Posted on 01/18/2011 6:20:18 PM PST by Extremely Extreme Extremist
When Netflix started up more than 10 years ago, its sales pitch was pretty simple: Hey, subscribe to us, and we'll mail you DVDs that you can then mail back to us without worrying about any late fees. But as the rental market moves toward online and on-demand models, Netflix's iconic red envelopes may eventually become as antiquated as VHS tapes. Beefing up their streaming business, Netflix has predicted that in about two years their economics will be geared more toward their "Watch Instantly" service than through physical discs. For that to happen, Netflix will have to nudge their DVD-loyal customers to the new platform. And on Monday, the company learned just how hard that may be.
In a seemingly innocent 109-word blog post, Netflix director of product management Jamie Odell announced, "We're removing the 'Add to DVD Queue' option from streaming devices," suggesting that it was being done so that the company "can concentrate on offering you the titles that are available to watch instantly." Granted, the Netflix website still allows DVD queue updating, but this post, dropped on the morning of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, created an immediate firestorm of comments -- most of them very, very angry.
(Excerpt) Read more at blog.movies.yahoo.com ...
I like the “watch instantly”, it doesn’t work however if they don’t do all there movies under that category. Fortunately, I like the older movies they have under the WI.
I have a 1.5 MG connection (from which I’m lucky to get 1 MG) But I choose to live in the boondocks, if netflix chooses to not sell to me, so be it. We gave up TV years ago and couldn’t be happier with our decision.
I can see how this would work in more dense population centers just fine. However, If I live on the cold wind-swept plains of Montana, I’m not too likely to have high-speed internet at my disposal. Also, not all of their content is available online for streaming. How am I to watch that classic movie I want to watch if they only have it on dvd and I can’t even get it by streaming?
The way Obama’s running the country into the ground in two years they’ll more likely be shipping stone tablets to their customers on wagons.
I have a roku player that I use for streaming netflix. I have it on right now. I still get dvds sometimes. Lately I've been working my way through the original star trek on dvd. But I prefer to stream. Once they have everything I want available, I won't use dvds anymore.
Then you aren't much of a concern to Netflix. How many people are there in Montana? 700K? Not worth worrying about if you're netflix.
I don’t like it. I want to watch on my big-screen TV, and I don’t want to have to buy a playstation or nintendo (or some other piece of hardware) just to watch a movie. This was a great deal for us, as we only watch on weekends, and I don’t NEED instant watching.
Grumblegrumble.
Colonel, USAFR
I can just see having forty odd people over to watch a game/movie on my 17 inch screen!
I like it just as it is. I prefer the choice of DVD/Streaming.
Like with FReeRepublic, I like the old school way...
Just saying...
My 1.5g xonnection works OK.
Sometimes I have to pause it and let it catch up.
The b/w movies I prefer (the ones with plots and characters)
play very well though.
Thank goodness!
Instant Watch needs to be beefed up with more newer titles!
Not sure why I can see episodes of "Family Guy" instantly but have to see "Entourage" only by DVD.
Don’t sell your Blockbuster stock just yet.
Watch Instantly rules, DVD’s are yesterday’s news. Sometimes they don’t work anyway, they get scratched etc and its very frustrating when this happens right in the middle of a great movie.
I’ve been thinning out some of the DVD collection via Amazon mostly. My wife is very big on Netflix. She is one of those loyal to the DVD format.
Matter of fact, I think I will throw in an episode of Matt Houston right about now. She got it for me as a Christmas gift.
Is there a way to store movies on a computer indefinitely? Brought my son a CD containing 10 000 books. Solved his need to run to the library to do a book report. Now we have Kindle, Nook and etc that one can build a personal library of books without the storage issues of hardcopies. Is there a version for movies where one buys the film and stores it digitally on the computer.
If you try to use an Xbox, Microsoft will hit you up for an extra fee.
There’s a plan - thanks!
http://www.archive.org/details/movies
Lots of public domain you can download to your computer free: historical, educational and entertainment.
The picture and sound quality is far superior to anything Netflix streams.
If they elect to discontinue offering Blu-Ray discs they will lose me as a customer.
Mass streaming in 1080P isn't going to happen for a long time.
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