I’ll Never Ditch Netflix (And You Shouldn’t Either)

Just yesterday, I was listening to the radio and before the DJ introduced the next song, he got into a discussion about Netflix with his co-host. They were discussing the company’s streaming library and said that based on what they’ve found, it’s filled with old movies and in many cases, television shows they’ll never want to watch.

Based on that, they said, they had decided to save their $7.99 per month and end their Netflix subscriptions.

The discussion and their eventual conclusion took me by surprise. I’ll be the first to admit that Netflix could be better and I would also argue that the service’s selection of movies could be more up-to-date. But to say that the smart move because of that is to end a subscription is just plain nonsense.

The fact is, Netflix is loaded with quality content. Right now, I can launch the service to turn on “Mad Men” and “Breaking Bad” if I’m in the mood to watch some television. If I’m in a movie mode, I can sift through the nearly endless supply of quality documentaries or check out any number of film classics, including “Die Hard,” “Toy Story 3,” and a more recent favorite of mine, “The Fighter.”

Moreover, Netflix appears committed to bringing more television content to the service. The company recently inked a deal with Discovery Communications to bring content from that company’s many networks to the service. And its expanded relationship with AMC made “Breaking Bad” available to stream. (Pro tip: “The Walking Dead,” another new addition to Netflix, is one more show worth checking out on the service.) By all measure, Netflix is a television juggernaut.

Now, on the movie side, I’ll admit things could be better. And I’m a little worried that Netflix and Starz have broken off their talks to extend their content partnership past next February. But I’ve been in this place of doubt before with Netflix. And each and every time, the company finds a way to deliver programming that I want. Therefore, I’m somewhat confident that even if it loses Starz content, it can overcome that.

"At $7.99, I view it as a bargain, even though it doesn’t have every movie I want to watch"

But let’s just say that you’re someone who isn’t so enthusiastic about Netflix. Let’s say that you only like a few of the shows on the service, and every now and then you’ll turn Netflix on to watch an old movie. Although you might wish to see more, wouldn’t you agree that for just $7.99 per month, it’s worth it to keep Netflix?

The cost of Netflix is perhaps the most compelling argument I can think of to continue to subscribe to the service. If Netflix cost me $20 per month, like many, I might start to question my subscription to the service. But at $7.99, I view it as a bargain, even though it doesn’t have every movie I want to watch.

So, I won’t be ditching Netflix anytime soon. And I don’t think you should either. For as many flaws as Netflix has — and there are many — it’s still a worthwhile option for just about anyone who enjoys to be entertained in the living room or while on the road.