Netflix tells Scoble he’s wrong

January 16, 2007 By

Ahh, Netflix is doing online videos. But, this isn’t the Verisign thing I saw last week at CES. It’s streaming only. It’s Windows only. I don’t believe that it’s HD.

Why is HD so important? Because HD customers are willing to spend much more on content than people who have 10-year-old TV sets and because there’s a scarcity of content.

Forget HD for a second: this also bums me out for other reasons. The time I’d use online movies is a few hours before I go on a long trip — I’d like to load up my laptop with four movies to watch, say, on my trip to Switzerland’s LIFT conference next month. But streaming doesn’t let you store movies locally. Sounds like the DRM police are in full force on decisions here (why else choose Microsoft’s streaming solution?) Even worse, if I’m in Switzerland for 10 days, maybe Maryam and I want to watch a movie — usually Swiss movies are in French or German and there isn’t very much choice on hotel TV systems. The problem with streaming is that it usually sucks in hotels. That’s why so many people came to our BlogHaus last week cause we had a 20mbit connection. I used streaming stuff at Microsoft and invariably the stream would stop and start when viewing from hotels. Not going to be a good experience.

Hollywood: you need to find a better solution.

Oh, and Dave Winer, thanks for pointing out that I’m wrong. :-)

More on this on TechMeme.

UPDATE: one note to Dave Winer. Interesting that he used “momentum” as a debating device to prove he’s right. Hey, Dave, I remember in 1977 mainframes had a lot of “momentum” too. I guess what he’s saying is that Microsoft Office isn’t dead either. Heheh.

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  • http://www.bynkii.com/ John C. Welch

    The movie industry is even MORE into DRM than the Music industry, which is scary. That’s why they love HDMI, as it allows them to even more easily control your access to content.

  • http://www.bynkii.com/ John C. Welch

    The movie industry is even MORE into DRM than the Music industry, which is scary. That’s why they love HDMI, as it allows them to even more easily control your access to content.

  • Anonymous

    I agree on the DRM issue. You have to be able to download the content and make it mobile. I’ll pay for that, probably not for this.

  • http://leekraus.blogspot.com Lee Kraus

    I agree on the DRM issue. You have to be able to download the content and make it mobile. I’ll pay for that, probably not for this.

  • Scott Bailey

    But it seems you get several hours of streaming included with your Netflix membership, so this is just a bonus on top of the 3 DVD’s you could take to Switzerland with you. It actually sounds pretty interesting to me, the thing I wonder is how likely it is to keep DVD-quality through a whole movie.

  • Scott Bailey

    But it seems you get several hours of streaming included with your Netflix membership, so this is just a bonus on top of the 3 DVD’s you could take to Switzerland with you. It actually sounds pretty interesting to me, the thing I wonder is how likely it is to keep DVD-quality through a whole movie.

  • http://michaeldotnet.blogspot.com Michael.NET

    You ain’t kidding about the lack of HD content, I got my HDTV back in April and the pickings are slim. Luckily that’s about to change: http://www.tvweek.com/news.cms?newsId=11336

  • http://michaeldotnet.blogspot.com/ Michael.NET

    You ain’t kidding about the lack of HD content, I got my HDTV back in April and the pickings are slim. Luckily that’s about to change: http://www.tvweek.com/news.cms?newsId=11336

  • http://brianmseo.blogspot.com/ Brian M

    Hmmm… If you’re wrong, then I guess that I must be wrong also, because I don’t want to watch a movie on my desktop PC. I would rather watch it on my TV because it’s kind of hard to snuggle up with somebody in front of a PC…

  • http://brianmseo.blogspot.com Brian M

    Hmmm… If you’re wrong, then I guess that I must be wrong also, because I don’t want to watch a movie on my desktop PC. I would rather watch it on my TV because it’s kind of hard to snuggle up with somebody in front of a PC…

  • http://scobleizer.com/ Robert Scoble

    Brian: I want to watch Netflix downloads on my TV too. I already have a Media Center upstairs for the downloads that’ll play on my Xbox downstairs on my 60-inch screen through Media Center Extender. Not to mention that it’ll also play on my laptop, so I can watch what I want to watch, even if Maryam puts something lame on the big screen.

  • http://scobleizer.com/ Robert Scoble

    Brian: I want to watch Netflix downloads on my TV too. I already have a Media Center upstairs for the downloads that’ll play on my Xbox downstairs on my 60-inch screen through Media Center Extender. Not to mention that it’ll also play on my laptop, so I can watch what I want to watch, even if Maryam puts something lame on the big screen.

  • LayZ

    “Why is HD so important? Because HD customers are willing to spend much more on content than people who have 10-year-old TV sets and because there’s a scarcity of content.”

    What data to you have to support that beyond anecdotal? Or is this just your opinion? If is it, say so. But don’t state it as fact.

  • LayZ

    “Why is HD so important? Because HD customers are willing to spend much more on content than people who have 10-year-old TV sets and because there’s a scarcity of content.”

    What data to you have to support that beyond anecdotal? Or is this just your opinion? If is it, say so. But don’t state it as fact.

  • http://www.mobatalk.com/ Michael Bailey

    Uhm Robert – just buy some DVD’s to take on your trip.
    You might be suprised how products which are purchased actually support the economy.
    :-)

  • http://www.mobatalk.com Michael Bailey

    Uhm Robert – just buy some DVD’s to take on your trip.
    You might be suprised how products which are purchased actually support the economy.
    :-)

  • http://scobleizer.com/ Robert Scoble

    LayZ: annecdotal at the moment, but will be backed up with facts soon.

  • http://scobleizer.com/ Robert Scoble

    LayZ: annecdotal at the moment, but will be backed up with facts soon.

  • http://scobleizer.com/ Robert Scoble

    Michael: my old Tablet PC didn’t even have a DVD drive and when I travel I try not to take anything I absolutely don’t have to take. Why? Well, what happens if I’m robbed? Then I’d have to replace those DVDs. Not to mention carry them around with me.

  • http://scobleizer.com/ Robert Scoble

    Michael: my old Tablet PC didn’t even have a DVD drive and when I travel I try not to take anything I absolutely don’t have to take. Why? Well, what happens if I’m robbed? Then I’d have to replace those DVDs. Not to mention carry them around with me.

  • http://www.mobatalk.com/ Michael Bailey

    Maybe I forgot to add this: After you buy them, rip them to your 30GB iPod or other device. Of course, if you are robbed, then you’ll still have the original DVD’s at home :-)

  • http://www.mobatalk.com Michael Bailey

    Maybe I forgot to add this: After you buy them, rip them to your 30GB iPod or other device. Of course, if you are robbed, then you’ll still have the original DVD’s at home :-)

  • http://scripting.wordpress.com/ Dave Winer

    I think you have me confused with Steve Gillmor. :-)

  • http://scripting.wordpress.com/ Dave Winer

    I think you have me confused with Steve Gillmor. :-)

  • http://www.winextra.com/ Steven

    and here I just said you weren’t living in a technological real world like the rest of us :)

    http://www.winextra.com/?p=226

  • http://www.winextra.com Steven

    and here I just said you weren’t living in a technological real world like the rest of us :)

    http://www.winextra.com/?p=226

  • http://mboffin.com/ Dylan Bennett

    Okay, maybe I misread it when you wrote….

    “The time I’d use online movies is a few hours before I go on a long trip — I’d like to load up my laptop with four movies to watch, say, on my trip to Switzerland’s LIFT conference next month.”

    My first thought is, “a few hours before”?!? What the hell kind of Internet connection do you have that you could possibly download four HD movies in a few hours? And where can I sign up? Even at decent speeds of 5Mbps it would take you a day and a half (39 hours or so) to download four HD movies. If I calculate correctly, to get four HD movies in a few hours (say, four hours), you’d need an T3 all to your very self. I don’t think companies like Comcast provides such a service to home users.

    But like I said, maybe I misread what you wrote?

  • http://mboffin.com Dylan Bennett

    Okay, maybe I misread it when you wrote….

    “The time I’d use online movies is a few hours before I go on a long trip — I’d like to load up my laptop with four movies to watch, say, on my trip to Switzerland’s LIFT conference next month.”

    My first thought is, “a few hours before”?!? What the hell kind of Internet connection do you have that you could possibly download four HD movies in a few hours? And where can I sign up? Even at decent speeds of 5Mbps it would take you a day and a half (39 hours or so) to download four HD movies. If I calculate correctly, to get four HD movies in a few hours (say, four hours), you’d need an T3 all to your very self. I don’t think companies like Comcast provides such a service to home users.

    But like I said, maybe I misread what you wrote?

  • http://mickeleh.blogspot.com/ Michael Markman

    Robert, Are you streaming HD movies from upstairs to the big TV?

  • http://mickeleh.blogspot.com Michael Markman

    Robert, Are you streaming HD movies from upstairs to the big TV?

  • http://scobleizer.com/ Robert Scoble

    Michael: Yes.

    Dylan: for use on my laptop I wouldn’t need HD. Even my new 17-inch Mac isn’t capable of displaying HD at full 1080 resolution. So, for traveling use, I’d be plenty happy with lower-resolution versions.

    But, at home, I wish I could do something like Netflix. Order an HD movie and have it appear on my system within a few hours.

  • http://scobleizer.com/ Robert Scoble

    Michael: Yes.

    Dylan: for use on my laptop I wouldn’t need HD. Even my new 17-inch Mac isn’t capable of displaying HD at full 1080 resolution. So, for traveling use, I’d be plenty happy with lower-resolution versions.

    But, at home, I wish I could do something like Netflix. Order an HD movie and have it appear on my system within a few hours.

  • http://mickeleh.blogspot.com/ Michael Markman

    Any special mojo needed for HD streaming? What’s the set-up?

  • http://mickeleh.blogspot.com Michael Markman

    Any special mojo needed for HD streaming? What’s the set-up?

  • http://www.almostageek.com/ ET

    Doesn’t have to be HD but I sure would love to be able to bring some content on long flights without having to spend hours ripping DVDs.

  • http://www.almostageek.com ET

    Doesn’t have to be HD but I sure would love to be able to bring some content on long flights without having to spend hours ripping DVDs.

  • robo74

    I am not as interested with Netflix as I am with the improved Vongo for Vista Media Center. Download the files with playback/stream on Media Center, Media Center Extender (xbox360), and playback on portable media center devices. I haven’t checked for high def content from Vongo yet, but I like the $9.99 subscription/buffet plan.

  • robo74

    I am not as interested with Netflix as I am with the improved Vongo for Vista Media Center. Download the files with playback/stream on Media Center, Media Center Extender (xbox360), and playback on portable media center devices. I haven’t checked for high def content from Vongo yet, but I like the $9.99 subscription/buffet plan.

  • http://www.mobatalk.com/ Michael Bailey

    Michael M, keep an eye on Vividas, they’re approach to HD streaming is awesome.

    http://video.vividas.com/CDN1/5029_paramount/en/web/index.html

  • http://www.mobatalk.com Michael Bailey

    Michael M, keep an eye on Vividas, they’re approach to HD streaming is awesome.

    http://video.vividas.com/CDN1/5029_paramount/en/web/index.html

  • http://www.mobatalk.com/ Michael Bailey

    they’re == their

  • http://www.mobatalk.com Michael Bailey

    they’re == their

  • Keith

    First time I’ve actually clicked one of Scoble’s Winer links, and damn, if it isn’t “Winer says I’m wrong[link]“->”I’m right, Scoble’s wrong[link]“->”Scoble’s wrong on NetFlix[link]“->The actual blog post with the actual point
    When hyperlinks go bad.

  • Keith

    First time I’ve actually clicked one of Scoble’s Winer links, and damn, if it isn’t “Winer says I’m wrong[link]“->”I’m right, Scoble’s wrong[link]“->”Scoble’s wrong on NetFlix[link]“->The actual blog post with the actual point
    When hyperlinks go bad.

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  • http://pz.typepad.com/ Pter Warne

    While you’re in Geneva, check in the paper (or on http://www.edicom.ch in the cinema section) if there’s a ‘v/o’ after the name of the film (there mostly is). That stands for ‘version original’, and if it’s an English-language film, you’re home free. Except that you have to put up with two rows of sub-titles, in French and German. Mostly, Swiss movies are in the original language, and mostly that is English.

  • http://pz.typepad.com Pter Warne

    While you’re in Geneva, check in the paper (or on http://www.edicom.ch in the cinema section) if there’s a ‘v/o’ after the name of the film (there mostly is). That stands for ‘version original’, and if it’s an English-language film, you’re home free. Except that you have to put up with two rows of sub-titles, in French and German. Mostly, Swiss movies are in the original language, and mostly that is English.

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  • LayZ

    @9 Fair enough. I’ll buy that. Who cares of Winer agrees with you or not on this topic? What the hell does he know about this space? (He doesn’t know anymore than some bag of doughnuts calling into a sports radio talk show to say that Shottenhiemer should be fired.) Get Mark Cuban to agree with you on these types of topics then you’ll have something to crow about ;-)

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