Netflix to discontinue DVD-centric Open API features

Over the past two weeks Netflix has tweaked its website’s user interface and removed community features – all in the interest of improvement, executives said. The feedback at the company’s official blog, however, has largely been critical despite claims from the streaming movie giant’s upper management that focus testing showed people approved of the changes.

Another announcement slipped under the radar this weekend: the removal of Open Application Programming Interface (API)-powered DVD features.

Daniel Jacobson, Director of Engineering at Netflix, confirmed last Friday that the company would abandon certain features “later this year.”

“We’re making some changes to the Open API program to support the Netflix focus on international streaming,” said Jacobson. “We will discontinue support for DVD-related features, degrading them through redirects or other means gracefully whenever possible.”

He added that the move “will only affect the Open APIs,” which means the DVD and Blu-ray rental system itself won’t be affected.

What does this mean for customers? “Netflix apps will no longer be allowed to perform DVD queue functions,” explained Blu-rayFreak, MyCE’s resident tech guru and admittedly frustrated Netflix subscriber. “Essentially, it’s taking away features and making apps less useful for customers.”

He points out that Netflix’s own Android app lacks DVD queue management. His current solution, the Flixster Movies app, will soon be useless; so will many others.

The company says its streaming video model will continue to boast API support, seemingly at the expense of the disc-focused cuts.

“This change clears the path for us to add new features to the API to support international catalogs and languages,” said Jacobson. “Eventually, we plan to expand our public developer community to other regions, allowing developers from around the world to build even more amazing apps and sites powered by the Netflix API.”

This greater focus on streaming has some worried.

“Why in the world would adding international streaming support have anything to do with the DVD management API,” asked commenter id on the Netflix tech blog. “I still pay the same Netflix subscription fee every month, so I don’t see why my service should be degraded so you can support new customers.”

No exact date has been set for the change. (via Home Media Magazine)