Early images of Netflix.com show how far it has come in 20 years

Re:Early images of Netflix.com show how far it has come in 2... by derefr on Saturday April 14, 2018 @03:39PM (#16839032)

I don't think their recommendation engine is working any less well; they've just made a higher-level strategic change in what it's trying to recommend.

Netflix used to want to give people the "perfect movie for them", expecting that eventually they would run out of perfect movies, and move onto just "pretty well-fit movies", and then run out of those too, and probably unsubscribe at that point.

Nowadays, Netflix seem to want to keep people subscribing by making them feel like they have a chance of finding the "perfect movie for them", but only after Netflix has recommended a bunch of those "pretty well-fit" and even some "not-so-well-fit" movies. This is "better" (from Netflix's perspective) for two reasons:

1. it gives people the impression that Netflix's library still has plenty of "perfect" movies to offer them (by stretching them out);

2. it gives variable-scheduled rewards, rather than constant rewards, making people more addicted.

I'm betting the new algorithm works much better at keeping people subscribed, despite seeming to work worse. Netflix is a very data-driven company, and wouldn't have switched to an algorithm that could be observed to hurt.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Early images of Netflix.com show how far it has come in 2... by Rebelgecko on Saturday April 14, 2018 @04:54PM (#16839444)

I think that can backfire. For a while, my "Top Pick For You" was the Emoji Movie. That just makes me assume that I've ran out of good (or even mediocre) things to watch on Netflix.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Early images of Netflix.com show how far it has come in 2... by paxys on Saturday April 14, 2018 @04:28PM (#16839302)

Add in the fact that their definition of perfect is evolving from "content people will like" to "content made by Netflix".

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Early images of Netflix.com show how far it has come in 2... by hsljekskfh on Saturday April 14, 2018 @05:07PM (#16839506)

i think a simpler explanation is that they believe binge-watching long shows leads to better retention (they’ve said this) and as a result changed their algorithm to prioritize items which people keep watching, not items which people will rate highly.

Netflix basically wants to be a black box where people enter and are entertained for two hours a day forever. mind-expanding or emotionally affecting movies don’t really do that.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:Early images of Netflix.com show how far it has come in 2... by goldenkey on Saturday April 14, 2018 @06:04PM (#16839804)

I have to second this. I used to watch some really "mindfucked" movies on Netflix. I think I watched The Cube, The Zero Theorem, and Brazil, partly because Netflix had recommended them to me. Now? Those movies don't even show up in the entire recommendation list. In fact, most of what shows up is series I know I won't like. I still subscribe but it's a letdown how the recommendation system incentives have changed.

[ Parent | on HN ]