Video from Wall Street Journal Digital Networking - Market Watch.
We are all used to technology transforming all around us. Ever since we can remember, ways to watch movies and recently television shows have been constantly changing. From VHS tapes to DVD's to now online movie rentals, accessing that medium has never been so easy. And it's about to get easier.
Please follow the following link to read the online article published on Market Watch, a branch off the Wall Street Journal Digital Network:
My general response to this article was in question. Is this really a big deal? Won't this be a benefit to all of us, who are so spoiled in a demanding and instant society? After considering the article once more, I do see a few problems that could effect us all.
We live in a society that is run by advertisement. We see something being hyped up in an ad, and we get excited about it, too. According to the Market Watch article, Netflix showed that to be true after advertising a $7.99 deal to watch instant streaming of content from the Netflix media base, reaping surprisingly high reward. The customer who purchase this plan can watch any movie or TV show instantly on their computer, as long as it is found on Netflix, that is (Netflix.com Deal Information). I have myself checked into subscribing to this monthly package, but ended up not doing so because of the amount of shows and movies available. Netflix is fully aware of this, and the article states that is what they want to improve. However, to add more shows and movies, they obviously need permission. Like the article says, companies like Time Warner are skeptical about handing rights over to Netflix. They are worried such deals would "deflate the value of [their] content. (Wilkerson, Market Watch)" And they have a point. Who would want to watch TV episodes when they can watch them instantly over and over on their computers? Waiting for a new episode or a rerun to come around would be unheard of. DVD sales would be unnecessary, because people would have either watched the movies until they don't care about them anymore or they would watch them instantly online.
Bringing the subject back to where we really care, how it will effect our everyday lives, encourages some question. Will cable companies lower their prices to keep bringing in more and renewing customers? Would movies be cheaper so that more people would pick up a copy (which I think we already see in the new $5, $9, and $13 shelves in many stores)? Or will those companies be forced to increase their prices just to stay in business due to customers leaving for trends such as Netflix? In a world of constantly evolving technology, the pro's versus con's constantly change as well.
Molly McAfee
