Parsing Netflix's 'Apology'

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Parsing Netflix’s ‘Apology’

David Pogue writes about the Netflix debacle

By MichaelJ

Technology • September 2011 • Views: 1,515

pogue.blogs.nytimes.com

In 2001, I wrote about a then-little known company called Netflix. Reading it now, I can’t help smiling. Ah, sweet naïveté!

Worth reading every word. I expect the subscription defections to continue.

One point that David Pogue doesn’t even address in this piece is the fact that Netflix is trying to pad it’s anemic streaming library with more TV titles instead of movies. It is getting harder for them to ink deals with the studios for movie streaming rights, so they go for the low hanging fruit instead. Their new motto should be Netflix - less of what you want for more!

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6 comments

Virginia Plain Sep 22, 2011 1:21:21pm

And a lot of Netflix rivals are similarly lacking in streaming content, so as far as money’s worth, Netflix is the best option.

Eclectic Cyborg Sep 22, 2011 2:52:17pm

I would love more catalog movies on Netflix streaming. There’s just so many great classic movies that aren’t on there. New releases are nice but a general improvement in quality would be appreciated.

You’d think given the fact they are more heavily focusing on streaming they’d put some more effort into it.

RadicalModerate Sep 22, 2011 5:04:59pm

My biggest beef with Netflix streaming is the fact that a lot of series only have partial library releases done. You can watch the first three or four seasons of a show, but to see the rest you have to get the DVD/Blu-Rays. Which means the “streaming-only” or Disc-only rental models aren’t very useful - to see full content you have to have both.

MichaelJ Sep 22, 2011 6:21:23pm

re: #3 RadicalModerate

Exactly.

Charleston Chew Sep 23, 2011 7:08:37am

re: #2 dragonfire1981

re: #3 RadicalModerate

You both mention symptoms of the core business problem with Netflix switching to streaming — they’re giving up power to the companies that own the content.

For almost three decades movie owners have hated that, because of first sale doctrine, anyone can buy a VHS/DVD for retail price and then rent it out to others. They tried and failed to kill video rental in the early 80s.

Now streaming has given them the upper hand. If you want to rent a movie to people on DVD you just buy a copy. Simple. I suspect Netflix was even getting volumn deals from DVD distributers. But the rights to every streaming title has to be lawyered to high heaven.

Thanks to streaming, media companies now have Netflix by the balls.

MichaelJ Sep 23, 2011 7:49:53am

re: #5 Charleston Chew

And, unless someone is able to broker a deal with them that allows streaming of fresh and popular content, this type of service will never completely replace DVD rentals.

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