Netflix Introduces New Plans and Price Changes

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The new price goes into effect on Thursday. So, I went ahead and canceled the streaming and downgraded my plan to 1 at-a-time with Blu-ray.

And since Netflix no longer has the advantage of the free streeming I am actually thinking of dropping it completely and giving BB a try.

It's a free market. Netflix is free to increase the price three times in a row. And the only thing we can do as customers is to vote with our wallets. I've just submitted my vote...

Did the exact same thing today. Canceled streaming, kept 1 out w/BR.
 
I did the opposite. Cancelled 1 out, kept streaming for the kids. May drop streaming soon as Amazon is catching up.
 
I will probably return to Netflix streaming in a year or two when the service matures.
But for now their selection and the picture quality are just not on par with their disk-by-mail service.
Besides, I have a lot of other streaming options to explore on my Roku, including EpixHD, which is free to Dish Platinum subs!
 
Sept. 1, 2011, 5:03 p.m. EDT
Netflix shares drop 10% on dashed Starz talks

By David B. Wilkerson



CHICAGO (MarketWatch) -- Shares of video rental provider Netflix Inc. plunged 10% in after-hours trading Thursday after Liberty Starz' Starz LLC said it had broken off talks with Netflix on a renewal of its content licensing agreement with the company. Netflix will no longer be able to carry Starz programming after its current agreement expires Feb. 28. The negotiations were extremely important to Netflix because Starz holds the online and pay-tv rights to the large group of films owned by Sony Pictures and Walt Disney Co. . Netflix is working to expand the number of movies and TV shows it makes available for digital streaming, which has become its core product offering. In a statement, Starz Chief Executive Chris Albrecht said Starz is committed to "protect the premium nature of our brand by preserving the appropriate pricing and packaging of our exclusive and highly valuable content."

Netflix shares drop 10% on dashed Starz talks - MarketWatch
 
Not sure why this would be such a big deal. They still have 6 months. And it's not uncommon for content negotiations to be decided at the very last moment.

Sent from my iPhone using SatelliteGuys
 
Not sure why this would be such a big deal. They still have 6 months. And it's not uncommon for content negotiations to be decided at the very last moment.

Sent from my iPhone using SatelliteGuys

The market always seems to overreact to stuff like this. It will stabilize quickly and it is this sort of behavior that keeps day traders happy.
 
Market stocks are priced based on future earnings potential. Any negative news that impacts profits in a negative way off into the future is fuel for the short sellers to borrow some stock to sell and later buy it back at a lower price to return to the lender. It's called naked short selling and IMO, should be declared illegal but it is not. This activity can drive the stock of a good company down hard, especially when combined with a institutional large volume sell off. I have been trading Netflix (The real stock) for almost a year now. When this sort of thing happens I ride it through. One analyst still holds to the 12 month stock target of $322, while another analyst has issued a panic sell. When the price of the stock returns to giving me another nice gain I'll sell it. Must never forget, Money Market only pay 1.25% for what I have invested in Netflix and that means I just need to beat that to be ahead of the game.

As for the actual service- I really like Netflix even at the latest monthly prices. I thought about cancelling my BluRay monthly but I got hooked on Blu-Ray Dexter series which Netflix has and Blockbuster movie pass doesn't. There are also a few other BD's I want to get from Netflix so I decided my account will continue. To me, it's not about sending a statement that I'm willing to cut off my nose to spite my face, but rather I look at cost benefit, and as long as the titles are there, I will continue my subscription even at the new rates. When competition beats it I'll cancel. As for the Streaming- I am continually amazed at the HD 5.1 quality I get. Each month it gets better. Talk about real bargains, this is one of the few that is very hard to beat.
 
I heard an analyst say today, this is probably not over. Starz may need Netflix more than Netflix needs Starz......

Contract doesn't expire for 6 months.
 
I recently signed up for a 1 month free trial and even though my TV has a built in Netflix app I absolutely hate the online streaming. It's not in HD, and the few shows that claim to be in HD don't even look as good as YouTube 720P HD, then there is the audio, nothing is in 5.1.

I'll stuck with VuDu for on demand streaming in HD with 5.1

I might consider NetFlix for 1 bluray out at a time, but for online, they suck.
 
I recently signed up for a 1 month free trial and even though my TV has a built in Netflix app I absolutely hate the online streaming. It's not in HD, and the few shows that claim to be in HD don't even look as good as YouTube 720P HD, then there is the audio, nothing is in 5.1.

I'll stuck with VuDu for on demand streaming in HD with 5.1

I might consider NetFlix for 1 bluray out at a time, but for online, they suck.

I find that the PQ is better through my 360 than through the app on my TV.
 
I recently signed up for a 1 month free trial and even though my TV has a built in Netflix app I absolutely hate the online streaming. It's not in HD, and the few shows that claim to be in HD don't even look as good as YouTube 720P HD, then there is the audio, nothing is in 5.1.

I'll stuck with VuDu for on demand streaming in HD with 5.1

I might consider NetFlix for 1 bluray out at a time, but for online, they suck.

HD PQ is great through PS3 and Roku box. No problems with 5.1 audio either. Sounds like your TV.
 
Um, an XBox 360 has a much more powerful processor than any TV. By far.

I never said that it didn't. I'm just saying it's been able to decode 1080P from VuDu and any 1080P I throw at it from a DLNA server or USB drive just fine.

HD PQ is great through PS3 and Roku box. No problems with 5.1 audio either. Sounds like your TV.

Like I said, it has been able to decode 1080P from VuDu and any 1080P I throw at it from a DLNA server or USB drive just fine.

Maybe it's the internet connection? 2.5mbps. VuDu is able to do 720P with this connection but probably uses a expensive proprietary codec NetFlix don't have.

But even the SD stuff, VuDu's SD looks like a DVD, NetFlix's SD stuff looks like blown up cell phone video.
 
Netflix service is indeed dependent on your equipment. I have it via several devices here and find the performance the best through the Sony PS3, close second is through my XBOX 360. I also get it via a Vizio TV and the service is fair, same with my ipad. Have it on my Android phone too but rarely have the time to watch it on the phone. My daughter has the Roku service and it is flawless HD 5.1 for Netflix. Blockbuster sucked so she cancelled it. I tried Blockbuster here too and it did not stream well, but that was last spring before Dish bought them out.

Got some numbers on the reason why Netflix refused starz contract renewal. starz is currently charging Netflix $30M a year for their content for streaming. They wanted 10 times that in the renewal. Can't blame Netflix for not signing that. If you paid $30 a month for cable, would you agree to $300 a month rate increase?

The loss of starz and the fear of the rate increase sent Netflix stock falling in the past few weeks to an average of 225 a share. Yesterday's official report stated they expect to lose 800,000 DVD subscribers due to the starz loss next year and price increase in September on DVD subscriptions. The streaming account loss was 200,000 for a total of 1M accounts. This announcement sent short sellers into action causing a knee jerk reaction in the market to $168 a share at one point. Considering the analysts target range on the stock based on the numbers of profit losses due to subscriber losses is $266 to 322 a share, the stock is currently way oversold. In other words, buyers at today's prices could experience a huge profit at these prices. The remaining customers paying the $8 increase for the once bundled DVD subscription more than makes up for the subscriber loss in the profits and in accounting numbers is a net gain in revenue. However, the illogical investor market cap loss appears to be the biggest hit to the company's portfolio. Disclosure- I'm into Netflix at an average buy of $215 a share, and I have no plans to sell so when this kneejerk reaction blows over, I will see how long to hold. I had hoped to get one more trade cycle in this year but it doesn't look like that will happen now. Of course, any new reports of the subscriber growth outside the US ( numbers not in yet) could send the stock to new highs.

Analysts also agreed that the quick negative reaction by subscribers is not based on sound judgement. Considering that even at the current subscription price of $7.99/mo for DVD mail order and $7.99 for streaming, it represents the lowest rates available. Pay Per View through cable and satellite represents the highest. If you watch more than one movie per month, your best bargain is still Netflix by a healthy margin. Those 800,000 lost subscribers are thinking with their anger not their brains, unless they just don't watch movies.

When it comes to cost of high definition, either Blu Ray rental or equivalent service like Vudu HDX quality, the Netflix blu-ray add on is only $2 per month and did not have a rate increase. Vudu Blu-Ray equivalent streaming quality ranges from $4.99 to $7.99 per movie. Blockbuster offers unlimited BluRay rentals for $14.99 one out at a time, nearly double the Netflix rate considering Netflix can deliver 1 day turn around for 85% of it's DVD customers while Blockbuster is at 65% 2-3 day turnaround.

Netflix also has the most titles on streaming, BD, and DVD at 45,000 titles.
 
So not only is there a price increase, now it is going to be more difficult to manage your selections. Good move....
 
Yeah, I got the email. They should write a book on how many ways you can piss off your customers.
 
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