Netflix: I'm late to the party but finally joined

YouTube · Post by **James Steele** » Sat Apr 19, 2008 12:13 pm

Well... just like adopting the UAD-1, I'm behind the curve but finally signed up for the $8.99/mo. Netflix membership. I have no link to Netflix so I'm not trying to promote them, but my last visit to Blockbuster to rent movies finally pushed me over the edge. Blockbuster changed their pricing structure here so that basically any movie is $4.99. Add tax and you're looking a $5.38 per movie! And that's older ones too.

I can't take it any more and they finally pushed me to NetFlix. I just signed up, so I don't have my first movie yet, but looking forward to reducing my weekend movie rental budget. I've heard the NetFlix thing works pretty well and I have two weeks trial membership, but on a typical weekend I might rent two movies... that's $44/month. Nope. No mas.

blue · Post by **blue** » Sat Apr 19, 2008 12:42 pm

Netflix rules.

I was skeptical before I joined, but am really glad I did. Their site is fantastic and I've watched a lot of films I wouldn't have otherwise remembered to look for at the local video store.The Queue is a brilliant idea, and their business model will transition well into the next generation of downloadable videos. In fact, it already is.

At $9 a month, you can't really go wrong. Unless, of course, you watch less than 2 movies a month on average.

JSMITH8763 · Post by **JSMITH8763** » Sat Apr 19, 2008 1:57 pm

I also dig Netflix. I have been using it for a couple of years now and have had no problems with them at all.

My wife watches more movies than I, so we have the $18 a month plan. Three movies at a time sent to us and then watch at our own leisure.

chrispick · Post by **chrispick** » Sat Apr 19, 2008 2:37 pm

The only drawback to Netflix is disc quality control. If you get disc that doesn't play well in your system, it's days to get a replacement.

blue · Post by **blue** » Sat Apr 19, 2008 2:43 pm

chrispick wrote:The only drawback to Netflix is disc quality control. If you get disc that doesn't pay well in your system, it's days to get a replacement.

I guess I've been lucky with that. Only one unplayable disk so far.

Shooshie · Post by **Shooshie** » Sat Apr 19, 2008 3:46 pm

I've been renting movies from iTunes, but they're almost as much as Blockbuster, and the selection is... well... no... it's more like the selection ISN'T.

I may have to try NetFlix.

rentadrummer · Post by **rentadrummer** » Sat Apr 19, 2008 6:08 pm

For several years I've wanted to see the movie, "Touch the Sound", the story of Evelyn Glennie, the deaf percussionist, but it's not available at any of my local Blockbusters. I just checked, and Netflix has it. I've been tempted to join in the past because I heard they had a larger selection, and from reading these posts it seems like it might be worth it after all, even with the most limited membership.

carrythebanner · Post by **carrythebanner** » Sun Apr 20, 2008 5:21 pm

Netflix is great, but there are two separate pubic library networks in the metro Boston area that have a pretty comprehensive combied selection. I'd say I get twice as many movies from the library (for free) as from Netflix each month.

IAMLFO · Post by **IAMLFO** » Sun Apr 20, 2008 5:34 pm

Chalk up another very satisfied Netflix user. I've been using Netflix for years now and have found disk replacement (and movie orders) to be very fast. If I report a disk scratched, Netflix sends out a replacement immediately instead of waiting for the old disk to be sent back. I think speed varies depending on where you live and whether a warehouse is nearby or not. I'm in Phoenix so if I send a movie back on Monday it gets scanned Monday night (Netflix is tied in with the USPS systems) and the replacement is shipped on Tuesday for arrival on Wednesday.

Using Netflix to watch TV series is terrific. I've never watched Curb Your Enthusiasm, The Sopranos, Battlestar Galactica (well, except for this last season. I can't wait that long!) Freaks & Geeks, etc. on TV. Rather I see them at my own pace on DVD. It works out pretty good I think.

Enjoy Netflix James!

-Kevin

YouTube · Post by **James Steele** » Sun Apr 20, 2008 5:40 pm

Thanks... I've been building up my queue lately. I have a friend who has not seen some very classic movies and so you can find those easily. For example, she's never seen One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest. To me, that's just a required part of the American cultural experience. How can you be a Jack Nicholson fan and not have seen it. (Remember him in Easy Rider?)

What frosted me about Blockbuster is they started a once price type structure where you paid the same for the oldies as new releases. Huh? No way. Any way, they mail out my first movie Monday. Part of my budget reshuffling since my health insurance premiums went up yet again. I'm afraid soon it's going to take a lot to get me to the movie theatre for the first run jobs at $10 a piece and matinees aren't nearly the bargain they used to be. *SIGH*

bongo_x · Post by **bongo_x** » Sun Apr 20, 2008 9:46 pm

I love Netflix. If it wasn't for them I really wouldn't watch any movies. Honestly though, I don't watch them regularly and my cost per movie is pretty high. I'm OK with that though because it's a fixed price, I'm not going to have any crazy late fee or forget I have a movie. There's always a couple there at home, ready and waiting, I don't have to go get one.

The main reason though is the incredible selection. They have the most obscure things, and I find lots of films I would have never heard of on there. Some of my favorite films have been things I found on Netflix that don't seem to exist anywhere else.

My queue is full at all times. That's 500 films, for those who haven't got there. I'll never get through it, but I'm still finding things I want to see and having to chuck some of them off to squeeze new ones on there.

The "friends" feature is pretty good too. Put people you know on your friends list and their movies and ratings will show up. You don't have to remember to tell someone about something you saw, and vice versa.

bb

YouTube · Post by **James Steele** » Mon Apr 21, 2008 1:23 pm

I just heard a Netflix ad on the radio. Boy are they smart. The thrust of the ad is that you don't have to drive and spend money on gasoline to rent from them as well. These days that adds up to quite a bid as well!!

chrispick · Post by **chrispick** » Mon Apr 21, 2008 1:35 pm

I heard on a podcast that Blockbuster intends to unveil their streaming video service this next month. They own Movielink, so presumably it'll be through those channels somehow?

They also intend to change their physical locations from mostly rental sales to mostly physical product sales. They don't see Netflix as a primary competitor (cuts into less than 10% of their business they said). Rather, their sights are set on Walmart, Best Buy, etc., counting heavily on their location numbers and proximity (most people have a Blockbuster within a few miles).

Their new CEO is the guy who spearheaded 7-11's resurrection, so it'll be interesting to see if he can pull this one off.

Anyway, clearly direct-to-home digital video distribution is the future. I'm fascinated to see how it all pans.

blue · Post by **blue** » Mon Apr 21, 2008 1:40 pm

James Steele wrote: Boy are they smart.

Not only are they marketing smart, they're actually pretty brilliant at advancing the whole business of internet delivery. They always seem to be polishing the product, never resting. Nor can they. DVDs will be toast in the not so distant future. As much as I like Apple and iTunes, I would actually like to see Netflix successfully make the transition to digital delivery. They really care about movies, and you can tell. Not only do they have a huge selection, they actually produce and distribute their own as well.

No, I don't work for Netflix. But I know someone who does. They are a pretty forward thinking company.

YouTube · Post by **James Steele** » Mon Apr 21, 2008 2:19 pm

I have to wonder about digital delivery. I think for many people it would seem intimidating. Do I need a set top box? Do I hook my computer to my TV? How do I do that? What if I want to pause it... or watch it another time? Etc.

I agree though... DVDs may be going away... like CDs I guess. But it seems rather bland and soulless, this whole digital home delivery of everything.