Netflix has decided to increase my plan price by 60%

[GilaMinumBeer]

For me, it's nearly a 30 minute drive to a Rebox, so I'm ok with paying for the convenience of having a DVD delivered to me. But yes, I'd be willing to pay a little more for streaming if the offering was better.

We switched from BlockBuster online to Netflix for the disc-to-door saving and added streaming. DVD offering were mediocre at best because of wait time. With BlockBuster we were certain to have a new release within days of it's release if our queue wasn't too high.

Now, the price comparison is levelled. We were paying $20 a month for 3 discs, including Blu-Ray, with in-store swaps.

 

[GoldMiner]

I dropped the streaming since I live in the sticks on HughesNet and don't want to waste all my access on video downloads.

So my bill goes down.

I watch enough DVD's to get my cost under the $1 RedBox charges plus have a much larger selection of movies to choose.

 

[Mongrel]

I dropped the streaming since I live in the sticks on HughesNet and don't want to waste all my access on video downloads.

So my bill goes down.

I watch enough DVD's to get my cost under the $1 RedBox charges plus have a much larger selection of movies to choose.

OK, so it looks like you and I are the type of customer Netflix hates. I average 4 dvd's per week on the 2 at a time plan. After reading some of the CNBC articles on the price hike, it turns out that it costs them $0.75 per mailed dvd. The new pricing for 2 at a time without streaming is $11.99.

It costs them about $0.10 per movie streamed. I only stream a few movies a month, and the occasional tv show. At the $14.99 I am currently paying, they made a couple bucks a month off me. Under the new plan, they'll lose a penny.

 

[weirdboy]

There's a bunch of really, really weird Japanese nudie flicks out there, too, stuff that's not subtitled or dubbed or anything.

Hook a brother up. Mostly all I can find in Japanese films are anime and horror, with the occasional Kurosawa. I don't mind subtitles or dubbing since I speak Japanese anyway.

 

[passedpawn]

Torrents. There, that should do it.

 

[GoldMiner]

Hook a brother up. Mostly all I can find in Japanese films are anime and horror, with the occasional Kurosawa. I don't mind subtitles or dubbing since I speak Japanese anyway.

Have you seen Visitor Q?

 

[weirdboy]

Have you seen Visitor Q?

No, but I have seen several other Miike films like Audition and Ichi the Killer, which I noticed are on streaming now. How does Visitor Q compare?

 

[GoldMiner]

No, but I have seen several other Miike films like Audition and Ichi the Killer, which I noticed are on streaming now. How does Visitor Q compare?

It's by far the most bizarre of Miike's films that I've seen.

Very hard movie to categorize as there is really not too much plot, closest thing I can compare it to is David Cronenberg's Crash for strangeness.

 

[malkore]

Thanks for the Visitor Q heads up...added to my queue.

I guess I'm just not surprised why people are whining about $8 more when $9 was too good to be true, and Netflix widely published the fact last year that they were phasing out DVD's completely within 3 years tops.

I'll never do Redbox because I don't like standing in line behind 5 other people debating what crappy movie to rent. And I have the habit of taking a week to watch a DVD I have rented...last I heard you were charged per-day on Redbox? Either way I still have to drive it back to return it.

I still consider Netflix (and online MMO games) to be the very best value for my dollar, because I use them.


Final words: everyone bitching about how long it takes you to stream a movie...waiting to buffer/retrieve...bitch at your ISP! Your internet connection is the issue, not Netflix's service.

 

[cheezydemon3]

Netflix streaming will always be a steal at $7.99. a NO BRAINER.

I will (dare I say) tolerate several price hikes before considering dropping it.

 

[RMitch]

Thanks for the Visitor Q heads up...added to my queue.

I guess I'm just not surprised why people are whining about $8 more when $9 was too good to be true, and Netflix widely published the fact last year that they were phasing out DVD's completely within 3 years tops.

I'll never do Redbox because I don't like standing in line behind 5 other people debating what crappy movie to rent. And I have the habit of taking a week to watch a DVD I have rented...last I heard you were charged per-day on Redbox? Either way I still have to drive it back to return it.

I still consider Netflix (and online MMO games) to be the very best value for my dollar, because I use them.


Final words: everyone bitching about how long it takes you to stream a movie...waiting to buffer/retrieve...bitch at your ISP! Your internet connection is the issue, not Netflix's service.

The plus side to Red Box is they actually have new releases, as well as Blue-Ray dvds. And I'm not sure about waiting in line...I never see a line at the red box at the supermarket. I believe it is something like a $0.99 a day fee. $1 to watch a new release Blue Ray?

 

[jkarp]

Final words: everyone bitching about how long it takes you to stream a movie...waiting to buffer/retrieve...bitch at your ISP! Your internet connection is the issue, not Netflix's service.

Bold words there chief.

In reality successful Netflix streaming involves a bit more than just "your ISP". Netflix servers *do* have issues, though they've been better in recent months. Netflix is now responsible for 30% of all downstream Internet traffic during peak hours. This puts considerable stress on peering points that may include your ISP or be upstream of them. Peering agreement negotiations get quite complex (and heated) nowadays as it's unclear who should be footing the bill for this bandwidth consumption - you? your ISP? Netflix?

 

[jkarp]

The plus side to Red Box is they actually have new releases, as well as Blue-Ray dvds.

Red Box signed the same 30 day hold deal with the studios that Netflix did. You're not seeing any more "new" releases there. Netflix has had Blu-Ray for ages. They're only starting to appear at Red Box kiosks.

 

[RMitch]

Red Box signed the same 30 day hold deal with the studios that Netflix did. You're not seeing any more "new" releases there. Netflix has had Blu-Ray for ages. They're only starting to appear at Red Box kiosks.

Ahh well I did not know that they signed the deal. But they've had blue ray for a good 2 to 3 months at least.

 

[dwarven_stout]

Bold words there chief.

In reality successful Netflix streaming involves a bit more than just "your ISP". Netflix servers *do* have issues, though they've been better in recent months. Netflix is now responsible for 30% of all downstream Internet traffic during peak hours. This puts considerable stress on peering points that may include your ISP or be upstream of them. Peering agreement negotiations get quite complex (and heated) nowadays as it's unclear who should be footing the bill for this bandwidth consumption - you? your ISP? Netflix?

Yup. Expect to see a lot more of these problems, too.

 

[Bobby_M]

I've never seen the "buffering" screen for more than 2 seconds and never in the middle of watching. I average 30Mbps downstream through my ISP so I'm skeptical about congestion at the NF server being much to blame.

 

[Germelli1]

The only time I had buffering problems was when I was in my bedroom at my apartment, on the far side of the floor plan from the crappy router. Not netflix's fault!

 

[cheezydemon3]

Only time mine buffers is when SWMBO or kids are watching video on the laptop at the same time.

 

[jkarp]

I've never seen the "buffering" screen for more than 2 seconds and never in the middle of watching. I average 30Mbps downstream through my ISP so I'm skeptical about congestion at the NF server being much to blame.

There aren't NF servers per-se. L3 runs several full caches for Netflix around the country.

 

[two_hearted]

I watch more TV than movies so I went with Hulu Plus instead. Way more current TV shoes and full seasons than Netflix. Xbox interface needs some work though.

 

[EdWort]

I average 30Mbps downstream through my ISP so I'm skeptical about congestion at the NF server being much to blame.

How sweet can that be!!!!

 

[Bobby_M]

There aren't NF servers per-se. L3 runs several full caches for Netflix around the country.

For all I know NF paid Cablevision to run a server in house to supply all their cable modem internet customers directly with fewer hops. Doesn't seem too far fetched to me given how many customers would be affected.

 

[jkarp]

For all I know NF paid Cablevision to run a server in house to supply all their cable modem internet customers directly with fewer hops. Doesn't seem too far fetched to me given how many customers would be affected.

I can PROMISE you that's not the case. Cable doesn't look too kindly on Netflix. I'm in the industry.

 

[RMitch]

I can PROMISE you that's not the case. Cable doesn't look too kindly on Netflix. I'm in the industry.

Good. Comcast can [expletive deleted] off. lol

Only private company I know of that has worse customer service than the DMV.

 

[GilaMinumBeer]

And now, BlockBuster has swetened their deal.

(1) DVD, Game, or Blu-Ray at a time for $8.99/Mo.

Or (2) for ~$15/Mo.

Deosn't include any On-Demand but, they do claim, they can get New Releases a full 28 days ahead of NF.

 

[RMitch]

And now, BlockBuster has swetened their deal.

(1) DVD, Game, or Blu-Ray at a time for $8.99/Mo.

Or (2) for ~$15/Mo.

Deosn't include any On-Demand but, they do claim, they can get New Releases a full 28 days ahead of NF.

One DVD per month, or say...4-5 dvds per month based on how quickly you get/return them?

That's pretty good if its the latter. So long as they have decent distribution times. That video-game rental place, GameFly...takes a good 2-3 months to receive each game. [facepalm]

 

[cheezydemon3]

I am going: Netflix streaming + HULU plus (also streaming through the wii), NO disks, no cable = winner.

 

[jkarp]

And now, BlockBuster has swetened their deal.

(1) DVD, Game, or Blu-Ray at a time for $8.99/Mo.

Or (2) for ~$15/Mo.

Deosn't include any On-Demand but, they do claim, they can get New Releases a full 28 days ahead of NF.

30 day free trial too. I just signed up. I can see already the 28 day thing is no BS. Everything now on PPV is available on BB. That's $15/mo revenue Netflix has lost and if they don't shape up streaming, they can kiss that last $8 goodbye too.

I've been with Netflix since the beginning in 1999. I'd have even swallowed the 60% increase *if* they'd said they we're using the cash to beef up streaming and kill the new release hold. They did neither and their competitor is now kicking their butt. Glad I don't own NF stock...