After 25 years, Netflix will end its DVD-by-mail service
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Diehard fans of Netflix's DVD-by-mail service are heartbroken over the announced cancellation of the service.
MICHEL MARTIN, HOST:
After 25 years, Netflix is winding down its business of mailing DVDs to subscribers. Now, maybe that's a no-brainer in this digital age, but not to everybody. Here's NPR's Mandalit del Barco.
MANDALIT DEL BARCO, BYLINE: Before it was a $150 billion streaming service, Netflix was strictly a DVD-by-mail operation created by two Silicon Valley entrepreneurs, Marc Randolph and Reed Hastings. The idea was to use the internet - the net - to rent out movies - flicks - to subscribers.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
MARC RANDOLPH: (Reading) Neither of us had ever actually seen a DVD.
DEL BARCO: In the audiobook of his memoir, "That Will Never Work," Randolph says, before 1997, no one outside of Japan owned a DVD player. There were laser discs, VHS tapes and Betamax. Randolph and Hastings had a hunch DVDs could be the next big thing, and they could ship them to customers by snail mail.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
RANDOLPH: (Reading) Let's just try it. Mail a CD to your place. If it breaks, it breaks.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "CRAZY")
PATSY CLINE: (Singing) Crazy.
DEL BARCO: So Randolph went out and bought a CD of Patsy Cline's greatest hits and a pink greeting card envelope. He mailed it with a 32-cent stamp to Hastings' house, and it arrived the next morning undamaged. Fast forward to April 14, 1998.
(SOUNDBITE OF FILM, "BEETLEJUICE")
MICHAEL KEATON: (As Beetlejuice, laughter).
DEL BARCO: Netflix shipped its first DVD movie, "Beetlejuice."
(SOUNDBITE OF FILM, "BEETLEJUICE")
KEATON: (As Beetlejuice) It's showtime.
DEL BARCO: Since then, the company has shipped 5.2 billion discs by mail and now-iconic red envelopes - not pink - to 40 million subscribers. But now, as the DVD and Blu-ray disc business wanes, CEO Ted Sarandos announced the service will end on September 29, a real bummer for holdouts like 71-year-old Claire Ryan (ph) in Memphis.
CLAIRE RYAN: Wow. That's the end of an era - you know, how space age we thought that was when we had our subscription initially.
DEL BARCO: Ryan says since 2006, she and her wife have rented 418 films from Netflix. There are hundreds more on their queue - old black-and-white movies, documentaries, foreign films, and especially classic Christmas pictures.
RYAN: There are many movies that you can't stream on Netflix. You can only see them on DVD.
DEL BARCO: Some loyal subscribers say they can't afford streaming services or they live in rural areas without broadband. Ryan says she and her wife still have a VCR, a Blu-ray and a DVD player, and they plan to order Netflix DVDs to the end.
RYAN: DVDs are really dinosaurs. It's like - never seeing one of those in my mailbox again is going to be really weird.
DEL BARCO: There's a petition to keep the service going, and kiosk business Redbox reportedly even offered to take it over, but it seems that soon the last of those DVDs and red envelopes will be extinct.
Mandalit del Barco, NPR News.
(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)
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As an enthusiast deeply entrenched in the realm of media streaming, home entertainment technologies, and the evolution of content delivery services, I can provide valuable insights into the article about Netflix's decision to end its DVD-by-mail service after 25 years. My expertise is grounded in a comprehensive understanding of the historical context, technological shifts, and industry dynamics that have shaped the trajectory of Netflix from a DVD-by-mail pioneer to a global streaming giant.
The article highlights Netflix's origins as a DVD-by-mail operation, tracing its inception back to 1998 when it shipped its first DVD movie, "Beetlejuice." The founders, Marc Randolph and Reed Hastings, demonstrated foresight by recognizing the potential of DVDs and leveraging the internet to distribute them via mail. This innovative approach allowed Netflix to dispatch DVDs to subscribers in the iconic red envelopes, a symbol that became synonymous with its DVD rental service.
Over the years, Netflix shipped an astonishing 5.2 billion discs to 40 million subscribers, establishing itself as a prominent player in the DVD and Blu-ray disc rental business. However, the article notes the declining popularity of physical media, such as DVDs and Blu-rays, as streaming services dominate the entertainment landscape. Netflix's CEO, Ted Sarandos, announced the decision to terminate the DVD-by-mail service on September 29, marking the end of an era for long-time subscribers.
The narrative introduces the perspective of loyal DVD-by-mail subscribers like Claire Ryan, who expresses nostalgia for the service and emphasizes the uniqueness of DVDs, especially for accessing content not available through streaming platforms. Ryan's sentiment reflects the challenges faced by some subscribers, such as those who can't afford streaming services or live in rural areas with limited broadband access.
Despite efforts, such as a petition to keep the service going and a reported offer from Redbox to take over the DVD-by-mail business, the article suggests that the demise of this service is inevitable. The impending discontinuation of the DVD-by-mail service raises questions about the evolving landscape of home entertainment, the impact of technological advancements, and the changing preferences of consumers.
In summary, my expertise allows me to contextualize the significance of Netflix's decision within the broader trends of media consumption, technological evolution, and the ongoing shift towards digital streaming platforms.
