Netflix in SA: be careful what you wish for

Compton_effect said:
But I already have Netflix. Why would I want a South African version?
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Comments like these.... *sigh*

For a moment there try to imagine that there are people out there not interested (or clued up enough) in using UnoTelly and fiddling with their router or app DNS settings.
 
The main benefits of Netflix in South Africa are that they increase the local competition and they move us a step closer to more realistic global content licensing models.
 
It all sounds very nice and dang exciting.
But, as someone who has lived here all his life, I know only too well that poor old SA will get a watered-down version of what the US people get. Multichoice is remaining silent now, they are planning their counter move on the chessboard.
 
Compton_effect said:
But I already have Netflix. Why would I want a South African version?
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And here is starts. People being called pirates and immoral for choosing a different version than the one they're offered.
 
The advantage of having ZA netflix would be that you don't have to jump through hoops with entropay/US paypal just to sign up. You can easily get your ZA account. Once you have your account you'd just then need to use Hola, VPN, Proxy, DNS etc. to get the US content even from your ZA account. It would make life so much easier.
 
All indications are that Netflix wants to launch in South Africa (and everywhere else), but would you really stop using the US version?
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No, nor would I stop accessing the UK/Netherlands/Mexico/Brazil/etc ones either. Just because the US one is larger than the UK one that does not mean it shares all the same content. Netflix SA would be a convenient foot in the door.
 
BlaQ_PhoeniX said:
The advantage of having ZA netflix would be that you don't have to jump through hoops with entropay/US paypal just to sign up. You can easily get your ZA account. Once you have your account you'd just then need to use Hola, VPN, Proxy, DNS etc. to get the US content even from your ZA account. It would make life so much easier.
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I pay with my FNB credit card, no problem... Have never had to jump through hoops
 
minerva said:
I pay with my FNB credit card, no problem... Have never had to jump through hoops
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Me too. I've already hooked up several family members with Netflix and Unotelly, no problem whatsoever. They all use their South African credit cards. They've all cancelled their DSTV subscriptions too which gives me great pleasure.
 
I can just imagine how Mweb are going to shape Netflix streaming...
 
Isn't Mweb owned by IS now, or did that not happen yet?
 
Netflix could easily block Unotelly if they really wanted to. The fact that they don't and turn a blind eye to it says volumes about how they feel about geographical restrictions.
 
It is not about the limited content library. It is about offering a viable alternative to the incumbent (MC). I have said this in another thread as well: people forget about the presence Netflix has on other platforms. They have mature apps for PlayStation, XBOX, Apple TV, Roku and Smart TV's, something the current streaming providers, including MC, do not have.
 
don't even need Unotelly or VPN etc (at least if u use a laptop or old pc for viewing/streaming to tv)... just add the mediahint plugin on chrome, and it works to allow NF, even on Ubuntu linux.
you get a 7 day trial, and after 7 days it expires, afterwhich you can subscribe to use additional of their services, or if you don't it still works to access NF or Hulu etc. u just have a reminder screen when u open chrome... but its still free, if you can live with that nagsceen tab on chrome.

still as said by many others, having Netflix come to SA will still be positive, even with a watered down catalogue as expected. it will still offer more viewing content than SABC 1234 and e, and give some much needed competition to local offerings.

lets just hope the anc and icasa doesnt screw it up, like they have the tendancy to do
 
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So many clever people in the big studios yet they can't figure out that the only thing that will work is the complete offering
 
BlaQ_PhoeniX said:
The advantage of having ZA netflix would be that you don't have to jump through hoops with entropay/US paypal just to sign up. You can easily get your ZA account. Once you have your account you'd just then need to use Hola, VPN, Proxy, DNS etc. to get the US content even from your ZA account. It would make life so much easier.
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There is one possible catch though.
If you create a ZA Netflix account there is nothing stopping Netflix from offering you the ZA catalogue regardless of where your IP address originates because they'll know that the account is a South African one and not a US account.
 
Paul_S said:
There is one possible catch though.
If you create a ZA Netflix account there is nothing stopping Netflix from offering you the ZA catalogue regardless of where your IP address originates because they'll know that the account is a South African one and not a US account.
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Strange that with unotelly, I can see the catalogue from any country I choose, regardless of where my account was created. :p
You see, it's entirely possible that, for example, a USA subscriber travels to Germany on business for a couple of weeks.
Should he see USA content (streamed into an unlicensed region) or German content...?
So, their model would break if they locked you to the region in which you registered.
 
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