Hasta la Vista, Netflix

[The Annoyed Man]

I just received the following email from Netflix:

Dear TAM & TAW,

It is clear that for many of our members two websites would make things more difficult, so we are going to keep Netflix as one place to go for streaming and DVDs.

This means no change: one website, one account, one password…in other words, no Qwikster.

While the July price change was necessary, we are now done with price changes.

We're constantly improving our streaming selection. We've recently added hundreds of movies from Paramount, Sony, Universal, Fox, Warner Bros., Lionsgate, MGM and Miramax. Plus, in the last couple of weeks alone, we've added over 3,500 TV episodes from ABC, NBC, FOX, CBS, USA, E!, Nickelodeon, Disney Channel, ABC Family, Discovery Channel, TLC, SyFy, A&E, History, and PBS.

We value you as a member, and we are committed to making Netflix the best place to get your movies & TV shows.

Respectfully,

The Netflix Team

I had faith that they would figure it all out. Are all you guys who were upset about it going to reinstate your subscriptions?

[apostate]

I received the same email this morning. It changes nothing for me. Several factors converged to drive my decision to cancel but, having made the decision, a reversal of 1 or 2 factors is not enough to reverse my decision. I have no ill will toward Netflix and may resubscribe down the road, but for now I still plan to cancel a week from today. Then do the Hulu Plus free trial to see what they offer. I'll continue to stream The Big Bang Theory on my laptop. (I might watch other CBS shows if they had a Roku channel. Anyone there listening?) Perhaps I'll even catch up on some reading.

[terryg]

I had faith that they would figure it all out. Are all you guys who were upset about it going to reinstate your subscriptions?

I got the same email - it doesn't change anything for me. My decision was to drop DVD's and and do streaming only. To keep my existing plan (2 Blu-ray DVD's + streaming) was going to cost me something like $23 per month. With streaming only it cost $8. $15 a month translates to 15 Redbox DVD's or 10 Redbox Blu-ray's per month - which is way more than I ever watch. Even when we have been serious couch potatoes, at most we hit 2 per weekend.

So for me it was strictly a financial call. In fact, I was already considering dropping the DVD service at the current price. The hike just confirmed that I needed to proceed.

[n5wd]

...My decision was to drop DVD's and and do streaming only. To keep my existing plan (2 Blu-ray DVD's + streaming) was going to cost me something like $23 per month. With streaming only it cost $8. $15 a month translates to 15 Redbox DVD's or 10 Redbox Blu-ray's per month - which is way more than I ever watch. Even when we have been serious couch potatoes, at most we hit 2 per weekend.

So for me it was strictly a financial call. In fact, I was already considering dropping the DVD service at the current price.

Well, I hope you enjoy all the old movies that you get with streaming. Until they start showing some of the newer content, for me at least, going with the Blue-Ray DVD option was best.

Glad they came to their senses, as well - but, surprised that they had enough balls to reverse their decision. Mos companies wouldn't have done that once they had publicly announced a different path.

[terryg]

Well, I hope you enjoy all the old movies that you get with streaming. Until they start showing some of the newer content, for me at least, going with the Blue-Ray DVD option was best.

The streaming was never about the movies for us - it was the TV series ...

[Bullwhip]

My problem with streaming is they don't seem to be trying to up the offerings on streaming.

Studeios want to jack up the price to let them stream. They could do it, then everbody would gripe louder about the price increase.

[tbrown]

Well, I hope you enjoy all the old movies that you get with streaming. Until they start showing some of the newer content, for me at least, going with the Blue-Ray DVD option was best.

Some people would rather watch Casablanca than Transformers. Celebrate diversity!

[Oldgringo]

Well, I hope you enjoy all the old movies that you get with streaming. Until they start showing some of the newer content, for me at least, going with the Blue-Ray DVD option was best.

Some people would rather watch Casablanca than Transformers. Celebrate diversity!

...a whole lot. A little nekid and a lot of cussin' goes a long way.

[UpTheIrons]

I've had the streaming-only version of Netflix for the last 3 months or so. We've been happy with it, and have used it to catch up on more cable TV shows than movies (although I did have a shlocky horror weekend a while back - Toxic Avenger I - IV, Killer Klowns from Outer Space, Waxwork, Class of Nuke 'Em High I - III), and the kids love it for the goofy Disney kids shows and "Phineas and Ferb" (which is actually quite good).

They recently added Mad Men, which we'd never seen, but are hooked on now. Breaking Bad looked interesting, so I'll have to check it out, too, after all the recommendations.

Since I've never experienced the DVD version of Netflix, and have paid only $8/mo, I've been very happy. Just have to finish all the Starz-related stuff before February when it drops off the service.

[boba]

...a whole lot. A little nekid and a lot of cussin' goes a long way.

Not much cussin' but Olivia Hussey in the 1968 Romeo & Juliet.

[Wisewr]

Netflix On The Rocks

I hate to see that most of this is self inflicted. I think they literally shot themselves in the foot with the greedy price hikes and wishy-washy announcements. I think we all know the key to keeping a business viable is not to ask more than the market can bear and to be reliable. With their up and down announcements, this shows their unreliable, and obviously by more than 800,000 customers leaving in one quarter, the prices hikes were more than the market could bear.

I'm going to keep streaming only for a while, maybe try out a few other options in the meantime, but like the article is titled, Netflix is definitely on the rocks for me. They better pull out all the stops to save the hand that's feed them for some time now.

[Oldgringo]

I've had the streaming-only version of Netflix for the last 3 months or so. We've been happy with it, and have used it to catch up on more cable TV shows than movies (although I did have a shlocky horror weekend a while back - Toxic Avenger I - IV, Killer Klowns from Outer Space, Waxwork, Class of Nuke 'Em High I - III), and the kids love it for the goofy Disney kids shows and "Phineas and Ferb" (which is actually quite good).

They recently added Mad Men, which we'd never seen, but are hooked on now. Breaking Bad looked interesting, so I'll have to check it out, too, after all the recommendations.

Since I've never experienced the DVD version of Netflix, and have paid only $8/mo, I've been very happy. Just have to finish all the Starz-related stuff before February when it drops off the service.

Speaking of cable TV shows, we could not wait for the next episode of "West Wing" or "Boston Legal" from NetFlix. We refuse to be abused by endless TV commercials. We've heard that "Mad Men" is equally good sans commercial interuption. We'll see?

[UpTheIrons]

They recently added Mad Men, which we'd never seen, but are hooked on now.

Speaking of cable TV shows, we could not wait for the next episode of "West Wing" or "Boston Legal" from NetFlix. We refuse to be abused by endless TV commercials. We've heard that "Mad Men" is equally good sans commercial interuption. We'll see?

I've only seen bits of "West Wing" and only a handful of "Boston Legal" episodes since we basically bailed on TV a few years ago. I'd like to get back into watching "Boston Legal", but I didn't know it was on Netflix - I'll queue it up post haste!

"Mad Men" certainly has it's soap opera-y elements, but I like it for the historical references and attention to detail (one episode with scenes in the local Roman Catholic church had the correct color paraments for the time in which the events depicted were happening). Plus, the writing is just plain enjoyable.

[Oldgringo]

They recently added Mad Men, which we'd never seen, but are hooked on now.

Speaking of cable TV shows, we could not wait for the next episode of "West Wing" or "Boston Legal" from NetFlix. We refuse to be abused by endless TV commercials. We've heard that "Mad Men" is equally good sans commercial interuption. We'll see?

I've only seen bits of "West Wing" and only a handful of "Boston Legal" episodes since we basically bailed on TV a few years ago. I'd like to get back into watching "Boston Legal", but I didn't know it was on Netflix - I'll queue it up post haste!

"Mad Men" certainly has it's soap opera-y elements, but I like it for the historical references and attention to detail (one episode with scenes in the local Roman Catholic church had the correct color paraments for the time in which the events depicted were happening). Plus, the writing is just plain enjoyable.

Regardless of political leanings, check out "West Wing", the fictional issues of yesteryear in this TV series are the exact same real life issues of today. There is nothing new under the sun, only the names and faces change. "Boston Legal" is fantastic!

[philip964]

I have decided to keep it after my free 30 day look. I have the streaming only.

I much prefer it to, for example HBO, as I like to see movies from the beginning and will not get in front of the TV at a certain time just to see something.

I like the resume feature, where I watch 20 minutes of something, then a few days later pick it up again right where I left off.

The movie content on the streaming Netflix is not that good, however I really like all the documentaries.

I pay 18 dollars a month for a DVR from the cable company, I am going to return that to the cable folks and also subscribe to Hulu. With both of those, I will always be able to find something to watch.