Removing “Add to DVD Queue” from Streaming Devices
Hi there, it's Jamie Odell, director of product management at Netflix, with an update for members who add DVDs to their Queue from the device they use to watch instantly. We're removing the “Add to DVD Queue” option from streaming devices.
Context & Ripple Effects
This move lands mid-arc in Netflix's deliberate pivot away from discs. NewTeeVee framed the company's future as streaming back in May 2010, and by early December 2010 Netflix had introduced a streaming-only subscription plan, signed FilmDistrict for first-run films, refreshed the PS3 experience, and shipped an iOS app for iPhone and iPad.
With that groundwork laid, director of product management Jamie Odell's announcement strips 'Add to DVD Queue' off streaming devices themselves — a small interface change that reads as another wedge between the two businesses. paidContent's pickup framed the subscriber reaction bluntly, calling it a move that enraged customers.
First-order effects
- Members who managed both discs and instant watching from a set-top box or TV now have to keep their DVD queue on netflix.com, adding friction exactly where Netflix's own blog post acknowledges heavy usage.
Second-order effects
- Removing disc management from devices pushes hybrid-plan subscribers toward the streaming-only tier Netflix launched the prior week, while device partners like Sony get a cleaner streaming-only interface at the cost of a feature some households relied on daily.
Third-order effects
- If each interface change keeps peeling disc functionality out of the streaming experience, the two businesses separate operationally long before any corporate split — physical-disc logistics become a web-only appendage rather than part of the core product.
The trend: Netflix is methodically dismantling the hybrid DVD-plus-streaming experience device by device, making streaming the default product and discs a declining add-on.