Netflix to Raise Ad-Free Subscription Prices Soon

[Surf Monkey]

Definitely a grey area. It was public OTA, so I can kind of see the argument for allowing copying, but I never did that either. If someone wanted to watch something I had recorded, they watched with me on my machine and TV. I go so far back my first VCR was a Sony betamax machine with a *wired* remote. I remember paying a lot of money for it too!

Same.

And yeah. It’s a completely different case and possibly what the other member is thinking of. Though I doubt it since he’s doubled down on “everyone was copying commercial VHS tapes and sharing them with people” several times now.

 

[bobcomer]

I think the iTunes Store model was probably the way to do it, but I'm open to new ideas too

I like the iTunes store model too, for video and music. And I'll be happy with it until Apple decides to cancel the program and you wont be able to play your content. Or someone compromises my iCloud account and locks me out of that content.

 

[JoeShades]

I like the iTunes store model too, for video and music. And I'll be happy with it until Apple decides to cancel the program and you wont be able to play your content. Or someone compromises my iCloud account and locks me out of that content.

Won;t happen anytime soon, and you can download everything you bought, and Oh my gosh you can even remove the DRM, or as some might say stealing!!!!

 

[Surf Monkey]

I like the iTunes store model too, for video and music. And I'll be happy with it until Apple decides to cancel the program and you wont be able to play your content. Or someone compromises my iCloud account and locks me out of that content.

Physical media is still superior.

 

[Surf Monkey]

Won;t happen anytime soon, and you can download everything you bought, and Oh my gosh you can even remove the DRM, or as some might say stealing!!!!

Not “some.” Everyone. Taking intellectual property without paying for it is theft. It’s just like sneaking into a movie theater without paying. You’ve stolen from the exhibitor, the distributor, the producers, the creators... No amount of empty rationalizations will change that fact. Removing DRM is straight up theft.

 

[JoeShades]

Not “some.” Everyone. Taking intellectual property without paying for it is theft. It’s just like sneaking into a movie theater without paying. You’ve stolen from the exhibitor, the distributor, the producers, the creators... No amount of empty rationalizations will change that fact.

Really, everyone ?, I doubt you would want to take a survey on that

 

[Surf Monkey]

Really, everyone ?, I doubt you would want to take a survey on that

I’d take it to court, actually. Because it’s literally and undeniably true. The fact is embedded in the terms themselves.

“I want to remove the DIGITAL RIGHTS MANAGEMENT software from these songs.”

You get what that means? You want to circumvent the individuals who own the RIGHT to MANAGE the DIGITAL content that they own and fail to compensate them for it.

That. Is. Theft.

 

[JoeShades]

I’d take it to court, actually. Because it’s literally and undeniably true. The fact is embedded in the terms themselves.

“I want to remove the DIGITAL RIGHTS MANAGEMENT software from these songs.”

You get what that means? You want to circumvent the individuals who own the RIGHT to MANAGE the DIGITAL content that they own and fail to compensate them for it.

That. Is. Theft.

I can make up terms saying knocking on my door is assault and battery, that does not make it so

 

[bobcomer]

Won;t happen anytime soon, and you can download everything you bought, and Oh my gosh you can even remove the DRM, or as some might say stealing!!!!

You can remove the DRM, but it's not easy. And it's not stealing unless you distribute it. That's fair use backup/media transfer. I do always download -- I have TB's of the stuff.

I sure hope it doesn't happen any time soon, but it bothers me that they have that kind of control of it.

 

[bobcomer]

Physical media is still superior.

I agree for the most part. Quite a bit more expensive though when taking seasons of TV shows.

 

[JoeShades]

You can remove the DRM, but it's not easy. And it's not stealing unless you distribute it. That's fair use backup/media transfer. I do always download -- I have TB's of the stuff.

I sure hope it doesn't happen any time soon, but it bothers me that they have that kind of control of it.

The Itunes store or something like it will be around long after we are gone, they do remove titles though but so far i can still play things no longer for sale

 

[JoeShades]

You can remove the DRM, but it's not easy. And it's not stealing unless you distribute it. That's fair use backup/media transfer. I do always download -- I have TB's of the stuff.

I sure hope it doesn't happen any time soon, but it bothers me that they have that kind of control of it.

Surf Monkey would like a word

 

[bobcomer]

Surf Monkey would like a word

That could be a location thing. And what he said was very true back in the mid 2010's.

But on the other hand, playing the media un-DRM's the signal for your TV so you can see the content. SO making it illegal is kind of impossible.

UN-DRM'ing something may be against the license you purchased it with and there could be civil ramifications. But as long as you don't distribute it in any way, it's probably okay.

Not a lawyer.

 

[Kierkegaarden]

This applies double to music streaming. It's just not a profitable business model. For anyone. It's bad for musicians, bad for artists, bad for companies

I think the iTunes Store model was probably the way to do it, but I'm open to new ideas too

You said it. Maybe streaming of this sort will continue, but we might see a “premium” tier to access certain content, or one off additional costs. If the creator continues to get the shaft, what incentive do they have to continue creating?

 

[Surf Monkey]

I can make up terms saying knocking on my door is assault and battery, that does not make it so

DRM is not a “made up term.”

 

[Abazigal]

I don’t see how the streaming services can make money long term. The business model doesn’t make sense to me — it encourages consumption, but you have to keep offering new content, which will continue to cost more, leading to lower profit, leading to higher consumer prices to make up for the lost profit. At what point does the consumer wake up and step out of this doom loop?

They will make money the same way any business does - by raising prices and / or cutting costs.

You are right about the constant need to keep creating content to keep subscribers hooked. In the longer term, I still believe the solution is to do what Apple did - focus on quality over quantity. Stop green lighting shows left and right and have someone actually in charge of sifting out the good ideas from the bad.

Netflix may also need to rethink their current strategy of releasing all episodes of a new show at one shot. It basically turns it into one super-long movie, and further encourages consumers to churn.

Ultimately, I expect Netflix to cost as much as traditional cable. There will still be some benefits, like not needing additional hardware and being able to watch your favourite shows at any time, but I don’t expect the cost structure to differ too greatly.

The more some things change, the more they will stay the same.

 

[Surf Monkey]

They will make money the same way any business does - by raising prices and / or cutting costs.

You are right about the constant need to keep creating content to keep subscribers hooked. In the longer term, I still believe the solution is to do what Apple did - focus on quality over quantity. Stop green lighting shows left and right and have someone actually in charge of sifting out the good ideas from the bad.

Netflix may also need to rethink their current strategy of releasing all episodes of a new show at one shot. It basically turns it into one super-long movie, and further encourages consumers to churn.

Ultimately, I expect Netflix to cost as much as traditional cable. There will still be some benefits, like not needing additional hardware and being able to watch your favourite shows at any time, but I don’t expect the cost structure to differ too greatly.

The more some things change, the more they will stay the same.

Here’s the problem with all of that: the steamers have been charging increasingly high rates based NOT on the cost of producing and delivering the content but to satisfy their executives, boards of directors and investors. This isn’t a supply and demand dynamic. It’s a stark greed situation in which all the people who worked so hard to make the content got shafted by the shift to streaming while the executives and investors got filthy rich.

The reality is that all of these services could maintain their previous lower rates if they didn’t insist on paying their executives obscene salaries and pandering to their ever-increasing-profit hungry investors.

Oh, and there’s also the fact that Netflix, Max and Disney EACH want to charge as much a cable package… without offering anywhere near the amount or variety of content. That won’t be sustainable.

 

[webkit]

The reality is that all of these services could maintain their previous lower rates if they didn’t insist on paying their executives obscene salaries and pandering to their ever-increasing-profit hungry investors.

And how much do you think lowering the "obscene executive salaries" to more reasonable levels would save a company like Netflix every year? Given how many subscribers they have, it would have to be a HUGE number (in the billions USD) to make much of a dent in the average monthly subscription price.

 

[PhoenixAnhart]

My god. How about having one plan for $5, and the vast volume of subscribers will more than make up for a price drop. They should be thinking in terms of having a small enough fee that customers will be happy with leaving the monthly subscription going indefinitely, without second thought. But I'm sure they have their own evidence based logic on how to maximise profits. Me? I won't use Netflix unless it's in 4K, and the only way to get 4K is to pay €20.99 per month, and I ain't paying €20.99 a month for Netflix. It's time for Netflix to feel the same heat that the cable companies felt when they were on the up.

 

[Surf Monkey]

And how much do you think lowering the "obscene executive salaries" to more reasonable levels would save a company like Netflix every year? Given how many subscribers they have, it would have to be a HUGE number (in the billions USD) to make much of a dent in the average monthly subscription price.

Lots of countries have executive compensation caps. I’m sure this isn’t a new concept.

The issue with companies being slaves to wall street is a more difficult problem to solve.

But really, the evidence is abundant that people can and do have too much money. Tim Cook is one amongst a smallish group who is compensated way beyond anything resembling a rate commensurate with what they do. One example.

 

[newyorksole]

So you like to steal and to announce it to the world? It'd be an open and shut case if you ever get caught, either via criminal penalties or civil. It's not like you need it to live like the hungry. I just don't understand that.

I personally wouldn't steal, but if I needed to for some reason, I sure as heck wouldn't announce it.

I never admitted to nor announced anything. you don’t know me. no one on this forum does and I don’t think the FBI would be interested in me…

I also could’ve just agreed with their first sentence about not having qualms about pirating.

but I will say there are MUCH bigger things to worry about in this world. if I did/do pirate then so be it. not saying it’s right or wrong, but I don’t judge anyone at all if they want to stream a show or download a song that they didn’t pay for considering how greedy these corporations are.

and who knows. you may not steal, but you might do much worse things in this world that people don’t know about. and that’s that.

 

[McG2k1]

Sources with knowledge of the matter say…

 

[Jaro65]

Netflix is the oldest of my video subscriptions, and also the most expensive.
It is also the one I have come to use the least.
Seems like a good prompt to cancel it.

It was the case for me too. Canceled it a few months ago when they came up with the silly location restrictions.

 

[webkit]

Lots of countries have executive compensation caps. I’m sure this isn’t a new concept.

I'm not saying it may not be possible to lower "obscene executive salaries" to more reasonable levels, my point was that doing so wouldn't make much of a dent in the average Netflix monthly subscription price.

The issue with companies being slaves to wall street is a more difficult problem to solve.

But really, the evidence is abundant that people can and do have too much money. Tim Cook is one amongst a smallish group who is compensated way beyond anything resembling a rate commensurate with what they do. One example.

I don't disagree but CEO salaries/compensations as large as they may be are still only a tiny fraction of the total operating costs for companies like Netflix, Apple, Disney, etc. Even if those salaries/compensations were completely eliminated, it wouldn't be able to make much of a difference when it came to product pricing.

 

[bobcomer]

I never admitted to nor announced anything. you don’t know me. no one on this forum does and I don’t think the FBI would be interested in me…

It sure sounded like it by what you said -- echoing others that said they did pirate and never lost any sleep over it. But anyway, yeah, and I hope you don't, you wouldn't be hurting Netflix, but the little people (normal office workers, cleaners, server maintainers, all sorts of people that work there.)

and who knows. you may not steal, but you might do much worse things in this world that people don’t know about. and that’s that.

That's why I laughed, the idea is so absurd I had to. I'm a disabled since birth 64 year old forever single man that only gets pleasure from helping others. Not to mention following rules!! You obviously don't know me either.