You know who Netflix is, right? Sure you do. They’re that company that gives you a reason to check your mail every once in a while. But guess what — that’s not who they are at all.
According to CEO Reed Hastings, Netflix is, in fact, "a streaming company, which also offers DVDs-by-mail." Oh, and if you still actually want to receive those old-fashioned discs — you know, the ones that don’t depend on your often shaky internet connection (thanks, Comcast) — you’ll now have to pay more for the pleasure…or trouble (word choice depending on whether you’re a Netflix stockholder).
Netflix has been heading this way for several months. They’ve entered into numerous deals with movie studios and distributors, who have provided large amounts of streaming content (mostly TV shows and back-catalogue films) contingent on Netflix delaying rental of new releases for a month. This plan was devised to stimulate DVD sales, but it probably just increased the chances of piracy. And now, these same DVDs that the studios and Netflix have teamed to con you into buying are being phased out by the very company that agreed to the deals to improve their sale. Wait, can that be right? Huh. Yep, that’s it. Ah, you have to love the corporate mind.
It’s a great deal for Netflix. They are headed toward paying less postage and needing less warehouse space — and probably fewer employees as well. Gosh, I remember when Uncle Netflix wanted to be my buddy by saving me from those wretched trips to the video store and the inevitable late fees. Now he feels more like the friend that offers to let you use his car to drive to the video store…if you fill up the tank and buy some beer and pizza on the way back — ooh, and how about some Twizzlers too? You know, since you’re going to be out already.
And what about those increased charges? You’ll now pay from $3 to $8 more each month for the three-or-more-DVD plans, and $1 more each month for the one- and two-DVD plans. But hey, you’ll have unlimited access to Watch Instantly selections. The price of the limited plan, which allows only one DVD at a time, will not change. Does anyone even use that plan? If so, you may be the big winner here.
Granted, streaming on-demand content is the future, and Netflix can’t be faulted for wanting to be its provider of choice. But why do I feel like I’m being forced into the whole thing?
This is what the people wanted. It all started with Napster and downloading music. From the inception of Napster I've been crying fowl and telling people that the internet was going to destroy the economy. I hate being right all the time. All the digital suckers out there who somehow convinced themselves that MP3's were somehow good and quality substitute to actual quality have made their bed and now they gotta lie in it. Perhaps it was inevitable but it all happened way too fast for me seeing as how I fear change at any rate. Record stores are a faded memory and I have to tell my children about them as if it were a fairy tale and now you can hardly buy any movie releases the old fashioned brick and mortar way. Soon all music and movie collections will exist only on hard drives or maybe in a case at the Smithsonian. Collector's Editions for geeks like me will be a thing of the past. I'm streaming now. I don't like it but I have no choice.
Digital media makes me cranky. |(
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