Netflix is King. Will anyone catch them?

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  • Netflix is King. Will anyone catch them?

    Netflix membership surged past 117 million last year, a rise the company showed its investment in original programming was paying off.

    The streaming juggernaut added a record 8.3 million subscribers in the three months to December, with 6.36 million of those outside the US.

    Despite sacking Spacey from their hit serial House of Cards, Netflix shows no signs of slowing down with its latest earnings release today. With last year's profits three times that of 2016 and total revenue of $3.3bn, I do not think anyone can argue that Netflix is anything other than a major global media power now. So much so, it even made Rupert Murdoch sell large parts of his business to Disney, see here: Mega Media Mergers - Disney may buy Fox. Is Murdoch throwing in the towel?

    When I switch on the tv now, it's either to do one of three things:, watch the news, watch BBC Parliament (to gleam info for this site) or watch Netflix. Three years ago I never heard of Netflix, but even new televisions are being sold with a Netflix button on remote controls now.

    But what next for Netflix? Will they keep growing to a point that no one can catch them, or will Amazon, Facebook, an enlarged Disney and perhaps a few others be able to take them on?

    Do you watch Netflix?

  • We've never subscribed to Netflix even though the app is on the smart TV (and a button on the remote). Mainly because up 'til recently they were films most of which were not of interest to us or if they were we'd get an 1080P HD torrent.

    If they keep increasing original content that may change.

    I think Amazon is probably the most likely provider to start to go head-to-head as they use prime to enhance the take up.

  • Netflix announced their latest results last night (our time) and they've added another 9 million+ customers, but this news item was interesting too.

    If Netflix highlights popular stuff that might help to guide us all through their ever increasing library of shows and films, but Netflix's bosses said yesterday this is only a trial and if it doesn't succeed, they will axe it in a few months.

  • Netflix price increase for UK customers

    Netflix has confirmed that customers in the UK will now have to pay more for their subscriptions.

    The standard tariff, which means you can stream TV shows and movies to two devices at the same time, was £7.99 but will now be £8.99.

    The premium tariff, which lets you stream to four devices, will increase by £2 to £11.99.

    The basic subscription currently costs users £5.99 and is the only one that will stay the same.

    Damn. Streaming is becoming like a proper cable/sat subscription now with these price rises.

    Will you still have Netflix after these rises?

  • Never had Netflix here, even though it's an app on the smart TV, as for us there's very little interest in most films to justify any costs. We already have loads of VHS tapes, DVD's and recently updating them with HD downloads. Most of the tapes will go for recycling soon.

  • We don't use nextflix, but my son does and we have sometimes watched stuff on there using his account, we do however have amazon prime which does also include next day delivery on a lot of stuff from them as a sort of bonus.

  • Netflix is moving into gaming. That should help to boost the coffers!

    https://www.broadbandtvnews.com/2021/07/15/net…its-mike-verdu/

    As a longtime gamer (and watcher of the business behind it) it's MUCH more like do the opposite. There's a long, long, long, history of market entry failures. Amazon and Google being among the high profile recent examples.

    If they keep it small and focussed maybe they'll have a shot. But usually it's a money pit, and a large graveyard of also-rans.

    Amazon chucked a LOT of money at making games and their projects were either cancelled after years of work or were released unnoticed by the public.

  • The problem is games are greedy with in game advertising and goodies to buy to play the game and take advantage of children and mummy and daddy's credit card. Googles Pokemon Go wasn't a failure. It was a massive success and Google achieved what they wanted with the data mining and shops paying fees to direct folk into their shop chasing a Pokemon. I gave up on games after Doom on the Playstation one and now waiting for my Star Trek holodeck so I can have a holiday. Where's our virtual reality world and I don't mean some stupid headset. I want something akin to Psilocybin / Dimethyltryptamine.

  • The problem is games are greedy with in game advertising and goodies to buy to play the game and take advantage of children and mummy and daddy's credit card. Googles Pokemon Go wasn't a failure. It was a massive success and Google achieved what they wanted with the data mining and shops paying fees to direct folk into their shop chasing a Pokemon. I gave up on games after Doom on the Playstation one and now waiting for my Star Trek holodeck so I can have a holiday. Where's our virtual reality world and I don't mean some stupid headset. I want something akin to Psilocybin / Dimethyltryptamine.

    That's quite a take...

    Pokemon Go is Nintendo. It's on Google's and Apple's App Stores but is not made by either of them. Games on App Stores for Mobiles/Tablets aren't what we were talking about. I was talking about Google's Stadia service and Amazon's equivalent Luna (not their App Store).

  • Maybe I'm getting confused. What was that game they had everyone wandering the streets with their phone like Zombies and chasing virtual characters? Talking about games did you see BBC3 Secrets of an ISIS Smartphone. It seems they are brainwashing UK citizens into thinking they are in a game like Tour of Duty or something which is how they groom and indoctrinate them. Shocking it was and over 900 UK citizens, young lads have been recruited and either living or killed in Syria. ISIS are taking advantage of our poverty and poor lifestyles to recruit. Teenagers with no hope.

  • Pokemon Go is a mobile game where you track down creatures in real world locations. I was simply pointing out who was behind it i.e Nintendo & The Pokémon Company (I forgot about TPC in my last post).

    There are many other games by other companies that work the same way though.

    No, I was not aware of that BBC3 doc. Ta.

  • These companies are just too greedy.

    Netflix is the biggest media company in the world now (pending any future mergers between other players) and they've won the streaming wars, so why get into other things?

    As said, there have been a lot of failures in the gaming industry already, but it's also been said why they maybe interested in this sector.

    Games used to be something you bought on CD/DVD rom and installed, but not now. You download them and then have to subscrive to packages and/or pay for extras. It's a goldmine for those companies that get it right, but perhaps Netflix should concentrate on getting its own Star Wars or Star Trek type film/series first, before getting into this.

  • There's been talk, based on some data mining, that Sony is partnering Netflix with this. Could be wrongly interpreted by those that found it though. But Sony is very cosy with them in the film and TV provision side, so not impossible, and some articles covering the story have suggested they might view it as a way of "catching up" with Microsoft's GamePass service. Maybe they are thinking of folding PS Now into a Netflix tier?

  • Epic Games are also one of the big players. There's talks about companies like Apple having to treat games differently from Applications in their app store because of the security and privacy concerns. Many of them are also super spreaders for transporting malware in the form of in game features, goody bags and what have you. More often than not many things in today's digital society is basically a cover for more nefarious activities and exploitation.

    My gawd I remember my Atari TV game I used to have to plug into the TV to play pong with it stick joystick. And remember space invaders when that first hit the arcades. That was a huge success. I think I still have an old Mini-Munchman knocking around in a drawer somewhere. It's like a smaller hand held version of Pacman. I should try and find that, stick a new watch battery in it and see if it still works. I can then show it to my nephew who is very much into Nintendo. I keep trying to deter him away from games though and to play in Photoshop instead. Photoshop is like a game to me where your the master of your own creations rather riding of the back of someone else's success. Been using it since version 4 back in the early 90's.

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