Blog Post #3: Netflix and Chill

Hello everyone!

It's another rainy day here at Saint Michael's College. Lakes have sprung up all over campus and it takes some serious effort to avoid the large puddles. But there's one thing that can get me through rainy day blues (and this awful cold I'm fighting), and that's Netflix. I'm sure you've all heard of it, and might even watch it from time to time. With demanding classes and two jobs, it's been difficult for me to find time and binge watch my favorite shows. But once spring break arrives, I hope to finish the many seasons I've started to watch.

Netflix hasn't always streamed videos and TV shows on demand; it started out by mailing DVDs to subscribers. When my mom first subscribed to Netflix, we ordered movies online and the DVDs delivered right to our mailbox. It was convenient because we didn't have to go to a store and rent movies, but it took time for the DVDs to transport through the mail. Then I discovered the magic of videos on demand. I could watch whatever movies and TV shows I wanted at the tip of my fingers. Once I got to college, I burned through every season of Gossip Girl, Grey's Anatomy, and Orange is the New Black (a Netflix original series). I was completely hooked, and I didn't even have to leave my bed.

One of the marketing concepts we've been talking about recently is competition. Netflix has sure given TV providers a run for their money. As technology becomes more advanced, it's easier to stream videos and shows from phones, computers, and tablets. Many people have been switching from cable and satellite to internet TV, such as Amazon Prime, Netflix, Hulu, and more. One of my best friends switched to Hulu a few years ago and enjoys it much more than the satellite TV provider she had before. She can watch full seasons and current shows.

Now I'm not shooting down cable and satellite TV at all. I think one of the biggest weaknesses about Netflix is the fact that I can't watch shows that are currently playing on the regular TV. What's worse is that the latest seasons often take months to appear on Netflix, way after the season has ended. I think if Netflix added this component to its website, it would be more appealing and draw in more subscribers.

So what are some of the strengths of Netflix? Well for one, if my computer is not working, I can stream movies right from the Netflix App on my phone or iPad. Upon signing in, users can choose their profile and find all of their favorite shows readily available to watch. When I first made my Netflix profile, I took a survey about movie and show genres, preferences, etc. Now when I'm searching for a movie to watch, Netflix recommends shows based on my survey answers. Pretty cool huh?

Since all my homework is finished for tomorrow, I will be chilling in my bed and watching my latest show: Nurse Jackie. See you soon!

Courtney

Sources:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Netflix 

https://localtvwghp.files.wordpress.com/2014/07/netflix-logo.png?w=1200 

http://cdn.breathecast.com/data/images/full/27907/greys-anatomy-cast.jpg

http://www.netflix.com/browse