Team Netflix! Still!

OK, I understand why Netflix putting out bad quarterly numbers and forecasts would be anathema to Wall Street. But remind me again why should I be mad at them as a customer?

I judge everything Netflix does relative to the competiton, especially the cable companies. By that standard, even with the admittedly ham-handed price increase a little while back, Netflix is still way ahead of the game.

For me, as someone who’s not a true hard-core TV watcher or movie buff, my streaming-only Netflix sub is still a prime example of a “good enough” product at a reasonable price. I can find a good program to watch now and then without subsidizing 95% of a package of channels that I’ll never actually watch. I also don’t have to install a poorly designed set-top box that serves no purpose but to lock down my TV and screw up its usability in the process, and on and on. (The Netflix sub is also cheaper than paying for content on an a la carte basis through iTunes.)

Yes, Netflix has made some mistakes. They have their work cut out for them in making up for that strategically. But as a user, if I have to choose who I want to win between Netflix and its nearest competitors, it’s not even close.