Netflix and Informational Science
By: Casey Borchick
December 2010
A Little History of Netflixs
• In 1997 NetFlix.com,
Inc. is formed in
California by Reed
Hastings and Marc
Randolph.
• The company begins
offering DVD rentals
and sales in 1998.
• The option for monthly
subscriptions came
about in 1999.
History Continued…
• 2001 was when the company goes public and
changes its name to Netflix, Inc.
• By the end of 2002 Netflixs had over one
million subscribers.
• In 2003 Netflix obtained a patent that covered
many basic features of the company model.
– the way customers set up their queue of movies
and the technology that finds personalized movie
suggestions based on customer ratings.
How Netflixs Works
• For $7.99 a month you can immediately watch
TV shows and movies on your TV, computers,
Xbox’s and other systems.
• The more well known version of this is when
the DVD’s are sent via mail, this only costs two
extra dollars.
• You can cancel your subscription for free.
The Selection of Movies and T.V.
Shows
• New movies, classics,
animated, black and
white and any other
type of movie you could
think of, they have.
• Over a thousand T.V.
shows to be watched at
any point.
• There are many more
DVD’s then there are
movies/T.V. shows
Netflixs Vs. The Leading Competetor:
Why It’s Better
• Netflixs has NO late fees or cancellation fees,
while competetors like block buster would charge
their customers obsene amounts for being late.
• There is a greater movie collection, therefore
there is a greater chance of an odd movie being
in Netflix, while competetors are constantly
rotating their stock and only keeping the newest
and most popular movies on their shelves.
How to Download a Movie Onto Your
Computer
• The first step is to subscribe to
the Netflix.
• Secondly, open up the program
and make sure it will stream to
the proper outlet. Whether that’s
your computer or your TV.
• Check the specifications of your
computer to ensure compatibility
with Netflix.
– Windows systems must have
Windows XP with Service Pack 2,
Vista or Windows 7, Internet
Explorer 6.0 or higher or Firefox 2
or higher, 1.2 GHz processor and
512 MB RAM. Mac computers
must have an Intel-based Mac with
OS 10.4.8 or later, Safari 3 or higher
or Firefox 2 or higher and 1 GB
RAM.
Downloading Netflixs
Continued…
• Then go to the actual site and to watch a
movie, you click the WATCH INSTANTLY button
and you’ll be able to choose a movie. Now you
are able to watch a movie. :]
• You can also add movies to your “Instant
Queue,” which is like a favorites list. It is
available whenever you want it from now on.
Databases in Netflixs
• The definition of a
database is:
– is a collection of data for
one or more multiple
uses. One way of
classifying databases
involves the type of
content, for example:
bibliographic, full-text,
numeric, image.
Databases Continued….
• Databases organize the movies and help the
subscribers find the item the want much more
easily.
• On netflixs, they organize the movies into
genres, actors, and movie titles/T.V. show
titles.
• Once you click on the grouping, you get a list
that is more broken down and specific.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
• http://www.ehow.com/how_6071647_download-netflixinstant-play-movies.html
• http://www.fundinguniverse.com/company-histories/NetflixInc-Company-History.html
• http://www.ehow.com/facts_5489980_netflix-companyhistory.html
• https://www.netflix.com/