CBR: If Netflix Falls, What Could Replace It?

[CBR News]

Netflix's price hike has upset subscribers, but will they really stop using the service? SPINOFF wonders if we're too addicted for our own good.



Full article here (http://comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=33331).

[thwhtGuardian]

It's not going anywhere, there just isn't any product currently available that can compete with Netflix.

[drwho]

i sht my pants when i heard the price of their stock was like 300 dollars. sorry but netflix is going no where. i know blockbuster filed bk but once they close down if thats the type they are gonna be doing its going to leave a market open for video stores again.

[the goddamn batman]

comic fans pay $4 for 20 pages of story. I mean, the monthly expense of reading comics is pretty high. it's a demographic built out of people with plenty of expendable income. for comic fans to cry about $16 a month for how much they get in return is ridiculous.

the only reason this is an issue, it because piracy has ruined the sense of value equated with product.

wah.

[FoxMulder2012]

If netflix starts to lose money, they'll lower the price again. But if it fails... I'll be extremely bored.

[the goddamn batman]

Netflix isn't going to fail. that's ridiculous. but it is Greame...

[J. Robb]

It's not going anywhere, there just isn't any product currently available that can compete with Netflix.
The internet.

[syxxpakk]

Eh, it's not that big of increase. No biggy.

[shingi70]

Meh. its only expenisve if you have the dvd and steaming plan. right when streaming only hit i switched to it in a heartbeat.

[Slam_Bradley]

The price increase for me was about six bucks a month. If I want to drop one DVD it would be the same. Whoop-de-doo! It's still cheap. Red Box is extremely limited. And there isn't a DVD rental place within 40 miles of me now.

Netflix isn't going anywhere, but their PR department is awful and should be replaced.

[4thHorseman]

They lost money with me. The day before the increase I bumped my streaming to streaming + 2dvds. Now I'm going to bump it back down. I normally pick up two movies a week and I was hoping for the same price i could get more movie options and possibly more movies a month based on turnaround. But for the increased price, it isn't worth it. I'll just stick with redbox since it's cheaper.

[Gizmoduck]

At some point Google will team up with Blockbuster and create their own version of Netflix.

[GRANT!]

I'm hoping the price increase will be more of an incentive for studios to have more titles available on streaming video. It would be nice to see some more stuff available (even films not available on DVD at the moment).

[Blueferret]

The last batch of news that Netflix has put out has been negative. The first was the 90 day moratorium of Starz originals, then the new interface and now a significant price bump for a 1 DVD plan. They need to put something positive out in terms of PR.

[StoneGold]

At some point Google will team up with Blockbuster and create their own version of Netflix.

They're already selling/renting movies over the Android Market. But it's really more of an iTunes competitor. Same with the system Amazon has going. In regards to streaming video, Netflix really only has Hulu and kinda Youtube as competitors.

[Sean Walsh]

Price hike?

If you've got both services, sure, but for someone who only has one (physical discs) I'm quite happy with this development. :biggrin:

[maczero]

I dropped Netflix a long time ago. I don't watch enough movies to justify the monthly expense. Also, streaming on Verizon DSL is way too sluggish. And finally, streaming quality doesn't compete with the clarity and audio quality of blu-ray.

[Alex]

I'm hoping the price increase will be more of an incentive for studios to have more titles available on streaming video. It would be nice to see some more stuff available (even films not available on DVD at the moment).

This.
The only reason i think this is a mistake is because, frankley, the selection kinda blows.
Like, it's good for a few months on streaming, but if you watch a lot, you're going to realize half those movies are things no one wants too see.
The extra income will hopefully provide extra money for more movies.

Im just worried we are entering this era where we have tons of streaming services and they all get different exclusive licenses with different studios/networks, so everyone will suck instead of one of them being really good.

[AcesX1X]

the selection only blows because the studios are demanding more money from netflix.

honestly, they've been spoiling customers over the past year with their incentive plans and their library has suffered for it. if people would be willing to actually deal with the price hike like sane adults, netflix would have more money to pay the studios for subscription to streaming, and the diversity of what's available would intensify. netflix would also have more bargaining power with the studios, as they'd be able to show them that the market for streaming data is alive and thriving...which would make the studios reconsider their (insane) price demands.

netflix has been staving this off for a while in respect to their customers, but at the end of the day, there is only so much they can do. execs at the studios still do not fully trust the streaming market.

[maczero]

netflix has been staving this off for a while in respect to their customers, but at the end of the day, there is only so much they can do. execs at the studios still do not fully trust the streaming market.Is it trust or do they see it as a threat to DVD sales?

[AcesX1X]

Is it trust or do they see it as a threat to DVD sales?

both interpretations are correct.

[Nyssane]

Do most Netflix subscribers actually get the DVD package? Everyone I know only gets streaming...

[the goddamn batman]

Right now I get a single disc, but I'll be dropping that come September. Not because $8 is too much money, but because I never get around to watching them since I'm always watching streaming.

Dunno what you guys are in to, but I find plenty of movies to watch on Netflix instant view.

[StoneGold]

the selection only blows because the studios are demanding more money from netflix.

honestly, they've been spoiling customers over the past year with their incentive plans and their library has suffered for it. if people would be willing to actually deal with the price hike like sane adults, netflix would have more money to pay the studios for subscription to streaming, and the diversity of what's available would intensify. netflix would also have more bargaining power with the studios, as they'd be able to show them that the market for streaming data is alive and thriving...which would make the studios reconsider their (insane) price demands.

netflix has been staving this off for a while in respect to their customers, but at the end of the day, there is only so much they can do. execs at the studios still do not fully trust the streaming market.

Two part problem with this -- 60% price hikes generally aren't something sane people deal with. It's a pretty massive leap in price.

Two, Netflix hasn't messaged any of this. They just announced that they're raising prices (and even then, they screwed up, they could have coached the language better, all they're really doing is no longer having streaming be a free service) and that's it. No reason given. Sure, if you listen to business reports and what not, you get some of the "it's so they can have more movies streaming" messaging, but there is exactly squat coming from the company itself.

Basically, bad communications=pissed off customers. If they had announced the price hike specifically mentioning that it's so they can get more and better movies online, preferably with the announcement of a deal from a studio, the rage would be a lot quieter.

[Blueferret]

Right now I get a single disc, but I'll be dropping that come September. Not because $8 is too much money, but because I never get around to watching them since I'm always watching streaming.

Dunno what you guys are in to, but I find plenty of movies to watch on Netflix instant view.

Me too. I've been sitting on the A-Team for 6 weeks now.

[Simbob4000]

Netflix isn't going to fail. that's ridiculous. but it is Greame...

Netflix isn't going to fail right now, but in like, I don't know, 10-15 years, when no one can own movies or shows, and we're all perpetually renting things, then I'm sure Buena Vista/The Walt Disney Company, Viacom, Time Warner, News Corporation, Sony, and whoever the hell owns NBCUniversal at that time will all have there own version of netflix that you have to subscribe to. When that happens, there won't be much point in any of them putting there stuff on Netflix...unless they own it.

[AcesX1X]

Two part problem with this -- 60% price hikes generally aren't something sane people deal with. It's a pretty massive leap in price.

yes, but like i said -- netflix has spoiled their customers enough as it is. it is their fault for not raising the price sooner.