Posted on 06/15/2011 5:30:45 PM PDT by publius321
Netflix vs. "The Keystone Cable Cos."
I’ve found it amusing the past week watching all of the headlines about the cable television executives having their meeting of the minds regarding their bleak futures and The Netflix Problem. I have long maintained that Comcast shareholders and CONSUMERS would be better off if Netflix and Reed Hastings could put together a highly leveraged buyout of Comcast.
I use a Comcast cable modem and watch movies ON Netflix without any technical difficulty. Yet, I’ve had Comcast “On Demand” for over a year now and every time I have ever tried to watch a program on it, the screen freezes like a DVD dipped in Molasses. It seems ironic that I watch movies without difficulty through the...
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Do you watch Netflix on your tv or PC ?
Just wait until the ISPs start implementing data caps(except for THEIR online content of course) and begin throttling bandwidth. NetFlix will be doomed!
Netflix has an inherently bad business model IMO. They depend on their competitors to deliver their product to the end users. NOT good!
I get better video quality via Hulu and Netflix via my PC and internet connected TIVO over Time Warner internet than I ever did with Time Warner Cable.
My family has been satellite and cable free for nearly 3 years and we haven’t missed a thing, or made much of a sacrifice in terms of available content.
In my household we watch on both. Usually, it's me on the PC and the kiddies on TV via Roku boxes.
I still have basic DishTV but as soon as I can find an antenna to pick up local channels I'll be dropping that. I live more than 25 miles from a broadcasting station and the two antennas I've already bought were worthless to me. I might have to get an outdoor one.
I watch Game of Thrones that's currently being shown on HBO at vureel.com.
“Do you watch Netflix on your tv or PC ?”
Both, depending on whether my son is playing Wii.
I watch Netflix via wireless Roku box connected to LCD TV.
My Internet is 12-18 Mbps intermediate speed.
Most times, the stream is smooth and the quality is good. Many of the newer movies/programs are HD.
I am on Cox Cable, and I think they sort of allow 5-8gb per day or about 250gb per month. I have never had any capping that I know of. Sometimes the Internet connection seems slow, but that is more noticeable loading web pages on the PC than streaming via Roku.
I agree with you premise. What amazes me though is how Reed Hastings and Netflix have continually managed to stay a few steps ahead, every time the short sellers have cogently advanced such arguments.
He is now leveraging his current position as a powerful industry player, by funding original content in the -production- stage. If he can successfully leverage their substantial cash flow AND substantial audience/customer base by morphing Netflix into a pseudo-independent studio, he may yet, once again reinvent Netflix again BEFORE the aforementioned vulnerabilities come to fruition.
A couple years ago Netflix was “doomed” according to the “shorts” because DVD’s were becoming obsolete. Now Netflix's “Watch Now” service is replacing the discs as a cash cow.
I believe Netflix will be big into proprietary content under Hastings and that is why I believe he could greatly enhance shareholder equity for the owners of Comcast if he were CEO.
It’s been probably 15 years ago now that I read an article about the reforming of AT&T that predicted in the end, the convergence of cable, phone, and internet will come down to who delivers the bandwidth to the home. Right now the cable companies have the most control over bandwidth, and content providers like Netflix are at their mercy (unless you want to go back to mailing DVDs).
Wireless - maybe. But 4G and/or WiMax will not be cheap, and bandwidth will not be abundant. I’m betting Lightsquared dies at the starting gate, and satellite isn’t a viable option due to bandwidth limitations and latency.
From today’s perspective it’s got to be pretty much fiber-to-the-home. But who’s going to own that fiber? For users, some say the best deal would be publicly-owned dark fiber that would be viewed as public infrastructure - competitors could pay for bandwidth like they pay taxes on motor fuels to build and maintain highways. But that’s what the $6BnPorkulus ARRA giveaway (USDA RUS/NTIA) was all about, and how well does anyone think that’s going to work out?
My problem with netflx is the lack of closed captioning on most of their shows. It is very difficult for deaf or near deaf people to watch. If they ever fix that, i will leave time warner in a heartbeat.
Bingo. And if they then leave it alone, to operate as an independent business unit, it will thrive.
But of course, they won't do that. Some VP will see it as his or her claim to fame, take it over, fire everyone who makes it work and bring in cronies, and kill it dead.
Streaming from Netflix is fine, but selection of films (especially foreign ones) is dismal!
Slasher, horror, politically correct, sentimental crap.
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