Netflix Backtracks on Qwikster...No Word on Video Game Rental

[Groo The Perverted]

1. I must be the only one that doesn't see the "arrogance' in that email. So he said Netflix was the best. Guess what? That's his ****ing job to say it's the best. Is he supposed to come out and say "Netflix sucks, and there's no reason for you to support us, but please do..."? Come on now.

2. It depends on what price point the DVDS + Video Games comes out at. If It's better for two games out at a time than Gamefly, (in addition to the movies as well) then I'd definitely consider going back to Netflix/Quikster for that.

DVD + Video Games, two out at a time for less than 23-25 dollars a month? That would cause me to switch over. I don't watch the movie stuff that much, but I do like catalog titles.

[Monkey]

lol. Just a waiting game to see qwickster's pricing.

[DonRSD]

Just cancelled Netflix yesterday.
I only had the streaming option, but there is nothing worth streaming.
Once the novelty wears off the value is gone.


Sent from my iPhone 4 using Tapatalk

[Omegaice]

Originally Posted by Groo The Perverted

1. I must be the only one that doesn't see the "arrogance' in that email. So he said Netflix was the best. Guess what? That's his ****ing job to say it's the best. Is he supposed to come out and say "Netflix sucks, and there's no reason for you to support us, but please do..."? Come on now.

2. It depends on what price point the DVDS + Video Games comes out at. If It's better for two games out at a time than Gamefly, (in addition to the movies as well) then I'd definitely consider going back to Netflix/Quikster for that.

DVD + Video Games, two out at a time for less than 23-25 dollars a month? That would cause me to switch over. I don't watch the movie stuff that much, but I do like catalog titles.

Don't you yell at us Groo!!!

[Groo The Perverted]

Originally Posted by omegaice

Don't you yell at us Groo!!!

lol

[Omegaice]

Point of view as told from The Wall Street Journal. Comments?

HEARD ON THE STREETSEPTEMBER 21, 2011
Did Netflix Buy Back Its Future?

By MARTIN PEERS

Netflix's party is over. Now comes the hangover, not least from the legacy of its aggressive stock repurchases.

Few fast-growing Silicon Valley companies buy back shares, preferring to hoard whatever cash they generate to fund expansion. Not Netflix. Between the start of 2007 and June 30 of this year, Netflix generated $507 million in free cash flow. Yet, over that same period, as the company's stock soared, it spent $994 million buying back shares. Netflix notes its average cost was $43 a share, well below the current price of about $130, although it paid an average of $238 in the second quarter.

To help cover the cash gap, Netflix issued $200 million in bonds, on which it is paying 8.5% interest. So it finished June 30 with $176 million in net cash and short-term investments, down from $400 million at the end of 2006.

Netflix might regret this spending in the next year or two. The decision to separate its DVD-by-mail and streaming services seems likely to accelerate subscriber defections even faster than the company forecast last week. That will hurt revenue at the very time Netflix needs it most. Aside from its costly international expansion, Netflix had $2.4 billion in future commitments to license content for its streaming service as of June 30. And Netflix faces deep-pocketed rivals such as Google and Amazon.com in online video.

What did Netflix gain from the buybacks? Well, by helping fuel the stock rally, they made employee stock options more valuable. Chief Executive Reed Hastings, for instance, has been a steady seller through a prearranged trading program, exercising options as low as $1.50 for as much as $262 a share. If Netflix finds itself short of cash in the near future, it could ask Mr. Hastings for help.

Source:http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000...348192416.html

[Groo The Perverted]

Lol @ this....

Qwikster: Not to be Confused With Quixtar, QuickStar, Kwikster, Quickster, Kwik Star, Quik-Star, or Kickstar
A guide for those confused by the name of Netflix's new DVD-only spin-off business.

By Harry McCracken, Technologizer Sep 19, 2011 11:00 am

Netflix spins off DVD business as QwiksterThe best-known name in the business of renting DVDs by mail is, of course, Netflix–a brand that’s been with us since 1998, and which is as synonymous with its category as any American company ever has been. But now it’s reserving the name “Netflix” for its streaming business and redubbing the snail-mail portion as “Qwikster.” By doing so, it’s dumping a great brand and beginning all over again with one that starts with absolutely no value whatsoever.

Already, people are amused by the fact that there’s a @qwikster account on Twitter that has nothing to do with Qwikster. But that could be just the start of the confusion. You see, it’s not instantly obvious how to spell “Qwikster”–I’ve forgotten repeatedly already–and there’s a fascinating roster of existing products and services that have similar names.

Let’s run through them, shall we?


Quixtar is the name that Amway, the venerable seller of personal-care products, home-case items, and other goods once gave to its Internet business–but it’s phased it out now, reducing the chances of any confusion. (Full disclosure, not that it matters: Amway sometimes advertises on Technologizer.)

QuickStar is the name of a company that makes fax software and other utilities for Windows and long-defunct models of HP palmtops (assuming it’s still with us–I can’t tell from its Web site, which was last updated in 2004 and was awfully quaint even then, and which touts compatibility with Windows 98).

Kwikster is an OK Cupid member from Sheboygan, Wisconsin. He’s outgoing, fun, and adventurous; likes cooking, bicycling, and all kinds of movies from gory slashers to chick flicks; leans towards the rock spectrum of music; and dislikes mushrooms and most seafood. Oh, and he’s a Taurus.

Quickster is a “revolutionary” collapsible portable net, useful for a variety of sports–lacrosse apparently being one of them–which you can dismantle, fold up, and put in a bag. It features a Tension-Tite(tm) frame and looks like a lot of fun!

Kwik Star is a name used by some locations in a chain of 350 convenience stores in Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Iowa that’s been around since 1965. In words that Reed Hastings might agree with, its owners say they’re “mindful of the past, but don’t live in it.” It also goes under the name Kwik Trip (which, just to muddle matters further, is no relation to another, larger convenience store chain calledQuikTrip–thankfully, it doesn’t also go by QuikStar).

Quik-Star is a brand of compact lapping unit manufactured by a company called Poly-Metric instruments, who says “We invite you to compare and see if any other small lapping unit can add up the following advantages for a grand total of efficient performance to the user.” I think it’s used in polishing gemstones, but I could be wrong.

Kickstar is a “hard rockin’ trio” from North Central Montana–Peaches, Jimi, and Eric. They ”can handle outdoor gigs, festivals, or large indoor halls” and appear to have fans in Europe as well as stateside.

The Quik star is the famed spokesrabbit who’s been shilling for a popular powdered chocolate drink mix manufactured by an international food-product conglomerate since 1973–although I guess he prefers to be called the Nesquik star these days. (And having just checked the Nesquik site, I see he’s missing!)

The folks at Netflix are smart cookies. I suspect that they’re aware that Kwikster may get misspelled, has a retro, Web 1.5 sound to it, and just isn’t as clear and appealing as “Netflix.” I even wonder if they intentionally chose a name that’s not all that great because they’re not all that excited about the business they’re saddling it with. (If they’d called themselves Qwikster when they founded the company back in 1997, it might have meaningfully hurt their chances at success.)

There’s one simple way to avoid confusing Qwikster with similarly-named foldable nets, lapping units, convenience stores, and other items. I plan to use it myself, and I bet I’m not alone: Just continue to think of it as…Netflix.

[Psx0005]

I'm not gonna join the chorus of Netflix did wrong with the pricing hike, as the online streaming outfits like Starz and their increasing demand for more money/control is changing the online streaming landscape on an ever-increasing basis, and Netflix is having to adapt (not well, I might add) by passing it along to the consumer. If anything was done wrong, it was the communications with its consumer base that Netflix went wrong.

But the point I was going to make is that Hastings did a fundamentally bad thing here. The apology was a good start, but was rendered moot with the creation of now two services under the Netflix banner. Making something that started out simple has now become a more complicated affair, and if the way the services will be laid out is true, you won't be able to cross over between the two services to keep track of your queue. People like simplicity, let's be honest

This is where Netflix's experiment will most likely go horribly wrong, methinks.

And yes, I'm still a paying Netflix member. Went from 5-DVDs-at-a-time, to 5 DVDs w/streaming then downgraded to 1 DVD w/streaming when I lost my job. Come next statement cycle, gonna cancel the online streaming aspect and stick with the 1 DVD.

[Omegaice]

Originally Posted by Psx0005

I'm not gonna join the chorus of Netflix did wrong with the pricing hike, as the online streaming outfits like Starz and their increasing demand for more money/control is changing the online streaming landscape on an ever-increasing basis, and Netflix is having to adapt (not well, I might add) by passing it along to the consumer. If anything was done wrong, it was the communications with its consumer base that Netflix went wrong.

But the point I was going to make is that Hastings did a fundamentally bad thing here. The apology was a good start, but was rendered moot with the creation of now two services under the Netflix banner. Making something that started out simple has now become a more complicated affair, and if the way the services will be laid out is true, you won't be able to cross over between the two services to keep track of your queue. People like simplicity, let's be honest

This is where Netflix's experiment will most likely go horribly wrong, methinks.

And yes, I'm still a paying Netflix member. Went from 5-DVDs-at-a-time, to 5 DVDs w/streaming then downgraded to 1 DVD w/streaming when I lost my job. Come next statement cycle, gonna cancel the online streaming aspect and stick with the 1 DVD.

I agree with you as well on this statement. It would be a shame to see a company who's roots WERE in customer satisfaction, to shift to more of a mindset of a soulless corporation. Money makes people do strange things though.

[DealsR4theDevil]

Originally Posted by jamclaur

I disagree... Netflix streaming has gotten WORSE lately. The selection is crap now, there's nothing there. They have the same movie in 3 different sections trying to make it look full...

Not to mention the layout of my PS3 app COMPLETELY sucks now.

Mine too! ... meanwhile my friend has an awesome netflix app on his ps3 ... a real menu complete with little previews of everything

Last I heard they were testing out different apps to see which ones were the most popular .. and I guess the one on my PS3 is the "simple" design which is supposed to encourage ppl by not making it look complex and overwhelming ... but it just makes me have to search for movies on my mac and then add them to my queue

in all honesty I mostly watch shows on my DVR ... its rare for me to use netflix but it is only $8 a month

The price split didn't really bother me because I almost never got discs anyway

[Omegaice]

Originally Posted by DealsR4theDevil

Mine too! ... meanwhile my friend has an awesome netflix app on his ps3 ... a real menu complete with little previews of everything

Last I heard they were testing out different apps to see which ones were the most popular .. and I guess the one on my PS3 is the "simple" design which is supposed to encourage ppl by not making it look complex and overwhelming ... but it just makes me have to search for movies on my mac and then add them to my queue

in all honesty I mostly watch shows on my DVR ... its rare for me to use netflix but it is only $8 a month
The price split didn't really bother me because I almost never got discs anyway

Only $8/mo.?? If you are not using the service than why continue to pay for it? That's $96/yr.!! I tell you what, you cancel your Netflix subscription & then just give me $8/mo.!

[madlost1]

Does anyone have any idea when the this new service is going to start?

[Omegaice]

Originally Posted by madlost1

Does anyone have any idea when the this new service is going to start?

No solid date yet. Reed Hastings stated in his letter to customers that Qwikster would show up in a "few weeks" But the dedicated website is up with just a splash page stating "Coming Soon".

http://qwikster.com/

[Groo The Perverted]

I'm going to sue him when it FINALLY launches, and my popcorn is stale. He said it's launching soon so to start popping the popcorn.

That's wasted popcorn!

[DealsR4theDevil]

Originally Posted by Omegaice

Only $8/mo.?? If you are not using the service than why continue to pay for it? That's $96/yr.!! I tell you what, you cancel your Netflix subscription & then just give me $8/mo.!

lol, I do use it ... just not that often ... still watch like 3 or 4 things a month ... at 2 dollars a piece then i guess =P And the GF uses it too a few times a month (we live together) ... I could cancel it and not miss it =P ... its nice to have though =P

[Psx0005]

Just received in my e-mail today. Interesting that it wasn't Hastings himself that addressed this, but his lackeys:

"Dear *******,

It is clear that for many of our members two websites would make things more difficult, so we are going to keep Netflix as one place to go for streaming and DVDs.

This means no change: one website, one account, one password…in other words, no Qwikster.

While the July price change was necessary, we are now done with price changes.

We're constantly improving our streaming selection. We've recently added hundreds of movies from Paramount, Sony, Universal, Fox, Warner Bros., Lionsgate, MGM and Miramax. Plus, in the last couple of weeks alone, we've added over 3,500 TV episodes from ABC, NBC, FOX, CBS, USA, E!, Nickelodeon, Disney Channel, ABC Family, Discovery Channel, TLC, SyFy, A&E, History, and PBS.

We value you as a member, and we are committed to making Netflix the best place to get your movies & TV shows.

Respectfully,

The Netflix Team"

That was a quick backtrack LOL! Still, the damage from the price increase has been done so we'll see how it goes from here.

[Omegaice]

Netflix sees the error of it's ways & cancels the "Qwikster" idea. No word on if they still intend to go forward with video game rentals or not....Idiots. Rants, raves, thoughts.

Source:http://blog.netflix.com/

MONDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2011
DVDs will be staying at netflix.com

It is clear that for many of our members two websites would make things more difficult, so we are going to keep Netflix as one place to go for streaming and DVDs.

This means no change: one website, one account, one password… in other words, no Qwikster.

While the July price change was necessary, we are now done with price changes.

We’re constantly improving our streaming selection. We’ve recently added hundreds of movies from Paramount, Sony, Universal, Fox, Warner Bros., Lionsgate, MGM and Miramax. Plus, in the last couple of weeks alone, we’ve added over 3,500 TV episodes from ABC, NBC, FOX, CBS, USA, E!, Nickelodeon, Disney Channel, ABC Family, Discovery Channel, TLC, SyFy, A&E, History, and PBS.

We value our members, and we are committed to making Netflix the best place to get movies & TV shows.

Thank you.

-Reed

[Omegaice]

Another article on the reversal from AP.

Source:http://news.yahoo.com/netflix-kills-...122346041.html

Netflix kills plan to split off DVD rentals
By PETER SVENSSON - AP Technology Writer | AP – 18 mins ago

NEW YORK (AP) — Netflix generates more head-scratching plot twists than a cheap B-movie.
On Monday, the company said it would reverse a previously announced decision to put its DVD-by-mail and Internet streaming services on separate websites, a plan that was widely derided by Netflix subscribers.
People will be able to use both services under one account and one password, CEO Reed Hastings said Monday in a blog post.

Netflix Inc., however, plans to stick to pricing plans introduced in June, which means subscribers are now paying separately for streaming service and mailed DVDs. That change amounted to a price increase for most subscribers.
Investors saw the reversal as an Oscar-worthy move, sending the stock up $7.68, or 6.6 percent, to $124.89 in midmorning trading after rising as high as $128.50.

Less than a month ago, Netflix said it would split the DVD rental business off to a new website, to be called Qwikster. Subscribers howled at the move, saying they saw Netflix as a destination for movies in general and didn't want to manage two accounts.

"It is clear that for many of our members two websites would make things more difficult, so we are going to keep Netflix as one place to go for streaming and DVDs," Hastings said in the blog post Monday.
Netflix's decision to stay one website is likely to please subscribers. But its turbulent relationship with subscribers over the last three months raises questions about the company's management, as it attempts the transition from a DVD-by-mail business to one that largely delivers movies streamed over the Internet. Netflix movies can already be streamed directly to PCs, smartphones, tablets, DVD players, game consoles and TV sets.

The Qwikster announcement was a follow-up to the July price change. Analysts saw it as a way for Netflix to distance itself from the older DVD business, which has less future potential than Internet streaming.
Netflix had 24.6 million subscribers at the end of June, but it warned last month that it expected a net 600,000 to leave by the end of September because of the price increase. That would be by far the worst downturn in the company's history. Netflix reports final figures on Oct. 24 for the quarter that ended in September.

Even with Monday's premarket bounce, Netflix's shares have been savaged by the price change and the Qwikster initiative. They've lost more than half their value since July.

[Franchise317]

Ive always had netflix...just the streaming option...sometimes i use it...then months go by i really dont use it...i just always figure whats 8.99?

[Groo The Perverted]

Originally Posted by Franchise317

Ive always had netflix...just the streaming option...sometimes i use it...then months go by i really dont use it...i just always figure whats 8.99?

$108.00 a year.