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Netflix might offer streaming-only subscriptions next year, says CEO

Netflix CEO Reed Hasting believes that no one will want DVDs anymore before long.

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Computing | by Samuel Axon | Fri Feb 20, 2009 2:41PM | 2 comments

In an interview with Bloomberg.com, Netflix CEO Reed Hasting said that the service might offer online video-only pricing to its customers by 2010. Right now you can pay as little as $5 to have unlimited access to the "Watch Instantly" library of online movies and TV shows in addition to a one-DVD-at-a-time plan, so we're not sure what this new pricing would be like.

Interestingly, Hasting believes that DVD (along with Blu-ray, presumably) is on its way out and destined to be replaced by streaming online video. He compared the situation to that of the AOL internet service a few years back; when broadband internet came along, folks were much less inclined to sign up for dial-up, and AOL was too slow to respond to the situation and lost many of its customers as a result.

If it's true that internet video is going to kill DVD, then Netflix's future hinges on its ability to adapt to the new technology, Hastings said. If you're ready to give up those shiny discs it looks like your time is coming, but like we said: what will it cost? Hmm.

This story around the web:

Trusted sources:
external link Netflix may offer streaming-only plan by end… [tech.yahoo.com]
external link Netflix CEO alludes to streaming-only pricing… [Engadget HD]
external link Netflix Might Have Streaming-Only… [Gizmodo]
external link Netflix may offer streaming-only pricing in… [Crave]

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Related company news:
Netflix, AOL
Related glossary terms:
Blu-ray, DVD, Streaming video, Broadband, Dial-up
Related devices and services:
Netflix

Comments (2)

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Phoebe external link (4:57 AM on Sun Feb 22, 2009)

I think Netflix is right to identify streaming as the feature of movie/TV rental. Still, I wonder if cable companies would accept this move without a fight.

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the thing is (10:29 PM on Wed Mar 25, 2009)

I signed on to netflix with the 2 dvd plan. Instead of ordering DVD's, all I do is stream their movies. Two months have passed and I don't even care about DVD's anymore. Streaming is the way of the future, and soon the rest of the population will figure that out.

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