Red Netflix envelopes sit in a bin of mail at the U.S. Post Office sort center March 30, 2010 in San Francisco, California. The company is ending its DVD mailing service with a promotion. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images hide caption
"Netflix is doing everything that they can to help people watch as many films that are in their queue as possible before the shutdown," said Long, a self-described film buff in North Carolina who told NPR there are 500 movies in his queue right now.
An FAQ section on Netflix's website states the company will accept returns through Oct. 27. But Netflix's promotional email doesn't explicitly tell customers what to do with those discs. This is causing confusion among customers, and debate among the members of online communities like Reddit.
"It appeared to me that at the end of their time shipping these DVDs out that they're yours to keep," North Carolina-based Netflix DVD subscriber Leslie Lowdermilk told NPR. "Because after all, what are they gonna do with them?"
"The filmmakers and property rights owners give Netflix a license, and then they can sub-license it to their subscribers," Spiller said. "But they can't give anybody ownership. They don't have it themselves."
"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 onto these things," Gerbi said. "I do hope that perhaps they could find a way to get them into viewers' hands permanently, or maybe get them into libraries or someplace where they're not just going to waste."
Someone out there might find it mildly collectible in that there might be a finite number of them. But it hasn't been relevant or needed in like 12 years. The Wii used a downloaded app for Netflix streaming which made the disc obsolete. And now the Netflix wii "channel" doesn't work at all.
Just hold on to it, and get one of those custom case inserts printed and put both in a spare Wii case. Sell it as a rare collectible when the Wii prices start spiking in the near future. You will see a VERY nice return on this disc some years from now.
It does count as part of the Wii set, as it is an officially approved title, even though it isn't a game. Completionist collectors will also want the paper sleeve, which is already missing from a lot of discs.
Hell I'd want one for the novelty, but only if it was a buck. Not saying $5 was foolish though, because I have easily done many far more foolish things in my 30 years of collecting (including buying things twice).
For I am only human, and the convenience of streaming services has most certainly turned my head. All that content at the touch of a button and for a relatively low, sign-up-and-try-and-forget-about-it monthly fee.
The devil is in the detail. Aside from the whole argument for the value of physical media over streaming - which, in the case of vinyl, I'm very much on board with - 4K Blu-ray discs have still clung on in my mind as the superior choice when it comes to performance. For not all 4K pictures, nor all next-gen audio formats, are equal.
See, 4K Blu-ray discs run at up to 128Mbps. This is the amount of data sent to your screen every second. By contrast, streaming services tend to top out at around 17Mbps. And this will drop further depending on the speed of your internet connection and demand on the wider network. So 4K on disc should be better than 4K via your favourite streaming service.
What about sound? It's a closer call but there's still an edge for Ultra HD Blu-ray. Yes, you can get Dolby Atmos pretty much everywhere, but streaming services deliver it in the compressed Dolby Digital+ format while discs generally carry it in full-fat Dolby TrueHD. As for DTS:X, you need to be watching on a disc. And of the two next-gen audio formats, DTS:X is a bit more flexible. It works with standard surround sound set-ups and doesn't require extra overhead speakers the way Atmos generally does. You can also manually adjust sound objects, meaning you can crank up the volume of voices on a soundtrack making it easier to hear dialogue (a common gripe).
Ultimately, my old Blu-ray player should still deliver a better picture and sound performance than the same thing via a streaming service. Hurrah. I knew I should have been buying more 4K Blu-rays. So now, having finally decided to soak up those extra megabits, why was I left disappointed?
Alright, if you don't have the latest TV, you're watching on a smaller screen or you don't have much of a sound system, you may not notice these differences, but for those of us eager to be getting our TV and films "as the director intended", we don't want to miss out on so much as a smidgeon of AV information.
We've been here before of course, when low-quality MP3 downloads and then streams replaced CDs, despite being far inferior sonically. The good news is that we did eventually get lossless and high-resolution audio from streaming services. The quality did catch up with the convenience. And it's fair to say the gap between Netflix and 4K Blu-ray is already much (much) closer than MP3 and CD.
So we could all keep (or start) buying more 4K Blu-rays. I know plenty of people who do, whether for the reasons above or because they love physical media (and steelbooks). But for those who have left discs behind and have no desire to go back, there is hope.
Both Apple TV+ and Disney+ now boast up to 40Mbps and 30Mbps top data speeds respectively, though your experience will depend on your devices and network. Sony's Bravia Core service, meanwhile, offers genuine 4K Blu-ray-baiting data rates but is exclusive to Sony's flagship TVs. Bravia Core does point to the future of streaming, though, and of course the beauty of software is that it can be upgraded and improve over time.
Many organizations regularly schedule team building retreats designed to strengthen their cultures, and they typically involve a fun activity to increase engagement and excitement. Some corporations are realizing that a day on the disc golf course is not only entertaining but can help foster creativity, bolster relationships, and provide a unique and memorable change of pace for employees.
AJ Muiz, a professional disc golfer and a tournament director, founded his company Above Gravity to use disc golf as a tool to boost corporate teams' motivation and performance. He's found that after a morning looking at powerpoints or reviewing key performance indicators, an afternoon of outdoor activity really helps re-energize employees.
"Most groups go to bars, they go to ballrooms, they've been stuck in convention centers all day," said Muiz. "Disc golf is outdoors and is very unique. We make it a lot of fun and very beginner friendly."
Muiz helps clients reach their specific goals by building in activities such as scavenger hunts and trivia related to core team values. He intentionally structures his events to make them accessible for people of all ages and athletic abilities and to promote interaction between workers at all levels.
"We make it fun and cooperative, not challenging and competitive," says Muiz. "We play a scramble or best shot type of golf. The teams are randomly selected, so it could be the CEO with a guy from the mailroom. It helps to develop new relationships across the organization."
Jack Trageser, founder of School of Disc Golf and author of two books about the sport, has been running disc golf team building events for over a decade. Located near Silicon Valley, he has worked with most of the big tech companies that call the Bay Area home, along with startups, educational institutions, and religious organizations. He uses disc golf to assist employees in thinking outside the box and seeing challenges with a new perspective.
Jeff Shi, engineering manager at Netflix, had never played disc golf before but decided to work with Jack Trageser and School of Disc Golf after one phone call due to Trageser's enthusiasm and knowledge of the sport. Shi was attracted to the fact that disc golf is active and outdoors while not being too physically strenuous or demanding.
"I wanted to try something most people haven't done before," said Shi. "Team outings can become repetitive and we wanted to try something new and build new experiences. The barrier to entry is pretty low, and it's something everyone can play and enjoy."
Everyone in Shi's group played as part of a two-person team (i.e., played doubles) and went through their rounds with two other teams. He found that this format encouraged his colleagues to work together to give themselves the greatest chance of success.
"You can have one person taking a conservative shot and the other person taking a high-risk high-reward type of shot," said Shi. "The game taps into everyone's competitive nature but also allows teamwork. I saw people on my team pointing, strategizing, cheering, laughing, and occasionally friendly trash-talking. We all had a great time."
"Everyone had a great time enjoying the outdoors and the game was easy enough that there was no stress or frustration," said Shi. "Disc golf can become very technical, and the skills required to play at a high level are quite challenging, but at the same time, it's something everyone can pick up quickly and enjoy in one afternoon."
"There was a pretty intense moment for a 40 or 50-foot [12 or 15-meter] putt with winning and bragging rights on the line," said Shi. "The shot left the hand a little wobbly, but it followed a curve, hit the chains, and went into the basket. Everyone burst out a big cheer, clapping, screaming, gasping, and congratulating the winning team. On the drive back to the office, people were still talking about it in the car and reliving the moment. That's what a team building event is all about. Having those memorable moments that you can take away with you and your team."
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