm
Ya know, maybe if their streaming selection wasn't garbage, more people would buy in to it.
I mean, how hard can it be to get some bum to sit there and rip DVDs to stream.
Yes, I know it's more complicated than that, but their streaming selection is worthless.
Ryan Whitwam
January 17, 2011 at 5:21pm
They need to acquire content licenses to stream things. Just because they can offer the disc, doesn't mean they can stream it.
DoctorX
January 17, 2011 at 6:19pm
not my problem... i fully expect everything to be able to be streamed... until all titles are on there... they can go take a flying leap.
Besides.. mediacom just instituted a 250GB cap.
Vegan
January 17, 2011 at 10:59pm
The streaming is overrated. Even the HD stuff is horribly compressed, looks like crap, and there's no surround sound. I'll wait for a disc in the mail any day over streaming.
