MartyJazz Posted October 16, 2009 Report Share Posted October 16, 2009 I've been a Netflix subscriber for close to 5 years now (3 at a time, around $18/month) and really love the service. I don't know what their deal is with the USPS but it's kind of amazing. I'll return a film by putting it in my mailbox for the postman to pick up when he delivers the mail which sometimes isn't until around 5 PM that day, and yet early the next morning around 6 AM I'll get an e-mail from Netflix that they've already received it and are sending me the next DVD on my queue. My tastes are pretty eclectic so I love the fact that if a film has been issued on DVD anywhere, NF has it in stock. Occasionally there's a wait, usually short, if a hot domestic film has just been released on DVD, but a wait never happens, at least in my experience, on foreign films or any less recent domestic releases. Last four I've seen and enjoyed: "State of Play" (2009, USA thriller) "Raise the Red Lantern" (1991, China, drama) "Baran" (2001, Iran, drama) "Adventureland" (2009 USA drama-comedy) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mellowT Posted October 16, 2009 Report Share Posted October 16, 2009 I've been a Netflix subscriber for close to 5 years now (3 at a time, around $18/month) and really love the service. I don't know what their deal is with the USPS but it's kind of amazing. I'll return a film by putting it in my mailbox for the postman to pick up when he delivers the mail which sometimes isn't until around 5 PM that day, and yet early the next morning around 6 AM I'll get an e-mail from Netflix that they've already received it and are sending me the next DVD on my queue. What I can't explain is that I dropped off a disc on Monday morning (Columbus Day) at a standard neighborhood mailbox and it still arrived at 5AM the next morning. Federal holidays be damned! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soulstation1 Posted February 17, 2010 Report Share Posted February 17, 2010 Anyone have a blu-ray with wi-fi? It has my interest...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
medjuck Posted February 17, 2010 Report Share Posted February 17, 2010 Anyone have a blu-ray with wi-fi? It has my interest...... I do. The machine's advertising seemed to imply that it was plug and play but actually I had to buy something for it to work with the WiFi. It's pretty good. Not quite as good as having a DVD playing but it is instant gratification. You also seem to be able to watch an unlimited number of films one after another. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leeway Posted September 19, 2011 Report Share Posted September 19, 2011 Looks like another company mismanaged into oblivion! This went to all Netflix members today. I love having Netflix; it's my prime source for art films and really obscure movies. I'm afraid the "doofuses" who run Netflix, just like those at Yahoo! are running the company into disaster. I hope not but I fear the worst. Dear [Leeway] I messed up. I owe you an explanation. It is clear from the feedback over the past two months that many members felt we lacked respect and humility in the way we announced the separation of DVD and streaming and the price changes. That was certainly not our intent, and I offer my sincere apology. Let me explain what we are doing. For the past five years, my greatest fear at Netflix has been that we wouldn't make the leap from success in DVDs to success in streaming. Most companies that are great at something – like AOL dialup or Borders bookstores – do not become great at new things people want (streaming for us). So we moved quickly into streaming, but I should have personally given you a full explanation of why we are splitting the services and thereby increasing prices. It wouldn’t have changed the price increase, but it would have been the right thing to do. So here is what we are doing and why. Many members love our DVD service, as I do, because nearly every movie ever made is published on DVD. DVD is a great option for those who want the huge and comprehensive selection of movies. I also love our streaming service because it is integrated into my TV, and I can watch anytime I want. The benefits of our streaming service are really quite different from the benefits of DVD by mail. We need to focus on rapid improvement as streaming technology and the market evolves, without maintaining compatibility with our DVD by mail service. So we realized that streaming and DVD by mail are really becoming two different businesses, with very different cost structures, that need to be marketed differently, and we need to let each grow and operate independently. It’s hard to write this after over 10 years of mailing DVDs with pride, but we think it is necessary: In a few weeks, we will rename our DVD by mail service to “Qwikster”. We chose the name Qwikster because it refers to quick delivery. We will keep the name “Netflix” for streaming. Qwikster will be the same website and DVD service that everyone is used to. It is just a new name, and DVD members will go toqwikster.com to access their DVD queues and choose movies. One improvement we will make at launch is to add a video games upgrade option, similar to our upgrade option for Blu-ray, for those who want to rent Wii, PS3 and Xbox 360 games. Members have been asking for video games for many years, but now that DVD by mail has its own team, we are finally getting it done. Other improvements will follow. A negative of the renaming and separation is that the Qwikster.com and Netflix.com websites will not be integrated. There are no pricing changes (we’re done with that!). If you subscribe to both services you will have two entries on your credit card statement, one for Qwikster and one for Netflix. The total will be the same as your current charges. We will let you know in a few weeks when the Qwikster.com website is up and ready. For me the Netflix red envelope has always been a source of joy. The new envelope is still that lovely red, but now it will have a Qwikster logo. I know that logo will grow on me over time, but still, it is hard. I imagine it will be similar for many of you. I want to acknowledge and thank you for sticking with us, and to apologize again to those members, both current and former, who felt we treated them thoughtlessly. Both the Qwikster and Netflix teams will work hard to regain your trust. We know it will not be overnight. Actions speak louder than words. But words help people to understand actions. Respectfully yours, -Reed Hastings, Co-Founder and CEO, Netflix p.s. I have a slightly longer explanation along with a video posted on our blog, where you can also post comments. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GA Russell Posted September 19, 2011 Report Share Posted September 19, 2011 I have never been a Netflix subscriber. I went to their website a couple of weeks ago, and was unable to find where to go for the DVD library, etc. They were solely focused on the streaming. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leeway Posted September 20, 2011 Report Share Posted September 20, 2011 I have never been a Netflix subscriber. I went to their website a couple of weeks ago, and was unable to find where to go for the DVD library, etc. They were solely focused on the streaming. Case in point Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jazzmoose Posted September 20, 2011 Report Share Posted September 20, 2011 I only use the streaming anyway as I don't own a TV. I'm hoping it's an improvement for my side of things, although with other Netflix news, I have doubts. Their library for streaming definitely needs expansion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GA Russell Posted September 20, 2011 Report Share Posted September 20, 2011 Uh oh. There are already problems with the name Qwikster, including sound-alike names and a foul-mouthed teenager on twitter. http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2011/09/19/sorry-netflix-qwikster-twitter-account-owned-by-pot-smoking-elmo/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
papsrus Posted September 20, 2011 Report Share Posted September 20, 2011 DVDs, like CDs, are a dying medium. Or one that will appeal only to an ever-smaller consumer base. Streaming is the future. Netflix realizes this and is moving as fast as it can in that direction. I'm guessing they want to either let the DVD side of the business fade, or sell it. The last few months have been a PR disaster for them though, no doubt. I'm a recent Netflix streaming subscriber and love it so far. Never did I even contemplate subscribing to the DVD in the mail thing. They do need to focus now on expanding their streaming library. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BERIGAN Posted September 20, 2011 Report Share Posted September 20, 2011 I have never been a Netflix subscriber. I went to their website a couple of weeks ago, and was unable to find where to go for the DVD library, etc. They were solely focused on the streaming. Case in point Funny, I finally signed up for netflix a few weeks back (I can be a wee bit stubborn at times, and those damn pop ups, then pop unders pissed me off) but since I don't have much, whatyacallit, money...I decided it would help feed my recent desire to watch all the old TV shows of my youth like Ironside, Mannix, etc...so went looking for the DVD side of the business, and like you Russell, couldn't find it! But, being stubborn, I finally found the link after much searching... it does exist...they just don't want you to find it... https://dvd.netflix.com/ DVDs, like CDs, are a dying medium. Or one that will appeal only to an ever-smaller consumer base. Streaming is the future. Netflix realizes this and is moving as fast as it can in that direction. I'm guessing they want to either let the DVD side of the business fade, or sell it. The last few months have been a PR disaster for them though, no doubt. I'm a recent Netflix streaming subscriber and love it so far. Never did I even contemplate subscribing to the DVD in the mail thing. They do need to focus now on expanding their streaming library. I really have no interest in streaming video....maybe down the road if the technology (and my connection) catch up to no pauses/glitches/etc but I guess like with cd's , mine is a minority viewpoint... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Free For All Posted September 20, 2011 Report Share Posted September 20, 2011 I'm going to give Netflix and Hulu Plus a try and get rid of the cable later this week. My impression of the two thus far is favorable, but I agree with others that the Netflix streaming choices need to improve. We'll see if they can get their shit together- right now the company seems to be scrambling to accommodate the new system that they created. I'm just looking forward to giving Comcast a lot less of my money. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ejp626 Posted September 20, 2011 Report Share Posted September 20, 2011 but I agree with others that the Netflix streaming choices need to improve. We'll see if they can get their shit together- right now the company seems to be scrambling to accommodate the new system that they created. My impression is that almost all of Netflix's deals expire within a year, and then their streaming choices will get worse, so I don't think that's going to go over too well... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GA Russell Posted September 20, 2011 Report Share Posted September 20, 2011 https://dvd.netflix.com/ Thanks, Conrad! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BERIGAN Posted September 20, 2011 Report Share Posted September 20, 2011 (edited) https://dvd.netflix.com/ Thanks, Conrad! . . . . Well, more criticism of the new changes... http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Netflix-says-its-sorry-then-apf-1912482126.html?x=0 Edited September 20, 2011 by BERIGAN Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tjazz Posted September 20, 2011 Report Share Posted September 20, 2011 I just ended the DVD part and only get the streaming deal. I almost got all the Chick Corea RENDEZVOUS IN NEW YORK DVDs (10 discs) only got 8. Otherwise, I was mainly using the DVD side of the deal to view music DVDs. Does anybody have Disc 9 and the Bonus DVD from the Chick Corea box set? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alexander Posted September 21, 2011 Report Share Posted September 21, 2011 I honestly do not understand the complaints about the streaming choices on Netflix. I have over 350 items in my streaming queue. They have TONS of wonderful foreign films, lots of classic Hollywood, TV series that I wouldn't see otherwise (as I don't currently have cable or even regular broadcast television), lots and lots of documentaries... I'm not saying they couldn't offer more. I'm sure they don't because of licensing issues with the content providers. The problems that Netflix is having, by the way, come from the fact that they are (as were the video stores that Netflix replaced) a middle man, and the streaming techology is so cheap that content providers can bypass the middle men and get straight to the consumer. One way Netflix could combat this would be to start providing original content of their own. This is essentially the same thing that basic cable networks had to do: For a long time basic cable channels like AMC and TNT showed nothing but movies and reruns. Over time, they were forced to create their own original content in order to stay in the game. I see a future where traditional commerical and even cable TV will be a thing of the past. NBC, ABC, CBS and FOX will become streaming channels that make all of their content available all the time. New episodes can be added weekly, just like today, but we won't all sit down at 8 PM to watch the Simpsons, or even set the TiVO to record it. Netflix has to keep up with the changes it has unleashed or perish, but the concept of Netflix (subscriber based streaming entertainment) is the future of entertainment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GA Russell Posted September 21, 2011 Report Share Posted September 21, 2011 Apropos of what Alexander says, a high school classmate of mine named William Russ is starring in a new sitcom called Home at Last that is being shown on the internet first rather than on television. http://www.homeatlastshow.com/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leeway Posted September 21, 2011 Report Share Posted September 21, 2011 The problem I have is that I am one of those geeky people who watch all those extras on Criterion discs (or other art house labels), sometimes including the voice-over commentary My understanding is that you do not get those with the streaming version. I suppose it is inevitable that we will all go to streaming. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adam Posted September 21, 2011 Report Share Posted September 21, 2011 Agree with Leeway. I'm interested in the extras; not available on streaming. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuck Nessa Posted September 22, 2011 Report Share Posted September 22, 2011 Most of the newer releases are not streaming. Ann and I enjoyed both dvds and streaming but decided not to pay for the extra charges. Without warning they hit our bank for the new combined total and it was rejected. They sent us an email asking for the disc we had and deleted our account without warning. We contacted them and they set up a new dvd only deal but we lost all our saved films since they deleted the account. About 150 saved items are gone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alexander Posted September 23, 2011 Report Share Posted September 23, 2011 Just to be clear: I think streaming is going to replace DVD rentals, but that DVDs for sale (or BluRay, or whatever format comes next) will undoubtedly continue, precisely because the people who want to own movies want to see the extras. What I think streaming is going to do away with is broadcast television (including cable). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jazzmoose Posted September 23, 2011 Report Share Posted September 23, 2011 DVDs may continue for a while, but hard copy entertainment (including books) will eventually become a thing of the past. Hopefully not in my lifetime. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
.:.impossible Posted September 23, 2011 Report Share Posted September 23, 2011 The only reason I own a BluRay player is because it streams Netflix. I wonder to which advantage this trojan horse scheme will prove. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T.D. Posted September 23, 2011 Report Share Posted September 23, 2011 I'm in such a minority as to be statistically insignificant, but... I live in a rural area without easy broadband (DSL is possible, but would have to go satellite, which I don't really trust, for more bandwidth), so am quite happy with the DVD-by-mail thing (Qwikster or whatever it's called). I actually downgraded my subscription a couple of months ago to cut out streaming and do DVDs only. I also dig the bonus material/commentaries on deluxe DVD editions. I agree that streaming/downloads will eventually dominate, but the poor minority w/o ready access to high bandwidth is gonna get screwed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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