Why I dumped Netflix' DVD Offering & Instant Streamings Future

A few months back, we were greeted with the headlines and soon after an email from Netflix explaining that current prices where going to be raised for new and current subscribers.  Essentially, the existing offering of 1 DVD rental at a time + Instant Streaming cost user's around $10.00 USD.  With the new price rates, this same plan jumps to a about $16.00 USD.  I, like many loyal Netflix customer's felt this was pretty much unfair and probably uncalled for.  Feeling jilted by a company I have paid monthly subscription fees to for years now, I started looking elsewhere for my source of movies and television entertainment.  After trying several different services and experiencing what content they had to offer, I just couldn't find anything with the same collections of content that I enjoyed as much as Netflix has.

This led me to having to eat some crow, and keep my Netflix sub.  However, I did dump the DVD by Mail offering prior to the date the rate increase went effective.  Instead, my business for DVD rentals will go to one of two places: our local video store or the Redbox DVD services.  I will not be taking advantage of the DVD by Mail offerings.  I am still able to enjoy my Doctor Who back episodes, my Battlestar Galactica and the occassional, cheesy B-Sci-Fi flick.

As you have probably already seen in the headlines today, Netflix is making some internal changes regarding the DVD by Mail offerings and moving that entire offering into a seperate service called 'Qwikster'.  Checkout my article coming later today concerning these changes for DVD by Mail customers.

So what does this mean for Instant Streaming only customers?  Not much right now, nothing is changing regarding that service.  In a recent blog post on the official Netflix Blog; Reed Hastings (CEO/Cofounder of Netflix) ensures us that in the coming months a 'substantial amount of new content' will be hitting the Streaming Service.  Which is great news.  But I beg for one thing, and only one thing.  Please don't get rid of existing content when new stuff is added (unless it's the Starz Play stuff that will be going away next year anyways).

Instant Streaming is definitely the way of the future, as Netflix undoubtedly understands.  With the adoption of mobile devices being ever gradually increased every day and Netflix being a player in the mobile entertainment area with their Mobile app (unless you're on Android which then becomes really, really fragmented as far as Netflix is concerned); it's no surprise to me that they will push heavy in this area of their business.