r/netflix

Netflix has fundamentally changed the landscape of digital media and streaming by providing a more convenient, affordable way for people to access movies and TV shows. Before Netflix, people had to go to video rental stores to watch movies and TV shows. But when Netflix came on the scene, they shook up the industry by providing a streaming site that was much more convenient and affordable than going to a video rental store. Consequently, hundreds of video rental stores closed down because they couldn't compete with Netflix. Netflix quickly developed a distinguished reputation for themselves as one of the pioneering online entities that would usher in a new era of culture. When people discuss what sites have had the most lasting impression on modern society, the list usually includes sites like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Amazon, and, yes, Netflix. As one of the first streaming platforms to achieve mainstream success, the whole concept of a show being "binge-worthy" can be credited to Netflix. Whether in the form of high-quality syndicated content or, eventually, the extremely impressive and award-winning roster of original shows and movies that Netflix has released, this site has forever changed the way people view television and movies.

Netflix has been the standard for streaming content for a long time, so it's no surprise that most TV networks have developed their own streaming platforms in an effort to compete. Sites like Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, HBO (Go, Now, Max), CBS, and Disney Plus all have their own advantages and disadvantages, but I don't think any of them will ever be as popular as Netflix.

That being said, it can be difficult sometimes to keep up to date with what content Netflix is releasing, removing, or replacing. Netflix has a labyrinth of complex contractual agreements, especially when it comes to syndicated material. And there is nothing worse than visiting Netflix only to find out they have unexpectedly taken down your favorite comfort show. Plus, Netflix constantly works to improve upon its design and features so if you are an avid user you need a reliable source of insider information in order not to be blindsided by sudden changes.

One way to stay up-to-date on all the latest news with Netflix is to join the community on Reddit. Known as r/Netflix, this forum is full of avid film and TV fans who are always eager to discuss new releases, take down content soon, or change features on Netflix. If you want to make sure you never miss a beat when it comes to Netflix content, joining r/Netflix is an excellent way to start.

History

Marc Randolph and Reed Hastings founded Netflix on August 29th, 1997 in Scotts Valley, California. Randolph was a marketing director at Hastings' company, Pure Altria, and the two of them joined forces over a shared love of film. The dream became a reality thanks to an initial investment of $2.5 million from Hastings. Hastings reportedly admired the then-fledgling company, Amazon and his first vision for Netflix stemmed from wanting to find a large enough category of portable items to sell online. Initially, the pair toyed with the idea of simply selling VHS tapes online, but this proved to be too expensive and cumbersome. Then, they heard about the advent of DVDs and discovered that their price points were significantly lowered. This is how they came up with the idea of not selling movies on the internet, but to rent them instead. With this new plan in place, the two felt confident that they could take on the $16 billion home video sales and rental industry.

Hastings has been quoted as saying that he “decided to start Netflix after being fined $40 at a Blockbuster store for being late to return a copy of Apollo 13.” However, this story is not true. Hastings and Randolph created this story in order to explain the company’s business model and mission statement in the early days.

Netflix officially launched on April 14th, 1998, becoming the world's first online DVD rental outlet. The company started with a relatively small 30 employees and 925 available titles - almost the entirety of every DVD available at the time.

However, over the next 10 years or so, the DVD industry would gradually lose ground to digital streaming and video-on-demand services. Thus, in February of 2007, when it delivered its one billionth DVD, Netflix decided to pivot away from its rental model and pursue a video-on-demand streaming service. And by January 2013, when Netflix announced that it had added 2 million United States subscribers to its new streaming model, the service had 29.4 million total streaming customers globally.

Almost immediately upon switching to a streaming service with its own exclusive content, Netflix began production on its original films like Born Into Brothels and Sherrybaby. Today, of course, Netflix is one of the biggest film and television production studios of all time, having won numerous Oscars and other awards for its content.

The history of the Netflix subreddit is not quite as easy to track. It does look, though, as if the community has been in existence since 2008 - so, it is probably accurate to say that the subreddit was founded around the same time that Netflix began to prop itself up as a video-on-demand streaming service. Since then, r/Netflix has been steadily gaining traction. Today, the community has 447 thousand members, with around 2 thousand active members at any given time.

Content

As is the case with any subreddit, Netflix's content decisions are largely determined by its users. That said, on the whole, the subreddit is dedicated to any relevant discussion of Netflix - whether it be as a streaming service, new or upcoming features, original content, featured content, announcements of upcoming or soon to be canceled content, Netflix business news, or anything else that might be related to the platform. If you can find it on r/Netflix (and if it's relevant to the community), you're likely to see it discussed there. If not? Well then post about it yourself once you join! The mod-imposed content rules on r/Netflix forbid users from discussing VPNs, politics or social concerns, requesting account or passwords, posting screen grabs, re-posting, offering free Netflix accounts, begging for accounts, and posting spoilers of content. Other than that, users are free to discuss anything and everything related to their favorite streaming service.

Pricing and Plans

To use Reddit, of course, it is completely free. However, if you would like to upgrade to the enhanced features of Reddit Pro, then you can do so for $5.99/month. Additionally, the monthly Netflix fee will vary depending on your plan option, but is currently around $12.99/month as a single user.

Suggestions that I have for r/Netflix

I suggest that the moderators of r/Netflix take a more active role in facilitating conversation and activity. This could be done through regular polls and social activities, like Survivor, for members to partake in. By doing this, r/Netflix may become more fun and engaging for its users. Other than that, r/Netflix is a great source for news and discourse pertaining to the top streaming service on the web.