Scobleizer - Latest Comments in Netflix is dead

Re: Netflix is dead

Kevin Hall — Tue, 05 Jun 2007 23:18:20 -0000

If you want to see some of this technology in action you can visit AxiomTV (www.axiom.tv) and download some movies using the VeriSign CDN (there are plenty of free ones to try, I like the Popeye cartoons). I was the lead developer on the site and worked with VeriSign to put movies on their delivery network. Note that our site uses VeriSign's CDN but not Adobe's Flash solution.

Before you knock VeriSign or Adobe, try checking out some of the technology in action. It's still new and we're working hard to make it better, but right now you can download a movie and start playing it in within a few minutes.

I don't think anyone will be killing Netflix or Blockbuster anytime soon. They are good companies that are adapting and offering downloads in their own ways. Everyone is just trying to figure out the best ways to use the internet to deliver video. We're only now reaching the point where broadband penetration is great enough to support it so know we are dealing with codecs, players, delivery networks, payment models, DRM, and a slew of other issues with no one clear solution.

If anyone has questions about anything use the contact form at www.axiom.tv and I'll be happy to answer your questions or respond to your comments.

Re: Netflix is dead

Charlie — Wed, 28 Mar 2007 14:53:40 -0000

As a Netflix subscriber, what I enjoy is the queue. I read about a movie that sounds interesting, add to my queue and sometime later - days, weeks, it shows up. I always have 2 - 4 movies in the house, so I always have something to watch, but I have made the choice already. I hate having to choose what to watch when I sit down. I can go, hmm, I have "Casino," I can watch that next weekend.

Re: Netflix is dead

Tom Kirkham — Tue, 16 Jan 2007 09:41:44 -0000

Robert... (I hate to tell you I told you so...):

Netflix to Be Delivered on the Internet

Re: Netflix is dead

djchuang — Tue, 16 Jan 2007 07:03:48 -0000

it's not over until the fat lady sings, as they say :) Just saw a piece in the express paper today en route to the DC airport here this morning, and NetFlix is launching a "Watch Now" feature at their online store, so people can download a movie via high-speed broadband internet to watch (almost) instantly! This'll avert its obsolescence, and there're probably enough people who'd prefer to stick with their NetFlix queue habit than to switch to a new provider to do movies.

Re: Netflix is dead

cHlAqoCfBK — Mon, 15 Jan 2007 18:45:31 -0000

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Re: Netflix is dead

Justin Rankin — Mon, 15 Jan 2007 15:50:45 -0000

Nice call on the netflix thing. good post!

Re: Netflix is dead

melissa — Sat, 13 Jan 2007 16:07:00 -0000

I wouldn't wait that long for a movie to arrive at my mailbox, that'd just hilarious. I will just get it on demand or I will rent it somewhere else.

Re: Netflix is dead

mile drive — Sat, 13 Jan 2007 16:01:26 -0000

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Re: Netflix is dead

mile drive — Sat, 13 Jan 2007 16:00:32 -0000

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Re: Netflix is dead

GLD — Sat, 13 Jan 2007 00:50:51 -0000

Far be it from me to outright name a particular DVD company by ranting about it in my blogazine, but um: http://goodluckdeluxe.wordp...

I've had enough of them!

Re: Netflix is dead

Saskboy1 — Sat, 13 Jan 2007 00:45:09 -0000

"It made me realize why would any of us go into a Blockbuster in the future, or wait two days for a DVD to show up from Netflix."

Because satellite Internet will always be laggy and few people will want to use it as their primary connection line. It will be more than a decade until most North American people are on the speed of modern broadband.

Re: Netflix is dead

Catherine — Fri, 12 Jan 2007 22:45:36 -0000

What about a system where movies can be downloaded from the computer onto a memory card and then then memory card could be used with the television system.

Verisign could work with PNY.

Re: Netflix is dead

Justin V — Fri, 12 Jan 2007 22:43:14 -0000

Netflix is not dead, far from it, the New Blockbuster Access(trading my movies in store, while other a still being shipped, awesome) may dent it more than this p2p network. I hate watching movies from my PC, even when I have my 32" Flat LCD hooked up to it. If could import to itunes and use something like an AppleTV, then maybe. Agrees with some of the posters, that relying on other people for content is a horrible way to get movies, and not to mention the added security concerns. Another factor, Connection speed, while high speed is growing and constantly getting faster, I personally know of places that are still using dial-up, simply because high speed internet isn't even offered.

Re: Netflix is dead

James — Fri, 12 Jan 2007 20:43:09 -0000

Streaming downloadbale movies is, in fact, the future. But is the future now?

A lot of people are old fasioned, and it's simply easier for them to just continue to use Netflix. Not to mention that this thing appears to be currently restricted to computers, though I'm sure some sort of set-top box will pop up eventually.

I was over at a friend's house this past summer, and he demoed how he could instantly stream the LotR movies from a video-on-demand service from his cable network. How is this better then that? Because it's HD, something most people still don't have?

Re: Netflix is dead

organicvinyl — Fri, 12 Jan 2007 14:50:48 -0000

Copyrighted content distribute over P2P is enticing, but I don't count Netflix out yet.

1. "To Netflix" is (almost) a verb like "to google." It is too well branded and marketed to be killed off quickly.

2. Apple and Netflix share a physical proximity and former employees. I can see the Netflix rental and feedback system augmenting itunes.

3. Netflix already has the rights to distribute tons of movies. The movie studios trust and have been making money from them. If they can provide a solid digital distribution method on top of their current service, they'll be good to go.

4. More than likely, they will be bought or partner with a company like Apple or Google. I predict further and further consolidation and partnership of media type companies. Content is becoming more personalized and focused on niche markets, but a decent digital delivery system once it is established will be a commodity.

Just my 4 cents...

Re: Netflix is dead

emon — Fri, 12 Jan 2007 14:07:19 -0000

I don't know about anyone else, but I'm having fun reading the ping pong between Scoble and Goebbels.

Re: Netflix is dead

Shawn Levasseur — Fri, 12 Jan 2007 14:05:39 -0000

You never know... ...Netflix may go with digital distribution themselves. It's not like they have a big investment in brick and mortar outlets to justify like Blockbuster does.

Re: Netflix is dead

stuartdelony — Fri, 12 Jan 2007 13:27:37 -0000

pretty sweet stuff (though I'm not canceling my beloved netflix anytime soon!)

Re: Netflix is dead

mcstylin — Fri, 12 Jan 2007 13:22:22 -0000

I agree with post 77. Netflix is only dead many many years into the future, but not immediately. Not everyone has the technology to handle movie downloads, burn them or even watch them on their computers. In addition, there's always that segment of the population who wants to stay with their current technology; whether it be a VCR or DVD player. Its what makes them feel comfortable. It remains to be seen how many years into the future it takes for Netflix or Blockbuster to die out.

Re: Netflix is dead

Truly Equal — Fri, 12 Jan 2007 13:08:43 -0000

Of course this sounds great... but Netflix's selection is superb, and there is just something about receiving something in your mailbox that can't be replaced.

On the other hand, does everyone in the U.S. has access to broadband cable? By this I mean both the service and the $$$ to pay for it. For instance, in my area there is no broadband, but there is hi-speed wireless internet. Not everyone would like to buy a high-end computer with a kick-ass internet connection to watch a movie. I'm a damn geek and proud of it, and have a very cool Toshiba laptop but I'm also based in reality, meaning that most people would rather just pick a movie at a store. They do what is most convenient for them.

That being said, these folks will still make a truckload of money!

Re: Netflix is dead

Erik Herz — Fri, 12 Jan 2007 12:48:37 -0000

As usual Mark Cuban has some critical thoughts on the matter and has started a good conversation about this on his blog: http://www.blogmaverick.com...

Re: Netflix is dead

mark day — Fri, 12 Jan 2007 12:48:07 -0000

I would love to believe that Netfix signed their own death warrant when they started choking the accounts of the high-volume users who evangelized the service to their friends and coworkers. That was a cruddy move, regardless of how much their power-users were costing them. Although, in truth, I can't really muster the energy to get get annoyed at them these days. And at the end of the day I like paying a flat fee for movies that I rip n' return. The one thing that keeps me with Netflix is the fact that I don't have to decide, disc by disc, movie by movie, whether I want to pay for them.

Anyway, if Netflix goes under, how else is the President going to keep up with the nation's viewing habits?

http://markdaycomedy.wordpr...

Re: Netflix is dead

Michael — Fri, 12 Jan 2007 11:11:02 -0000

I will stick with Netflix. Why? Because Blockbuster has always had the worst low class movie selections, and Netflix has always had the best. Netflix' rating system works very well. I just cancelled my Verizon account all together because I wanted to keep my comcast email account and the high-speed, phone, cable bundle from Comcast made financial sense.

Re: Netflix is dead

Kutulhu — Fri, 12 Jan 2007 06:23:13 -0000

You may not want to walk into a Blockbuster, but there are several independent video stores that have 1,000s of titles you will never see on Netflix, and arguably many more you will never see on any peer to peer system.

Re: Netflix is dead

JS — Fri, 12 Jan 2007 00:22:59 -0000

I don't see how could this be considered a threat, to neither Netflix nor Blockbuster. Don't you think that Adobe/Verisign is making rather a technology that content providers could choose to deliver their movies through? This is not different than Netflix using USPS to deliver its movies, or using a Web server to create the interface for their customers to manage their queues. I don't think that neither Adobe, nor Verisign, are going to start buying content (is not in their business line), but they are rather creating yet another technology for content providers to use (YouTube, VEOH, cinemanow), and Netflix should be announcing their on-line delivery solution on their earnings' call (at least that's what they said in their email). So, if Netflix dies, it will not be because Adobe and Verisign are coming out with new technology. Did either DIVX or XVID kill Netflix or Block Buster, how about TIVO? I don't think they did, nor they will, you see, I don't perceive Adobe/Verisign's new technology as competitive and threatening, but rather enabling and beneficial.

And just to answer the question to your statement: What may kill Netflix? Perhaps large content owners like Time Warner or Disney-Apple, just to mention a few. But, not even these will kill Netflix, most of the TV consumers may be signed-off from Netflix by the new IPTV (considering that Netflix does not come up with a compelling and competitive IPTV strategy), but you have to remember that there are lots of other content that you can't get from your TimeWarner, CableVision, LibertyMedia..., most likely because the majority of the population care little about, but it remains being a large market: IFC Films, BBC, Foreign films, Animation, Documentaries, Series (Are U being served, All creature great and small, Upstairs Downstairs...) So, you see, until the entire market can be fully satisfied by a single entity... Netflix may still have a while to live - don't you think?

One more thing, most of the people are not very much technically savvy, and many others are probably never to become one - just like many people don't know how to cook, nor sew, nor brew their own beer, technology is not different, what may seem to you trivial is not for the most part of the population. There are certain qualities that we are all born with: feeling sad, happy, aging, greed, malice, kindness... but technology is a skill (at times). I don't think, many are ready for plugging Laptops, Desktop, iPods, iPhones, and other devices to their TVs - make it simpler - make it an appliance, and not another application within the same appliance (PCs are just too generic).

I agree that Netflix is not trying hard enough - and they are slacking in their growth strategies - but I think they have a better chance than Block Buster, and keep in mind that for movies on line you need to consider: bandwidth will be vital (realtime .vs. download), bitrate (quality .vs. speed). Many people have online access, but not many have nice bandwidth. With the Internet growing and bandwidth being killed (remember that the US Internet backbone is not as good as the ones in Asia - they have a much better chance of sustaining traffic strain), there is the possibility that movies online may not be as real as one thought, for now. Let's see if Verizon finishes, and is willing to share - I don't think they will give the $10 billion investment to the public as charity, do you?

And on, and on, and on - sorry for the lengthy posting, but we could go at it forever.