Netflix sobers up, cancels Qwikster spin-offs
Netflix has announced that, as the cold harsh light of morning -- and likely customer sentiment analysis -- hit them, they're reversing their previous decision to spin off their DVD mailer business into Qwikster. This means iPhone, iPod touch, iPad, and Apple TV Netflix users in the US can retain a single site for all their account mangeament, ratings and reviews. Re-un-de-unified CEO, Reed Hastings:
It is clear that for many of our members two websites would make things more difficult, so we are going to keep Netflix as one place to go for streaming and DVDs.
This means no change: one website, one account, one password… in other words, no Qwikster.
While the July price change was necessary, we are now done with price changes.
That or this has all been some elaborate plan by Hastings to be named CEO of HP...
Source: Netflix
Editor-in-Chief of iMore, Executive Producer at Mobile Nations, co-host of Iterate and ZEN and TECH, cook, grappler, photon wrangler.
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lol. i'm canceling netflix tonight...
Don't cancel, simply put tour account on hold for 3 months as I did the moment they announced Qwikster.
Now this is a guy (CEO) who should go back to the mail room...how can investors have confidence when he changes ANY (good or bad) financial plan every 2 months...what's next guy?
Yeah just disregard the fact that Hasting founded and built Netflix up to the powerhouse it is today. Hasting is trying to position the company for the inevitable DVD-less future. He made a few missteps this year, but nothing that can't be recovered from.
Now would be the perfect time for another company to come in and steal their market share... or maybe people would just wise up and buy an Apple TV
I'm looking forward to watching Netflix Streaming on my Apple TV, which my wife and I will be gifting to ourselves when the ATV3 comes out
Krypto,
Thanks for bringing up Apple TV as an alternative to Netflix. I currently neither, but I'm toward some sort of digital streaming alternative to the high prices of premium cable. Can you compare/contrast Apple TV to Netflix for those of us who don't know, please? Thank you.
@BKL93
LoL....CEO of HP! Love it
At least they were smart enough to realize they were making a mistake before they totally went through with it. They could have avoided this by asking me before they made any announcements. I'm still sticking with netflix over cable.
Not that we have Netflix over here in the UK anyways.. but what a stupid idea it was in the first place!
Sure, I can see physical DVD rentals are going down the tube, and that Netflix may have needed to spit the business, but I think they could have kept them both as Netflix, and kept a single point of access for it.
Changing the name would have just destroyed their physical DVD rentals business.
It's all about brand awareness people!
How could such a seemingly sane and savvy guy make so many major f--ups in a 6-month period.
There were always two reasons for Qwikster:
1) So that the DVD business could wither over the next several years without harming the stock price of the parent company.
2) So that Netflix could get around the 1988 Video Privacy Protection Act, which forbids the release of consumer data on video sales/rentals in most cases, but which may not apply to streaming.
1 has been rendered moot by the immediate, negative reaction to the Qwikster announcement itself, and, as for #2, Netflix probably realized that it is more cost-effective to lobby for a change in the law, especially since they will likely have allies in Amazon, Apple, Blockbuster, Facebook, and Google.
I think Netflix CEO should be fired. He doesnt seem to know what he's doing
Its about to time they listen to the outrage.
Compared to cable and satellite TV Netflix is a bargain.
Good, it was a stupid idea anyways. And I really liked that HP CEO dig.
Apotheker never had it so good...11 months on the job, dropping HP stock 47% in the process and still walking away with over $34 Million. Can I be the next CEO, please?? I'm sure I can do just as well!
Things that make you say "duh"...
Yea.... Im still done with them.
it's so funny
Going to a different company is a great idea and that is what I exactly did. I went with Blockbuster and I love it! I have the Blockbuster Movie Pass through my provider/employer DISH Network for only $10 a month. For new subscribers you can get it free for 12 months. I get streaming, DVD rentals, in-store exchanges, games and so much more. I get Blu-ray DVDs and games at no extra charge and I also get new releases 28 days before Netflix offers them. I am so happy I made the switch when I did.
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