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Digital Distribution Death
Netflix is dead if it listens to Wall Street. I am totally with cnet on this one. I think Netflix is wise in looking to the future. Digital distribution is coming and its coming sooner than you think. Think of all the XBOX 360 owners and PS3 owners that have the opportunity to download movies and television shows that they want to watch right on their respective consoles.
These people are already being trained to use the digital distribution process and its not even mainstream yet. So Netflix is wise in getting an install base for their system as early as possible.
The biggest problem with what they’re doing is PC users can do the same thing without the $99 unit price. I can download and watch all of the movies that will be available to this system right on my PC right now. So all I have to do is plug my PC into the back of my Sony Bravia and enjoy the same thing without paying the $99. So Netflix will need to drop that price down a bit or offer the hardware for free with a membership contract for a certain time length kind of like a cell phone plan.
So maybe some of my more tech readers can fill in what I’ve missed or offer a better thought to the process but the way I see it Netflix is ahead of the game and this move will pay off in the future.
3 Responses to “Digital Distribution Death”
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June 5, 2008 at 4:35 pm
I completely agree. I’ve used their “watch it now” feature on at least two of our machines in the house and I’d watch movies on more if they fix it so Macs can use it. They may have but I don’t know for sure. Anyway, look at what “niche apps” like Napster and Audiogalaxy have brought us? MP3s have completely taken over and you can’t buy any portable electronics device that doesn’t support MP3s. Sure there were legality issues but now with iTunes and Zune Marketplace it’s extremely common to find nearly any song available before you can buy it at the store on your computer.
Steam, for instance, has been doing this for video games for YEARS. The first major game to be published via Steam was Half-Life 2 and that was a huge breakthrough for the gaming world. Now you don’t have to pay as much for packaging as long as your target audience has a high speed internet connection. I see this as being the “wave of the future”.
Personally, I may even drop the money for the Roku device so I won’t have to worry about waiting on shipping or broken discs. Now, I’m going to try other options first mind you, but I still think it’s a great idea. All we need to have now is someone to combine that player with an HD DirecTV set top box with a DVR built in and I’ll be good to go.
June 6, 2008 at 3:22 pm
I’m with you both. We plug the laptop into the new HDTV and play it through the Bravia! It works like a charm and I get my movies on demand from Netflix.
Why buy the cow when the milk is free? That is what the saying is about…right?
Bufford
June 6, 2008 at 4:51 pm
Indeed it is Bufford…Indeed it is…