Netflix?

[blessedby3]

What is streaming? I am very technology challenged. I was thinking of getting this for my dd20 for her birthday. I thought she could watch movies on her laptop. Is that streaming?

 

[Marionnette]

What is streaming? I am very technology challenged. I was thinking of getting this for my dd20 for her birthday. I thought she could watch movies on her laptop. Is that streaming?

Streaming means that the movie is sent to your device to be watched while you are connected to the internet. It's different than a downloadable file that is either permanent (like those digital copies that come with your DVD/Blu-ray) or from Amazon which has a limited viewing time and then the file locks.

Netflix streaming video can be watched on an ipod, a laptop or even on your tv by using a wii, xbox 360 or playstation as long as there is an internet connection. No internet = no movie.

 

[SOnotLayuh]

We loooooove Netflix. I've been a member now for 4 years. You can sign up for a free month through the website if you are a first time member.

 

[perdidochas]

Any pros/cons to doing a month or two? There are a few movies I want to see that I don't feel like spending $20 for the dvd, as I would only watch once. Is the 9.99 it, or are there other fees? Any sort of minimum time you have to participate?

First month is free. No other fees. It's $7.99 a month for streamining only, $9.99 a month for one DVD out at a time. Takes about 3 days for me to get a movie after sending one back.

 

[perdidochas]

I'm piggybacking...


We don't have a Wii, Gamecube, or XBox (I know - gasp!!) - is there any other way to get the streaming video? I can get it on my iPhone, but unfortunately I don't think I can hook the phone to my TV.

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The newer Blu-ray players (and some TVs) have it built-in (wifi access to internet). They also have a special box-Roku maybe, that can be used for that. The blu-ray is the same cost, though.

 

[mistyandbenjamin]

Streaming means that the movie is sent to your device to be watched while you are connected to the internet. It's different than a downloadable file that is either permanent (like those digital copies that come with your DVD/Blu-ray) or from Amazon which has a limited viewing time and then the file locks.

Netflix streaming video can be watched on an ipod, a laptop or even on your tv by using a wii, xbox 360 or playstation as long as there is an internet connection. No internet = no movie.

Okay, I am a single mom, nursing student, yadda, yadda and have some beautiful large TV's in my house that are used for Wii and otherwise sit as staues. I canceled cable a few months back. I have a very SLOW DSL speed through At&t. It is the slowest that is offered but is cheap 19.99 a month forever with no home phone line and no mystery increases later on. So, is it possible to stream netflix through the Wii and not have the movie pause and buffer all the time like they do on my laptop (not netflix, but hulu)? I would love to pay 9.99 and have access to something. I have also thought about the digital antenna but all this sounds complicated.
Help!

 

[disneychic2]

We tried Netflix for the 30 day trial...a year ago! We still have it. It has been great for us. We don't watch as much when the weather is nice, but right now I'm sick and I've been watching all kinds of things through my Wii. Also, my granddaughter was here last week and I was able to get lots of fun movies and tv shows for her (she's 2). I think you'll love it! Oh! and the turn-around of the movies from the mail is amazing! If I send it back on Monday, I usually have the next movie in my queue on Wednesday! I don't know how they do it!

 

[cglaura]

I'm piggybacking...


We don't have a Wii, Gamecube, or XBox (I know - gasp!!) - is there any other way to get the streaming video? I can get it on my iPhone, but unfortunately I don't think I can hook the phone to my TV.

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I'm not sure if you found a solution to your iPhone, but if not, here is a link to Roku. You can either set it up on your wireless home network, or firewired to your computer.

I did the wireless, it was super easy. Just put in your home password, then the tv screen gives you a code, logon onto Roku website, insert code and you are up and running.

To take the most advantage of it you should have something like Netflix or Hulu Plus. There are free channels, but kind of off the wall things.

I have the Roku HD, $59.99 (but it was a Christmas gift)

http://www.roku.com/roku-products

 

[Nayan]

Okay, I am a single mom, nursing student, yadda, yadda and have some beautiful large TV's in my house that are used for Wii and otherwise sit as staues. I canceled cable a few months back. I have a very SLOW DSL speed through At&t. It is the slowest that is offered but is cheap 19.99 a month forever with no home phone line and no mystery increases later on. So, is it possible to stream netflix through the Wii and not have the movie pause and buffer all the time like they do on my laptop (not netflix, but hulu)? I would love to pay 9.99 and have access to something. I have also thought about the digital antenna but all this sounds complicated.
Help!

If you have issues on your laptop it won't be any better on your tv and possibly worse. You need quite a bit of bandwith (internet speed) in order to watch streaming media without it stopping, buffering, etc.

 

[Marionnette]

I started with the trial subscription and ended up expanding it to 3 DVDs at a time. With that, I can have up to 3 devices streaming Netflix at the same time. I have 2 kids in college and I registered my son's ipad and daughter's wii. It much cheaper than getting them their own susbscriptions and I get to have 3 DVDs to watch whenever I can't find something in the instant queue.

 

[fakereadhed]

Another vote for Roku. We love ours! Our DS6 calls it the "Netfix box". We also stream on 2 Ipods and DD's netbook. If need be, we can all stream different content at the same time. Since I have 2 teens 16 and 18 and the 6yo, at least we are all in the same room once in a while. I'll take what I can!

 

[ExPirateShopGirl]

We have a Roku box (love it!) and we stream Netflix and Hulu Plus and Pandora, among other channels. We have used it wirelessly but found the cat-5 cable connection to the router MUCH faster. No delays, no buffering.

 

[mistyandbenjamin]

If you have issues on your laptop it won't be any better on your tv and possibly worse. You need quite a bit of bandwith (internet speed) in order to watch streaming media without it stopping, buffering, etc.

Well, I just tried it. I started a Netflix account and had it setup to the Wii in about 15 minutes. I have watched 2 movies already and had no issues with streaming on my sloooow DSL light. The pictures sometimes is more pixelated than other times but for 7.99 I am enjoying using the service. Yay! It also does not slow my internet down at all.

 

[Mixie]

Another vote here for netflix.

Think about it - for $10 a month you can have unlimited streaming video, plus one disc out at a time.

Compare to redbox where it's $1 per disc.

You can stream an hour long episode of your favorite show each night, plus watch 1 movie a week for $10.

The equivalent with redbox - say 2 hours of streaming = 1 dvd - would mean you would pay $19 per month (15 'streaming' dollars plus 4 'dvd' dollars).

And believe me, you're going to stream *alot*.

I've watched entire series of shows that I missed while DD was little and had no time for tv - some 220 hours of one tv show alone. If I calcuated that into redbox dollars, that would be $110! Yet I paid only $30 for it (took 3 months to get thru it all) - along with anything else watched streaming (stuff for DD for example that she watched while I was cooking/cleaning.

 

[*Seanaci*]

Redbox doesn't have the movies I want to see. I use redbox for new releases fairly frequently.

So am I understanding that tax is the only additional cost? No minimum time to be enrolled?

I'd love to just do streaming, but streaming doesn't have a couple of the ones I want, either.

It's worth it. DH and I started out with a 2 week trial...that was in October 2009...and we still have it. When we started out, we started with 2 DVD's out at a time...within 6 months, we upgraded to 3 DVD's out at a time. It's nice being able to find older movies/tv shows and watch them when you want to watch them.

Fees did just go up the 1st of the year because they are trying to get more streamed movied and tv shows (as far as I know they aren't going to phase out DVD's...just giving subscribers more ways to watch their favorite movies without having to wait on a DVD).

My guess as to what you'd be paying with taxes and fees is a buck or two more than the prices listed below (for 3 DVD's a month + unlimited streaming, we just had it debited from our account and it was $21.56).

1 DVD out at a time (includes streaming) is 9.99 a month.
2 DVD's out at a time (includes streaming) is 14.99 a month.
1 DVD out at a time (includes only 2 hours of streaming) is 4.99 a month

Good luck! And enjoy!!

 

[MinnieForMe]

It's only $7.99 a month if you only want to download movies. Plus, $2 more per month if you want DVD's sent to you. Plus, the first month is free. I just signed up about two week's ago and that's the deal I got.

 

[singitalto]

We just signed up to Netflix on Christmas because we got the sony dvd player that also streams video. WE LOVE IT!!!!! I dont know what took me so long to sign up- it is the greatest thing ever!!! My son streams from the wii, we use the dvd player and my daughter uses her mac! Its the best!!!!

 

[SoScary'09]

I just signed up for Netflix a few days ago, and I can comfortably say that NEVER AGAIN will I go to a video store. The streaming already has me addicted.

Question though for those more familiar: How long does it take for new DVD releases to come up on Netflix? Also, this might sound silly, but what's the instant queue for? Is it just other stuff that's waiting to be streamed?

 

[Muushka]

We don't usually order the newest DVDs so I can't answer that, but yes, your instant streaming queue is waiting to be streamed, as you said.

Every night I fall asleep with The Dick Van Dy_ke show! Love it!

 

[LilyWDW]

I just signed up for Netflix a few days ago, and I can comfortably say that NEVER AGAIN will I go to a video store. The streaming already has me addicted.

Question though for those more familiar: How long does it take for new DVD releases to come up on Netflix? Also, this might sound silly, but what's the instant queue for? Is it just other stuff that's waiting to be streamed?

New DVD releases can vary. It depends on who is the company that the movie is from (FOX, Dreamworks, MGM, ect). Some of these companies require that Netflix does NOT release their movies into their system for a specific amount of time after the DVD release. Others allow this to happen at the same time.

Your instant queue is the movies and shows that you can stream. I personally keep my instant queue for TV shows, documentaries, and the like. I then do movies in my DVD queue. I know, sounds odd, but I often only use the instant queue when I have a shorter period of time to watch something. A 30 minute to 1 hour show is easier to watch at those times then a whole movie. The instant queue also gets a bit clogged up if I keep those films on it as well.

I do wish more shows were available in instant queue.