Netflix today in a blog announced that they will be renaming their DVD by mail service into a new spin off called Qwikster. Netflix CEO Reed Hastings says that the move was prompted due to the two services streaming and DVD-by-mail slowly becoming two different businesses with different models and cost structures, and that the move was “necessary and best” for the future of the business.
The name Qwikster – meaning quick delivery will take control of the DVD mail in service which includes games as well while Netflix will be kept for streaming only. Qwikster will deliver video games if users sign up for an upgrade package which is similar to the blue ray package. However if you’re a current subscriber to both the DVD-by-mail and streaming services there will be some changes and obvious splits that will occur.
The queues for both the services will be separate forcing you to maintain both of them along with billing, ratings as well. Users who use both services for DVD by mail and streaming will have to maintain both the accounts and won’t have any kind of queue transfers or instant queue additions which will add to more work at the user side. There will be no change in pricing however.
Hastings also acknowledges all the members who remain loyal to Netflix despite all the shifting around, and wishes to communicate more about reasons behind change in the future as both the new Qwikster and Netflix teams “work hard to regain your trust.” Andy Rendich, who is the new CEO of Qwikster, has made a welcome video below to mark the occasion.
Is this move a good one for Netflix? Its too soon to speculate but the whole idea of having two different queues might just make me cancel my subscription!