Netflix has managed to annoy a good number of its users with an announcement about an upcoming update to its Windows 11 (and Windows 10) app: support for adverts and live events will be added, but the ability to download content is being taken away.
Netflix must realize that it’s a huge frustration for people who relied on offline downloads to watch content without internet access: on planes, trains, and campsites, and anywhere else where Wi-Fi is unavailable or unreliable.
There’s a small chance that Netflix will change its mind if it gets enough complaints, but the streaming service seems determined to add as many money-making features as possible, while taking away genuinely useful ones.
“What killed streaming?” - article from 2026
“millennials are killing the streaming industry”
The next season of Bridgerton is cancelled because you selfish millennials wouldn’t drink your verification cans
Actually, that’s probably the one excuse that wouldn’t fly. The only company that cancels more stuff randomly and with no reason than Netflix is Google.
I still love that verification can reference. It was actually quite a bit ago but keeps getting more and more relevant.
People have been making this comment for so long, with every anti-consumer change, and it’s never been true.
Killing VPN usages didn’t do it, canceling shows didn’t do it, the splintering of offerings across multiple platforms didn’t do it, killing password sharing didn’t do it, raising prices didn’t do it, including an advertising tier didn’t do.
And this will not do it.
Hell, this is barely going to tweak the dial. The overwhelming majority of people don’t watch Netflix on the desktop app, why should they fear kick back from the few that do? All they’ll say is the mobile versions will still let you download (because those file systems are sealed away from the user).
Consumers will accept anything if there’s no where else to get what they want. It’s why the “free market” has no power in the tech space: consumers are so addicted to their chosen platforms, apps, devices, and services that they will accept literally anything before they entertain the idea of using anything else.
That’s partially why enshitification is getting so bad: there’s no punishment for it. Users will not move.
It’s sort of like “Going All-In works everytime. Until it doesn’t”
Not enough uses for sure. I canceled all the shitty ones once they implemented these stupid as fuck changes.
Yup. Just surprised Pikachu faces all around at Netflix. “But we were assured by our marketing department that customers would just pay any amout we wanted!”
Greed, same as everything else
There’s not enough guaranteed margin in a single combined streaming and production house to feed the employees, investors, and media moguls.
None of these companies are being outright assholes (well not more than normal). The business model is simply not sustainable and they’re doing whatever they can to slow the inevitable collapse. We’re producing 10 times the content we used to produce, and the revenue from the streamers is nowhere near enough to cover the bills.
- Netflix gross profit for the quarter ending December 31, 2023 was $3.525B, a 44.02% increase year-over-year.
- Netflix gross profit for the twelve months ending December 31, 2023 was $14.008B, a 12.54% increase year-over-year.
What?
Why would you use the gross numbers that don’t include the price of making the movies?
Netflix is in reasonably green but it’s the only one
Disney Plus is still in the red if you include their ESPN streaming.
Warner/discovery/max is barely in the green at 100 million.
Revenue in Q4 grew 12% year over year, to $8.83 billion, higher than Netflix’s previous forecast due to favorable foreign exchange rates and “stronger than anticipated membership growth,” the company said. Net income was $938 million, or $2.11 per share.
I’ll give you the silver star for participation award. Now you want to talk about how they’re the only truly profitable company or does that straight too far from your agenda?
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I think the only way to get surround sound is in the desktop program. I don’t know if that’s a limitation of browsers or if the Netflix guys are just assholes.
I could imagine a technical limitation if they use some proprietary audio codec to send compressed surround sound that the browser somehow doesn’t support, but on the other hand why the fuck am I giving a big tech corporation any benefit of the doubt?
In my limited understanding, they almost certainly do not because if they did client devices would struggle to decode some non-standard format.
It’s probably a DRM limitation.
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These companies are gonna complain about piracy being so rampant while making their service so awful that piracy becomes a better choice
As they always did and continue to do in all businesses.
Look at food prices: Supermarket - We’re raising prices on 95% of items by 200-300%. People: Steal because they can’t afford basic food Supermarket: Shocked pikachu face
its like they want you to turn to piracy
Plot twist! Now the pirate pay costs subscription fees, and is owned by Netflix!!! Ohhhhh, what a twist!
… Yarrrrr mateys
Yaaaaaarrrrrr
Ha har, yarr!
Yuuurh!
Yaaaharrrrrr
Took me a minute to figure out why these 2 updates would be bundled together. Must be cause if you downloaded something you’d be able to bypass their ads
Must be cause if you downloaded something you’d be able to bypass their ads
They could also download the ads. People on an ad-supported subscription tier would probably expect that those are there.
The ad design could link to the products and out of Netflix. So they wouldn’t get clicks
Idk I didn’t have expertise in this space
A quick reminder : you don’t need to watch Netflix.
So they are introducing ads and removing the download option, both moves unfriendly to consumers. Sounds like they plan to do a “We’ve listened to consumers and” shelving one of those moves for later (probably the download option) when the hubbub over the worse option dies down.
My wife and I unsubscribed a few months back. I’ve not noticed.
Better late than never, fuck Netflix!
this is part of the reason why the stock market does what its doing
my internet is too shitty to watch without downloading though so it’s not because of me
Guess people are gonna have to sail the seven seas.
Guess it’s time to use the other download feature.
Capitalism breeds innovation
This is no big deal because Windows users are used to ads. Sorry feeling snarky.
How is this not considered false advertising? They literally market offline viewing as a feature
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