I was irk when Netflix announced its pricing changes back in July . My family was on the one - DVD - at - a - time design , which included cyclosis from Netflix ’s Watch instantaneously catalog ; our monthly rate would jump from $ 10 per month to $ 16 per calendar month . I was rag enough by the “ spend more for the same feature film ” approach path that I research a slew of Netflix rival . finally , I decided I would stick with Netflix ’s $ 8 cyclosis plan , and get my new releases via Zediva — until Zediva wassidelined by a tribunal order . Though I was n’t convinced Netflix was deserving the supererogatory $ 72 per yr , I decided to stay with the military service through its price wage hike . Now , thanks to Netflix CEO Reed Hastings ’s latest message to customer — and Netflix ’s split into two separate company — I’m more inclined than ever to jump ship .
Here ’s a quick recap ofNetflix ’s up-to-the-minute announcement : The company is dismal that it did n’t better explicate its grounds for evoke the terms of immix streaming and DVD plans . And essentially , it raised those prices and now charges singly for DVDs and streaming because they ’re two different business . And since they ’re two different business , Netflix is literally splitting up into two unique entity : Netflix will become a cyclosis - only enterprisingness ; DVDs - by - ring armor will become the horizon of a new , separate entity called Qwikster .
Why I’m unhappy
I object to Netflix ’s recent declaration on a pair of stratum . I feel that the email Hastings sent customers was pure pandering , and found his overdramatic self - flagellation excessive : “ I messed up . I owe you an account … I proffer my earnest apologia … I should have in person collapse you a full explanation … [ I ] justify again to members … who felt we handle them thoughtlessly . ”
Hastings is a smart hombre , and I line up it inconceivable to conceive that he recall customers would have react more favourably to Netflix ’s July damage hike announcement , had the company only included a note from him pronounce that DVD posting and digital streaming are two unlike businesses . The customer who complained did so because they do n’t like pay more for the same service .
But my deeper expostulation — and the one that has me query whether I ’ll remain my Netflix membership at all — is this Qwikster trumpery . Set away the fact that the name , as many before me have said , await like an artifact from an abandoned 1990s - era startup and stockpile none of the brand bloodline that Netflix has domesticate since 1997 . ( If Netflix will now be a streaming - only service over the Internet , should n’t the analogous DVD service be calledMailflix ? ) And it says something that I have n’t spelled Qwikster justly on the first effort once yet .
Like I said , though , I ’m unforced to front past the ( awful , awful , awful ) name of Netflix ’s novel , wholly - possess subsidiary . What I ca n’t look past is how dopey and customer - hostile Netflix ’s self - imposed schism really is .
Hastings and Netflix suggest that the Qwikster / Netflix split ( yup , spelled it haywire again at first ) is really “ just a Modern name ” ; the Qwikster site will match the old Netflix DVD experience feature for feature film , and even tot up in a new one — telecasting game rentals . But , as Hastings does recognise : “ A negative of the renaming and legal separation is that the Qwikster.com and Netflix.com internet site will not be mix . ”
What?Why?!Actually , rub that : allow ’s or else search at all the reasons that leaving the two land site in separate silos is a fearsome , horrible , no good , very bad melodic theme .
A very bad idea
Before Qwikster , I could add a DVD to my Netflix waiting line — say , the second time of year ofBreaking Bad — and then , if that show became usable for cyclosis , Netflixautomatically added it to my inst queue . I could also look at my DVD waiting line and see , at a glimpse , which queued titles were useable to watch via cyclosis .
Once Qwikster is upon us , that magic trick will go the way of Microsoft Bob . Netflix state that the sites will maintain alone separate databases . If you want to determine a movie , I suppose you ’ll first search for it on Netflix . If it ’s not there and available for cyclosis , you go over to Qwikster and look for for it there , and then bring it to your DVD queue . If the movie ever becomes available for streaming back at Netflix , you may or may not notice that and watch out it there . If you do watch out it there , you may well get an unpleasant surprisal when your Qwikster gasbag arrives a few daylight afterwards with the same content enclosed .
Less frustrating , but still frustratingly stinking , is the fact that your Qwikster rating wo n’t influence your Netflix suggestions , and frailty - versa . For a company that prides itself on its recommendation locomotive engine — and indeedawarded $ 1 million to developers who beat Netflix ’s recommendation algorithm by a simple 10 pct — ignoring this personal rating data makes no sentiency .
There is no client welfare to these two sites not talking to each other . None . The Netflix / Qwikster split up will only makes things bad for Netflix ’s customers .
So, why do it?
The only explanation that I can total up with is that someone at Netflix believes that these moves will benefit the company ’s long - terminus health and profitability . ( I do n’t needs agree with this hypothetical someone . ) Raising damage was distinctly a strategical move to cancel uprise costs , and even if I do n’t like it — and I don’t — I understand it . But split the two sites apart in ways that make queue management more difficult for customers who want both videodisc and streaming , I ca n’t quite understand .
Some have suggestedthat Netflix ’s DVD service has top out , and that the Qwikster move is an initial step towards dumping the videodisc - by - mail Robert William Service totally — perhaps by selling it off . There ’s certainly some system of logic to that theory . But by make its combined oblation unfit to use together , Netflix is win over me to consider using neither .
Hastings concluded his e-mail to customers as follows :
Both the Qwikster and Netflix teams will act upon intemperately to regain your cartel . We know it will not be overnight . action talk louder than words . But words facilitate people to realize actions .
Not Hastings ’s words — at least not in this subject matter . Netflix ’s bungling of its cost salary increase , this subsequent electronic messaging , and its undesirable DVD / streaming schism is the kind of ego - defeating deportment I expect fromcompanies like HP . It ’s much harder to determine Netflix flail like this , since it ’s a company I ’ve have a go at it for so long .
