The Netflix Effect: Technology and Entertainment in the 21st Century

by Kevin McDonald (Editor), Daniel Smith-Rowsey (Editor)

Netflix is the definitive media company of the 21st century. It was among the first to parlay new Internet technologies into a successful business model, and in the process it changed how consumers access film and television. It is now one of the leading providers of digitally delivered media content and is continually expanding access across a host of platforms and mobile devices. Despite its transformative role, however, Netflix has drawn very little critical attention-far less than competitors such as YouTube, Apple, Amazon, Comcast, and HBO.

This collection addresses this gap, as the essays are designed to critically explore the breadth and diversity of Netflix's effect from a variety of different scholarly perspectives, a necessary approach considering the hybrid nature of Netflix; its inextricable links to new models of media production and distribution, to new modes of viewer engagement and consumer behavior, its relationship to existing media conglomerates and consumer electronics, to its capabilities as a web-based service provider and data network, and to its reliance on a broader technological infrastructure. Marking the first scholarly work to address its significance, The Netflix Effect provides a critical framework for understanding the company's specific strategies as well as its broader social, economic, and cultural impact.

Genres: Nonfiction

268 pages, Hardcover

Published August 11, 2016

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Kevin McDonald teaches in the Communications Department at California State University, Northridge, USA. His research focuses on film theory, contemporary Hollywood, and media industries. His work has appeared in Jump-Cut, Velvet Light Trap and Alphaville.

Reviews

[Go Roku · Rating 4 out of 5]

Over the past decade, Ranging from politics, economics and technology streaming services such as Netflix has transformed from small shows to big broadcasts. This book explains briefly the Netflix’s effects on current media agendas and how it trended to spotlight. The chapters in this collection contribute about how the changes have been taken place in screen culture. With the wide range of collections on Roku now The Netflix Effect: Technology and Entertainment in the 21st Century is available in Roku Channel Store.

[Liisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This had a great natural flow between the chapters; the different themes were organized very well! An interesting read about the rise of Netflix, even though the streaming landscape has obviously changed a lot in the past 10 years.