Netflix CEO Reed Hastings' CES 2016 keynote | CNET
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Netflix CEO Reed Hastings' CES 2016 keynote

The streaming video service's chief talks about what Netflix has in store for the coming year.

  • Richard Trenholm 1/6/2016 5:06:34 PM
    Hastings mentions the shows Netflix is producing in different countries. Netflix is looking to a global market with its first non-US projects: We've already seen Spanish-language shows from the streaming service, and they will soon be joined by new shows produced in Italy, France and the UK.
  • Richard Nieva 1/6/2016 5:07:03 PM
    "The Internet allows us to constantly experiment and improve. To always get better," he says.
  • Richard Nieva 1/6/2016 5:07:47 PM
    Netflix was the first to put up all episodes of a series at once. "To start the binge era," he says.
  • Richard Nieva 1/6/2016 5:08:28 PM
    He's delving into the technical part of encoding and caching. The goal is to get the content to you as fast as they can, he says.
  • Richard Nieva 1/6/2016 5:09:48 PM
    There are remote controls in over 70 countries that have a "Netflix" button.
  • Richard Nieva 1/6/2016 5:10:03 PM
    My remote at home actually has one.
  • Richard Nieva 1/6/2016 5:10:51 PM
    He's touting the partnership Netflix has with Virgin America so people can watch while on a flight.
  • Richard Nieva 1/6/2016 5:11:14 PM
    "We also seek to find the right series or movies to put in front of you at the right time."
  • Richard Nieva 1/6/2016 5:11:53 PM
    Every year they do hundreds of A/B tests to improve the discovery service.
  • Richard Nieva 1/6/2016 5:12:33 PM
    Two years ago at CES, the company introduced 4K streaming.
  • Richard Trenholm 1/6/2016 5:12:39 PM
    Hastings describes how Netflix tracks why you watch to figure out what you might want to watch later. Not only does the service track what you watch, but also how long you watch for and whether you come back to something you stopped watching.
  • Richard Nieva 1/6/2016 5:13:09 PM
    Netflix has over 1,000 engineers trying to make the product better, he says.
  • Richard Nieva 1/6/2016 5:13:26 PM
    Now we're watching a video of what's coming soon.
  • Richard Nieva 1/6/2016 5:14:01 PM
    There are clips of "The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt" and "Master of None."
  • Richard Nieva 1/6/2016 5:15:01 PM
    To be clear, the video is more of a recap of what the company has shown this season. No new scenes.
  • Richard Trenholm 1/6/2016 5:15:13 PM
    2015 was a banner year for original content produced by Neflix and rival streaming services. Netflix originally led the way with "House of Cards" and last year launched new shows including "Master of None" and "Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt", as well as "Daredevil" and "Jessica Jones" from the pages of Marvel comics.
  • Richard Trenholm 1/6/2016 5:15:29 PM
    Netflix has also started producing and distributing feature films including "Beasts of No Nation" and signing up stars like Brad Pitt, Ricky Gervais and Adam Sandler.
  • Richard Trenholm 1/6/2016 5:15:44 PM
    Other services have followed Netflix's example with original content to help them stand out and win customers. Amazon Video has scored hits with "Transparent" and "The Man in the High Castle" and has stars including Woody Allen and Spike Lee making original films and TV shows exclusively for Amazon.
  • Richard Nieva 1/6/2016 5:16:34 PM
    now onstage is Ted Sarandos, chief content officer.
  • Richard Trenholm 1/6/2016 5:16:36 PM
    Meet the Hollywood and international stars making movies and TV shows for streaming services.
  • Richard Nieva 1/6/2016 5:17:21 PM
    He's touting how disruptive Netflix has been with binge viewing. "The technology is there. It's the business models that stand in the way."
  • Richard Nieva 1/6/2016 5:18:01 PM
    He's talking about giving filmmakers and creators creative freedom
  • Richard Nieva 1/6/2016 5:18:33 PM
    Later this year, "The Crown" will premiere about young Queen Elizabeth.
  • Richard Nieva 1/6/2016 5:18:44 PM
    We're getting a sneak peek now.
  • James Martin 1/6/2016 5:19:00 PM
  • James Martin 1/6/2016 5:19:09 PM
  • Richard Nieva 1/6/2016 5:19:42 PM
    It stars Claire Foy as Elizabeth and is set in 1953 England.
  • James Martin 1/6/2016 5:19:42 PM
  • Richard Trenholm 1/6/2016 5:21:14 PM
    "The Crown" is written by Peter Morgan, the writer of "Frost/Nixon" and "Rush". It also stars "Doctor Who" star Matt Smith as Prince Philip and John Lithgow as Winston Churchill.
  • Richard Trenholm 1/6/2016 5:22:15 PM
    Of course the first Netflix series from the UK is about the royal family because that's all that happens in Britain.
  • Richard Nieva 1/6/2016 5:23:50 PM
    "That clip would lead you to believe we're PBS or the BBC," Sarandos jokes.
  • Richard Nieva 1/6/2016 5:24:46 PM
    He says the streaming model allows Netflix to take more risks that other media companies. His analogy: They can create books, not chapters.
  • Richard Nieva 1/6/2016 5:25:15 PM
    Now he's talking about streaming original movies.
  • Richard Nieva 1/6/2016 5:25:30 PM
    "To be clear, we're not anti-theater. We're just pro-movies."
  • Richard Nieva 1/6/2016 5:26:19 PM
    He says the Netflix model can help to curb piracy.
  • Richard Trenholm 1/6/2016 5:27:11 PM
    While "Beasts of No Nation" with Idris Elba was a powerful first original movie for Netflix, it was quickly followed by the misfire "The Ridiculous Six", a cringingly unfunny western starring Adam Sandler.
  • Richard Nieva 1/6/2016 5:28:05 PM
    He's introducing a new series by Baz Lurhmann called "The Get Down," about the birth of disco and hip hop in New York City.
  • Richard Nieva 1/6/2016 5:28:13 PM
    We're watching a preview now.
  • Richard Trenholm 1/6/2016 5:29:58 PM
    "The Get Down" looks like a lavish recreation of 1970s NY, from Luhrmann and Shawn Ryan. It stars Jimmy Smits alongside a cast of youngsters including Justice Smith, Herizen Guardiola and Shameik Moore.
  • Richard Trenholm 1/6/2016 5:30:38 PM
    The show also stars Jaden Smith, who is the son of actor Will Smith and a social media philosopher.
  • Richard Nieva 1/6/2016 5:31:32 PM
    They just brought out five folding directors chairs. Looks like we'll be seeing a panel next.
  • Richard Nieva 1/6/2016 5:32:02 PM
    He's bringing out Chelsea Handler.
  • Richard Nieva 1/6/2016 5:32:27 PM
    She's the star of a new documentary series on Netflix called "Chelsea Does."
  • Richard Nieva 1/6/2016 5:33:02 PM
    It explores the topics of racism, marriage, Silicon Valley and drugs, she says.
  • Richard Nieva 1/6/2016 5:33:17 PM
    "They paid me to do drugs!" she says, laughing.
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