Ted Sarandos wasn’t convinced about the move away from physical media when it was first suggested to him.
Netflix and streaming are two birds of a feather. One cannot be said in the same breath without the other. But there was a time when Netflix wasn’t a streaming platform. Yep, younger folk who perhaps have only ever known Netflix as a streaming site might be horrified to know that it used to operate by renting physical media through the post, with the idea essentially being a physical media library, somewhat similar to Blockbuster but without the need for physical stores. Crazy, right? Netflix could still be operating as such if it wasn’t for chairman and co-founder Reed Hastings, who in one of his first meetings with co-CEO Ted Sarandos, suggested that streaming was the future.
This shift shocked Sarandos, as he revealed in a recent podcast episode via Aspire with Emma Grede (thanks, Variety), where he explained that Hastings’ idea “sounded nuts to me”.
Sarandos added: “Reed said all entertainment is gonna come into the home on the internet. Now, at this time, no entertainment came into the home on the internet. It was too slow and too expensive.” Hastings explained, “if you think you’re still gonna be getting your entertainment on cable, you should not only don’t take this job — don’t buy my stock when I go public.”
This led Sarandos to explain how he “wasn’t even sure I believed him, to be honest with you. But I thought that this guy, this is the kind of person who changes the world in some dimension.”
Clearly, Hastings was on the right path as Netflix has now grown to become one of the biggest entertainment companies in the world and a pioneer in streaming endeavours.

The 2025 Razer Blade 14 boasts a new, slimmer design and top-notch gaming hardware. Multiple builds have been discounted.
Razer Blade 14
If you’re looking for a gaming laptop, now may be the best time to buy one because multiple configurations of the 2025 Razer Blade 14 are on sale. The biggest discount belongs to the Razer Blade 14 with the Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070 GPU and 32GB of RAM. It’s been discounted by $700, dropping its price to $2,000 even. This deal applies to both the Black and Mercury White models.
If you want the best Razer has to offer, there’s a Blade 14 configuration with the same graphics card, but 64GB of RAM for $2,400, a $600 price drop. However, if you’re on the opposite end of the spectrum and want something cheaper, you can buy the Razer Blade 14 with an Nvidia GeForce RTX 5060 graphics card and 16GB of RAM for $1,700.
Things don’t stop there, because if you buy the RTX 5070 Razer Blade 14 with 32GB of RAM, you’ll also receive a free copy of Borderlands 4, a Razer Laptop Stand Chroma hub, and a one-month subscription to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate.
This model is 11% thinner and 11% lighter than its predecessor, clocking in at 3.5 pounds and sitting 0.6 inches thick when closed. Its design, combined with the matte black finish, allows the Blade 14 to fit in at an office setting. Kucharski also praised the computer’s silent keyboard, nearly bezel-less screen, and good selection of ports.
Performance is pretty decent, noted Kucharski, delivering “smooth, lag-free [gameplay]” across various titles like Diablo IV and Cyberpunk 2077. It’s not as powerful as Lenovo’s Legion Pro 7i or the MSI Stealth 16 AI. However, those two are higher-end machines, so they’re more expensive too. Think of the Razer Blade 14 as a solid midrange option.How I rated this dealWhen will this deal expire?How do we rate deals at ZDNET?
In 2025, we refined our approach to deals, developing a measurable system for sharing savings with readers like you. Our editor’s deal rating badges are affixed to most of our deal content, making it easy to interpret our expertise to help you make the best purchase decision.

If you’re looking for great sound without breaking the bank, Creative offers a compact, budget-friendly option worth checking out.
Creative Stage Pro soundbar
The Creative Stage Pro soundbar is available on Amazon for $170.
This cost-effective soundbar excels at producing clear dialogue.
The Stage Pro subwoofer won’t blow you away, but it does add some depth to voices.
75-inch TCL QM6K 4K QD-Mini LED Google TV (2025 Model):
$850 (save $150)
85-inch Samsung Q60D Series 4K QLED Smart TV (2024 Model):
$1,200 (save $498)
65-inch LG C4 Series 4K 120Hz OLED Evo Smart TV (2024 Model):
$1,297 (save $1,403)
65-inch Samsung S90D Series 4K OLED 144Hz Smart TV (2024 Model):
$1,298 (save $400)
75-inch Sony Bravia XR X90L 4K Full Array LED Smart TV (2023 Model):
$1,198 (save $602)
This space-saving soundbar/subwoofer combo from Creative might not meet the lofty demands of an audiophile, but for anyone who wants more sound from their movies or television, it ticks a lot of boxes.
Selling for $170 on Amazon, the Stage Pro is a midrange soundbar that does one particular thing very well: ensure you can hear every word of dialogue spoken, an issue that frustrates some to the point of watching with subtitles on. Thanks to this soundbar, though, you won’t have to do that any longer.
Let’s chat about what this soundbar can do. Creative Stage Pro soundbar.
This soundbar from Creative is a game-changer for anyone who struggles to hear dialogue. My experience
First off, the bar has been set very high for soundbars in my house, thanks to the JBL Bar 1000. That soundbar produces amazingly accurate and rich sound, and I’ve yet to come across one to best it. Of course, the Bar 1000 sells for $1200 on Amazon, which is beyond the budget of many.
Thankfully, there are plenty of low- to midrange soundbars to choose from, and although the Stage Pro lives in the upper low-end spectrum of devices, it sounds much better than its price would imply.
As soon as I received the Stage Pro, my immediate thought was, “This is small.” Because of the “Pro” name, I assumed it would at least be close to the size of the Bar 1000. Alas, the length of the sound bar is a mere 21 inches long. You might think that would preclude it from producing enough volume to be usable, but that you’d be wrong.
I connected the Stage Pro to my TV via HDMI/eARC port, connected the subwoofer (via the attached cable), and plugged both the soundbar and subwoofer into a power outlet. I then opened Netflix. I’m currently re-binging “Travelers”, so I pressed play and sat back to see how this tiny speaker did.
Left: the JBL Bar 1000; Right: the Stage Pro subwoofer.
Needless to say, I was impressed. Now, let me be specific.
What immediately impressed me was the dialogue, which was very crisp, clear, and loud enough. Kudos to Creative, because we all know how much of an issue dialogue in modern movies and TV can be. The Stage Pro delivered every word spoken so clearly you might think the characters were standing in the room speaking directly at you.
What a breath of fresh air.
On top of the clear dialogue, the setup and usage were incredibly easy. In fact, I would say that this was the easiest soundbar I’ve ever connected to a TV. Plug it in, turn everything on, and you’re good to go.
The Stage Pro remote is very easy to use, but doesn’t include AAA batteries.
On the remote, you’ll find a button labeled “Super Wide”, allowing you to switch between far and near fields, meaning you can switch between distances from the source. If you’re watching in a small room, use the near field option. If you’re in a larger room with plenty of space between you and the source, select the far field option. Believe it or not, it does make a difference in the clarity of the sound based on your watching position.
There’s also the Mode button, which allows you to select from movie, TV, audio, and gaming. I recommend you use this feature, as it also makes a difference in the sound.
As far as the bass is concerned, it’s not booming, but it certainly does bring out the low end of what you’re watching. This subwoofer is nowhere near the quality of the Bar 1000, but at $170, I wouldn’t expect it to be. That being said, the sub did impress me, especially for TV.
With the sub cranked up (you can increase bass and treble on the remote), it gave much more depth to the voices. I’ve tested other soundbars that either don’t include a subwoofer or don’t use it properly, which equates to hollow-sounding dialogue (a pet peeve of mine). The Stage Pro avoids that pitfall and delivers rich dialogue and a bit of low-end “thump” when needed.ZDNET’s buying advice
Do I recommend the Creative Stage Pro soundbar? It depends on what you’re looking for. If you’re in the market for a soundbar that produces sonic booms on the low end, crisp highs, and a massively wide soundstage, the Stage Pro isn’t for you.
If, on the other hand, you want a cost-effective soundbar that puts dialogue front and center and elevates it with a bit of rich bass, this soundbar is right up your alley. The Creative Stage Pro is an inexpensive soundbar that will make you think you’re listening to one twice the cost. Because it’s so easy to set up, anyone can enjoy this baby within minutes of unboxing.Creative Stage Pro 2.1 soundbar tech specs
Frequency response – 50–20,000 Hz
Signal-to-Noise Ratio – > 85 dB
Power Output – 2 x 20Wrms (L/R), 1 x 40Wrms (Sub) (Total 80Wrms, 160Wpeak)
Connectivity – HDMI 2.0, Bluetooth 5.3, USB Audio, and optical.
Dimensions – Sub: 4.53 × 10.43 × 16.54 inches, Soundbar 21.65 × 4.41 × 3.18 inches