By Lee Pfeiffer
Netflix seems to be King of the Hill lately. The company has redefined how the public watches television and has pioneered the "on demand" format into an international habit. It has produced Emmy-winning hit series and has a fanatically loyal customer base. However, Netflix is also embroiled in a bitter battle with cable companies that provide the vital streaming services needed to access its programming. The cable companies are complaining that Netflix eats up so much bandwith, they should share in the cost of providing the technology. Netflix argues that it bares no such responsibility. Consequently, some cable companies have been stifling Netflix' ability to provide adequate speed for its service, leaving some customers frustrated when their favorite Netflix shows encounter slow download speeds. Netflix has responded by posting snarky comments on screens blaming the cable companies. All of this in an indication that cable companies feel threatened by the Netflix surge. They fear that cable customer's habits are radically being driven toward "on demand" entertainment and could threaten the basic cable business plan of selling programs in expensive "bundles" to customers who have to purchase many channels they don't want in order to access the few they do want. For a Washington Post story about this war of titans, click here.