Netflix

[bssc]

We only had streaming through our Roku. Thought about getting the one DVD package but from $2 to $8, that's a 400% increase. Will think about it once I get through all the movies and shows in my queue. It helps that I like foreign films (The Good, the Bad and the Weird) and TV shows (BBC's Sherlock).

 

[clifp]

Apparently the next move should be buying Netflix stock. They don't seem to be suffering from backlash yet: Netflix, Inc.: NASDAQ:NFLX quotes & news - Google Finance

Or at the very least don't short the stock, like some of us have done .

It skyrocketed from 260 to almost 300.

I do use both streaming and discs but not a lot of either. I guess I will drop streaming, cause I definitely don't watch $16/month worth of movies from them.

 

[Marathoner]

We currently have streaming and one disc. We use the one disc for newer TV shows. I think what we'll do is drop the disc and then once a year upgrade to catch up on the previous year's shows, so we'll pay the higher fee for a few months a year and then go back to just streaming.

 

[Nords]

Or at the very least don't short the stock, like some of us have done .

Been there, done that, got the shredded bloody t-shirt...

 

[fancy free]

Our public library rents new DVDs (regular + blu-ray) for $1 for a week - that's where we do the majority of our renting now. We've watched exactly one redbox DVD, when it wasn't available at the library (a week is better than 24 hours).

We gave up Netflix when they raised our monthly rate due to the great streaming that we can't use because we have satellite internet.

 

[harley]

Well, I was annoyed about this Netflix change, but then someone pointed this out to me. I guess I have to agree.

‪Everythings Amazing & Nobodys Happy‬‏ - YouTube

 

[Amethyst]

Streaming is out for us since we have the cheapest FIOS Internet - heck, YouTube hangs up on me more often than not.

We get the one-at-a-time DVD service and have noticed, over the last couple of years that the DVDs are in poorer and poorer condition - unplayable, even. We figure they don't care about quality control because they want to get out of the DVD distribution business.

Amethyst

 

[Klubbie]

I'm not sure this is greed or careful strategy. I have been a netflix customer since they began doing business with their original mail paks. Every change they have made has been in this same, abrupt 'take it or leave it" fashion.

They are having bandwidth issues that are affecting their streaming service levels and (to me) need to upgrade their capacity. They will soon face a challenge with the ISPs over who will pay for the bandwidth customers use. This change gives them a better and more precise understanding of the demand curve for their streaming service. They definitely need to increase the revenue from streaming so they can buy more programming.

I think this is a step in making their DVD rental business a cash cow while they pursue leadership in the more strategic VOD.

This.

I don't have a problem with the price hike. I've done the one DVD at a time and streaming for a while now. I basically stream everything and rarely use the DVD's anymore, except for New Releases. They've been working towards increasing their streaming library lately, and quite frankly it's leaps and bounds better than it was a year ago. Digital/Streaming is the way of the future and I think Netflix is just trying to position themselves to better compete in that space.

There's also a bandwith issue and another issue with the contracts they have in place with studios. I read earlier this week that they had an agreement in place with one of the studios (I believe the one that produced the movie Salt?) to start streaming their films, but exceeded the number of views they were contractually allowed to provide users with, and had to pull the movies. I'm not sure if that's 100% true but it wouldn't shock me.

For now I'll probably just go with the streaming service. I may add the one DVD at a time back to it in the winter months here. But if they continue to improve their library I probably won't.

 

[Glo]

We do streaming with one DVD at a time. I don't like the huge increase but will live with it for the time being. The only complaint we have is that on Sundays it is sometime difficult to get streaming at all. Too many users I guess. We've never received a damaged DVD.

 

[timo2]

The streaming + 1 CD seemed to be too good of a deal anyway. I'll just go to streaming, and if I want something current, use the streaming Amazon (kind of pricy) or hit a redbox (seems too good to be true). I have a Roku and love it. There are several movie alternatives / supplements to netflix on Roku also.

 

[Zathras]

We had the streaming & DVDs for a while now. Haven't ordered an actual DVD in years. Now we pay $2 less a month, get unlimited streaming (which we use a lot) and still don't get DVDs by mail. I love the new pricing

 

[frank]

streaming is the best way to go for me. If I see a movie that I want to rent. ( which is pretty seldom these days with the quality of most of the new releases) I get it at redbox for 1. the only problem with netflix is that you have to remember the name of the movie you are looking for as their search option goes by alphabet and if you can't think of a good movie to watch there is no guide to look through except you queue.

 

[happy2bretired]

Can anyone with Netflix tell me if the DVDs or streaming method is closed captioned? I figure the DVDs are but not sure of the streaming.

 

[bssc]

Can anyone with Netflix tell me if the DVDs or streaming method is closed captioned? I figure the DVDs are but not sure of the streaming.

Some streaming movies are closed captioned but they are visible on my PC but not my Roku. Netflix is trying to increase the percentage of CC streaming titles but it is about 30%. On the other hand captioning for Foreign Language movies are visible on both my PC and Roku so it should not be too difficult.

 

[Amethyst]

Frank,

Do you rate the movies you've watched? Netflex uses that to generate recommendations based on the type of movies you have enjoyed. While not a perfect system, it has recommended some movies we never would have found on our own, and really enjoyed (e.g. "Brazil," "Vitus," "Raising Arizona," "Bagdad Cafe.")

Amethyst

if you can't think of a good movie to watch there is no guide to look through except you queue.

 

[JakeBrake]

I've never used Netflix, and, yet, I am plagued with Netflix popups on my PC. Their price increase will not affect me. I just wish I could stop the popups.

DW and I will occasionally go to a theater to see a first run movie. We, of course, get the senior discount and the early bird special.

Personally, I like TCM (Turner Classic Movies) on basic cable. Great old movies, uncut, no commercials, and I even enjoy the introductions.

The blood bank where I donate platelets has a big selection of DVD's to watch while hooked up for a couple of hours. Usually, there's nothing I want to see, so I watch CNBC.

 

[frank]

never thought to rate the movies I watch. where do you do that on their screen or website? let me know.

 

[happy2bretired]

Some streaming movies are closed captioned but they are visible on my PC but not my Roku. Netflix is trying to increase the percentage of CC streaming titles but it is about 30%. On the other hand captioning for Foreign Language movies are visible on both my PC and Roku so it should not be too difficult.

Thanks... Netflix sounds like something I would enjoy with so many television shows that I have not watched yet.

 

[Amethyst]

Movies that have just gone to DVD are generally OK. But anything that's been out for a while has some damage, all the way to unplayable. We sometimes wonder what other customers do - play Frisbee with the darn things? Use 'em as drink coasters?

Netflix do not, as I said, seem to do any QC. We report the damaged disks but have no indication that the disk we send back gets pulled from their inventory. They will send another copy of the same DVD, but by the time we get it, I'm back at work and can't stay up to watch.

Amethyst

WWe've never received a damaged DVD.

 

[ERD50]

Movies that have just gone to DVD are generally OK. But anything that's been out for a while has some damage, all the way to unplayable. We sometimes wonder what other customers do - play Frisbee with the darn things? Use 'em as drink coasters?

Netflix do not, as I said, seem to do any QC.

Amethyst

Seems to vary, maybe by region? DW has had exactly one DVD that was damaged (and quickly replaced), and she has a steady stream checked out (we have the 2 DVD + streaming plan). Mostly TV series that we don't get, not having cable.

-ERD50

 

[Mulligan]

streaming is the best way to go for me. If I see a movie that I want to rent. ( which is pretty seldom these days with the quality of most of the new releases) I get it at redbox for 1. the only problem with netflix is that you have to remember the name of the movie you are looking for as their search option goes by alphabet and if you can't think of a good movie to watch there is no guide to look through except you queue.

That is the one thing that bothers me. They intentionally do this with the newer released ones to keep the backlog down. Their suggestions of new releases aren't the real recent ones, because they know everyone will try to order it. I look back three or four months on box office results from movies to refresh my memory of what looks good then type the title through the search and it will then pop up. Sometimes there is a wait that way too as others have caught on to this, also.

 

[Amethyst]

Frank, Netflix sends us an e-mail every time we return a DVD. The e-mail confirms they got the DVD, and asks us to rate it according to a 5-star scale. There is a tab on the Netflix site called "Movies You'll [Heart]" where there are suggestions for movies that Netflix's algorithms suggest you will think are worth 4 or 5 stars - based on your own past ratings.

We have rated 300+ movies, and they seem to be running out of recommendations at this point - guess we're hard to please

Amethyst

never thought to rate the movies I watch. where do you do that on their screen or website? let me know.

 

[Janet H]

We also changed to streaming only - although grudgingly. The streaming library is limited. The huge price increase to retain what we only signed up for 6 months ago seems .. well, rude.

 

[REWahoo]

The huge price increase to retain what we only signed up for 6 months ago seems .. well, rude.

It is difficult for me to understand the logic behind the Netflix pricing strategy. I spent a couple of decades establishing prices for our company's products and services and there are generally only a handful of legitimate reasons for a huge increase like this 60% bump:

- Large increases in the cost of raw materials, which is obviously not the case here.
- The lack of availability of the product or service from other sources, such as the prices charged by the last Kodachrome film processor in the US during the final year of phase-out. Once again, not the case here.
- To discourage the use of a particular product or service and make another more profitable alternatives more appealing to customers. That is most likely what is going on since they not only bumped the price but also split their services. Moving away from mail and toward streaming may be their goal but a better strategy might be to price streaming a dollar or two less than mail, at least initially.

It will be interesting to see how all this plays out. There appears to be a great deal of backlash from the Netflix customer base.

 

[W2R]

It is difficult for me to understand the logic behind the Netflix pricing strategy.

You're still one step ahead of me. It is difficult for me to even understand the appeal of Netflix at all to begin with. Watching looooong, often boring movies, without any channel flipping? What's the fun in that?

In order to get HDTV, I had to get HBO and Cinemax (or is it Showtime?). I don't watch either. Most movies are too long IMO.