Netflix basic plan just went up to $15.98

[si-am]

I would be okay with this if, at the time they announced the price increase, they also announced an increase in available titles to stream.

But as it is their streaming selection is pitiful. I'm disappointed.

 

[ChrisFL]

12,000+ titles, yeah pitiful

 

[Imagineer7]

I'm really surprised at the amount of people willing to get rid of the DVD option and just stream.

I think their streaming is a joke to be honest. None of the premium cable shows are streamed (Six Feet Under, Rome, True Blood, Spartacus, Boardwalk Empire, The Sopranos). Very few of the hit cable television shows (Breaking Bad, Mad Men, White Colar, Leverage) are streamed.

The new release movies are NOT streamed. And many of the classic superstar movies like The Godfather are not streamed.

12,000+ titles, yeah pitiful

The majority of those 12,000 titles are garbage. They don't stream new releases, classic hits like The Godfather, very few if any Disney movies (except nature films), and very few of premium cable shows that air on channels like AMC, HBO, Showtime, and Starz.

 

[LilyWDW]

The majority of those 12,000 titles are garbage. They don't stream new releases, classic hits like The Godfather, very few if any Disney movies (except nature films), and very few of premium cable shows that air on channels like AMC, HBO, Showtime, and Starz.

Then talk to the companies who own the actual rights to those movies and shows. It's not like Netflix can stream anything they want. They have to have a contract to do so and sometimes the sides simply can not come to an agreement. It is not just Netflix that is a part of the process...

 

[ChrisFL]

The majority of those 12,000 titles are garbage. They don't stream new releases, classic hits like The Godfather, very few if any Disney movies (except nature films), and very few of premium cable shows that air on channels like AMC, HBO, Showtime, and Starz.

The Godfather WAS on streaming for a while, and there have also been several Disney movies as well, Bolt, Toy Story 3, The Princess and the Frog, The Sorcerer's Apprentice, and Wall-E to name a few

 

[Imagineer7]

The Godfather WAS on streaming for a while, and there have also been several Disney movies as well, Bolt, Toy Story 3, The Princess and the Frog, The Sorcerer's Apprentice, and Wall-E to name a few

I just did a random search for some of my favorites and these are not streamed:

The Godfather I, II, and III
The Rocky Movies
Sergio Leonne's Westerns
Wall-E
Bolt
Toy Story, Toy Story 2
The Lion King

I could really care less if it was streamed for "a while." If it's not streamed when I go to look for it, what good does it do me? If you want to pay up for a less than mediocre service, that's on you. But don't roll your eyes at people who state the undeniable fact that Netflix's streaming capabilities are pathetic.

 

[si-am]

Don't get me wrong, Netflix streaming is great for old TV shows. But for current-ish movies, it's pretty bad.

I feel like I can never find anything I want to watch on it. My dvd queue is about 4x as long as my instant queue.

 

[Imagineer7]

Don't get me wrong, Netflix streaming is great for old TV shows. But for current-ish movies, it's pretty bad.

I feel like I can never find anything I want to watch on it.

Old TV shows yes, Old movies, it's just as bad. No Godfather, No Disney classics, No Sergio Leonne Westerns.

 

[moburg]

I'll drop them completely, on August 31!

Stupid move.

I would have been fine with a restructuring, even with a small increase, but this is no small increase.

How about $9.99 for either of the two services, plus $2.99 if you want both? That would be an increase, but not as drastic.

 

[FlightlessDuck]

For right now, we are going to continue with our two DVD & streaming current plan. After researching Amazon Prime and Hulu Plus, neither of them have that much more content, and Netflix is the only one of the three I can watch on my actual TV downstairs with the technology I have.

Now I know Amazon has more current movies for streaming, but even with Amazon Prime, many of them are $4.00 to watch.

I am hoping that the price increase will lead to Netflix being able to offer more content through it's online streaming.

 

[Toad_Passenger]

Don't get me wrong, Netflix streaming is great for old TV shows. But for current-ish movies, it's pretty bad.

I feel like I can never find anything I want to watch on it. My dvd queue is about 4x as long as my instant queue.

Mine is the exact opposite. My DVD queue is down to like 20 and my streaming queue is over 75.

 

[LilyWDW]

For right now, we are going to continue with our two DVD & streaming current plan. After researching Amazon Prime and Hulu Plus, neither of them have that much more content, and Netflix is the only one of the three I can watch on my actual TV downstairs with the technology I have.

Now I know Amazon has more current movies for streaming, but even with Amazon Prime, many of them are $4.00 to watch.

I am hoping that the price increase will lead to Netflix being able to offer more content through it's online streaming.

My guess is that we will see an increase in titles that can be streamed. It will not happen over night though. However, with the price increase, I believe Netflix will be able to make much more competitive contracts and thus actually get the companies to agree to have their shows and movies streamed.

 

[BankBunny]

I heard on the radio today that Blockbuster has special rate plans for people who have had it with Netflix so I checked it out:

Blockbuster Rescues Furious Netflix Customers
Netflix Customers Offered Blockbuster Total Access With New Everyday Pricing and Free 30-Day Trial With Proof of Netflix Account

MCKINNEY, Texas, July 14, 2011 – Blockbuster L.L.C. today began rescuing upset Netflix® customers by launching a limited time, nationwide promotion for all Netflix customers who switch to Blockbuster Total Access™.

Blockbuster Total Access provides benefits Netflix doesn’t offer: availability of many new releases 28 days before Netflix; unlimited in-store exchanges; games for XBOX 360®, Playstation3™, and Nintendo Wii™, and no additional charge for Blu-ray™ movies.

As part of Blockbuster’s ongoing efforts to provide the ultimate in convenience, choice and value, Netflix customers who switch to one of Blockbuster’s two most popular Total Access plans will receive a 30-day free trial. After the free trial, customers will continue to receive Total Access for a new everyday price of only $9.99 per month for “1 Disc” at a time or $14.99 per month for “2 Discs” at a time.

“Blockbuster quickly responded to the cries of Netflix customers,” said Michael Kelly, president of Blockbuster. “Blockbuster Total Access is Netflix ‘without the wait.’ The combination of DVDs by mail and unlimited in-store exchanges provides more than 100 million people living near Blockbuster stores immediate convenience and unparalleled choice.”

Many Netflix customers have voiced their frustration about the Netflix price increase on Twitter by posting “Goodbye Netflix, Hello Blockbuster!”

“We find it shocking that anyone would raise rates as high as 60 percent,” Kelly added. “In contrast, Blockbuster has worked hard over the past few months to deliver value in entertainment to consumers in this economy and has even reduced in-store movie rentals to as low as 49 cents.”

This special offer for Netflix customers is available through Sept. 15, 2011, in participating stores and at Blockbuster’s website.

In order to take advantage of this limited time promotional offer, outraged Netflix subscribers are encouraged to visit www.blockbuster.com/helloblockbuster or bring in the tear-off from their Netflix mailer to a participating Blockbuster store.

Here’s a comparison of Blockbuster Total Access vs. Netflix by mail service:



Blockbuster Total Access Netflix DVD only
with Blu-ray

In-store exchanges Unlimited None

Games Xbox 360, PS3, Wii None

New Releases Immediate Up to 28-day delay

for multiple studios

Blu-ray Yes Yes

Price (1-disc plan) $9.99/month $9.99/month

Today (starting Sept. 1)

Follow Blockbuster on Twitter (http://twitter.com/blockbuster) and Facebook (http://facebook.com/blockbusterinc) for new exciting deals or visit www.blockbuster.com/helloblockbuster.

I switched mine over. I really like that blu-ray is included in the price and that they also have Wii games. And that you get unlimited exchanges in the store (if you still have one by you). And movies are availabe as soon as they are out-not weeks later.

 

[timmac]

I heard on the radio today that Blockbuster has special rate plans for people who have had it with Netflix so I checked it out:
(etc etc)

It's an interesting promotion, but one major problem is that many people simply don't live near a blockbuster and will be forced to do DVD by mail only (which isn't all that different from a netflix DVD only plan). Also, I think it's just a matter of time before Blockbuster realizes the same issues netflix already does... that shipping DVDs isn't a sustainable model due to the costs involved.

 

[FlightlessDuck]

I heard on the radio today that Blockbuster has special rate plans for people who have had it with Netflix so I checked it out

I thought Blockbuster went out of business, and sold all of their kiosks to RedBox. We certainly don't have any stores in our area.

 

[DWGal210]

I thought Blockbuster went out of business, and sold all of their kiosks to RedBox. We certainly don't have any stores in are area.

I thought so, too - all our stores around here closed.

 

[JVL1018]

I love my Blockbuster subscription. We still have 2 stores near us(they closed 1).
I pay $17.99/month and I get 3 out by mail at a time, unlimited in store exchanges and 2 coupons per month for free movies or games.
I always use those on Wii games for my kids because they are more expensive.

Right now my DD and I are glomming Gilmore Girls, so I don't exchange in store for movies. I do, however, drop my Blockbuster by mail envelopes at the store instead of mailing them and they get checked in immediately. I dropped 2 DVDs off yesterday around 12:30. Got an email that they were checked in that afternoon and another email this morning that my next 2 titles were shipped. They'll be here tomorrow morning.

I tried Netflix streaming a couple of months ago because I thought I'd switch over from Blockbuster. We found a handful(less than 10) of things we wanted to watch. Wasn't for us and I canceled it and kept my Blockbuster.

 

[ChrisFL]

Does blockbuster stream any content?

 

[Belle0101]

I've given the matter a lot of thought and I think I'll cancel the DVD portion of our current plan. Leaving then, only streaming.

I have 100+ DVDs in my queue. My 2 DS and my DH have a few in there but the problem I have is that my youngest DS and my DH will keep a DVD a week before they even watch it. We're maybe getting 3 DVDs a month. The new price plan would not be cost effective for us.

I've plenty of streaming to watch. I'm currently working my way through the old Hawaii 5-0 series with Jack Lord

I might, in January, if you can do so without penalty, add back in the DVD option. I don't leave the house much in the winter and there are some old TV series I'd like to watch that are DVD only.

 

[ThisIsJason]

Does blockbuster stream any content?

Not like Netflix, you have to pay PER movie with Blockbuster. Its $3.99 per movie.