Scott Tortorice
Senior Member
This has been my outrage of the day. I think my blood pressure has doubled since I read the email Netflix sent to me. Here's a synopsis:
Netflix Raises Prices, What’s Next For Users?
1) I am a cheap bastard.
2) Back in November, Netflix raised prices by $2. The reason? Their streaming service became popular. Yes, you read that right. Because a lot of Netflix users were taking advantage of their unlimited streaming option, Netflix decided to charge everyone who also gets a DVD in the mail extra money. I didn't understand that reasoning then and I still don't understand it now.
3) With an email that sounded like it was written by Futurama's Prof. Farnworth, Netflix today made this announcement (I paraphrase): "Good news everybody! The rate for our most popular plan - 1 DVD at a time + unlimited streaming - is increasing by 60%! That's a great deal that includes no extra services or perks!"
Now, as a way of trying to make the medicine go down, Netflix has announced that if members don't want to see their plan increase 60%, they can opt to only subscribe to their DVD service or their streaming service for $8 (for the moment - I have no doubt this will go up sooner or later). Both options fail because:
1) Netflix's DVD service has already been dealt a severe blow by the fact that Netflix has to wait roughly 30 days after a new DVD is released in retail or on VoD. So if you like to watch new DVDs on release day, tough luck. And, of course, this doesn't take into account the long waits that occur sometimes even after the DVD is available due to high demand. The there is the fact that most Sony new releases are not available due to a contractual problem that has yet to be resolved.
2) Netflix's streaming service is lackluster, to say the least. It takes many months for new movies to appear on their streaming service...if they appear at all. And even when it comes to old movies long since available on DVD, many are not available via Netflix. Cable VoD, Amazon, Hulu and Apple all offer a more timely streaming experience.
So you see the false choice here. Neither the DVD-only or Streaming-only options offer something worthwhile. You really need both to get your values worth from Netflix. Now you know why why they are jacking up the cost of their most popular plan by 60%.
In other words, this is a calculated revenue grab of the most shameless sort.
I am heartened to see that is outrageous move by Netflix is generating quite the buzz - even my generally useless local news included the story in their nightly broadcast. I, for one, will not be paying $15 bucks for the same service I was originally paying $7.99 and then $9.99. I will cut back to DVD only for the time being just to maintain access to their large DVD library, with the idea of jumping ship and heading to Amazon VoD (Amazon Prime no only gets you free shipping for a year, but also includes thousands of streaming movies and TV shows for $80 a year - a price cheaper than any of Netflix's plans) or Verizon VoD at some future date. Enoughs enough.
Anybody have any thoughts? What are you gonna do?
Netflix Raises Prices, What’s Next For Users?
This annoys the heck out of me for three reasons:
1) I am a cheap bastard.
2) Back in November, Netflix raised prices by $2. The reason? Their streaming service became popular. Yes, you read that right. Because a lot of Netflix users were taking advantage of their unlimited streaming option, Netflix decided to charge everyone who also gets a DVD in the mail extra money. I didn't understand that reasoning then and I still don't understand it now.
3) With an email that sounded like it was written by Futurama's Prof. Farnworth, Netflix today made this announcement (I paraphrase): "Good news everybody! The rate for our most popular plan - 1 DVD at a time + unlimited streaming - is increasing by 60%! That's a great deal that includes no extra services or perks!"
Now, as a way of trying to make the medicine go down, Netflix has announced that if members don't want to see their plan increase 60%, they can opt to only subscribe to their DVD service or their streaming service for $8 (for the moment - I have no doubt this will go up sooner or later). Both options fail because:
1) Netflix's DVD service has already been dealt a severe blow by the fact that Netflix has to wait roughly 30 days after a new DVD is released in retail or on VoD. So if you like to watch new DVDs on release day, tough luck. And, of course, this doesn't take into account the long waits that occur sometimes even after the DVD is available due to high demand. The there is the fact that most Sony new releases are not available due to a contractual problem that has yet to be resolved.
2) Netflix's streaming service is lackluster, to say the least. It takes many months for new movies to appear on their streaming service...if they appear at all. And even when it comes to old movies long since available on DVD, many are not available via Netflix. Cable VoD, Amazon, Hulu and Apple all offer a more timely streaming experience.
So you see the false choice here. Neither the DVD-only or Streaming-only options offer something worthwhile. You really need both to get your values worth from Netflix. Now you know why why they are jacking up the cost of their most popular plan by 60%.
In other words, this is a calculated revenue grab of the most shameless sort.
I am heartened to see that is outrageous move by Netflix is generating quite the buzz - even my generally useless local news included the story in their nightly broadcast. I, for one, will not be paying $15 bucks for the same service I was originally paying $7.99 and then $9.99. I will cut back to DVD only for the time being just to maintain access to their large DVD library, with the idea of jumping ship and heading to Amazon VoD (Amazon Prime no only gets you free shipping for a year, but also includes thousands of streaming movies and TV shows for $80 a year - a price cheaper than any of Netflix's plans) or Verizon VoD at some future date. Enoughs enough.
Anybody have any thoughts? What are you gonna do?
