Netflix Raising U.S. Prices Yet Again, Premium Plan Now Costs $23/Month

[ghanwani]

The concept that Netflix, or any company, will expand forever is a major flaw in our economic system. I am not smart enough to know how to fix it, but this cannot go on infinitely. Soon, only the 5% will be funding the 1%. The rest of us will be trying to figure out how to live day-to-day.

You don’t have to expand forever, just to the point where you’re a monopoly (best) or part of an oligopoly. At that point you have all the pricing power, so you can have increasing revenue without subscriber count going up. Look at utility companies and health insurers.

 

[Brent0n]

This comes with a multitude of issues though. You're then responsible for managing a server and making sure it's accessible at all times. This means patching/updating, making sure the Plex service is running, managing storage/drives etc. This is not a reasonable solution for most people.

To be honest, once it's up and running - A plex server is incredibly easy to maintain. Most is automatic.

 

[jwdsail]

Hopefully people will learn this simple, basic, truth:

10 Find a streaming service with content you value
20 Subscribe
30 Consume
40 Cancel subscription
50 Goto 10

There is no reason, other than pure convenience and/or stupidity, to subscribe to them all at once.

Yeah, I mistimed my D+ and AppleTV+ renewals by a month each, should have waited to redeem the two free months Apple offered with a recent gift card until after For All Mankind came back.. should have waited on D+ until *after* Loki, because I'd blocked out that D+ was going to be the only way to watch the new Doctor Who from my memory.. oops. So, they'll both probably get an extra month out of me in 2023.

On the other hand, not paying for Netflix, or Mox, or Starz, or The 'Cock, or The 'Mount for an extra month or two will help it all even out.

Done with the 'Cock until IMSA starts back up again in 24, may never re-up Mox... Starz doesn't have much anymore either?

It all works out.

 

[I7guy]

There is no way to interpret this, "As long as they aren't selling them, members can use their passwords however they please" in any other way other than members can use their passwords however they please as long as they aren't selling them. This is plain English. If you want to interpret this some other way, you are free to do so. But, any other interpretation would be incorrect. You could take what was said to mean 2+2=4, but that doesn't make you right.

Sure. There is no way to objectively confirm the meaning. But thanks for the discourse.

 

[Apple_Robert]

This comes with a multitude of issues though. You're then responsible for managing a server and making sure it's accessible at all times. This means patching/updating, making sure the Plex service is running, managing storage/drives etc. This is not a reasonable solution for most people.

For the forum nerds it is doable. Outside of MR, I would say 50/50.

 

[krull1015]

Most of the content on Netflix isn’t worth watching…. Glad I get basic subscription through T-Mobile, along with AppleTV. All Netflix subscribers should cancel their service. The masses have the power we just don’t use it. ✌🏻

 

[krull1015]

Cut the cord, they said.
You’ll save money, they said.

Yep… they led us down another rabbit hole 😂😂

 

[krull1015]

The message I'm getting is time to stop watching TV. Go for a walk, read a book, or have a conversation with friends and family.

It’s a lot more entertaining and better for you… I did exactly what you mentioned and seldomly watch TV…. Feel so much better…. Everyone should take your advice ✌🏻

 

[ghanwani]

It’s a lot more entertaining and better for you… I did exactly what you mentioned and seldomly watch TV…. Feel so much better…. Everyone should take your advice ✌🏻

I don't own a TV but I'm stuck to my phone. If only I could disconnect from that. I don't have Netflix but my friends that do won't stop raving about the shows they're seeing telling me I'm missing out.

 

[Black Belt]

As CEO of my household, I will cut Netflix to at least 50% of the time if that. Not getting good value anymore and it just sits there.

 

[Ethosik]

Create your own server with Plex. It is much cheaper than being gouged by Netflix et al.

I have Plex, but I can’t get Stranger Things on it.

 

[Spaceboi Scaphandre]

Looks like cable all over again… ads in our tv, just kind of wireless. All streaming want is to switch to ad based tiers because there is bigger profit. F-you!. Torrents will be back from the dead!

The irony is because of all the shenanigans with streaming I went back to cable, and cable's been treating me better. As part of my cable package I get unlimited access to streaming content from my favorite channel Adult Swim, as well as being able to access the simulcast through streaming.

So because of this the only streaming I watch anymore is Adult Swim, and free ad-supported streaming television (FAST) services like Pluto TV and Tubi.

 

[Surf Monkey]

You don’t have to expand forever, just to the point where you’re a monopoly (best) or part of an oligopoly. At that point you have all the pricing power, so you can have increasing revenue with subscriber count going up. Look at utility companies and health insurers.

No, not even that is good enough for the investment culture. Boardrooms will demand at least a 10% increase in profit year over year regardless of the company’s position in the market.

That’s the core problem.

 

[Surf Monkey]

Most of the content on Netflix isn’t worth watching…. Glad I get basic subscription through T-Mobile, along with AppleTV. All Netflix subscribers should cancel their service. The masses have the power we just don’t use it. ✌🏻

By FAR the best value in streaming (for me at least) is The Criterion Channel. Their streaming service is choked with excellent content. Too much to watch in any reasonable amount of time.

 

[I7guy]

Most of the content on Netflix isn’t worth watching…. Glad I get basic subscription through T-Mobile, along with AppleTV. All Netflix subscribers should cancel their service. The masses have the power we just don’t use it. ✌🏻

To each their own I suppose. Even with the price increase we will not cancel as there is content on Netflix that we enjoy.

 

[Ethosik]

The irony is because of all the shenanigans with streaming I went back to cable, and cable's been treating me better. As part of my cable package I get unlimited access to streaming content from my favorite channel Adult Swim, as well as being able to access the simulcast through streaming.

So because of this the only streaming I watch anymore is Adult Swim, and free ad-supported streaming television (FAST) services like Pluto TV and Tubi.

I will do anything to avoid commercials. No way I will pay for cable to experience 19 minutes of ads for a one hour show.

If I liked the content, I would have no issues with the Netflix cost. Only reason I pay for YouTube Premium is to avoid the ads. I pay on this site and many others to avoid the ads. I want to support companies and ad blockers don’t support them.

 

[alfonsog]

I think I watch Max the least but it comes free with my internet cable bill. I have apple one bundle so I get appletv+ with that and I watch maybe 4 shows on there occasionally since I don't ever binge I still have ted lasso, foundation, physical, morning show not finished yet. I have 5 people on the apple one plan so it's still cheaper to go that route for apple music and the storage needed for 5 phones and 3 iPads although personally I could go without Apple Music, although I'm kind of liking Apple Music Classical. I have paramount+ Apple TV channel for Star Trek and local CBS channel for work tv. I sometimes watch peacock but thats free too from internet cable. Disney+ because there's 2 kids sharing and I watch the marvel/Star Wars shows, I still have the bundle at the old price still but I never watch Hulu or espn. I really watch Netflix the most and I can rewatch a lot of their shows over and over, I pay premium for the 4k and sound. Cable would be more expensive and I hate commercials.

 

[picpicmac]

I think the Hollywood crowd is going to get a dose of reality regarding their ridiculous levels of compensation.

I think you have a bias affecting how you understand where the money is going and why.

 

[chinesedemo]

This is an absolute **** take! The production companies are making bank the actors and writers deserve their fair share! The problem is people have had no issue paying a ridiculous 20 for 4K….. HBO is now doing the same thing charging extra for 4K…. And most will continue to pay! WHY??? I’m cancelling Netflix on principle! and I won’t pay HBO extra for 4K and sports. 15 for a standalone service was already pushing it. I don’t care if they didn’t raise the normal price yet…. I won’t subscribe again until they lower price…. If they never do…. good riddance!

The actors take absolutely no risk whatsoever in the entire endeavor. How much should an extra be paid for being essentially a screen prop? How much should a principal or day player with 2 lines or a couple of words get paid?

Pay isn’t the problem, the problem is lack of work for most actors. Why? Because there are too many of them and a limited amount of roles. I do wish the unions had a more equitable system for hiring, because this currently falls to the whims of the producers.

The actors union (SAG-AFTRA) have absolutely no real power or authority. That’s the bigger issue, and productions are still run like an authoritarian regime.

 

[Surf Monkey]

The actors take absolutely no risk whatsoever in the entire endeavor. How much should an extra be paid for being essentially a screen prop? How much should a principal or day player with 2 lines or a couple of words get paid?

Pay isn’t the problem, the problem is lack of work for most actors. Why? Because there are too many of them and a limited amount of roles. I do wish the unions had a more equitable system for hiring, because this currently falls to the whims of the producers.

The actors union (SAG-AFTRA) have absolutely no real power or authority. That’s the bigger issue, and productions are still run like an authoritarian regime.

It isn’t that black and white. Plenty of high profile actors are not being compensated fairly for their work. And the issue with bit rolls, day players and extras is that the studios want to do away with them altogether. They want to digitize those actors and never pay for that kind of work again.

And let’s be realistic here. SAG/AFTRA has a great deal of power. They’ve effectively shut down the entire film and television industry in America. What other entity is going to fight for them? Are they supposed to just throw up their hands and rely on the kindness of producers?

 

[Veihl]

To be honest, once it's up and running - A plex server is incredibly easy to maintain. Most is automatic.

I've moved onto Jellyfin / Infuse setup and it honestly works better than Plex for me. (Tailscale works now on the Apple TV too if you want a nice VPN that works internationally)

 

[picpicmac]

The UAW has asked for ...

The operative word there is "asked".

You do know how negotiations work, don't you?

 

[picpicmac]

my family of 4 now pays close to $58 for burger/fries and drink

You do you.

But I realized many years ago that the fast food offered to me was actually bad for me. Last "fast" food I bought was, IIRC, a pizza I ordered from a local Dominos about 4 years ago and that was an exception to my practice of abstinence I had started many years earlier.

And I also came to the conclusion that the entire fast food franchise paradigm is bad for our society.

Not intending to shame you... just suggesting a possibly better way to live.

 

[Veihl]

This comes with a multitude of issues though. You're then responsible for managing a server and making sure it's accessible at all times. This means patching/updating, making sure the Plex service is running, managing storage/drives etc. This is not a reasonable solution for most people.

I mean, when it comes to convenience vs cost, I'd rather just manage my own server that I can keep year round personally. They completely lost me coming back for the holidays at this price increase.

 

[Mac_The_Ripper]

The operative word there is "asked".

You do know how negotiations work, don't you?

Yes, I do. I am in them all the time. If someone presented this to me, I would laugh them out of the room.