A reader writes:
I feel like Netflix has a great opportunity with this split. More people are streaming every day, and it's a burgeoning market. And, now that there's Qwickster, they wouldn't have to worry as much about alienating their analog customers. But I'm ready for Netflix to integrate their entire library to the streaming system. It's inevitable, and people will pay more for the larger library. If Netflix doesn't do it, someone else will.
The company should look to the music world for a business model. Spodify and Rdio are great examples of how it can be done.
Both sites offer streaming of just about every single album ever released by major labels and distributors. Rdio charges customers $4.99/month for unlimited web streaming, $9.99/month for unlimited web and mobile streaming. Spotify is a similar payment model, but it offers a much more personal experience for the consumer.
If Netflix wants to win their customers' respect and trust back, they should make the experience similar to this. Access to the largest library of movies and TV shows for $20/month? People would be hooked. Hell, even $50/month for unlimited access would take millions away from cable. It would literally change the way people watched television. Maybe that's too steep, but I think something along those lines would be a game-changer.
It all comes down to the shifting of the ownership society to the access society. Instead of having a large collection of CDs and LPs that weigh a ton and literally take up rooms and warehouses, you can access the same amount of information and entertainment on a device that fits in your pocket and backpack. If Netflix doesn't do something quick, it's all over for them.
The Dish 