Netflix, 3DTV Among Oprah’s ‘Favorite Things’ in 2010

22 Nov, 2010 By: Erik Gruenwedel

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Oprah Winfrey on her nationally syndicated television talk show listed Netflix and 3DTV among her annual list of “ultimate favorite things” in 2010.

Winfrey is considered one of the most influential media personalities globally and can literally turn books, devices and people introduced on her show into bestsellers and overnight sensations.

Studio audience members Nov. 19 and 22 received myriad free gifts on the two-part show, including five-year subscriptions to Netflix and 3D active-shudder glasses to accompany new Sony Bravia 3DTVs and 3D Blu-ray players.

Winfrey not only lauded the service on the Nov. 19 show —three days prior to Netflix’s announcement of a streaming-only service in the United States — but she devoted significant time explaining the intricacies of streaming entertainment from the Web to the television.

“Did you know you can watch 20,000 movies and TV shows instantly by streaming them straight to your computer or television … Did you know that? … Where have you all been, it’s true, thanks to Netflix,” Winfrey said.

Analyst Richard Greenfield with BTIG Research in New York said the fact a world famous media personality is talking about the virtues of streaming marks another nail in the coffin for packaged media sellthrough.

“While physical/packaged media may not be disappearing anytime soon, the concept of buying is certainly disappearing thanks to Netflix, Redbox, and [transactional] video-on-demand,” Greenfield wrote in a prior to Netflix’s announcement of a streaming service.

The analyst reiterated that Netflix’s business model is predicated on reducing the “time value” of content and supplanting it with lower-cost, subscriber-specific catalog fare.

“New Netflix subscribers significantly reduce their DVD purchasing, in turn, continued subscriber growth at Netflix will only add more pressure to overall consumer spending on home entertainment,” Greenfield wrote.

Netflix spokesperson Steve Swasey would only say that the service is one of Oprah’s favorite things and “that’s it.”
 

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