Rave. For a certain segment of the in-home entertainment market, myself included, Netflix is reaching cable killer status. I’ve had a growing dissatisfaction with cable and other such services for some time simply because their offerings do not fit my viewing needs. In short, I find that cable is plagued by high monthly rates, monopolistic-like market dominance in the form of Comcast (which brings with it a whole other set of gripes), and on-demand programming choices of little interest to me. Plus, cable is the avenue of the networks, and unless you have an insatiable desire for reality shows, music videos, and Law and Order reruns, then you’re left asking yourself "What about the stuff I want to see?"
My home viewing needs are simple: 1. I don’t want to pay through the nose to see network programs that don’t appeal to me or the same syndicated TV shows on every channel. 2. When I’m in the mood for something, I would like to see it. There really isn’t much more than that to it.
Unlike Comcast, Netflix has caught on to the fact that it really is that simple. And because Netflix has realized that this basic consumer desire is largely unfulfilled by the giants of the cable industry, they are slowly transitioning from a secondary source of in-home entertainment via their hallmark DVD-by-mail service, to a primary provider of broadband-based on-demand entertainment.
Last year when I subscribed to Netflix, I thought their 2 DVDs at a time for $13.99 plan was a steal, especially since you can keep the DVDs as long as you want without having to be troubled with late fees and because there were no restrictions on the number of rentals you can have per month. Some time ago, Netflix launched it’s Watch Instantly service which streams movies direct to a user’s browser WITHOUT INCREASING THE MONTHLY PLAN PRICE. Now, I’m fairly certain this was done in an attempt to gain market share from other companies in the DVD by mail market, namely Blockbuster Online, and it may not last forever, but the added value of this new service to customers is astronomical. Watch Instantly is an extremely user-friendly system, with a basic point and click interface that gives folks instant viewing gratification. With 10,000 Watch Instantly titles to choose from, the customer plays the role of a network programmer with the single goal of pleasing oneself. Unlike, Comcast On-Demand, Netflix actually has stuff in its inventory that I want to see, including a bunch of hit movies and TV shows from a year ago. If I wanted to watch Heroes: Season 1 right now all I would have to do is click the "Play" button. Go ahead, dare me to do it.
At this point you may ask yourself "Suppose I give Comcast the ax what am I giving up by going exclusively with Netflix? Other than the high monthly rates, not much else. You’d be able to get network shows (including the local news) from NBC and ABC over-the-air in most markets (dig the rabbit ears out of the closet). But, you’d miss out on seeing first airings of Flavor of Love 3 episodes. You’d be able to rent many of the same movies shown on premium cable channels like HBO and Showtime for a fraction of the cost, however the ability to view original shows like Weeds would be delayed at least a year. But if you’re a sports nut, you may not want to cancel your cable just yet. What about the viewing experience? Netflix also has a slick piece of hardware (available for $100) that allows customers to stream Watch Instantly movies direct to a TV set without first passing through a computer. Lastly, from what I’ve seen the steaming quality of Watch Instantly is pretty damn good.
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