Growing Body of Netflix Subscribers Push For DVD-Only Option [Despite Netflix's Push Toward Streaming Video, A Hefty Number of Subscribers Want DVDs Only]

Posted on TFTS by Steve Anderson on Tuesday, 25. January 2011 under: Audio,Visual

I’ve been following the evolutions of what I believe to be the next real format war (physical media vs. digital delivery) for some time now, and it seems like that war’s shaping up nicely to happen over the course of the next few years or so. And one line may well have been drawn in the sand thanks to a growing movement on the part of some Netflix subscribers for a DVD-only option.

You’ve already heard here about Netflix’s streaming-only option. And if you’re already a subscriber, you know that Netflix also offers a variety of disc plans that come with unlimited streaming. But what if you don’t want streaming? That’s the question a growing body of subscribers are asking, and they’re working to do something about it.

Right now, if you don’t want streaming at all, your options are, well, somewhat limited. Netflix offers just one plan for those who don’t want streaming, but it only allows you one disc at a time for $4.99. Any other plan involves streaming. But for those who can’t use streaming–whether their computer hardware or net connection isn’t up to snuff, or what have you–they’re starting to wonder, why are we paying for the right to stream videos when we can’t use it for a variety of reasons?

Thus, the movement began in earnest. Just how big is this movement, you wonder? Bigger than you might think–a recent Netflix poll showed that ten percent of respondents were planning to cancel their subscription outright following a recent price hike in the monthly disc rental program.

Streaming is really only a useful concept as long as there’s a wide access to sufficiently large and limitless bandwidth. Until that happens, there will be substantial numbers of people unable to use the streaming option who will fall in on the side of physical media, which they can use. Will Netflix offer the physical media a growing number of users crave, or will they alienate a substantial portion of their user base and go all streaming? Only time will tell.

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