Following Netflix Announcement, a Renewed Interest in its Rival

Netflix is splitting itself in two. The streaming business will still be called Netflix. The DVD-by-mail business, which many feel is on the way out, will henceforth be known as "Qwikster."

The name may invoke images of off-brand convenience stores, but Netflix co-founder and big boss Reed Hastings is serious. The changes will go into effect within a couple of weeks. While on the surface this might not seem like a huge deal, a closer look reveals that this could have a negative effect for consumers.

Because the two companies are being split, customers will no longer have a one-stop shop for their movie browsing. As Henry Blodget explains, one of the great appeals of the current site is that a customer can see if a movie or TV show is available to stream. If it isn't, they can put it in the DVD queue. No muss, no fuss.

Those days are coming to an end. Soon users who subscribe to both services will have to check two different sites. Not the end of the world, we know, but it can be argued that Netflix is shooting itself in the foot by making their service less convenient for their customers who are still smarting over a recent price hike.

Web searchers have certainly noticed. Many are exploring their options. In just a few hours, online lookups for Netflix rival "blockbuster" jumped 66%. Related searches for "blockbuster vs. netflix" surged 152%. Whether this will  translate into customers coming back to Blockbuster remains to be seen. But it does indicate that Netflix users aren't taking the changes lying down.