Hacking NetFlix

Will Cable Companies Increase Fees Next Year in Response to Netflix Streaming Growth?

Bloomberg cites Craig Moffett, an analyst with Sanford C. Bernstein & Co, who predicts that a major cable company will move to usage-based pricing next year in response to the increased Netflix streaming usage by customers

“As more video shifts to the Web, the cable operators will inevitably align their pricing models,” Moffett said in an interview. “With the right usage-based pricing plan, they can embrace the transition instead of resisting it.”

U.S. providers like Time Warner Cable have weighed usage- based plans for years as a way to squeeze more profit from Web access, and to counter slowing growth and rising program costs in the TV business. While customer complaints hampered earlier attempts, pay-TV companies are testing usage caps and price structures that point to the advent of permanent fees.

Torchwood: Miracle Day Removed from Netflix Streaming

Tech of the Hub noticed that Torchwood: Miracle Day was removed from Netflix streaming after only a few months.

Actually, it wasn't much of a mystery. According to official Netflix sources, Miracle Day is now "out of window" and was not affected by the fact that the current content agreement with Starz is about to expire in February 2012. In another words, Netflix no longer has rights to stream it and has to negotiate new licensing for it to reappear. Unlike the situation where a number of Sony films suddenly disappeared from Netflix this past summer (a cap on the number of times the films could be viewed), the short availability window was already defined by contract. 

More information about the removal on Tech of the Hub.

It's always a good idea to check your streaming queue weekly to review what titles are expiring.

Netflix 500 DVD Queue Limit Finally Over?

Alexander writes, "I wanted to point out that I just found out this week that I can go over my 500 title limit in my DVD/Blu-Ray Queue. I'm been up to 520 for a few days now and it looks like that 500 limit is gone!"

I was able to get over 500 DVD titles as well, including saved titles. I still recevied an error adding series, but individual titles worked. Is anyone else over 500 titles? 

Netflix Skipping New Zealand Because of Bandwidth Issues

Computerworld New Zealand reports that Netflix will not be entering the country because of bandwidth and content issues.

Poor broadband penetration, internet infrastructure and difficulties securing regional distribution deals is keeping Netflix from coming to New Zealand, says Brent Ayrey, vice president of product innovation at Netflix.

“There are no current plans to launch Netflix in New Zealand,” said Ayrey, during his keynote presentation at ITEX.

Netflix Terms of Use Bug?

Rick writes, "The last couple days, I have been getting the message on my netflix pages, about agreeing to the terms of use. I click on the link to view the terms of use page and it sends me to my netflix home page, anyone else having this?"

Netflix Opportunity? Analyst Says 200k Pay TV Subs to Defect in 2012

Hollywood Reporter cites Credit Suisse analyst Stefan Anninger on the expected contraction of the pay TV market in 2012:

"We are not sounding the cord-cutting alarm. And we do not expect the pay TV universe subscribers “to fall off a cliff” over the next year or two," Anninger said, emphasizing that he retains an "overweight" rating on the cable and satellite TV industry.

For the 12 months ending Sept. 30, total pay TV industry subs have remained unchanged at 100.8 million, according to Anninger. "Over the same period, however, occupied households have grown by 1.25 million," he said. "In turn, pay TV penetration has fallen from 84.1 percent in the third quarter of 2010 to 83.2 percent."

Anninger's conclusion: "The problem is connect volume." 

With all large operators reporting that video churn continues to decline or remain low, "such a trend implies that recent industry-wide sub growth weakness is about anemic gross adds."

Are the people who grow up on Internet entertainment or think pay TV is too expensive, the "cord-nevers," an opportunity for Netflix?

Thanks to FearNo1 for sending this in.

Netflix New Releases for November 29th, 2011

Here's the full list of DVD releases this week (detailed list): 30 Minutes or Less, Crazy, Stupid, Love, Water for Elephants, Friends with Benefits, Our Idiot Brother, Beginners, Seven Days in Utopia, Snow Flower and the Secret Fan, The Nutcracker: The Untold Story, The Smurfs, The Future, Needle, Tucker & Dale vs. Evil, 5 Days of War, Chaos;Head: Season 1, 9500 Liberty, Becoming Chaz, Cave of Forgotten Dreams, His Way, Michael Jackson: The Life of an Icon, Reel Injun, Sons of Perdition, Kidnapped, and The Wave.

Interesting streaming releases include Pearl Jam Twenty, Phineas and Ferb: Across the Second Dimension, Elizabeth, Final Destination 2, Waiting to Exhale, Morning Glory, Shaolin, and How I Met Your Mother.

Netflix Having Stability Problems This Weekend

Update: NetflixHelps reports that, "The issues reported earlier have been fixed. Our apologies - and thank you for your patience."

Netflix had stability problems last night, as reported by NetflixHelps:

Now having problems again as reported by Netflix on Twitter  (and confirmed by DownRightNow):

Is anyone having problems with Netflix?

Thanks to Paul and everyone else for sending this in.

Netflix Wins Price-Fixing Class Action Lawsuit - Judge Throws Case Out

paidContent reports that the judge has thrown out the class-action price-fiixng lawsuit against Netflix.

The crux of the court’s decision is that Wal-Mart’s market share was simply too small to have had any effect on Netflix’s pricing strategy. The decision, which provides an interesting window into what was then a nascent online DVD business, goes on to say that the retail giant only ever achieved 1.5% of the market even at its peak. It said this simply could not have affected Netflix at a time when Blockbuster had a 17% market share and Amazon was emerging as a major competitor. As the court explains:

No reasonable juror could believe that Netflix would have lowered its 3U price to $15.99 in response to continued competition from Walmart, whose 3U price was set at $17.49 – particularly when those facts demonstrate that Netflix chose not to lower its price in the face of Blockbuster’s $14.99 price cut, despite the fact that Blockbuster had a higher market share than Walmart.

If you're interesting in reading the decision, it's available online.

It's looking more and more like Walmart was settling to get access to Netflix's customers to market Vudu, and if you're interested in getting a gift card from Walmart you can still sign up for the Walmart settlement here: https://onlinedvdclass.com. 

 

Netflix Launches 'Just for Kids' on Wii

David Watson, director of product innovation at Netflix, announced a new 'Just for Kids' user interface for the Wii.

When you launch the Netflix app on Wii you can choose the Just for Kids section, letting the kids browse without worrying if they will come across content not intended for young viewers. Visit the Just for Kids section in the Netflix Wii app and you’ll find a world of TV shows and movies suitable for children 12 and under. With unlimited instant viewing my sons can watch as much Phineas and Ferb or Johnny Test as they want, without being interrupted by commercials.