The Post Netflix Era
We now live in the era of Post-Netflix. I recently cancelled my subscription, primarily due to their price increases. I had been contemplating cancelling the service off an on for a while now, but their price hike made the decision easier for me. In my case, it came down to selection of movies. Even though I like the idea of streaming movies, I was constantly disappointed by the selection of the content available on Netflix. I understand that's not necessarily Netflix's fault, as the media companies who own the rights to those content don't want to make that content available for streaming for the fear of pirating (or possibly just out of greed). However as a consumer who is paying for Netflix, it was disappointing.The DVD rental portion of Netflix was ok in my experience and really the selection of DVD rentals were sufficient. The waiting period for the more popular/new titles were sometimes frustrating. At least when I used to go to the store, I could time my visit to increase my chances of finding the titles I'm looking for, but when my queue is prioritized along with millions of others, it's a lot harder.
One of the analysts mentioned that the main factor why Netflix forced Blockbuster into bankruptcy was the c-o-n-v-e-n-i-e-n-c-e of renting online. While I agree the convenience has a big part, I believe that it's not the only deciding factor. In fact, I believe there are 3 factors (no surprises):
1. Convenience
2. Price
3. Selection
How much of a factor is any of those depends on the person, and situation. For me, the decision to leave Netflix was mostly driven by 2 and 3. I also find myself rooting for the underdog, so when I see a business getting too cocky and take its customers for granted, I am more inclined to turn away. There are many wall street analysts that believe Netflix will end up making more money because even though a lot of people will leave the service, the ones who stay will end up paying more, which will make up for the lost revenue, and then some.
Well, I have spoken and given my vote by cancelling my membership. I only wish that enough people realize that there are alternatives out there.
So, post Netflix feels a little weird, but I am feeling like a bird out of cage!