Netflix Problems

[BearcatScott]

Anyone having problems with Netflix streaming today? I haven't been able to stream anything for several hours. On my ATV2, it keeps giving me an error saying my username and password don't match but I am able to log on to Netflix on my laptop with same user id/pw but streaming doesn't work either.

 

[keeponrockin]

yes mess up here as well on apple tv 2

 

[rockymtnhigh]

Netflix has been funky on the Apple TV 2 for weeks now. Sometimes it works; sometimes it gives me the "Netflix not available" error - but only on the ATV. Annoying. Been scouring the Apple support forums, and it seems to be widespread. My gut says the problem began with the last Apple TV software upgrade.

I can watch Netflix through my Sony BD player, but the interface is clunky in comparison with Apple TV.

 

[twizt3dsist3r]

watching it on my LG TV right now.

 

[rockymtnhigh]

watching it on my LG TV right now.

The problems seem to be limited to Apple TV. My Sony Blu Ray player works fine, as does the iPad app.

 

[TheForce]

Netflix biggest problems seem to be continued bad press. While they haven't really done anything stupid since last summer, they continue to get trashed by bloggers and news networks daily.
In the last two days of the year Zacks has posted a story that Netflix continues to fail it's customers as it receives lower ratings than rivals Amazon and Blockbuster online service. Really?
Today, Market Watch, posted a story "Netflix Is Dead To Me" The author's basis was that he isn't even a Netflix customer yet he has a mission to trash the company because of what they did last summer and states he "refuses to put Netflix sign up on his list of things to do for 2012."

I use most all the online services and have both Netflix and Blockbuster mail DVD service. As far as I can see, even with last month's recent improvements in efficiency at Blockbuster, Netflix is still the best bargain on both streaming and mail DVD. It has the biggest selection and the fastest turn time. My daughter thinks Netflix is the best bargain in all the TV services she can get. She says nearly all her friends have dropped D* and E* and cable for Netflix. She has had it now for 13 months.

All this bad press seems to be motivated by a desire to kill the stock. In 2010 Google got trashed by the press for not caving into the Chinese government and its stock tumbled and is now just recovering. While Netflix as a company is well heeled, it may take another year for the stock to return to being a prize in a portfolio. Personally, I made quite a bit of profit trading Netflix during the first half of the year but ended up owning it when it fell off the cliff with their rate increase announcement which was forecast in the earnings call 3rd qtr 2009. So today, I sadly sold 2/3 of my holdings at a significant loss to wipe out my gains in the first half of the year. The decision was based on the fact I cannot justify holding a loser stock while I have short term gains on the books for tax reasons. I still have 35 shares in my Roth IRA so I will just hold that. Am I angry at Netflix and Reed Hastings for his errors? No! I am angry at the press for failing to state the truth and blame them for triggering a massive destruction of Netflix stock value. They did the same thing to Google the year before.

But Netflix is not totally without guilt-
1. Poor communications on the price increase of mail order DVD.
2. Loss of starz contract
3. Failed attempt at splitting off the DVD end of the business from the streaming.

Consider that Dish Network also makes these same moves but does the company get hammered in the press for it killing the stock value? No, it seems to have the luxury of doing the same and flying under the radar.
1. Dish raises prices annually and nobody cares in the press.
2. Dish loses programming contracts all the time and the press never reports
3. Dish split off it's hardware division with not a bump in the press or stock valuations.

 

[GaryPen]

Google stock didn't take a "dive", as you state. It took a hit, yes. But, not a dive. And, it recovered quite quickly.

Personally, I commend them for standing up to China. If only every western company would show the same set of balls, er principles, and not make the pursuit of short-term stock price their ultimate goal, the world would be a better place. (The same goes for the way they treat their employees, their "green" efforts, and their philanthropy.)

And, Dish/Echostar may be getting away with poor business decisions on Wall St. But, it doesn't excuse the way Netflix has repeatedly shot themselves in the foot in 2011. They did it to themselves. The press only reported it.

 

[TheForce]

Dive, hit, slammed, hammered, what the heck are you talking about? The stock went lower by a considerable % over a rather short period of time. There, is that a smoother flight path for you? Like many others the news stories continued to slam Google because of their decision that would negatively impact the future of Google that Google would suffer in the growth of a potential to be dominate in the world's largest future economy. These numerous stories gave investors cause for selling out their positions. It takes a lot longer to recover from these negative stories hammering the companies than it does to destroy the market cap.

I don't disagree with the decision to stand up to China at all! I have also gone on record here to say that Netflix was entirely justified with the rate increase for the DVD mail business, but unless you examined the stockholder reports you'd be completely clueless as to why. I was commenting on how the market reacts to these decisions when the press makes a negative story about it every couple minutes for months on end. You really do have a naive view on the impact of the press as it relates to the market swings if you truly believe what you said. You probably don't follow the market or the business end of these companies. If all the press said was Google closed lower today, that would be the simple report of the news. No, if you listened you would have observed the press saying- Google closed lower today as investors were concerned that their decision will limit the company's future growth. That is followed by a story that describes- Analysts feel that Google's 12 month outlook has to be lowered due to it's decision to exit China. Followed by another story that states, Investors are selling short their Google today because of analysts lower guidance on the stock. The press, Gary, creates what we call a self fulfilling prophesy. It can swing both ways but is generally negative, or as we say in the investment world, Bearish.