Netflix Gets Sudden Popularity Boost

Why Netflix? Why now?

Netflix still pushing the enevelope. Image from Flickr.

Netflix has been around long enough that everyone has heard of it, right? However, there has been a sudden surge in online interest in Netflix. It seems odd to me that this service, which by now is as well-known as postal mail itself, would suddenly start generating more interest, but I have a couple of theories on what’s causing it: economy and technology.

Economy

People are still pinching pennies, taking out short term loans and analyzing budgets, even though economic indicators say things are getting better. The recession is still very evident in most households, as the unemployment rate has not improved much.

In every “tips to save money” list that has ever been compiled, one of the items is to reduce or cancel your cable service. Because Netflix is so much less expensive than cable, and because you can order the DVD sets of most television shows off the service, people might be shutting off their cable and turning to Netflix DVDs for their entertainment instead.

Technology

The amount of television shows and movies you can watch online, instantly, has greatly increased. This big jump in readily available stuff to watch paired is with more television-like computer monitors. Plus, there are more devices now that make it easier to show plug your computer into your TV to watch it.

Netflix now lets you have a specific number of DVDs at a time, depending on the plan you choose, but there is no limit to how much stuff you can watch online. Not everything is available to watch online, hence the DVDs, but there is a whole lot available now. Such inexpensive entertainment available instantly has got to have a lot of people considering whether their cable packages are worth the price. … click here to read the rest of the article titled “Netflix Gets Sudden Popularity Boost“