Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Netflix Executive: Offline Viewing 'Never Going to Happen'
- Thread starter MacRumors
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
Not really.
I find iTunes rentals right on AppleTV, for 2.99-3.99, instant gratification, is much better than going and hunting down a way to pirate it safely, waiting for the download.
Same for music buying now. Now that DRM is gone, I buy music, it's much more convenient, and not expensive. And my purchases move to different devices easily, and will still work even if my store of choice (iTunes) shuts down.
Caching iTunes movie rentals is nice to iPad.
It would be great to cache a netflix movie or two to iPad, before flights.
I did, a Pioneer BDR-XU03 to go with my Macbook Pro Retina. Watching a movie on it right now. Quality Wise is infinitely better than anything being streamed, and I can watch it anywhere!
----------
Unfortunately, you're incorrect. Based on the 2010 census, 80.7% of the US population lives within Urban areas (where high speed internet is abundant), only 19.3% of the US live in rural areas (where my parents still only have dial-up as an option).
And for the record. I've been a cord cutter for 3+ years now. I have Hulu, Netflix, Amazon Prime (which I've had way longer then they've been providing streaming services), and Drama Fever. I have a Roku 3 on each TV. So at the end of the month (including Amazon Prime), I pay less than $35 for access to 99% of the content I would have watched with a $100+ TV subscription. The only thing I'm really missing is HBO/ShowTime/etc. shows that I end up getting 1-2 years later.
Last edited:
Yes but you have to realize that Netflix is the deliver. I can just as easily turn the table around and say what good it is to have the content but no ways to deliver them effectively, or mainly cheaply.
I will admit that watching tv shows with the wife has becoming a routine and a form of entertainment for the both of us. But at the same time that's only because Netflix is able to keep the pricing at a acceptable level. If I have to pay the other provider $100+ a month just to watch reruns and commercials I'm pretty sure we will soon phase out watching TV show as an entertainment and go and do something else.
Let's just say that it's because of netlfix and its low rate that we considers this as a acceptable form of investment of entertainment. So from my prespective if the big guys what's to sequence Netflix out then that's fine with me. But just know that I won't pay them a cent for the services. I'll just watch good old news on my digital antenna and spend more time doing something else.
followed by like he said it is a bandaid to a relatively short term problem. They have limited resources. Since it is a short term problem that will solve itself why spend the resource on it when they can spend them on something else that bring a bigger return on investment.
and you can't blame them for that, not worth the effort with media producers.. they probably wouldn't allow it anyway
I guess they don't care about the service in other countries with poor internet service like Australia where I have a max download of 30k/sec.
Costs in Australia are also expensive, I'm paying $115/month for that speed and only get 200G (not that I can achieve that)
Costs in Australia are also expensive, I'm paying $115/month for that speed and only get 200G (not that I can achieve that)
How short is short term? I won't have "broadband speed" faster than 30k for another decade.
It's what, eight or ten bucks a month? If that complaint isn't the perfect example of "not willing to pay" I don't know what is. And as others have pointed out, there are offline options available, for example the rentals from iTunes and other places.
Gee, ya think that piracy is going to have a better selection than companies that have to negotiate every last title? Shocker.
Which is always going to be the case, regardless of what NF does. Because some people are just making excuses - no paid service can ever compete with piracy.
Maybe you can. NF has always been reliable for me, never has flaked out. Like ever. Time to look at your internet provider.
----------
I specifically said the people who aren't willing to pay. If you're renting on aTV you obviously don't fall in that category.
I wouldn't go so far to say that downloadable media will be obsolete in the next 5 years, but that still can't be considered a mark against Netflix, because...yeah, that's not what they do.
You have plenty of options to download movies. iTunes. Amazon. Google Play. Netflix is for streaming.
But also to be fair, at least on American Airlines, streaming services like Netflix are blocked on the in-flight wifi (I found this out just last week and was pretty bummed)
$8...
Double the price in Denmark... With fewer films... Well, almost double. It's like $14 or so.
Double the price in Denmark... With fewer films... Well, almost double. It's like $14 or so.
I think that for the Netflix non-original content the correct term would be distributer or Aggregator.
Look at it this way -- Netflix did not create the content and you still have to pay a cable provider to get internet. So all that Netflix does is consolidate all the content and provide it in one place. So the money you pay to Netflix is really for the convenience of only going to one place to get the content.
I could go to NBC.com and get old shows and then go to CBS.com, etc. or I just go to Netflix.
As the industry consolidates in ways where the content maker and the service provider (cable/phone) are becoming the same company, the place for a consolidator is becoming difficult. That is why you see hit movies excluded from Netflix for months and even years. That is why you see Netflix investing in making their own content. Being the middleman is always tough, but when both ends are now the same company, it becomes really bad. Hence, all the fighting and net neutrality concerns that Netflix keep talking about.
Another way if saying all this is that the equation is not just $8 for Netflix, it is $8 on top of whatever I am paying for internet service - a service that is more and more competing with Netflix. Tough business model.
To be fair, I fly on Wifi airplanes all the time and the bandwidth SUCKS. You're lucky to get e-mail or load a webpage, no chance are you getting a decent video stream, especially one that compares to pre-downloaded content.
While we're being fair, -most hotel wifi is also to the point of being unusable for streaming - because of Netflix and all the other streaming only services.
Bottom line, if you travel much, streaming is not a reasonable option.
I'm sure there are quite strong legal agreements from the content producers/owners that wouldn't allow it, for whatever price Netflix is paying for their movies.
There are lots of people of who have marginal internet for Netflix, at least in the U.S., hasn't gotten better for those folks at the low end for the last 5 years and it doesn't look like its going to be getting better for those folks - so this is a bit of a lost opportunity for Netflix. JMHO...
Um it's not what they do NOW. Netflix began life as a disc only service and only started streaming in 2007 after 10 years of successful business with over 1 billion DVD's shipped to homes.
Every single one of those billion DVD's, and all those delivered since could be watched offline.
So yes, Netflix's CURRENT business model revolves around streaming...
Vpn to the uk and use iplayer
In the UK, BBC Iplayer has provided a download option on their iplayer app for a few years now, with a time limit to watch (30 days).
I am sure that Netflix could implement a mechanism like that quite easily.
Download to have offline use is one of the last obstacles that content providers have. Solve that, then the torrenting use drops like a stone.
In the UK, BBC Iplayer has provided a download option on their iplayer app for a few years now, with a time limit to watch (30 days).
I am sure that Netflix could implement a mechanism like that quite easily.
Download to have offline use is one of the last obstacles that content providers have. Solve that, then the torrenting use drops like a stone.
I am 100% confident in saying this is not a technology issue. This is a licensing issue!
True. They could change their business model any moment of their choosing, and begin offering downloads as an option.
...though I wouldn't expect it to remain $10 a month if they go that route.
And I agree with this 110%!
It's not that I don't think Netflix shouldn't offer offline content. It's that I don't think they'll be allowed to do it for cheap, if they're allowed to do it at all.
Netflix already has to fight tooth and nail against ever fickle right holders to provide the service we've currently got. Offering any more would either force them to raise prices by 300%, or freak out the right holders to the point they start pulling their movies from the service entirely.
Last edited:
It's always reliable for me too. -at home.
That would be fantastic if I were home every night and not on a plane at least twice a week and in a hotel room.
THEN Netflix is not reliable.
Which internet supplier should I complain to? Hilton, Marriott, Southwest, US Airways?
Just because your personal world view and circumstances make offline viewing unnecessary for you, doesn't mean everyone who thinks they need it just needs to get better internet or is a pirate looking to steal programing for free. For some, streaming is simply not viable, particularly during the free time that I have available for viewing.
Netflix is free to choose their business market. If it doesn't include offline viewing, well then it is going to exclude those for whom streaming is an option for a large portion of their available viewing time.
You are obviously not a frequent flyer. Satellite internet is very slow and streaming video is always blocked.