7 ms·

Can we infer from this that at the end of Q3 they had ~25 million subscribers? I am not planning to cancel Netflix but I am frustrated at how terrible most of

by ebbv 9y ago

Can we infer from this that at the end of Q3 they had ~25 million subscribers? I am not planning to cancel Netflix but I am frustrated at how terrible most of the content is, and how hard it is to find anything with the current interface. I hope they're rethinking their UX and reconsidering their current approach of "License a bunch of really cheap awful content to make it seem like there's a lot of stuff to watch."

ioquatix 9y ago
The thing that bothers me is how long it takes for content to come to Netflix. For example, in NZ, I still don't have access to season 2 of The Expanse. Remind me again why I'm paying monthly for this service!?
- Spivak 9y ago
  That's a decision you need to answer for yourself. Netflix right now is their original content, their semi-origional content, lead generation for other streaming services, and titles you might reasonably find 50 copies of in the bargain bin of your local Best Buy.
- Fnoord 9y ago
  That's gonna differ per region and series I guess. I am getting the new Good Place episode every friday. Meanwhile, my Sonarr + NZBGet (+ ...) setup downloads it as well and serves it via Emby. But the Netflix app on Android TV is ace ('cept the suggestions aren't always great) whereas Emby would require using the Chromecast.
- e40 9y ago
  The Expanse is not their content, so it will always take longer to get to Netflix (if it ever shows up). Amazon had a teaser for The Expanse, and season 1 was free. I ended up buying season 2, because I couldn't find good subtitles for the torrent I downloaded. I did this with Mr Robot, too. I can't hear as well as I used to and subtitles are really important to me.
  - vitorgrs 9y ago
    In some markets, it's considered original content. Just like Designated Survivor, Riverdale it's considered original content too (in some countries, it may not be. Here in Brazil Riverdale it's exclusive to Warner Channel for example, and it will just go to Netflix when it ends on Warner I guess). Here all (almost all?) BBC series go to Netflix as "original content". When it ends on BBC, then they release as original on Netflix.
- rhino369 9y ago
  To be fair, you are paying what? 11 dollars? Netflix isn't meant to be "all access to everything." If you wanted access to everything immediately it's going to cost a lot of money. For a while, it was "access to nearly all old TV." a few years ago. But that was when old TV had little value. Nobody was paying for old TV and you couldn't even find it elsewhere. Now, Netflix has made old TV valuable and has made new TV less valuable. Shows like The Expanse need to monetize on the reruns because the "first run" isn't enough anymore.
  - scarface74 9y ago
    First run hasn't been enough for years before Netflix. Most shows lose money during their original run and made it back via syndication. Most shows on TV are sold by the production companies at a loss or the production company and network or owned by the same parent company. That's part of the reason that people are asking what will happen to the Fox Network after Disney buys the rest of Fox. That also explains why relatively low rated scripted shows can survive on the CW - Warner owns half of CW and all of DC.
1123581321 9y ago
Netflix is focused on original content. Their interface is designed to emphasize it as well as licensed movies and TV they think you’ll like. If your home screen is like mine, they barely have room to recommend licensed B-content anymore. It’s not my favorite way to display information, but they manage to display enough interesting material I haven’t seen yet to get me to choose one. Anything beyond that isn’t actually beneficial to me and I suspect I’d be in a minority of users if I refused to watch a good show in my recommended items because I didn’t see 30 recommended good shows.
- vitorgrs 9y ago
  Yeah, it's more like a marketing/sales recommendation, and I guess it works for general people.
bearcobra 9y ago
They had ~110 million subscribers as of Q3 2017 http://files.shareholder.com/downloads/NFLX/4303980673x0x959841/8E7F87AB-2E5C-41DB-862B-E872EF39B039/Q3_17_Shareholder_Letter_COMBINED.pdf http://files.shareholder.com/downloads/NFLX/4303980673x0x959...
jimbokun 9y ago
If you don't care about their original content, you should probably drop the service. No secret that is the direction they are heading.
Rotareti 9y ago
> I am frustrated at how terrible most of the content is, and how hard it is to find anything with the current interface. I use criticker.com to solve this problem. They have an "On Netflix" filter, that lists everything available on Netflix. They also have a rating system, where you can give movies a rating from 0 to 100. If you rate enough titles, it'll give you a "Probable Score" for each movie/series/documentary, that you haven't rated. I rated about 150 titles and their suggestions are quite accurate already. I can now sort the list of titles that is available on Netflix based on that "Probable Score" and work my way down from 100. Their interface is a little confusing and buggy at times, but it's really powerful (IMO). The database is quite complete, it contains stuff throughout the entire cinema history from multiple countries; series and documentaries as well.
- smogcutter 9y ago
  Amazing you need a third party service now to replicate what netflix was all about in the DVD era.
- Consultant32452 9y ago
  I use the JustWatch app on my phone. You can tell it which services you subscribe too (it has many). You can even let it tell you where content is purchase-able.
psergeant 9y ago
117m apparently http://www.bbc.com/news/business-42779953 http://www.bbc.com/news/business-42779953

by ebbv 9y ago

ioquatix 9y ago

The thing that bothers me is how long it takes for content to come to Netflix. For example, in NZ, I still don't have access to season 2 of The Expanse. Remind me again why I'm paying monthly for this service!?

Spivak 9y ago
That's a decision you need to answer for yourself. Netflix right now is their original content, their semi-origional content, lead generation for other streaming services, and titles you might reasonably find 50 copies of in the bargain bin of your local Best Buy.
Fnoord 9y ago
That's gonna differ per region and series I guess. I am getting the new Good Place episode every friday. Meanwhile, my Sonarr + NZBGet (+ ...) setup downloads it as well and serves it via Emby. But the Netflix app on Android TV is ace ('cept the suggestions aren't always great) whereas Emby would require using the Chromecast.
e40 9y ago
The Expanse is not their content, so it will always take longer to get to Netflix (if it ever shows up). Amazon had a teaser for The Expanse, and season 1 was free. I ended up buying season 2, because I couldn't find good subtitles for the torrent I downloaded. I did this with Mr Robot, too. I can't hear as well as I used to and subtitles are really important to me.
- vitorgrs 9y ago
  In some markets, it's considered original content. Just like Designated Survivor, Riverdale it's considered original content too (in some countries, it may not be. Here in Brazil Riverdale it's exclusive to Warner Channel for example, and it will just go to Netflix when it ends on Warner I guess). Here all (almost all?) BBC series go to Netflix as "original content". When it ends on BBC, then they release as original on Netflix.
rhino369 9y ago
To be fair, you are paying what? 11 dollars? Netflix isn't meant to be "all access to everything." If you wanted access to everything immediately it's going to cost a lot of money. For a while, it was "access to nearly all old TV." a few years ago. But that was when old TV had little value. Nobody was paying for old TV and you couldn't even find it elsewhere. Now, Netflix has made old TV valuable and has made new TV less valuable. Shows like The Expanse need to monetize on the reruns because the "first run" isn't enough anymore.
- scarface74 9y ago
  First run hasn't been enough for years before Netflix. Most shows lose money during their original run and made it back via syndication. Most shows on TV are sold by the production companies at a loss or the production company and network or owned by the same parent company. That's part of the reason that people are asking what will happen to the Fox Network after Disney buys the rest of Fox. That also explains why relatively low rated scripted shows can survive on the CW - Warner owns half of CW and all of DC.

1123581321 9y ago

Netflix is focused on original content. Their interface is designed to emphasize it as well as licensed movies and TV they think you’ll like. If your home screen is like mine, they barely have room to recommend licensed B-content anymore. It’s not my favorite way to display information, but they manage to display enough interesting material I haven’t seen yet to get me to choose one. Anything beyond that isn’t actually beneficial to me and I suspect I’d be in a minority of users if I refused to watch a good show in my recommended items because I didn’t see 30 recommended good shows.

vitorgrs 9y ago
Yeah, it's more like a marketing/sales recommendation, and I guess it works for general people.

bearcobra 9y ago

They had ~110 million subscribers as of Q3 2017 http://files.shareholder.com/downloads/NFLX/4303980673x0x959841/8E7F87AB-2E5C-41DB-862B-E872EF39B039/Q3_17_Shareholder_Letter_COMBINED.pdf http://files.shareholder.com/downloads/NFLX/4303980673x0x959...

jimbokun 9y ago

If you don't care about their original content, you should probably drop the service. No secret that is the direction they are heading.

Rotareti 9y ago

> I am frustrated at how terrible most of the content is, and how hard it is to find anything with the current interface. I use criticker.com to solve this problem. They have an "On Netflix" filter, that lists everything available on Netflix. They also have a rating system, where you can give movies a rating from 0 to 100. If you rate enough titles, it'll give you a "Probable Score" for each movie/series/documentary, that you haven't rated. I rated about 150 titles and their suggestions are quite accurate already. I can now sort the list of titles that is available on Netflix based on that "Probable Score" and work my way down from 100. Their interface is a little confusing and buggy at times, but it's really powerful (IMO). The database is quite complete, it contains stuff throughout the entire cinema history from multiple countries; series and documentaries as well.

smogcutter 9y ago
Amazing you need a third party service now to replicate what netflix was all about in the DVD era.
Consultant32452 9y ago
I use the JustWatch app on my phone. You can tell it which services you subscribe too (it has many). You can even let it tell you where content is purchase-able.

psergeant 9y ago

117m apparently http://www.bbc.com/news/business-42779953 http://www.bbc.com/news/business-42779953