"Qwikster:" A DVD by Mail Service or a Chocolate Drink?

image via Roadsidepictures

Netflix Co-founder and CEO Reed Hastings sent out an email this morning. "I messed up," it begins. "I owe everyone an explanation." So far, so good, because as everyone knows the recent 60% rate hike went over like a lead balloon.

Unfortunately, Hastings doesn't quit while he's ahead.

He goes on:

It’s hard to write this after over 10 years of mailing DVDs with pride, but we think it is necessary: In a few weeks, we will rename our DVD by mail service to “Qwikster”. We chose the name Qwikster because it refers to quick delivery. We will keep the name “Netflix” for streaming.

Yes: in the near future, "If you subscribe to both services you will have two entries on your credit card statement, one for Qwikster and one for Netflix." Two accounts, two queues.

Unless the goals were to make things more complicated, co-opt a beloved Nestlé mascot, and drive Netflix into the ground, it's hard to understand why the hell they'd do this. Even more baffling, Netflix did not take steps to secure the @Qwikster handle. It's currently owned by a Jason Castillo, whose icon is a pot-smoking Elmo and who recently tweeted, "Bored as shyt wanna blaze but at the same time I don't ugh fuck it where's the bowl at spark me up lls."

Perhaps now really is the time to send those Netflix dollars to Facets.

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By Rob Christopher in Arts & Events on September 19, 2011 10:20 AM

Comments [rss]

twocee

I know this was a long time ago, but as a PSA, I just wanted to put it out there.

I found what looks like the first step in me cutting the cord with Netflix. An app called playon allows me to stream content from my computer to my TV through the Wii (or XBox or PS3) wirelessly. It's $40 for a year, and I can access Hulu, Amazon, Netflix, and a host of other "channels" including ESPN3. The software converts the feed for TV, and it works just like streaming does with Netflix.

www.playon.tv is the link. There's a 2 week free trial if you want to see if it works for you.

Mimihaha

I dumped streaming and my monthly bill went down. There's just not enough content available to keep it.

I love Facets, but you're better off going to the building and picking out dvds rather than get them through the mail from them.

bopo

I'm about to do this, too. I had a spare monitor lying around so I bought an A/V-out cable for my phone and put it near our treadmill. My wife asked if she could watch something while she ran. She flipped through the TV shows, dramas and romantic comedies and found exactly zero things to watch.

ChicagoD

Try Shaun the Sheep. Pretty entertaining.

Wait, is your wife older than four?

Navin_Johnson

Regardless of the CEO's apology and bizarro business decision, I'm axing DVDs and going only to streaming Thursday when my monthly billing cycle comes round. Furthermore, if they don't come correct and at least slowly start improving access to streaming titles...then I'll dump Netflix altogether. I think I'm like a lot of Netflix customers in that I was formerly an evangelist that talked it up to friends and acquaintances alike. They're really gambling with their customer's affections.

twocee

I would do that, but there are several TV titles that are only on DVD still (don't care about movies, I'll do redbox for that). And, I think that they WANT people to dump the DVD stream. If I dump them in protest, then I'll dump them altogether.

Navin_Johnson

That will be the eventual test. They need to start streaming good tv series (i.e. cable ones) relatively quickly.

Jason Steele

Renaming a service "qwik--" because it uses snail mail is like...um...I'm at a loss. It's just plain dumb.

alizafrabs

Bahahaha, that tweet. Wow.

twocee

The 2 websites and queues will kill me as a customer. I'm hoping the negative reactions (see the blog post - more than 10K responses thus far) will stop that part of the deal. If not, I'll be searching for reasonable alternatives.

blipsman

Even more annoying than the two credit card charges is the fact people will have to search two sites for titles, maintain two queues, rate movies & TV shows in two locations for recommendations... reaffirmed my decision to cancel the streaming as soon as I clear a couple titles off my queue.