Money may not be the only reason for defectors--choice may have also played a role. By forcing many of its members to choose between streaming and DVD services, Netflix limited the choices, and less choice never sells well. Plus, Starz recently decided with the service, giving consumers even less choice.

Add the problem of fleeing members to Netflix's other issues--rapidly accelerating cost of content, , and competition from companies with substantial resources (such as Amazon and Apple), and you might wonder if Netflix picked the best time to piss off its subscriber base.

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