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Netflix is turning into YouTube

The Vergecast

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Netflix makes shows. And movies. And podcasts. And games. And… YouTube videos, apparently. So what even is Netflix anymore? Nilay and David have ideas. After that, they talk about Meta’s ongoing smart glasses mess, and whether Meta or anyone can make these devices work. Finally, it's time for Brendan Carr, RAMageddon, the state of X, and a dumb TV mystery. Further reading: * Bloomberg: ⁠Netflix Viewers Are Abandoning Shows After One Season⁠ [https://www.bloomberg.com/news/newsletters/2026-07-05/netflix-viewers-are-abandoning-shows-after-one-season] * ⁠Of course viewers are giving up on Netflix shows ⁠ [https://www.theverge.com/entertainment/962382/netflix-season-two-viewrship-dropoff-beef-avatar-one-piece-tiktok] * ⁠Netflix is about to host videos from BuzzFeed, Condé Nast, and other publishers⁠ [https://www.theverge.com/streaming/962528/netflix-digital-media-brands-streaming] * ⁠Netflix Bets on Short Videos to Compete With YouTube - Business Insider⁠ [https://www.businessinsider.com/netflix-short-form-video-licensing-deal-partnership-video-podcasts-youtube-2026-7] * ⁠Netflix's video podcast engagement numbers 'are low,' per insider⁠ [https://awfulannouncing.com/netflix/video-podcast-engagement-numbers-are-low-matthew-belloni.html] * ⁠Emmy Nominations List 2026: BEEF, The Diplomat, The Beast in Me, Black Rabbit, and More - Netflix Tudum⁠ [https://www.netflix.com/tudum/features/emmy-nominations-2026] * ⁠If Microsoft sold off Xbox, who would even buy it?⁠ [https://www.theverge.com/games/962837/microsoft-xbox-spin-off-sell-divest-layoffs-asha-sharma] * ⁠Meta is reportedly working on smart glasses that would be recording all the time ⁠ [https://www.theverge.com/tech/963138/meta-smart-glasses-recording-super-sensing-ai] * ⁠Meta’s glasses will turn off the camera if you tamper with the privacy light ⁠ [https://www.theverge.com/gadgets/962514/meta-privacy-light-tampering-smart-glasses-update] * ⁠Solos debuts an even lighter version of its camera-less smart glasses ⁠ [https://www.theverge.com/tech/961711/solos-airgo-a6-smart-glasses-ai-assistant-privacy] * ⁠Boz describes how Meta’s smart glasses facial recognition feature would work. ⁠ [https://www.theverge.com/tech/963057/meta-smart-glasses-facial-recognition-andrew-bosworth] * ⁠Another verdict on camera glasses in court: nope! ⁠ [https://www.theverge.com/tech/962478/another-verdict-on-camera-glasses-in-court-nope] * ⁠ABC tells the government to get out of its newsrooms⁠ [https://www.theverge.com/policy/962342/abc-fcc-the-view-free-speech] * ⁠Meta’s new Muse Image model can pull other Instagram users into AI photos ⁠ [https://www.theverge.com/tech/962485/meta-muse-image-ai-model-instagram] * ⁠You can (and should) opt out of letting people use your Instagram posts with Meta’s AI.⁠ [https://www.theverge.com/ai-artificial-intelligence/962998/you-can-and-should-opt-out-of-letting-people-use-your-instagram-posts-with-metas-ai] * ⁠Are you ready for what it takes to stop ghost guns?⁠ [https://www.theverge.com/tech/960802/3d-printed-gun-laws-ghost-guns] * ⁠Vizio accidentally made the best dumb TV on the market⁠ [https://www.theverge.com/tech/960916/vizio-mini-led-quantum-tv-review] * ⁠PC shipments fell for the first time in over two years thanks to RAMageddon. ⁠ [https://www.theverge.com/business/963069/pc-shipments-fell-for-the-first-time-in-over-two-years-thanks-to-ramageddon] * ⁠A tough chart about the RAM crisis. ⁠ [https://www.theverge.com/gadgets/962359/a-tough-chart-about-the-ram-crisis] ⁠Subscribe to The Verge⁠ [https://www.theverge.com/subscribe] for unlimited access to ⁠theverge.com⁠ [http://theverge.com/], subscriber-exclusive newsletters, and our ⁠ad-free podcast feed⁠ [https://www.theverge.com/bulletin/795051/verge-podcast-ad-free-set-up-how-to].We love hearing from you! Email your questions and thoughts to ⁠vergecast@theverge.com⁠ [vergecast@theverge.com] or call us at 866-VERGE11. (Timestamps are approximate.) 00:01:00 Intro 00:04:00 Netflix Identity Crisis 00:08:00 Creators Versus Netflix 00:15:00 Netflix Buys YouTube Videos 00:18:00 Go90 Scale Check In 00:19:00 Netflix Should Buy Xbox 00:28:00 Smart Glasses Panopticon 00:46:00 Backlash And Offline Tech 00:49:00 Smart Glasses Without Cameras 00:55:00 FCC Chilling Effect 01:03:00 Ramageddon Price Shock 01:07:00 Regulating Ghost Guns 01:14:00 X Product Reality Check 01:20:00 Vizio Dumb TV Mystery 01:25:00 Wrap Up And Plugs Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices [https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices]

Highlights

This episode of The Vergecast explores Netflix's evolving identity as it moves beyond traditional streaming to host short-form videos and video podcasts, directly challenging YouTube. The hosts also delve into the privacy and societal implications of Meta's smart glasses, the FCC's influence on newsrooms, and the impact of rising memory prices on the tech industry.
02:43
Retrofitted an old iPod with an SSD and new battery
06:25
What is Netflix becoming?
10:34
Netflix cannot win against free platforms like YouTube and TikTok.
17:41
Mixing short-form videos with original series doesn't make sense for viewers
18:05
YouTube is winning the TV race.
19:02
Netflix should buy Xbox
28:04
A potential killer app that creates a surveillance panopticon.
48:35
Younger people reject living life in a helmet
49:01
Privacy is the inherent trade-off of smart glasses with cameras.
1:00:52
A trial balloon to control internet speech
1:05:34
Memory costs have doubled, threatening cheap device viability
1:09:24
Enforcement is unclear since the regulatory mechanism is undefined
1:18:51
Learning decade-old lessons is a desperate move.
1:22:19
Vizio's new TV allows users to disable smart features.
1:25:00
Users pay to disable smart features on a cheap TV.

Chapters

Intro
00:00
Netflix Identity Crisis
04:00
Creators Versus Netflix
08:00
Netflix Buys YouTube Videos
15:00
Go90 Scale Check In
18:00
Netflix Should Buy Xbox
19:00
Smart Glasses Panopticon
28:00
Backlash And Offline Tech
46:00
Smart Glasses Without Cameras
49:00
FCC Chilling Effect
55:00
Ramageddon Price Shock
1:03:00
Regulating Ghost Guns
1:07:00
X Product Reality Check
1:14:00
Vizio Dumb TV Mystery
1:20:00
Wrap Up And Plugs
1:25:00

Transcript

Nilay Patel: Support for today's show comes from Attio, the AI CRM for modern teams. Some companies pick a CRM because they have to. Others pick one because it helps them win. That's Attio. Every signal, from emails and meetings to product usage, syncs int...