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Edilma Howard
AILSA CHANG, HOST: Netflix is marking an end to 25 years of mailing out DVDs in red envelopes by offering to send subscribers extra discs from their queue. NPR's Chloe Veltman says fans are welcoming the gesture ahead of the service shutting down at the end of next month, but it's also causing confusion.CHLOE VELTMAN, BYLINE: Longtime Netflix DVD customer Moe Long is a self-described film buff in North Carolina. He says there are 500 movies sitting in his queue right now.MOE LONG: It's ridiculous (laughter). I don't think I'm going to get through that.VELTMAN: Before Netflix ends its DVD service, Long is hoping to get to as many of those films as he can, including 1978's "Foul Play."(SOUNDBITE OF FILM TRAILER, "FOUL PLAY")UNIDENTIFIED PERSON: A new comedy thriller starring Goldie Hawn and Chevy Chase.VELTMAN: Long says once he's done, he plans, as usual, to return the discs to the sender.LONG: You don't get to keep the DVDs. You do have to send them back.VELTMAN: A Netflix spokesperson confirmed the company is indeed expecting to get the goods back. But Netflix's promotional email doesn't explicitly say that. Because the company is scrapping its DVD service, many subscribers, like Leslie Lowdermilk, are assuming it's a giveaway.LESLIE LOWDERMILK: It appeared to me that at the end of their time shipping these DVDs out, they're yours to keep. Because after all, what are they going to do with them?VELTMAN: That's a great question to put to a company that has shipped out more than 5 billion discs to customers since launching in 1998. DVDs are not easily recyclable. Most of them end up in landfill. Entertainment lawyer Lindsay Spiller says Netflix couldn't give the DVDs away even if it wanted to.LINDSAY SPILLER: The filmmakers and property rights owners give Netflix a license, and then they can sublicense it to their subscribers. But they can't give anybody ownership. They don't have it themselves.MARY GERBI: They really should have made it clear whether this was a rental and what the return period is versus whether people were getting to hold on to these things.VELTMAN: Massachusetts-based Netflix DVD customer Mary Gerbi says she hopes the streamer will find ethical ways to dispose of its massive stockpile of plastic.GERBI: Maybe to get them into libraries.VELTMAN: She says she just doesn't want the DVDs to go to waste.Chloe Veltman, NPR News.
If you're on the fence about splitting from Netflix, here's how to decide which subscription to nix. Plus, a list of free streaming alternatives to Netflix that will save you even more money, 10 ways to save money on streaming, and an app that can help you get your subscriptions in order. Want more? Here's CNET's guide to finally cutting the cord. And here's how to cancel Disney Plus and how to cancel Amazon Prime.
To cancel your subscription, go to netflix.com/cancelplan and sign in with the email address and password you used for your account. Once you're signed in, you'll have two options. You can cancel your account but keep using it through your next billing date, or you can downgrade your plan to save some money each month. Here are all the Netflix plans compared.
When you cancel your subscription, Netflix will keep all information linked to your account for 10 months. That means information such as your viewing history, account profiles and favorites will still be there if you decide to restart your subscription within that time.
It makes sense that Netflix would hold onto this type of information, but if you want to have all of your personal data deleted prior to the end of the 10-month period, you'll need to take an extra step.
More specifically, you'll need to send an email to "pri...@netflix.com" using the email address that's linked to your Netflix account. Netflix will not accept requests from a different email address that references the email linked to your account. It has to be from the same address.
If you don't want to have your information deleted early, but you share your account password with someone else, it's a good idea to change your password after canceling your subscription. That way, whoever you share your account with doesn't log into your account and restart the monthly fee.
Still looking for ways to cut subscriptions? Read how to cancel and then delete your Amazon Prime account. It involves more work than Netflix. Same goes for your Google account, should you be ready to get the search giant out of your life.
Netflix started as a DVD rental company, and this service will end soon as the company focuses on everything digital. However, before it fades into history, Netflix is bringing one final surprise for subscribers of the service.
It will send 10 extra red envelopes to lucky members before the 25-year-old subscription service ends for good. This DVD surprise will be sent out on September 29, the day it will end its service and its final shipment date.
Netflix posted an email on Reddit to tell its customers about the extra discs and the upcoming shutdown of its disc rental service. The company said it would send "extra envelopes" to lucky subscribers as a "finale surprise."
"After 25 years of movies in the mail, we're approaching the end of our final season. We really appreciate that you're sharing movie nights with us until the last day. Let's have some fun for our finale!" Netflix wrote.
"You won't know if any extra envelopes are headed your way until they arrive in your mailbox! We wish you happy viewing and truly thank you for being part of our final season. Enjoy each and every red envelope," it added.
To get the extra DVDs, you must be based in the United States and sign up for Netflix's marketing emails, which you need to do before August 29. Users should also click the link included in the email to opt in.
The company will reportedly choose the discs based on the films recorded in a user's movie queue. However, it is still unclear if Netflix expects those DVDs to be returned. Netflix has previously noted that it will accept the return of discs up to October 27.
Back in August 2019, Netflix's DVD department recorded a total of 500 billion DVD shipments. However, digital streaming is the game changer in the movie industry, which brings all the content under one platform, highly available in just a click.
Ever start watching a movie and then pause it because you have to leave home? You don't have to leave your Netflix movies in the middle anymore. Now you can watch the whole thing, anywhere, with the Netflix mobile app. This lets you view movies and TV shows on a smartphone or tablet. The best part? There's no extra charge, as long as you already subscribe to Netflix. The catch? You've got to have the right phone or tablet.
Android, Apple, and Windows 7 mobile-device owners can all access the Netflix mobile app. However, the application has come under fire lately for its relatively limited Android release. Only a handful of Android systems can support the Netflix streaming so far [source: Broida]. Netflix says it's working fast to bring video streaming to more mobile systems, but it's hampered by the lack of standardized streaming playback features across Android phones [source: Netflix].
The company has been releasing limited apps for years. As early as 2009, you could manage your queues from your mobile device and watch video previews [source: Pasch]. But it wasn't until 2010 that you could actually view a full-length feature or TV show on your iPad, iPhone, or iPod Touch. Since then, Netflix competitor Hulu has released a similar application for its "Plus" subscribers [source: Hulu].
To download Netflix Mobile, just search for the app in the Android Marketplace, Apple iTunes Store, or Windows Phone 7 Marketplace. Log in with your existing Netflix username and password, and instantly stream movies already listed in your Instant Queue. You can download the app without being a subscriber, but it won't do anything. In that case, try the company's free month-long trial to see if you like the service.
If you have a Droid, check Netflix's database of devices to see if your system is compatible. The reason for the exclusivity is that Android phones are "fragmented," which basically means phone manufacturers and carriers have customized so many types of Androids that each one needs its own app [source: Krazit]. Each app takes time to develop and Netflix is working on this. Apple and Windows users have total integration, or zero variance in their mobile systems. Total integration lets every Apple product (iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch) and Window 7 Phone access any apps launched for them.
Another thing to watch out for is a device limit. While Netflix lets you register up to 50 devices per account, only six can be active at one time. So the more phones and tablets you activate, the fewer computers, DVD players, and streaming boxes (like Roku) you'll be able to use at home. If you have the most comprehensive Netflix subscription (currently $51.98 per month for unlimited streaming and DVDs, eight at a time) up to four mobile devices can stream simultaneously. But lesser subscriptions allow only one or two devices to stream at a time [source: Netflix].
In fact, the only thing Netflix Mobile compromises is size: tiny buttons and a small screen you can't comfortably share during a whole movie [source: Ackerman]. All other features are the same. You'll get the same streaming selections you would find on the Netflix website. (These are limited compared to what you can get via DVDs.) You can start movies from where you left off and buffering is quick. Streaming quality is high and controlled by easy-to-understand buttons.
You will want to make sure your data plan can support the strong demands of streaming. Streaming video does eat up a lot of data, so check with your phone provider to ensure you're not stuck with fees for going over your limit. Streaming a two-hour movie from Netflix will use around 300 megabytes of data [source: Miller].
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