
Netflix to raise prices by 13% to 18% - jmsflknr
https://www.cnbc.com/2019/01/15/netflix-to-raise-prices-by-13percent-to-18percent-its-biggest-increase-ever.html
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jeffwass
Has anyone felt that Netflix’s UI has deteriorated massively?

I’ve had it on appleTV for several years. It used to be really easy to browse
and find content.

But they’ve completely changed the app and now I feel you either need to know
what to specifically look for, or happen to find something in the random
“suggestions since you’ve watched X” on the main menu which are a fairly
random set of X’s.

They even (as far as I can tell) got rid of the helpful list of alternate
suggestions when you select a specific movie.

I don’t understand the need for insane UI’s, do companies feel they must make
major UI changes so it looks like they’re not stagnating?

Another theory someone said about their complicated UI is that they perhaps
massively reduced the size of the available library, and a convoluted UI hides
this fact.

~~~
maxsilver
Yes.

They're also deteriorating in terms of product quality.

Tried to watch Bandersnatch last night, and it says "your device is not
compatible. Try using a smartphone or a newer laptop"

But I was _on_ a brand new laptop (Windows 10, 7700HQ, Radeon RX480). Netflix
is telling people to use laptops, but they forgot to update their own laptop
app to support their own movies.

I work in multimedia and interactive video, we have teams of just three or
four people who support everything themselves (Android, iOS, Windows, Mac,
Web, etc). I don't understand how Netflix, with it's millions of dollars,
can't do the same. Netflix's marketing claims they "only hire the best of the
best" (and they probably do), but their actual product just feels so _lazy_ ,
it's hard to reconcile the two. Why do you need the best people, if you don't
want to build a good product?

~~~
Udik
> I don't understand how Netflix, with it's millions of dollars...

And I can't understand what's all the fuss about Netflix's hundreds of
microservices. I mean, not that I know it that well, but basically on Netflix
you pay a subscription and then stream whatever you want, right? What are
those services doing, exactly? There's illegal streaming websites that don't
look much different, aside from the payments.

~~~
aaaaaaaaaab
>What are those services doing, exactly?

Probably generating logs about themselves.

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humantiy
This is the nail for me. Their original content has been lackluster at best
and for them to be pushing that as the reason for the price hike is no good.
It was the reason for the last few hikes as well and nothing has changed.
There have been a few that are interesting to watch (stranger things of
course), but for every one that is good there are at least 20 that are
garbage. If they want to put out original content fine, but they need to go
for quality not quantity like they are. It's like they don't say no to
anything people create under netflix. This on top of the fact that in the last
2 years and into this year they've basically butchered their catalog of
tv/movies from other companies (fox,disney, ect..) to where if those are the
things I want to watch I might as well go else where. I'm not saying that's
their fault, but I'm sure they could strike a deal with these media companies
if they like vs spending the money on originals that are just there to fill
the UI.

~~~
r3bl
Originals can be shown worldwide. They'll have to get a worldwide license for
other content.

A huge chunk of international content are original stand ups because they're
easy to make. The amount of licensed content available in my country is pretty
negligible.

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oflannabhra
I've been wondering if the last Great Unbundling will be followed by another
Great Rebundling. I'm no expert in any of this, but it seems unlikely that the
new "channels" of Netflix et al. will prevent their programming and delivery
methods from be bundled until it becomes disadvantageous to their growth (ie
monthly subscriptions can't generate enough revenue).

It seems to me there is an explosion of content that will be able to be
monetized far beyond just subscription lock-in. I wonder what the method of
monetization will be after the gold-rush of building subscriber bases?

Netflix's original proposition and value was one of convenience (and price),
but I wonder how long that will last. Will households juggle 4+ subscriptions
of $15/mo? I'm not sure that is why cord-cutters originally cancelled their
cable subscriptions.

My off-the-top-of-my-head list of current and coming soon subscription
services (that also produce content) is: Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hulu, HBO,
YouTube, CBS, Disney/Fox, NBC, Apple. Technologically, it seems like there are
some serious hurdles to "bundling" these together.

I wonder if the future "bundle" will actually be a service that manages
subscriptions for you, with things like highlighting newly available shows
since the last time you subscribed.

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JohnJamesRambo
Interesting, I was just talking about cancelling all our streaming with my
girlfriend last night. I'm tired of just how bad the quality is. Most Netflix
Originals aren't even at Lifetime movie quality when looked at objectively.

~~~
azhenley
Really? I watch them sparingly but I'm consistently shocked at the production
value. They are the quality of movies split in episodes!

~~~
JohnJamesRambo
For me there is just a glossy saccharine feel to them. No substance, all
flash. Or things they have just bought cheaply from overseas and they are
passing off as a "Netflix Original." Of course there are always exceptions. I
found Stranger Things to be really high quality. Things like their Lost in
Space so much less so. I don't want that bare minimum, or "just good enough"
they put into it to become the new norm in filmmaking. To me, films should be
an art form.

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michaelflux
We have gone a full circle from having cable with a bunch of separate
overpriced packages which you buy for the sake of having access to one or two
shows, to having the internet where you're signing up for equally as expensive
packages and services all for the sake of having access to one or two shows on
their platform.

As long as the content providers continue to make it so difficult, piracy will
win, if nothing else when it comes to convenience.

~~~
bryanlarsen
What's the alternative? IMO Apple's season pass was a great idea. $10 a month
can either buy you two shows you want and a 1000 you don't (Netflix et al) or
it can buy you 4 shows you want. (season pass).

But consumers have spoken and season pass is a failure.

~~~
dexterdog
Maybe that's because $2.50/mo/show is too much. Also, paying by the show
doesn't give you the ability to check out a show on a recommendation that you
may or may not want to really watch.

~~~
bryanlarsen
That's a lot cheaper than cable for most people. People pay > $100/month for
cable, which would pay for 30 - 40 shows from Season Pass. How many people
actively watch more than 30-40 shows?

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jdc0589
So, this comes at weird time for me. I haven't had an HTPC/Plex setup powered
up for over 3 years because one or two streaming subscriptions got the job
done. But, the streaming services are all, mostly, focusing on their own
content (which is OK, I guess), loosing rights to 3rd party content
frequently, and now apparently raising prices. This means I no longer have
easy access to what I frequently want to watch at a good price.

I fired Plex back up a few days ago, and I suspect I'll kill off at least one
streaming subscription soon (probably hulu). I'm also really enjoying watching
stuff without MASSIVE ARTIFACTS EVERYWHERE in dark scenes (all streaming
services are pretty affected by this, its damn near unavoidable).

This is great and all, but I don't actually want to or enjoy having to run
plex, manage storage space, and spend the time/money acquiring + ripping used
blurays or _otherwise obtaining high quality content_. I want to pay for a
single streaming provider on a subscription model and have access to
everything, and I'd probably pay what it cost, but that's not really an option
anymore....

~~~
xnyan
the part you may be missing are two programs called sonarr and radarr. those
take care of the "otherwise" part more or less automatically.

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SketchySeaBeast
Well, the golden age of streaming was great until it lasted. With competition
increasing alongside Netflix's prices I'm sure we're going to issues soon. I
bought a new TV last week, and it came with dedicated buttons for Netflix and
Amazon Prime. I should have asked if they will put out a better remote next
year when I want to have Disney, Hulu, and CBS all Access on there too.

~~~
adrianmonk
That's how Roku remotes look.

A current gen remote has dedicated buttons (with logos) for Netflix, Amazon,
Hulu, and CBS All Access.

I saw an older one recently, and it had buttons for Netflix and Blockbuster. I
had forgotten that Blockbuster ever had a streaming service.

~~~
PascLeRasc
I really wish you could remap Roku remotes. I'd love a "random episode of
Frasier" button.

~~~
crooked-v
Don't forget a Doom Button that randomly selects from the worst X% of Star
Trek, Friends, and Simpsons episodes.

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Phillips126
Am I happy about a price hike? No.. but it still beats the hell out of cable
which I found myself paying $100+/mo to watch mostly commercials. I couldn't
take it anymore.

I agree that the Netflix content can be hit-or-miss.. usually more miss.. but
it does have some movies and shows on there I find myself coming back to and
re-watching. It also keeps my kids entertained with their selection of
cartoons/animated shows so that is a plus.

We don't watch many TV shows, but we do have a Hulu (commercial free
subscription) which again is quite affordable.

All in all, I still feel that I have a better alternative to cable/satellite
TV. If prices continue to climb to the point where they are closer in cost, I
may re-evaluate this again.

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bryanlarsen
The average cable bill is $107. So we know Americans are willing to pay at
least that much for TV. Streaming currently competes on price, but they know
full well that they can make a lot more money if they can compete on content
rather than on price...

~~~
chooseaname
Part of that $107 is internet access.

~~~
josefresco
If you're lucky. Cut my cable last year, didn't have anything extravagant and
our bill was easily $100 just for TV.

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akerro
What's the difference now between online streaming providers and cable? Now to
watch what I like, I would have to have AmazonPrime, Netflix, HBO and BBC
Player. Netflix is now no different than cables were 15 years ago. Ads were
replaced with webtracking and profiling. They are constantly removing 3rd
party movies and TV shows, adding their own production which usually is quite
bad (less than 6 stars on IMBD) and now increasing prices?

~~~
wilsonnb3
> What's the difference now between online streaming providers and cable?

Have you ever even used cable? Online streaming is vastly superior.

You get to choose what you want to watch instead of watching whatever is on.

You can watch it on a much wider variety of devices than just your tv.

It’s much cheaper than cable.

There are no ads.

~~~
akerro
>Have you ever even used cable?

It's just modern version of TV with extra steps.

>You get to choose what you want to watch instead of watching whatever is on.

Unless something is no available in your country in any of 10 streaming
providers.

>You can watch it on a much wider variety of devices than just your tv.

In 2001 I had a TV card in my computer and was able to watch forward TV stream
to panasonic digital camera screen by some wired yellow cable.

>It’s much cheaper than cable.

Not in every country, my parents pay ~$4/mth for cable TV. Netflix is almost
4x that.

>There are no ads.

But that's modern version of TV, you have targeted content and user profiling
instead of ads

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w1nt3rmu4e
It's amazing how many people here -- presumably reasonably successful people
-- are butt hurt about paying a few more dollars a month for unlimited, high
quality (in terms of streaming quality) content.

I fail to see this as a cynical attempt to squeeze more money out of
consumers. Netflix is _cheap_. Really, really _cheap_. They're putting a ton
of money into original content. The streaming quality is fantastic.

No, it's not all amazing content. How much f'n content do you need? Get off
the damn couch, go outside, get some work done, whatever.

~~~
npongratz
Well, Netflix _did_ claim at one time that their goal was to offer the ability
for anyone to stream any movie ever created. So I guess I'm "butt-hurt" (/s,
not really, I rarely believe these people's claimed goals) that some executive
made a promise that they did not keep.

[https://www.wired.com/2009/09/ff-netflix/](https://www.wired.com/2009/09/ff-
netflix/)

~~~
TheLoneAdmin
What's the better option?

~~~
npongratz
Don't make promises you know you can't or won't keep.

Edit: To clarify, the above is advice for execs and marketing types.
Alternatively, as a listener, don't believe any marketing you read.

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AimForTheBushes
Goodbye Netflix. Going to cancel my acc... Oh wait, I'm using someone else's
account.

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pwaivers
I will still happily pay for Netflix. I can share an account with my family,
and the quality is still very high IMO.

~~~
choward
I am the only user of my Netflix account and knowing that I'm paying the same
as you makes me want to cancel.

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swamp40
I'd pay good money for a Rotten Tomatoes score for each Netflix movie. The
Netflix Recommendation Engine is nothing more than an attempt to sell you bad
movies.

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Polarity
Does someone feel that most netflix (and hollywood) movies are pretty "empty"?
It´s like watching something while watching nothing.

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iambateman
I think we can expect Netflix to go from ~$13/mo to ~$40/mo over the course of
the next 30 years.

For now they’re content to suck the life out of the networks. But generations
of Americans have shown a willingness to pay $99/mo or more for their
entertainment, which Netflix is pleased to provide.

We are the frogs in their pot, slowly being boiled. But, oh my, is it ever a
nice hot tub.

~~~
velcrovan
I think we can expect that purely because of normal inflation. $40 per year in
2048 would reflect a 4% annual increase. So if your price prediction is
correct, it doesn't really say much about the streaming content market
specifically.

~~~
iambateman
I meant to say inflation adjusted. Going from $13 to $40 in 2019 dollars is a
substantial shift.

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40acres
I really don't understand some of the pearl clutching in this thread when it
comes to "re-bundling", you can get Netflix, Hulu and HBO for less than half
of any non-promotional cable package out there (not including discounts for
Netflix and Hulu via subscriptions through other platforms). How much TV do
you watch??

~~~
choward
It's not how much you watch. It's being able to watch what you want. Suppose
one of those three don't have the thing I want to watch, now I have to sign up
for another bundle?

~~~
baumandm
Yes, but it likely would still be less than cable packages.

Cable services are not known for being able to watch what you want:

* Basic gives you 10 channels you don't want

* Enhanced gives you 2 channels you want and 38 you don't want

* Deluxe gives you 5 channels you want and 105 you don't want

* Sports gives you ESPN, and 20 other obscure sports channels

Like Netflix, you get a bunch of stuff you don't want and a little bit of
stuff you do want. This makes it broadly desirable to more people.

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amelius
Hopefully this will increase the number of seeders on bittorrent ...

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sjg007
I find that bundling is actually taking place. With every major cell phone
provider you can get a plan that bundles in netflix/prime/hulu/directv now
respectively. Also comcast now offers it's own xfinity wireless plan. And
since everyone has a cell phone it starts to make sense to bundle.

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dazc
Well, at least for the moment, it's easy enough to cancel and pick up again in
a few month's time when there is sufficient new content to justify the price?

If it were not for this option I would be exclusive to amazon by now.

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Simulacra
As a family we pay for a group of streaming services, and I don't really mind
a pay increase. We're on FiOS now and anything is better than paying comcast
to do anything.

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sys_64738
It's still less than the cost of a DVD so more power to Netflix's programming!

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stunt
I might just drop it as I don't use it much.

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gnulinux
Isn't this just inflation?

