Netflix: Why We Love To Hate It

The Early Days of Netflix

Netflix was a pioneer in the business of getting people DVDs to watch in a timely manner, via postal mail, with no late fees.  Subscribers could choose from a handful of DVD rental plans including varying numbers of DVDs per month, with between 1 and 5 out at any given time.  When Netflix introduced streaming video, it was only a curiosity.  After all, who wanted to watch movies on a computer screen?  Little did they know at the time that streaming movies and television episodes would become the most lucrative aspect of the company, within a matter of a few short years.   It seemed perfect timing for Netflix as the mobile revolution emerged, providing ways for people to take streaming media on the go using their smartphones and tablets.

Age of Streaming Video, Qwikster Faux Pas

Streaming content became more profitable for Netflix than its original DVD rental model and in 2011, the company announced plans to split its DVD rental division from its streaming services by dividing Netflix in two.  The streaming service would still be known as Netflix, while the DVD rental branch would now be a new company called Qwikster.  No longer could subscribers pay more to enjoy both streaming content and DVD rentals under the same account.  This move threw Netflix subscribers into a frenzy of criticism and outrage. Many chose to part ways with Netflix entirely.  For a while, the company was losing so many subscribers per week it seemed as if Netflix/Qwikster was headed for destruction.

In a desperate bid to bring back customers, or keep remaining ones, Netflix finally agreed publically that it had made a grave error.  It conceded that Qwikster was a mistake that should never have seen the light of day, and instantly dissolved it, bringing DVD rentals back into Netflix memberships.  It took Netflix nearly a year to show signs of making a comeback.

Limited Video Library

Now, the most frustrating part of a Netflix subscription seems to be the lack of selection within its video library.  New titles are slow to arrive, and the ones that do are typically older movies as soon as they are added.  Only recently has Netflix managed to include any trendy or interesting titles among its new releases:  television series’ like “The Vampire Diaries” and “The Walking Dead” and movies such as “Thor: God of Thunder” and “Captain America” are glittering diamonds that are few and far between.  Even with all the complaints, people seem to maintain their Netflix memberships out of a sense of security.  No one wants to be without on demand streaming video in this day and age, and so far, despite its many failings, Netflix is still preferred to all its competitors.

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