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Candi Ruman

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Aug 2, 2024, 9:38:01 AM8/2/24

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It's hard to know what to do when you have millions of users and have such a huge market share. However, it seems like Netflix could have grandfathered in people, even for a period of time. I suspect their subscriber base is so large that it would not have been advantageous. I watch mostly streaming now anyway so I'll probably drop the 2 disk to 1 disk to keep my price point.

I don't really understand why people are so up in arms about this. Everyone that I know who has Netflix with the DVD plan simply did it because it was next to nothing over the price of streaming alone. The discs just sit on a bookcase or in a drawer somewhere and collect dust. It has been obvious through the way Netflix have been marketing themselves that they are trying to move away from the discs because of the hassle and cost of everything that goes along with having to mail the discs. They were probably hoping that this bump in price was the nudge that got people off their seats to find those discs, send them back, and switch to streaming only.

My thoughts exactly! The people who were with Netflix from the beginning should take a second and remember the prices and plans from back then. When the streaming was introduced, it wasn't unlimited, it was expensive, and the selection was pretty laughable.

Bottom line is, if you want Netflix to continue offering up a great selection of video AND continue (like they have) to aggressively add new content to the fold, then the pricing will have to periodically need to be adjusted. Especially since their contracts with the studios are about to end.

And I would rather have one big increase than several smaller ones. But that's my opinion. In a few days, it'll settle down (it already is), and I'm sure Netflix will be just fine. After all, they have more customers than Comcast (and if that company can hold onto customers, Netflix certainly can).

And I would much rather pay $15 or $20 to Netflix and have an almost endless supply of great things to watch than spend $80 to Comcast and be constantly flipping channels trying to find something decent to watch.

Where it gets complicated is Comcast is my ISP and I have been completely without cable television for almost 2 years. Comcast has recently set bandwidth caps for internet use. They also own several cable channels. What's to stop them from doing everything in their power from making Netflix's services run slower, lower the caps even more, or even block services like Netflix when they see that I am not dishing out the big bucks for their premium cable services?

These are interesting times we live in. As these companies that offer conflicting services along with services that rely on other companies to be fair and honest they will resort to shady actions. Not necessarily illegal, but the Comcasts and Time Warners are going to do everything in their power to make Netflix as inconvenient as possible.

I am considering the switch to Blockbuster for my Blueray rentals, the priciing is the same except you get moves a month earlier , they have a larger Blueray selection and with also having a larget inventory that means less waiting once a film is available.

Blockbuster does not have a streaming service that i would use but this means that I can reduce my Netflix bill from shy of $30- and now only pay them $8- per month or $96- per year and that is if Amazon Prime which has the same content as Netflix does not become my streaming provider.

so now that netflix has crush every mom and pop store and look's and feel above everyone knowing it was from the help of millions of people who have an account with them who thank's when someone say's i have something cheap then what you have would last forever this company did what they needed the do by putting people out of work and this company has now showed other company's if you wanna pocket millions of dollar's offer something cheap over the internet and by mail and you will shut down every local store and mall and in this store's are people who like you and i have the pay bills keep a roof over you and you kids head and food in they're mouth this company does not care cause if they did why don't you hear all hiring they're doing all you hear is how big this company is getting and all the money thats being made cause people love staying home and being lazy streaming all day so keep raving about have great is the stream and how cheap the price still is and that is the first of more the come

This is really about a price hike, with zero improvement to the plan. Netflix streaming has never been great. Typically old or foreign movies dominate the selection. Add to that the deals made with studio's to release new DVDs late, and you could argue that they are decreasing their services , and increasing prices. Not a good combination.

It's just amazing that Netflix didn't invest more in PR consultation. The method employed basically gave their customers REASON to LOOK for a better deal. It's hard to maintain customer loyalty when you basically say, "Yup, we're raising your bill! You've been getting a heck of a deal up until this point, now you're going to have to pay what you ought to for what you were (actually for less than you were) getting."

It seems that Netflix wanted to send two messages with this tactic:
1. Netflix is going to move to primarily a streaming service, and that's final.
2. Netflix is supremely confident that they have a superior service at the lowest price, and will continue providing said superior service for the foreseeable future.

There are more choices than ever for your entertainment dollar, but Netflix and Blockbuster remain the only two that offer both online streaming and disc-by-mail options. Recent changes to both--a controversial Netflix price hike and a change of ownership for Blockbuster--make this a perfect time to re-examine how both of these vendors stack up against one another.

In the analysis below, we explain how Netflix and Blockbuster stack up against each other on both fronts (discs and streaming), look at the other competitors (including Hulu Plus, Amazon, Vudu, and iTunes), and make an overall recommendation on the best choices for you.

The original Netflix business model--the one that put it on the path to take down one-time video-rental king Blockbuster--was delivering DVDs by mail. Netflix innovated in several ways: ordering was done online, monthly subscriptions were flat-rate (keep one to seven DVDs out at a time for a set fee), and--the big one--there were no late fees. Currently, unlimited plans start at $7.99 (one DVD at a time); if you want the option to choose HD Blu-rays, the plan costs $9.99.

Eventually, Blockbuster began offering its own flat-fee disc-by-mail program, Blockbuster Total Access. Now--following Chapter 11 bankruptcy and a sale to satellite provider Dish Network--a reinvigorated Blockbuster actually has some interesting distinctions from Netflix's postal option. As part of the $9.99 plan (one disc at a time), consumers can choose between DVDs, Blu-ray movies, or video game discs. Moreover, Blockbuster lets Total Access subscribers exchange discs in a Blockbuster store, if they'd prefer immediate satisfaction to waiting on the mailman.

Blockbuster Express is a kiosk-based disc-rental service operated by NCR, and has a totally separate membership and fee structure from Blockbuster stores and Blockbuster Total Access. DVD and Blu-ray discs are available for overnight rentals starting at $1 per night, with pricing ranging to $2.99 to $3.99 for new releases (late fees apply). Visit Blockbusterexpress.com for more info.

There are still plenty of local video rental stores--including Blockbuster Video stores. But most of these still charge by the title and charge late fees--both of which can add up over time.

In addition to the disc-by-mail programs, both Netflix and Blockbuster offer online streaming services. But they're two very different offerings: Netflix is an "all you can eat" plan that offers thousands of movies and TV shows for a flat monthly rate, whereas Blockbuster is a pay-per-view video-on-demand service (you rent or buy each title individually).

You can connect multiple devices to one account, and you can jump from device to device, resuming programs exactly where you left off. Many of the devices support HD video (on selected programs) and some offer surround sound.

Because of studio licensing restrictions, the Netflix streaming library is generally composed of older movies. The TV show lineup is broader, but the current seasons of shows are generally excluded. That said, Netflix has lined up some good content deals recently: you'll find a good cross-section of shows from the CBS, NBC, ABC, Fox, and BBC libraries; many Miramax movies; much of the content available on Starz, including recent Disney movies; and the full run of "Mad Men." (Disclaimer: CNET's parent company is CBS.)

Unfortunately, the Starz deal appears to be in jeopardy, with the cable channel publicly saying that it won't be renewing the Netflix deal (which is currently scheduled to end as of February 28, 2012). The bottom line is that content comes and goes from Netflix at regular intervals--don't expect that a movie or TV show you see now will be there forever, and vice versa.

The advantage is that you get access to newer titles, including many (but not all) movies the same day as they hit DVD and Blu-ray. The disadvantage is that the per-title rentals add up quickly; in many cases, the rentals cost $3.99. So, for the price of Netflix's month-long unlimited viewing window (which, admittedly, is older content), you can watch only two movies on Blockbuster. The other content problem with Blockbuster On Demand is that there is little-to-no TV content; Amazon, iTunes, Hulu Plus, and Netflix are all better options if you want to catch up on TV shows.