|
Netflix is an American streaming service.
Founded in 1997, the first incarnation of Netflix sold and rented DVDs. In 2007, it shifted its focus to on-demand streaming content. Since then, it has swelled into one of the biggest streaming platforms, and arguably being the originator of the Streaming Wars, operating in nearly two hundred countries.
Their content can be viewed via the Internet, gaming consoles and comes built-in with smart TVs.
Starting in the 2010s, Netflix began launching with their own original programming, both animated and live-action, either homegrown or hosting programs exclusively on their platform. This initially gave Netflix a reputation as a distributor of independent media but around the half-way point of the decade, their priorities were considered to have shifted from the high-quality of their exclusives to a large quantity of them.
From 2016 onwards, this attitude led to Netflix cultivating the opposite reputation that it had enjoyed in the 2010s, becoming known for their cancellation of high-quality programs after one or two seasons while... less well-received ones become Long Runners. While there are a number of factors to consider in cancelling shows, by the 2020s, a popular sentiment was that if Netflix cancels your favorite show after only a few seasons, it's a testament to that show's artistic beauty and high quality.
- Digital Distribution: The Client-Server model.
- They also hold the pay cable rights to Dreamworks Animation, Relativity Media, Film District and Open Road titles.
- Invisible Advertising: A common complaint about Netflix originals and is generally thought to be a reason why so many of their shows get cancelled. It's all well good for critics to rave about a show, but if the audience doesn't know it exists, it's no surprise that the plug will be pulled.
- Live Action Adaptation: They enjoy doing these, having remade Avatar: The Last Airbender, Cowboy Bebop and One Piece.
- No Export for You:
- Because of licensing concerns, Netflix offers streamed content worldwide, but because of their method of distribution, they only offered DVD subscriptions to U.S. residents, and the streaming libraries available to residents outside of the US are much different than the one within it.
- Netflix is not available in the People's Republic of China, Iran, Syria and North Korea. In case of Iran and Syria, this is due to the sanctions imposed by the States. In case of North Korea, this is because the country bans nearly anything foreign.
- Following Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Netflix is now no longer available in Russia.
- Offer Void in Nebraska: A variation: Some episodes of shows and special non-episode DVD releases were only available on DVD. These episodes were typically grouped by disc, but some episodes were available for streaming while other episodes on the disc are DVD-only.
- Take Our Word for It: Netflix is infamously protective of its viewing figures. If they say a show did poorly, we really have no choice but to accept that.
- Too Dumb to Live: They, for some reason, didn't realize that hiking up their prices by 60% would mean pretty much half their customers would leave.
- Thirty-Day Free Trial: Netflix offers free trials of various lengths, mostly thirty days.
- Vanilla Edition: Some of Netflix's DVDs and all of their streamed movies and shows omit special features. Bonus Discs are not included with shipped DVDs. Most original productions have multiple audio tracks/subtitles, while third-party series just have English and maybe one other language.