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09/12/2011 09:33:28 AM · #1 |
Not a scientific study, but did Netflix pare down its streaming selection?
Seems to me, the idea used to be that older movies, even hits, were available by streaming. Now, movies I watched by streaming earlier are no longer available (and they weren't starz play ones).
We have a movie group where one of us picks a movie, and we meet and discuss it. We have a theme now...it's "westerns". Sometimes we pick two related movies. I was thinking "A Fistful of Dollars" and "Yojimbo" as one possibility. None of the Sergio Leone trio with Clint is available to stream... I had watched Yojimbo this past May...and its not available now on streaming.
I went back as an experiment...I looked at our family movie queue the last four months of 2010. For movies, out of 52 movies watched from September to December, 28 were still available by streaming, 23 were now DVD only, and 1 wasn't even available anymore. That's 46% of my instant watching sample no longer available.
And while going through them, it seemed to be slanted towards "highly rated movies" not available anymore. With Netflix recently raising it's prices and making people think about going "Streaming only"...I think it's pretty pitiful.
What do you think...is it normal "shifting" of their titles (a certain number of titles, going in an out to keep a relatively constant total), or are they tightening their belts so they pay less royalties?
Message edited by author 2011-09-12 09:35:54. |
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09/12/2011 09:43:58 AM · #2 |
I was reading something somewhere (how vague, right?) a month or two ago about how Netflix is in serious trouble. They started out with a bang offering lots of movies for a low price. However, the movie industry, recognizing how successful Netflix had become has upped what they require of Netflix for compensation. Netflix can't raise their prices to consumers because of the business model that they built their company on.
Now they are caught between a rock and a hard place. They can't carry the selection that they used to because they have to pay more to the movie industry for the movies that they choose to carry, but they can't raise prices or they will lose the majority of their customers.
Comparatively, Netflix isn't really that big of a company. Other companies that have been or are going to start to offer movies for rent, like Amazon and possibly Google, are probably going to kill off Netflix.
edit to add: This isn't the story that I was referring to, but it's interesting and lends a little support to what I was talking about.
Message edited by author 2011-09-12 09:50:21. |
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09/12/2011 09:44:19 AM · #3 |
I don't know, this is the second time I have tried netflix. If they really want to be competitive they need to add more titles to watch instantly. I know I for one would be willing to pay a bit more for it. I just wish it was consistent like anything over 5 years old is available, with the occasional new release available from stars play for a limited time.
As it is it's not going to take long before I exhaust their library of anything half way decent to watch. And I don't watch T.V very often. |
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09/12/2011 09:55:37 AM · #4 |
The other ironic thing: our last group pick was True Grit--both the old and the new.
We got the new one on DVD via Netflix. Not streamed.
The old 1969 John Wayne one was only available on DVD from Netflix. No streaming. So ok, the movie companies are controlling an old classic (over 50 years old!)
So we went to the library...got the old one out on DVD for free. Go figure. |
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09/12/2011 10:01:56 AM · #5 |
Netflix has lost Starz...it's major source of new movies:
Netflix and Starz |
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09/12/2011 10:23:39 AM · #6 |
In addition to losing Starz, selections are coming in and out of the library all the time.
You can see selections that are due to expire here: //instantwatcher.com/titles/expiring
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09/12/2011 10:27:16 AM · #7 |
People pirate movies not becuase they like to steal but becuase its the easiest way to get what they want.
Netflix played a huge part in curbing movie pirates like apple did in music pirating. Hollywood will never get it.
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09/12/2011 10:32:11 AM · #8 |
Originally posted by mike_311:
People pirate movies not becuase they like to steal but becuase its the easiest way to get what they want.
Netflix played a huge part in curbing movie pirates like apple did in music pirating. Hollywood will never get it. |
Yes, yes they did... but some old pirates are getting a little tired of the heavy handed industry. I would strongly suggest to them that they play nice before someone takes away their toys. |
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09/12/2011 01:07:19 PM · #9 |
As most people have mentioned in one way or another, the reason is many-fold.
Licenses expire all the time, the movie industry wants a larger piece of the Netflix pie but don't understand that they'll end up with nothing if they keep it up and the costs of running the streaming are becoming too much of a burden for Netflix to continue with on the business model they've implemented.
It's really kind of sad.
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09/12/2011 01:45:02 PM · #10 |
Originally posted by mike_311:
People pirate movies not becuase they like to steal but becuase its the easiest way to get what they want.
Netflix played a huge part in curbing movie pirates like apple did in music pirating. Hollywood will never get it. |
Agree completely....
I dropped the streaming this month when Netflix upped the prices $8 or so for me. There is just plain NOT ENOUGH stuff on streaming that I want to watch. The usual response is well just browse what is available and there is a lot to watch... BUT I do not work that way and refuse to.... I do not turn on the box to let it flow over me... I watch certain things and want to see them when I want.
I have been looking at a few hulu+ e.t.c. I am tempted to add an amazon prime membership to get their streaming.... I use amazon a lot so the prime has other benefits to me but a lot of what I watch is free for prime members on streaming but it's still a net increase to me which is why I am stalling (maybe I will drop the Netflix DVD's for amazon prime and save some $ and miss some things). |
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09/12/2011 02:20:17 PM · #11 |
I've been with Netflix for 8 years. I think I'm about done. Streaming video may turn out to be something that will go before it really had a chance to arrive. The invest no more than necessary that has fueled corporate profits and doomed so many segments of American industry, along with plain old greed, may be the final nails in streaming video's coffin. US broad band costs are among the highest in the world, and the speeds among the lowest. So between providers trying to throttle speeds to stave off upgrade expenses, and Hollywood thinking that streaming video is a replacement for $79.95 VHS movies (remember those days?), streaming video may be choked to death with a lack of content and bottle necked delivery.
It's all about profit. I went to the movies last weekend, and sat through more commercials before the movie started, than I would have if I had watched it on network TV. |
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09/12/2011 02:40:59 PM · #12 |
Originally posted by ambaker:
It's all about profit. I went to the movies last weekend, and sat through more commercials before the movie started, than I would have if I had watched it on network TV. |
Awww, don't get me started. Cripes, everywhere you look, you get more commercials than content. And now they lock the user interface so you *can't get past them.* Sheesh!
To get back on track, we were also not happy with the direction Netflix took, and doubly unhappy with the limited availability of streaming. The streaming feature is pretty much not worth it anymore. I agree with previous posters that Hollywood's extortion practices are probably at the root of this. They are as bad as the record industry. Heck, if we're talking Sony Entertainment, they are one in the same!
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09/12/2011 02:43:07 PM · #13 |
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09/12/2011 03:14:53 PM · #14 |
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09/12/2011 08:55:03 PM · #15 |
Originally posted by kirbic:
Originally posted by ambaker:
It's all about profit. I went to the movies last weekend, and sat through more commercials before the movie started, than I would have if I had watched it on network TV. |
Awww, don't get me started. Cripes, everywhere you look, you get more commercials than content. And now they lock the user interface so you *can't get past them.* Sheesh!
To get back on track, we were also not happy with the direction Netflix took, and doubly unhappy with the limited availability of streaming. The streaming feature is pretty much not worth it anymore. I agree with previous posters that Hollywood's extortion practices are probably at the root of this. They are as bad as the record industry. Heck, if we're talking Sony Entertainment, they are one in the same! |
yeah but you can download a commercial free copy for free. go figure.
i actually rip all my disk to my pc before i watch them, no commercials. plus anyone can watch what they want anywhere in the house.
Message edited by author 2011-09-12 20:58:01. |
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