Netflix reviews

[LilyWDW]

Hey all! I was thinking about getting a Netflix subscription. I spend too much money on DVDs that end up being watched once and that is it so I was thinking Netflix would work well for me. Plus, their selection looks pretty good! I was wondering if anyone here uses/has used them and what you think? Is it a huge hassle? I HATE blockbuster and the like if that matters lol.

Thanks a bunch!

 

[Aimeedyan]

Used them for years, love them. Their selection of indy films is GREAT - and the primary reason why we still have a subscription. We use Redbox for new releases most of the time, as we can pick them up Tuesday morning for $1 and save Netflix for the less known films.

We have never been throttled, like many have complained about, and will get new releases the morning they are released without issue.

 

[nkjzmom]

We've had a subscription for a few years. DH mostly gets seasons of TV shows we've missed or don't have on cable. He's good...he will get 2 disks at a time, watch them within a day or two (granted, soccer season is over for him!) then stick them back in the mail immediately. In the last few months he's watched approximately 13 seasons of Stargate Atlantis and Stargate SG-1. That sounds so crazy....but it's his guilty pleasure after the kids go to bed...and I get to READ in peace!!! haha

 

[Tink888]

Used them for years, love them. Their selection of indy films is GREAT - and the primary reason why we still have a subscription. We use Redbox for new releases most of the time, as we can pick them up Tuesday morning for $1 and save Netflix for the less known films.

We have never been throttled, like many have complained about, and will get new releases the morning they are released without issue.

Not wanting to hijack the thread but what does "throttled" mean?

OP - we've been using Netflix for a few years as well and are very happy with them. Huge selection and nce we send the movies back we usually receive the new ones within 2 days.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

It is OK although I am teetering on cancelling. Nothing to do with them, I just don't watch enough movies to justify the service, really.

My sister has been using the "Red Box" and enjoying the heck out of it. She keeps getting coupons and has gotten alot of free rentals.

 

[bicker]

We use Netflix each year to fill in the gap between May and September. Excellent service, very reasonable prices, and overall one of the best entertainment choices we've made. Their selection exceeds that of anyone else, by a wide margin.

 

[bicker]

Regarding "Throttling":

As you can well imagine, despite the vast warehouses that Netflix and Blockbuster Online have, and how many disc are on the shelves at the local video store or in the local Redbox machine, they cannot just make a new disc for you the moment you want it. They have to buy the discs (either physically or electronically) from the distributors, and so there is a limited supply of each disc.

Much of the time, is generally more than enough for everyone, but sometimes there are disc that are in very high demand, such as when a disc is first released. A large number of customers want the big blockbusters, the day they become available. All the places you can rent DVDs have the same situation, but they all handle it a bit differently.

Netflix's approach is to give priority for new releases to the customers who have gotten the fewest new releases recently. "Throttling" therefore is the process of getting something else in your queue, rather than your #1 item, because it is a high demand disc, and you've gotten a good number of other high demand discs recently.

Local video stores and Redbox basically give the new releases to the folks who get to the store at the precise moment the new release is made available, so typically they go to the folks who get home from work first or in some other way able to get there at a specific time. Therefore if you're the type of person who cannot get there at whatever time they make the new releases available, you're effectively "throttled".

 

[dejr_8]

Love Netflix - we have the two at a time plan.
We also watch Instant Movies from time to time.

Our typical turn around time is 2 days (return on Mon get new movie on Wed)

 

[swanmom]

Love Netflix. DD does a lot of theater so she often needs copies of obscure old plays or musicals and they almost always have them - unlike the local rental place which only stocks titles that lots of people will rent. I like the fact that I am not 'forced' to watch a movie just because it's due tomorrow.
And finally, DH travels a lot and loves the fact that he can 'instant' watch movies online as part of the subscription - instead of paying the hotel's outrageous rates to rent a movie on their TV. We've never had a problem with throttling at all. All in all, it's a win-win for everyone in our family.

 

[AristocatFan]

We love Netflix! Been a subscriber since they started. We have the 3 at a time plan. As soon as we see a movie trailer that we would like to see, we put it in our queue. Then on the Tuesday it's released on DVD it's almost always in our mailbox. We've even taken some on long trips then when we got to our destination simply dropped them in a mailbox. Have never had a problem.

 

[bicker]

Just another note about "throttling" -- it is something that really doesn't happen much, anymore. Due to its purchasing clout (I think I read that Netflix is the second largest single purchaser of newly-released DVDs?), they've apparently been able to make certain deals with certain distributors. I don't know the details, but it almost seems to me that some distributors are letting Netflix burn their own DVDs, as they need them, rather than deciding, in advance, how many they need to distributor to send them.

We haven't waited at all for the #1 item in our queue, since we went back on Netflix a couple of weeks ago. Practically everything in our queue is listed as "Available Now" -- even Weeds Season 4, which is a brand new release. The only exception is Outlander, which is apparently being distributed by its production studio, Weinstein Company, instead of a major distributor. Still, there are a lot of bitter folks out there who still concern themselves about "throttling" despite the fact that, at least with Netflix, it isn't a significant concern anymore.

 

[Nie0214]

I have it right now, but sometimes I do use Redbox for new releases. I hate Redbox (every DVD I've ever gotten from them has skipped at least twice through the movie, sometimes I have to pass the scene altogether), but if you don't get the New Release from Netflix the day it is out, you have VERY LONG WAIT on your list for a while.

I did 2-at-a-time for a couple months, I watched 4 movies a week, but I've since gone back to the 1 plan. The only part of Netflix that can be annoying is if you're watching a movie that has two discs, each disc counts toward your DVD count. Bonus feature discs would also count, but I never get those.

I've found some decent movies and TV shows on their instant watch list too.

 

[bicker]

One thing I do find strange about Netflix, though, is the pricing:

1 at a time: $9 per disc at a time
2 at a time: $7 per disc at a time ($14)
3 at a time: $5.67 per disc at a time ($17)
4 at a time: $6 per disc at a time ($24)

So basically, each additional disc you have out simultaneously costs less money until you get to three, then it goes up. (After 4 at a time, it stays pretty steady at $6 per disc at a time.) So there is definitely a "sweet-spot" in their pricing, at the 3 at a time plan.

And while 3 at a time is enough for the vast majority, it is times like last night that we could have used 4 at a time. We sent one disc back on Friday, sent one disc back on Sunday, and sent one disc back on Monday morning. So, due to the weekend, we end up with a day like last night, where all 3 discs are either on their way back to Netflix or on their way to us. It only happens once a week, of course, but it is one reason to go up to 4 at a time, just so there is never any waiting for a disc. However, it is a little hard to justify the extra $7 per month, just to get one more night of entertainment each week.

Last night, we watched the first episode of Expedition Alaska off of Discovery Channel -- and generally there is at least something we can fill that one night a week with, without Netflix. (Most folks could use the Watch Instantly to fill that gap, but my wife is hearing impaired and Watch Instantly is therefore useless to us, because it doesn't support closed captions for the hearing impaired.)

 

[The Princess]

We have been members for years and love it!!! In the summer we up our membership to 3 at a time. Never have a problem with a wait for the movies. I just like the fact that I get it in the mail and can return it without even leaving my house.

 

[cteddiesgirl]

I've been using Netflix since about 2003.

It is OK although I am teetering on cancelling. Nothing to do with them, I just don't watch enough movies to justify the service, really.

My sister has been using the "Red Box" and enjoying the heck out of it. She keeps getting coupons and has gotten alot of free rentals.

If you really only watch a few movies a month, just go down to one of the smaller plans. I've been known to go the the normal 3 at a time unlimited all the way to 8 at a time unlimited and back down to 3 at a time. They also have plans that are only 1 or 2 out at a time unlimited. There is also a limited plan of only 2 per month for 4.99.

 

[bicker]

Note, though, that if you go below the 1 at a time plan (to the 1 or 2 per month plans) then you either lose or get less of the unlimited Watch Instantly service.

 

[cteddiesgirl]

Note, though, that if you go below the 1 at a time plan (to the 1 or 2 per month plans) then you either lose or get less of the unlimited Watch Instantly service.

Here's their full list of plans:

Netflix Unlimited Plans
Exchange DVDs as often as you want Watch instantly as often as you want on your PC, Mac, or TV Our premium unlimited plans include Starz Play service add Blu-ray access for an additional cost.

1 DVD out at-a-time
+ unlimited instant watching
$8.99 a month

2 DVDs out at-a-time
+ unlimited instant watching
$13.99 a month

3 DVDs out at-a-time
+ unlimited instant watching
$16.99 a month

4 DVDs out at-a-time
+ unlimited instant watching
$23.99 a month

5 DVDs out at-a-time
+ unlimited instant watching
$29.99 a month

6 DVDs out at-a-time
+ unlimited instant watching
$35.99 a month

7 DVDs out at-a-time
+ unlimited instant watching
$41.99 a month

8 DVDs out at-a-time
+ unlimited instant watching
$47.99 a month


Netflix Limited Plans

1 DVD out at-a-time
(limit 2 rentals a month)
$4.99 a month
Watch instantly (up to 2 hours a month) on your PC or Mac Starz Play and live Starz Play TV channel are not available A Netflix ready device cannot be used with this plan Click here to add Blu-ray access for an additional cost

Starz Play Only (no DVDs) $7.99 a month
Watch instantly as often as you want on your PC, Mac A Netflix ready device cannot be used with this plan

 

[LilyWDW]

Sounds like some good reviews!

I'm really only looking at one of the lower end unlimited plans like the $13.99 one where you can have 2 out at a time. This means that they will send me 2 DVDs and while I have those (either in my possession or while they are being mailed back) that is all I can have, but as soon as they are returned they will send me more? Just that I can never have more then 2 out at the same time? That doesn't seem like a huge deal honestly...

The idea of "throttling" just doesn't seem like that huge of the thing either. If it is something I have to see as soon as it is out on DVD, then it will be one of the few that I still buy (Harry Potter and New Moon for examples). Really, I am looking at Netflix for those movies that look cool and I would like to see them, but I am worried I may not like them at all or not enough to view them more then once (like the majority of my DVD collection atm). I also like that I can get TV shows so that maybe I can catch up on some that look interesting or actually get to SEE some that I normally would not (example: True Blood... looks darn good, but I don't get the channel).

Any other opinions?

 

[Nie0214]

You need to learn to "work the system" to get the maximum use out of it. They don't ship on Saturdays, so what I did on the 2-time plan was:

Receive New Movie: Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday
Ship Movie Back: Wed Morn, Thur Morn, Sat Morn, Mon Morn

I could do this though, I lived alone and there's nothing holding me back from watching a movie after work on those nights. I'm now on the 1-time plan because winter is over so I go outside more. There is www.feedflix.com to monitor your account, it's not accurate if you switch plans, but it can give you an idea how much you're paying per movie.

 

[yoopermom]

Be forewarned, too, that the farther you live from the delivery centers, the longer your turn around time may be. It takes us a week turn around per movie pretty much (two days to get to us, one day to watch it, two days to get back to them, one turn around/processing day). I told DS he needs to watch it as soon as he gets it out of the mailbox, then return it to the p.o. two blocks down the street for late pickup the same day if he wants to get it any sooner! We're only 250 miles from the nearest center, but obviously that's far enough

Other than that, we love it!
Terri