The Netflix / Qwikster split is one of those business changes that, for whatever reason, fascinates me. I truly believe there is more going on than what people initially react to. There's some good reading out there regarding the subject and I suggest looking into it a bit more.

• Did Netflix Screw Up? I don't think so. - from Marc Randolph, who helped start the company but has since departed. He tells a prior tale of having to change course mid-stream and how it upset customers.. on a much smaller scale. via Jed.
• What’s Really Behind The Netflix/Qwikster Split? - great writeup on why the split had to happen from the Netflix perspective; it's a cost effective way to avoid bullying from the content providers wanting payment for potential service use (i.e. someone has streaming built into their account, doesn't use it but Netflix still has to pay the licensing fee for them).

My question is, what are the benefits / detriments of treating streaming movies like radio plays? Every time a particular percentage of a movie is streamed, a license fee is owed for the viewing? Maybe I'm underthinking it but it seems like the flat fee system is shortsighted.