
Netflix reeling from customer losses, site outage - ordersup
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19932882/
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simpleenigma
I'm not sure that Netflix will be able to compete with the convenience of
dropping off movies at a blockbuster store simply with a price cut. I'm a
loyal Netflix customer and I walk past a BlockBuster 3 or 4 times a week with
my Netflix envelopes in hand to take them back to the post office, which is
another 3 or 4 blocks away.

This looks more like a case where a great idea has been taken over buy
business people, who are now playing by old business rules. I'm not sure what
it would take to compete in this field right now, but they need something more
compelling then matching their competitors prices.

Their 'Watch Now' feature is great, although limited by the selection you can
watch (although it is still in BETA) and I use to at least weekly while I am
eating lunch or something else.

The real problem that they need to figure out is how to become more
emotionally involved with their customers. How do they get back to the days
when a subscriber would encourage all of their friends to join and saving $1 a
month simply isn't enough.

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waleedka
The only thing that can save Netflix now is if they build a great way for
people to rent videos by downloading them. It can be a software or a hardware
solution. They were pioneers in their field when they started, and they need
to be pioneers again now to survive.

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simpleenigma
I completely agree, they do need to get that pioneering spirit back into the
product line.

Although I think the movie studios are a bigger hurdle to digital delivery
then almost any company can overcome. The sheer amount of DRM that they will
need to place into any product they create will make it nearly useless and no
one will make any money off of it because no one will want to use it.

So here is a good question: How do you solve the DRM vs consumer rights
problem while still making money and not getting sued out of existence?

If Netflix answered this one question they would be more then relevant again.

