June 6, 2006 11:00 AM PDT
What Netflix could teach Hollywood
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Five million families have a Netflix account. So why do so many people think it's doomed?
The New York Times
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22 comments
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up. Okay, fine. But why at the bottom of the first page are
"immigrants" mentioned? Does anybody care who is doing the
dirty work at Netflix? I doubt it.
I use Netflix. ALOT. (Yes, 'alot' is a word now, so suck on that,
Webster!) Anime sets are expensive, so I rent TONS of anime,
and other TV shows that strike my fancy. I like paying $50 a
month and getting tons of data to watch. I also split the account
amongst family, so everybody gets to watch something good. It
really works out.
Strangely, nowhere in the article is the "doomed" sceanrio
actually described, nor even hinted at. Some naysayers are
quoted, for whatever reason, but I didn't get "doomed"
anywhere.
Netflix will alot three movies to each customer.
Your use should be "a lot".
up. Okay, fine. But why at the bottom of the first page are
"immigrants" mentioned? Does anybody care who is doing the
dirty work at Netflix? I doubt it.
I use Netflix. ALOT. (Yes, 'alot' is a word now, so suck on that,
Webster!) Anime sets are expensive, so I rent TONS of anime,
and other TV shows that strike my fancy. I like paying $50 a
month and getting tons of data to watch. I also split the account
amongst family, so everybody gets to watch something good. It
really works out.
Strangely, nowhere in the article is the "doomed" sceanrio
actually described, nor even hinted at. Some naysayers are
quoted, for whatever reason, but I didn't get "doomed"
anywhere.
Netflix will alot three movies to each customer.
Your use should be "a lot".
Market watchers and analyst to IT are what critics to arts. Drawing analogy further, one can recall famous saying that there was no monument ever built to critic.
Certainly not from my phone or cable company. Their fastest
service is a fraction of that available in Europe or Asia (and the
non-U.S. service is cheaper).
I currently have a 3mb DSL circuit, which is still faster than the
6-8mb promised, but never delivered, by my cable company.
Not near big enough for routine movie downloads.
Hollywood better hope Netflix survives. Otherwise they are
going to lose a ton of business, if many of the 5 million
subscribers think like me.
I don't go to video stores and I've tried both Blockbuster Online
and Comcast's Ondemand. For me, it's Netflix or a good book.
<a class="jive-link-external" href="http://www.brookings.edu/views/papers/ferguson/working_paper_20020531.pdf" target="_newWindow">http://www.brookings.edu/views/papers/ferguson/working_paper_20020531.pdf</a>
<a class="jive-link-external" href="http://www.tompaine.com/articles/2005/07/11/the_united_states_of_broadband.php" target="_newWindow">http://www.tompaine.com/articles/2005/07/11/the_united_states_of_broadband.php</a>
Throttling is what makes you not get your advertised speed.
Certainly not from my phone or cable company. Their fastest
service is a fraction of that available in Europe or Asia (and the
non-U.S. service is cheaper).
I currently have a 3mb DSL circuit, which is still faster than the
6-8mb promised, but never delivered, by my cable company.
Not near big enough for routine movie downloads.
Hollywood better hope Netflix survives. Otherwise they are
going to lose a ton of business, if many of the 5 million
subscribers think like me.
I don't go to video stores and I've tried both Blockbuster Online
and Comcast's Ondemand. For me, it's Netflix or a good book.
<a class="jive-link-external" href="http://www.brookings.edu/views/papers/ferguson/working_paper_20020531.pdf" target="_newWindow">http://www.brookings.edu/views/papers/ferguson/working_paper_20020531.pdf</a>
<a class="jive-link-external" href="http://www.tompaine.com/articles/2005/07/11/the_united_states_of_broadband.php" target="_newWindow">http://www.tompaine.com/articles/2005/07/11/the_united_states_of_broadband.php</a>
Throttling is what makes you not get your advertised speed.
To get the basic cable tier at our locality is $45. To get the 2 cable channels we actually want to watch is another $25 for the second tier. It's just not worth it. And we won't discuss their inflated broadband prices.
Plus, telecom services are heavily taxed around here. Taxes on our phone/DSL service are 25% of the bill.
Netflix is convenient, if not entirely digital. And it has the additional bonus of exciting our preschooler when mail comes. He knows what the red envelopes are.
To get the basic cable tier at our locality is $45. To get the 2 cable channels we actually want to watch is another $25 for the second tier. It's just not worth it. And we won't discuss their inflated broadband prices.
Plus, telecom services are heavily taxed around here. Taxes on our phone/DSL service are 25% of the bill.
Netflix is convenient, if not entirely digital. And it has the additional bonus of exciting our preschooler when mail comes. He knows what the red envelopes are.
I pay Cox Cable $150 a month for digital cable (no movie channels), 4 Mbps internet and phone service which provides unlimited local calling and 100 minutes of free long distance/month.
However I regularly only watch:
Medium
Two and a Half Men
Smallville
Stargate SG-1 and Atlantis
Battlestar Gallactica
Dr. Who (New)
John Doe
My Name is Earl
Courting Alex
Supernatural
Charmed (alas no more!)
So basically it's like what? 3-4 channels TOTAL? Of course there are period uses of History Channel, A&E, Lifetime...
so at most I need like 10 channels OF MY CHOICE!
I have recently thought of going back to Netflix (they have tons of TV series available on DVD) for $20 month with tax, cutting my phone service and getting Skype In/Out (Skype-In number only a few bucks a month) and cutting my cable all together!
With my internet at $45/month, Netflix at $20 and Skypein at $3 I could save over $70 month.
And my turn around time with Netflix was pretty good as the article says usually within 2 days. (Blockbuster sucked big where I could only do one turn around a week when getting all three movies at same time! I sent back on sat. they said they got them and re shipped on Monday. Netflix would have them to me by Wed. Blocklbuster earliest was thursday if not friday!)
Market watchers and analyst to IT are what critics to arts. Drawing analogy further, one can recall famous saying that there was no monument ever built to critic.
I pay Cox Cable $150 a month for digital cable (no movie channels), 4 Mbps internet and phone service which provides unlimited local calling and 100 minutes of free long distance/month.
However I regularly only watch:
Medium
Two and a Half Men
Smallville
Stargate SG-1 and Atlantis
Battlestar Gallactica
Dr. Who (New)
John Doe
My Name is Earl
Courting Alex
Supernatural
Charmed (alas no more!)
So basically it's like what? 3-4 channels TOTAL? Of course there are period uses of History Channel, A&E, Lifetime...
so at most I need like 10 channels OF MY CHOICE!
I have recently thought of going back to Netflix (they have tons of TV series available on DVD) for $20 month with tax, cutting my phone service and getting Skype In/Out (Skype-In number only a few bucks a month) and cutting my cable all together!
With my internet at $45/month, Netflix at $20 and Skypein at $3 I could save over $70 month.
And my turn around time with Netflix was pretty good as the article says usually within 2 days. (Blockbuster sucked big where I could only do one turn around a week when getting all three movies at same time! I sent back on sat. they said they got them and re shipped on Monday. Netflix would have them to me by Wed. Blocklbuster earliest was thursday if not friday!)