Hacking NetFlix

Netflix New Releases for May 1st, 2012

Here's the full list of DVD releases this week (detailed list): We Bought a Zoo, Haywire, Fight the Fight, W.E., A Woman of Substance, Hold the Dream, and To Be the Best. 

Interesting recent streaming releases include The People vs. George Lucas, Auction Kings, Before Your Eyes, Born 2 Race, Fading of the Cries, Albatross, The Minis, The Woman, Kickin' It, and A.N.T. Farm.

Should Netflix Offer 3D Movies on Streaming or DVD?

Reader Tally writes, "I see a good number of recent movie titles on Netflix which have 3D versions for theaters. Can Netflix negotiate with the studios to make the 3D DVD versions available for "mail" customers who would like to see them on home theater?"

Should Netflix offer 3D DVDs or streaming movies?

Thanks to everyone that suggested this topic.

Is Netlix Really Hurting Nickelodeon?

paidContent has posted an update on the Netflix & Nickelodeon Controversy: "We've got hard data: Netflix really is killing Nickelodeon."

“Turns out, Netflix streamers watch just as much traditional TV as non-streamers,” Juenger wrote in his report. “However, there is a significant share shift among streamers. Kids’ networks (not just Nickelodeon) and syndicated shows are getting severely whacked.”

For the study, Bernstein pulled out about 9,500 Netflix streamers and 9,500 non-streamers from a sample of about 35,000 TiVo set-top users.

Analyzing viewership of the two groups over the first quarter, Bernstein found that usage among streamers of Nickeloden’s flagship channel dropped 6 percent from the year-over-year average; viewing also declined a whopping 11 percent for Nick Toons and Teen Nick. For non-streamers, ratings actually grew 2 percent for Nickelodeon, 5 percent for Nick Toons and 26 percent for Teen Nick (a huge 37 percent differential).

Comedian Mark Malkoff Attempting to Stream 250 Netflix Movies in 30 Days

Comedian Mark Malkoff is attempting to watch 250 Netflix movies in 30 days. 

Today I’m starting my new video project for My Damn Channel!

Fact: There are 23 million subscribers on Netflix streaming. For my new video project I’m seeing how many films I can watch on Netflix streaming in a month. My goal is 250 movies. That’s over 400 hours.

I want to see how much value I can get for my $7.99 a month. For example if I watch 200 films that works out to about four cents per film.

You can follow his progress on his blog and send him suggestions on Facebook and Twitter.

Malkoff is no stranger to crazy stunts. From his bio:

He starred in a popular video in which he visited and consumed purchases at all 171 Starbucks locations in Manhattan in less than 24 hours. Mark also achieved worldwide media attention by living and sleeping in an IKEA store in Paramus, New Jersey for an entire week which ended up winning the 2009 PR Week Campaign of the Year. Last June he stayed on an AirTran airplane for an entire month to get over his fear of flying which resulted in a Guinness World Record for most scheduled flights in thirty days. In the fall Mark partnered with the Ford Motor Company in which he set out on the road in a Fusion Hybrid to see how many mayors he could convince to present him their key to the city which resulted in him being given ninety-five keys. This past winter Mark made headlines again with a video in which to disprove the myth that New Yorkers are rude he was physically carried 9.4 miles in Manhattan by 155 individuals. 

via Mashable.

Netflix Will Face Youzee When They Launch in Spain

TechCrunch reports that streaming movie & TV service Youzee has launched in Spain for 6.99 Euros per month.

Spain is getting its own version of Netflix, thanks to a company called Youzee, which exits its private beta period today. Like Netflix, Youzee offers streaming movies and TV on-demand, but it also features titles for rent, too. The company has agreements with a number of distributors, including BBC, Sony, Disney, Fox International Channels, TVE, Telemundo and more.

The service has been in private beta since December and has 50,000 subscribers.

If you live in Spain, Youzee is offering a free trial.

Netflix CEO Reed Hastings Made $9.3 Million in 2011 but Compensation Cut for 2012

Hollywood Reporter cites Netflix filings that show Netflix CEO Reed Hastings made $9.3 million in 2011 (up 68% from 2010).

For 2011, Hastings got $500,000 in salary, down from $519,231 in 2010, and $8.8 million in option awards, up from $5 million.

But Netflix previously disclosed that Hastings' stock options have been cut in half for 2012, following a year of strategic stumbles that dragged the stock down by more than 60 percent last year. He will get $1.5 million worth of options this year, according to a previously submitted regulatory filing. Hastings has taken the blame for mismanaging a price increase that Netflix announced in July and then trying to spin off the company's DVD-by-mail rental business -- an idea that was quickly dropped.

Investors Not Happy with Netflix & Stock Drops Again

Despite adding 3 million new subscribers, investors are not happy with Netflix's outlook for 2012 and the stock took a serious drop. This Google Finance chart shows the rather abrupt drop after the earnings and outlook were announced on Monday:

Do you think investors are being too hard on Netflix, or is Netflix just a $4.7 billion company? Owning NFLX is like riding a roller coaster.

Disclaimer: I do not own shares of Netflix.

Netflix Hits 26 Million Streaming Subscribers & Posts $5 Million Loss in Q1 2012

Netflix announced Q1 2012 results, and they added almost 3 million streaming customers (1.74 U.S. & 1.21 international) bringing the total to 26 million global streaming customers. Netflix lost about a million DVD subscribers, but the remaining 10.1 million added $146 million in profit.

Netflix is expecting to add 7 million streaming customers in the U.S. in 2011. Internationally Netflix expects Canada to be modestly profitable in Q2 and beyond, but warn that profitability in Latin America, Ireland and the U.K. might take longer than they originally thought (8 quarters). 

Netflix posted a $5 million loss on $870 million in revenue. In Q2 Netflix might return to profitability or show a small loss, despite forecasting an international loss of $98 to $86 million. Netflix has several different models for forecasting full 2012 total results, factoring in the larger customer base, higher churn and seasonality. 

The quarterly Netflix letter to investors is available on the Netflix investor webpage at http://ir.netflix.com. 

During the Q&A session Netflix CEO Reed Hastings said that they would "aggresively" increase content spending going forward. Lillyhammer, a Netflix original program, performed as well as a hit show like Breaking Bad did on a cost basis. When asked about tiered subscription plans to enable additional content spending, Hastings said that they were focused on growth for the foreseeable future, so they would not offer additional levels.

Netflix New DVD Releases for April 24th, 2012

Here's the full list of DVD releases this week (detailed list): Dark Tide, Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chip-Wrecked, Albatross, Cinema Verite, Return, Some Days are Better than Others, 11-11-11: The Prophecy, Night Wolf, The Fields, The Innkeepers, The Wicker Tree, Daylight, Justice League: Doom, Crime After Crime, A Mother's Love, UFC 142: Aldo vs. Mendes, The Crimson Petal & the White, Let the Bullets Fly, The Time That Remains, and Young Goethe in Love. 

Interesting streaming releases in the past week include The Way, Kevin Smith: Smodimations, WWE: Best of King of the Ring, War of the Arrows, Gary Owen: The True Story, Freak Encounters, A Mile in His Shoes, Bob's Burgers, Fatso, Dispatch, and Pair of Kings.

Have You Received any Unplayable or Broken Netflix DVDs Lately?

Consumerist posted a letter from a customer that has received a number of unplayable DVDs from Netflix:

My problem is this: Ever since the DVD/streaming split, the disc quality is AWFUL. The last movie I got from them was damaged past the point of being able to finish the disc not once, not twice, not three times, but FOUR TIMES. The fifth disc finally played well enough to get through the movie with only minimal skipping and sound problems. Every time I called with a damaged disc, they would send me out an extra one from my queue to try to make up for the inconvenience. Guess what? 3 of those were damaged, too! I just tried to watch the third one, and the last hour of the movie is completely unwatchable.

Have you received any unplayable or broken DVDs from Netflix lately?