Netflix, social media, and PR

[orangerful]

So, at first I got really upset when I heard the news about Netflix splitting the streaming and DVD plans apart. I've been a Netflix member for quite some time now so the changes came as a bit of a shock, especially when I saw it would be almost double ($15.98+applicable tax). I just finished telling my friends I couldn't spend $15/month to play World of Warcraft and suddenly that number pops up again!

But after having several people defend the change in price, and someone sending me the Netflix blog link that gave a teensy bit more explanation, I've calmed down. It's not Netflix's fault - the movie studios don't like streaming. Period. Yet, at the same time, they realize it is in demand and that it is keeping Netflix alive so they are being total dicks about the whole thing. So Netflix has to pass it on a little bit. And really, this could have been a lot worse. They could have NOT offered the seperated plans and just have said "Okay, it's $15 now". But they are giving us a choice and the $7.99 plan is actually less than what I was paying so...I'll save a couple bucks.

The reason I over-reacted was because I had to learn about this from tumblr and twitter. I still have not received the email with this information. I checked my spam box and did not see it there. So I was really confused when Mike Nelson (of MST3K) began tweeting about how angry he was at Netflix. And then I went to tumblr and someone had posted a screencap of the letter that was sent to subscribers and I was like "WTF?!?!" and over-reacted.

But, to be honest, the last two DVDs I've rented, I've hung on to for a month before finally forcing myself to watch them. In fact, one of the DVDs I had for so long, when I sent it back, it was streaming! It's sad, I'm too lazy to actually turn on all the equipment required to view a DVD, but I'll turn on my xbox and hit up Netflix, no problem. Or my PC. Or my Wii. Or my iPhone. Yeah, I think streaming wins over DVDs for me. So I'm just going to downgrade to $7.99. There are very few movies I NEED TO SEE RIGHT NOW OMG when they come out on DVD. And since Netflix will still have that "SAVE" feature, I can just move all my movies over to that list and maybe someday they will be streaming. Or the library will have a copy in I can check out.

In the end, I think this is the way things will go -- movies will stream and we will pay to stream them. I hope the unlimited streaming lasts. I think physical discs will become the thing of collectors and movie buffs. If you like a movie enough, you'll buy the blu-ray for the full experience. Having movies only up for streaming for a limited time makes sense to me. It's just like the premiun cable channels, but instead of them running shitty movies over and over, you can PICK which shitty movie you want to watch and when.

So, I guess what I'm saying is, I'm sorry I got mad at you Netflix. You were right, I was wrong. It's just your letter was lost in the mail and I had to find out from a third party, which made me very upset. I hope we can at least still be friends. And, in the long run, you're saving me $2 a month! So, thanks! I'll put that money to good use. Probalby buying a blu-ray of a movie I love. :)

[EDIT: this post was also going to include some musings on social media and PR and the modern age of marketing...but I got too freakin tired and decided to watch Avatar: The Last Airbender on instant view instead so just pretend I said something brilliant here. Thank you and good night]

Comments

[jellibean.livejournal.com]

I haven't gotten the e-mail either. I was wondering if it was because I have a streaming-only plan. I heard about it on G+ and then on Twitter, and yeah, it bugged me. But when I read it, it made a little more sense. Not much more, but a little more.

Of course, they jacked up my rates from $9.99 to $11.99 at the beginning of the year, so this news frustrated me even more. I went Streaming-Only before I left Knoxville, though, and I don't miss the DVDs at all.

I've never done Redbox rentals, but I've always kind of wanted to. And I feel like that might be a good alternative to Netflix DVDs.

It's weird. I've never been all that jazzed about renting movies, but I love buying them. (Especially since you can find them used EVERYWHERE now.)

[orangerful.livejournal.com]

I really think they dropped the ball having the emails come out all staggered. Did they not think pepople would talk? I think that is what caused the most outrage. And really, I also think they should have either given us until 2012 OR honored current member's prices and only put this into effect for new members or if you change your plan.

Don't forget your public library! You might be able to rent some DVDs for free /librarian mode :)

[lostacanthus.livejournal.com]

I've had my Netflix account on hold forever, mainly because I can't do streaming and I would keep the DVDs for months at a time... it was becoming quite a waste of money for me. I think what annoys me most is that people aren't getting notified! I haven't gotten an email, though that might be because my account is on hold, lol. But it's bullshit that you never got anything!

Okay and this is probably a weird question but when did you start following ethe_real_ity on tumblr? I don't know why I find it so hilarious (because it really isn't that funny) but I've known you both separately for about the same amount of time and now you've both been reblogging everything from one another! It just makes me LOL x) Small world, I guess.

[orangerful.livejournal.com]

LOL yeah I did start following her. I knew the name from livejournal and then you reblogged some of her Mass Effect stuff so I went to go poke around her tumblr and her stuff was so different from what other people posted so I started to follow her. I think she also joined gamer_tree (which I fail at posting to).

[lostacanthus.livejournal.com]

Haha I figured it was something like that. For the record, she is super cool!! (I was totally planning on making that E3 post, but other things got in the way and now it is just way too late! XD)

[colls]

I just got the email today. I might drop the DVD's or at least bump it down to 1 vs. 2. I'm not sure I'll eliminate it all together, perhaps I should since I had a DVD for 3 months once.

Blockbuster has one of those redbox-type things in the Safeway I go to, maybe I'll look into that.

[orangerful.livejournal.com]

Don't forget the public library! :) Yeah, after I got hooked on streaming, it became such a hassle to actually put a dvd in the player <---- lazy

[sabrinanymph.livejournal.com]

I was annoyed but even without looking at the Netflix site I figured it had something to do with the streaming rights for videos and so forth. It's one of those things that makes me want to beat media companies against the wall, but it's not Netflix's fault that they're having to work with that. (I honestly, honestly would be so much more sympathetic to copyright complaints from media if they weren't so STICK IN THE MUD about putting their content into forms customers want it in!)

Anyway, I'm thinking I might just go down in terms of the number of DVDs we have out. I actually have it set for three, which frequently just sit these days. I used to use them, but not so much anymore. And if I down the number I have out, that'll down the rate as well. I still want the DVDs honestly, as there are too many things that never go to streaming that I still want to see. I just don't need 3 out at once!

[bittertwee.livejournal.com]

I guess I don't get why all the outrage from people? I mean, yes, percentage-wise the price went up a lot, but it's still so damn cheap! I think I'm paying $18 a month for a service I hardly use, but I look at it as a "reservation" price-- the price I pay in case I do need it. Videos/DVDs were what, about $5 apiece to rent for 3 nights at stores and people somehow were able to afford that many times per month. And this is for unlimited movies!

I agree that the email maybe wasn't worded the best, but it's not like they can publicly blame the studios they're trying to work with. They probably counted on bloggers etc to figure that out and do it for them. And it's too bad you didn't get an email, but look at it this way-- you probably would have learned about it via social media first anyway. I got the email but didn't see it until hours after I learned about it on tumblr. Anyway, I'm glad you can make the new plan work for you. (And reading through this I realize I sound like I'm arguing with you when you just said you were wrong to be upset. I'm not!-- I'm more reacting to all the outrage I saw in general, like in the comments under netflix blog post)

I'd be bummed if movies only streamed for a limited time, though-- that would make me stick with the DVD plan. Is that the way it's looking like things will go? I don't understand why they can't have everything available all the time? Anyway, what I need now is a set-up so I can watch streaming videos on something other than my laptop!

[orangerful.livejournal.com]

I don't understand why the email went out all staggered though, I didn't get it until the next day. As soon as I saw the thing on tumblr, I checked my email and that was when I got really mad because it wasn't there. If I had opened up my inbox and had seen it, I'm sure my rage level would have been a little bit lower.

Now we get to sit and watch, just like we did with the music industry. The studios need to get over themselves and just let their content stream. I DO NOT want a pay-per-view model. I'm all about the flat fee.

[andy-wolverton.livejournal.com]

I got the email, but it didn't really bother me. I figured it was going to happen sooner than later, and as bittertwee says, it's still a good deal. My friend Kelly is not happy because the increase in price is not commensurate with an increase in streaming selection. You're more into TV shows than I am, but if you look at the number (and quality) of movies, the selection is pretty limited. I mean look at the percentage of really crappy movies they offer. Hopefully the selection will improve. If it does, I'm all for paying a little more. On the other hand, the picture quality is way better than it used to be. But as far as the DVDs go, I'm cutting back to one at a time instead of two.