Hacking NetFlix

What Features Would You Like Netflix to Add? How Would You Improve Netflix Streaming?

Jamison writes, "I wish Netflix streaming gave you two abilities: blocking categories and hiding movies you know you aren't interested in. We have zero interest in movies from the gay and lesbian section of Netflix, yet they show up on streaming categories... Even better (while I wouldn't want to choose this option) blocking all movies rated R, or MA.

When I scroll through the available movies on Netflix streaming often andsee some of the same ones I have no interest in. How great would it beif i could quickly just hit "not interested" or "hide" as a scrollpast them?"

What features would you like to see Netflix add? How would you improve Netflix streaming?

Will Netflix Block PlayLater Streaming Recording Software?

Rachel Metz from the AP has written a review of PlayLater, software that lets you record streaming video from Netflix, Hulu and other streaming services.

There's also a possibility that websites like Netflix will find a way to block PlayLater. They'd probably want to, since it doesn't jibe with the way they do business. In general, streaming movies are sold for less than ones available for download, so both websites and studios stand to lose from PlayLater. Websites don't want you to skip their commercials, either.

It's unlikely that websites and studios would have legal recourse against PlayLater and its parent company MediaMall Technologies Inc., since it's been established that digital video recorders (like TiVos) are legal, but you never know. A spokeswoman for MediaMall said PlayLater is affiliated with some companies whose content it streams.

Is Netflix Ignoring Smaller Independent Films?

Anthony Kaufman at indieWIRE writes about the plight of independent films on Netflix: The Decline of Indies on Netflix, Were They Amputated With the Long Tail?

Netflix strongly defends the company’s indie cred. “Netflix acquires content that we know that is going to have an audience,” Swasey says. “We don’t buy everything out there, because it would not be cost effective. But most independent films do have a following.”

But how is “a following” measured in Netflix’s streaming universe? Netflix confirms that it no longer uses the queue as a demand yardstick for streaming titles. (And as a customer, your streaming queue doesn’t save or make note of unfulfilled requests.) However, Netflix won’t say how it determines which titles are worthy of streaming. Says Swasey, “We have different metrics for streaming, but we don’t disclose them.”

According to distributors we spoke to, streaming agreements were either based on box-office returns or output deals with aggregators. (Redmon bowed out of a streaming deal with Netflix because he did not want to work with a larger aggregator.)

However, Swasey’s strongest argument for Netflix’s indie commitment is economic. Since Netflix can’t afford to buy first-window streaming rights on the biggest new releases, Netflix will do what it’s always done: Use its recommendation engine to push the product (some of it indie) they do have.

“Independent filmmakers have a haven with Netflix,” he says.

However, there’s also an economic argument for Netflix being more selective about its streaming product: DVD shelf space is cheaper than streaming server costs.

Thanks to Stephen for sending this in.

Blockbuster Tried to Bribe Journalists To Tweet About Netflix

SideQuesting reports that Blockbuster is offering some bloggers/journalists a free year of service if they'll tweet that they're dropping Netflix.

One wonders why they thought that writers and columnists such as Hunch.com’s Chris Dixon or Time.com columnist Harry McCracken (both of whom were also sent messages similar to Davis’) as well as many others, men and women whose stock and trade is reporting on the events they deem newsworthy, would be the best figures to attempt to recruit in their effort to help spread word of their campaign. Blockbuster would essentially be asking them to trade on their popularity and public impartiality for a free year of movie rentals. It doesn’t exactly seem like a cozy risk-reward scenario.

SideQuesting posted the following tweets from @Taswell:

New Blockbuster TV Ad Features Netflix

Dish posted a new ad that should be airing nationwide, and it features Netflix:

Netflix Stock Drops to $113 per Share

While HackingNetflix is not an investment blog, the huge drop in stock price is noteworthy. NFLX dropped to $113 per share, giving Netflix a market cap of $5.9 billion. Here's a chart of the stock price over the past year:

Disney Signs Streaming Deal in Brazil with NetMovies

It looks like each country could have a completely different streaming lineup, and a good example is the streaming deal Disney signed with NetMovies Entertainment for Brazil. HomeMedia Magazine:

Titles include the first three movies in the “Pirates of the Caribbean” franchise, Wild Hogs and repurposed episodes of ABC TV’s “Desperate Housewives,” “Criminal Minds” and “Brothers and Sisters,” among others.

Launched in São Paulo, Brazil, in 2004 as a by-mail DVD and Blu-ray Disc subscription service, NetMovies currently boasts a catalog of 35,000 titles, including an unknown number of titles for streaming on PCs and connected TVs.

35% of U.S. Consumers Use Netflix Monthly

A Knowledge Networks survey revealed that 35% of U.S. consumers aged 13-54 use Netflix at least once a month. Some interesting stats from the study:

• Regular Netflix subscribers, on average, watch 5 TV shows and 4 movies per week via the streaming or DVD-rental aspects of the service;
• 20% of Netflix users with VOD are watching VOD less because of their Netflix viewing; but
• 10% of Netflix subscribers said they were "very likely" to cancel the service if their cable or satellite provider began to offer a similar service at a similar price.
• Knowledge Networks also found that videogame systems (62%) are by far the most popular gateway for viewing Netflix "Watch Instantly" content on a TV set; other options -- like Internet-connected Blu-ray players and Roku boxes -- are used by 15% or fewer of these viewers.

Netflix Co-Founder Marc Randolph Comments on the Decision to Spin Off Qwikster

Netflix co-founder Marc Randolph, though long gone from the company, has decided to comment on recent decision to spin off the DVD business, Did Netflix Screw Up? I Don't Think So.

Randolph describes a very similar move Netflix made in the early days:

When Reed and I launched Netflix in 1998, it was a very different company from the one you know today.   The Queue, Unlimited Rentals, and the No-Due-Dates-No-Late-Fees model were still more than a year away.  Our rentals were standard  a-la-carte rentals.  They had due dates.  We charged late fees.

Oh . . . we also sold DVDs.

In fact, much to our great concern we sold a lot of DVDs.  Bucket loads.  So many, that by the end of our first summer, I would guess that 95% of our revenues were coming from the sales of DVDs.  Although this did pay some bills, it was obvious to us that this was not a sustainable business.  It was inevitable that at some point in the near future we would have Amazon entering the DVD business.  And then Walmart.  And then just about every mass market retailer in the country.  All of which would have crushed our margins and slowly but surely driven us out of business.

Randolph on why the streaming-only Netflix is better:

So even though I haven’t been at Netflix in a long time, I can easily imagine the growing frustration they must have felt these last few years as they made decisions they knew were suboptimal for the streaming business in order to maintain compatibility with the DVD business.  How to work out pricing that covers multiple use cases.  How to come up with messaging that embraces two different ways to receive movies.  How to manage the significant differences in the content available between the two services.  How to simplify the landing page and sign up flow.

Well no longer.  Not having to worry about compatibility between the services makes it infinitely easier to optimize every decision around the real prize, which is clearly streaming.  Pricing.  Messaging.  Content.  Sign-up-flow.  All better now.

Randolph on Reed Hastings:

But what is truly mindblowing, is that when I was CEO trying to screw up my nerve to walk away from selling DVDs, I risked alienating tens of thousands of  customers.   Reed is showing that he has courage and conviction to do the right thing despite having tens ofmillions of them.

This is why this guy is the best entrepreneur on the planet.

via readers David, Gibson and NewTeeVee.

Amazon Signs Streaming Deal with Fox; Now Offers 11,000 Titles

Readers and Scott received an email from Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos announcing a new streaming deal with Fox, bringing the total number of streaming titles to more than 11,000.

I have big news for Amazon Prime members - we've just signed a deal with FOX to add a broad selection of movies and TV shows to our unlimited instant streaming service later this fall. The new additions from the FOX library include 24, Arrested Development, The X-Files, Ally McBeal, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and - available on digital video for the first time - The Wonder Years. We now have deals with CBS, NBCUniversal, Sony, and Warner Bros, and adding FOX will bringthe total to more than 11,000 movies and TV shows available for unlimited instant streaming.

If you're having trouble keeping track of the different services, paidContent has put together a great chart comparing Amazon, Amazon Prime, Blockbuster, Hulu, Hulu Plus, Netflix, & Qwikster.