Hey, remember that thing Netflix was planning to do in separating their DVD service from their streaming video service? Well, forget it. Following the flood of negative reactions from users who didn’t like the idea of having to go through two separate services to get their DVDs and streaming videos, the company has announced that they’re dropping the Qwikster plan.
Netflix’s Reed Hastings posted an update on the Netflix blog stating, “It is clear that for many of our members two websites would make things more difficult, so we are going to keep Netflix as one place to go for streaming and DVDs. This means no change: one website, one account, one password… in other words, no Qwikster.”
The plan to split DVD from Streaming seemed to benefit the company much more than it did their customers, as it likely would have allowed them to manage and develop each service separately, however, in addition to paying more, users were going from a one-shop-stop for their DVD rental and streaming video needs, to a two-stop shop. Would it have been a huge inconvenience? Not really, but it did complicate things. ?While I’m sure Netflix's decision to ditch the Qwikster plan comes as good news for those who subscribe to both services, the decision to call off the plan seems a little sloppy. They probably could have saved themselves the effort of announcing the plan and dealing with the backlash with a survey. Still, at least they’re willing to switch gears and re-evaluate things when they see customers disapproving en masse. Either way, what’s done is undone, and those who are sticking with Netflix can resume enjoying the streaming video and DVDs in one spot. The price-increase remains in place and isn't likely to go down anytime soon.
Here’s a sketch that didn’t make it into last week’s Saturday Night Live episode (hosted by Melissa McCarthy), poking fun at Netflix’s plan to split its services:
