# Netflix



## Someone Nameless (Jul 12, 2009)

I have unlimited streaming and one DVD out at a time and the price has always been $9.99.  I just received an email notification that they are going to divide the plans and if I continue with that same option it will now be $15.98 a month ($7.99 for streaming and $7.99 for the unlimited dvds one at the time).  I love Netflix but I'm not happy with the price increase and am considering other options.

What do you do for videos?  Amazon Prime, Netfilx, iTunes, cable PPV, etc.


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## sebat (Nov 16, 2008)

I haven't received the email yet but I did see it posted on FB.  

This is quite an increase!  I haven't decided what I'm going to do but I don't think I'll be keeping my netflix after the price increase takes effect.


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## Vegas_Asian (Nov 2, 2008)

I just got the Twitter message from CNN about it

Sent from my Desire HD using Tapatalk


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## Atunah (Nov 20, 2008)

Oh no. I have the 3 out at a time plan with the streaming and its been like 19 dollars. I was going to downgrade to the 1 out at a time to save some money. There is still stuff that I need DVD's for as its not on streaming. I wonder what they charge for the 3 out and streaming then. I been a member since 2002. 

I think they are really trying to push most into the streaming only I guess. But again, there is a lot of stuff not available that way. 

I haven't gotten a email yet, nor can I see anything in my Netflix account.


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## Scheherazade (Apr 11, 2009)

I never use my one DVD out at a time but it was nice to know I had that option.  I guess this is their sneaky way of making the streaming cost more.  They seem to be losing a lot of affiliates, so maybe they're panicking and trying to make more money to entice more people to allow their shows to be streamed.

And as much as it sucks, it does sort of make sense.  They've offered the streaming free along with regular plans for a long time and now streaming has actually become an option that works on its own.  There's a lot of people who do Netflix for DVDs and stream every now and then who will make the choice to go to DVD only and save on bandwidth for the people who stream constantly, then there's people like me who mostly stream and are horrible about not watching the DVDs... with us they'll stop having people sit on DVDs for months at a time.  I -just- opened my last DVD shipped to me last week just to seal it up and send it back (which I still haven't done) and it was shipped to me in August of 2010.


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## R. M. Reed (Nov 11, 2009)

I changed to DVD only at $7.99. My internet isn't fast enough to support streaming.


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## mlewis78 (Apr 19, 2009)

I got the email today too.  I just switched to all streaming for 7.99 (plus tax).  I had the 9.99 plan but lately take a long time to get around to watching the dvd, since I have to watch on my 17" laptop now.  Not sure how well this will work for me.  I haven't been using the streaming, but there are several things on my instant watch list.

I started out with the 3 at a time and watched a lot then, but I had a working dvd player.


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## rho (Feb 12, 2009)

I know I will be canceling the DVD portion and the question is will I keep the instant or do away with it completely.  And I guess that will depend on if Netflix increases what is available instantly.  For the few times I want to see a newer movie I can rent from Amazon or use on demand on my tv and still be ahead of the membership cost for the DVD.  I have to admit to being a little ticked off by this.  Enough that I am seriously considering canceling the whole thing.. Which happened as I typed this and got more ticked off by the minute


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## gatehouseauthor (Apr 22, 2011)

I'll be canceling the DVD portion of this... guess it's time to send back that DVD of the Shazam serials!  The DVD portion has never been a good value for me, since it might take me months to watch one.  I stream a lot, though.


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## RobertY (Jun 24, 2011)

I have not got my email yet either. This is an ugly turn for netflix. But they have never been that good in the streaming department as they have mostly older stuff. If they offer me the choice I will drop the streaming and just stick to 1 out at a time. Then for streaming I will subscribe to hulu plus.


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## Someone Nameless (Jul 12, 2009)

3 out at a time with unlimited streaming is going to be $23.98 + taxes


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## Scheherazade (Apr 11, 2009)

Here's an article explaining why...

http://gigaom.com/video/netflix-new-pricing-plans/


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## cmg.sweet (Jul 6, 2010)

Hubby just emailed me about this...I hardly use the netflix and I can't remember the last time one of the DVD's we got was somethign that I picked out but if it keep hubby happy I guess we'll pay the extra.


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## RobertY (Jun 24, 2011)

Mmmm...
I just read that article. Now if Netflix were to put up for streaming movies AS SOON AS THEY GET THEM then I would go the streaming route. But as is, Netflix streaming choices are dismal and not worth it.


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## Guest (Jul 12, 2011)

Someone Nameless said:


> I have unlimited streaming and one DVD out at a time and the price has always been $9.99. I just received an email notification that they are going to divide the plans and if I continue with that same option it will now be $15.98 a month ($7.99 for streaming and $7.99 for the unlimited dvds one at the time). I love Netflix but I'm not happy with the price increase and am considering other options.


This is disappointing news. As a customer who's been getting more and more disillusioned with the service, I hope they plan to use the fee increase to make more dvds and streaming options available. We sometimes wait months for new releases to get to us after adding them to our queue and have watched everything worth watching from the streaming selection. Plus, the site makes it almost impossible to find actual new releases; their New Release section is filled with old movies, which seems like a passive way of preventing customers from adding them to their queues. We have go to Blockbuster.com to see what's out and then go back to Netflix.com to type the titles in the search box... 

M.


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## Atunah (Nov 20, 2008)

I always tell people about this site http://instantwatcher.com/. Its where I go to browse and search for streaming stuff on Netflix. Its more detailed and I think easier to use. I like how you can see what others add to their Queue. 
There is also a list of those titles that are about to expire. I guess for some stuff they only have the rights to stream for a certain amount of time.

I just checked my DVD Queue and a bunch of stuff has been moved to the saved section. Its stuff that used to be available at one point and now its not.


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## Someone Nameless (Jul 12, 2009)

At one time when Netfix would raise their rates, old users were grandfathered in at their current rate, I think.  Now I suppose that's not possible.

I recently considered just canceling the DVDs in the mail and getting them from Blockbuster when I wanted them.  I rode by the other day and to my amazement, Blockbuster closed!  I had no idea they were going to.  I suppose now it is mostly all Red Box rentals.


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## Casper Parks (May 1, 2011)

Film industry is putting the pressure on for more money...


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## The Hooded Claw (Oct 12, 2009)

I like the dvd option for obscure stuff that can't be rented locally, but love streaming for when I travel. But I don't use either enough to justify the increased price, there are months that go by without me using netflix. 

The logical choice is to choose one and stick with dvd or streaming, but if I do, I'll continually resent not having the other option! It isn't really logical, but I suspect I will minimize stress by just canceling netflix entirely! I might check out hulu+, though I hear bad things about commercials.


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## Vet (Apr 25, 2010)

I haven't gotten my email yet. I will go with streaming only since I've never used my one DVD option.


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## MJFredrick (Jun 20, 2011)

I think for existing customers it won't go into effect until 9-1, but I've not received an email. I'm bummed, because I use the DVD option for new releases (just got Insidious today). We don't go to the movies a lot and I like to watch at home. I'll probably just suck it up and go with the higher price.


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## Someone Nameless (Jul 12, 2009)

The Hooded Claw said:


> I like the dvd option for obscure stuff that can't be rented locally, but love streaming for when I travel. But I don't use either enough to justify the increased price, there are months that go by without me using netflix.
> 
> The logical choice is to choose one and stick with dvd or streaming, but if I do, I'll continually resent not having the other option! It isn't really logical, but I suspect I will minimize stress by just canceling netflix entirely! I might check out hulu+, though I hear bad things about commercials.


I'm pretty much the same. It's hard to know which one to go with and I don't use either enough to justify it broken down. I wonder if Netflix will lose many customers from this new policy.
They are forcing us to choose and I think I'll go with Amazon prime (for streaming) and Redbox for rentals.


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## laurie_lu (May 10, 2010)

Someone Nameless said:


> I have unlimited streaming and one DVD out at a time and the price has always been $9.99. I just received an email notification that they are going to divide the plans and if I continue with that same option it will now be $15.98 a month ($7.99 for streaming and $7.99 for the unlimited dvds one at the time).  I love Netflix but I'm not happy with the price increase and am considering other options.
> 
> What do you do for videos? Amazon Prime, Netfilx, iTunes, cable PPV, etc.


I currently have the same package. I refuse to keep both for $16/month. I've been a Netflix subscriber since they first went into business years ago. Lately I can't find anything worth while when browsing the new releases on their website. My Internet is only 3 Mbs DSL. I can stream Netflix okay but wonder if my speed is fast enough for other streaming services. I guess I have time to think about it.


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## Geoffrey (Jun 20, 2009)

We're going to have to think about this.  We currently have 2 DVDs plus streaming for $15 and it is going up to $20 .... it's 5 bucks but it's still 5 bucks ... AND we've gotten lazy with the movie watching and have discussed cancelling already.

I'm curious if this change in plan pricing with 25% to 60% price hikes are going to enhance revenue for them or end up causing them to lose business.


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## sebat (Nov 16, 2008)

Geoffrey said:


> I'm curious if this change in plan pricing with 25% to 60% price hikes are going to enhance revenue for them or end up causing them to lose business.


This was my thought too. It's gone from a little discretionary spending to an actual bill in my mind. With the state of the economy, I don't think that's a good thing.


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## rho (Feb 12, 2009)

I just looked and I can move up my cable to the next plan with a lot of movie channels and still do an on demand movie each month for less (not much less but still less) than their new fee.  And like others I didn't use it that much but didn't mind at the lower fee but will really have to consider now what to do..


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## Someone Nameless (Jul 12, 2009)

Which movies channels will you get and will it be new releases?


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## Carol (was Dara) (Feb 19, 2011)

Someone Nameless said:


> I have unlimited streaming and one DVD out at a time and the price has always been $9.99. I just received an email notification that they are going to divide the plans and if I continue with that same option it will now be $15.98 a month ($7.99 for streaming and $7.99 for the unlimited dvds one at the time). I love Netflix but I'm not happy with the price increase and am considering other options.
> 
> What do you do for videos? Amazon Prime, Netfilx, iTunes, cable PPV, etc.


I hadn't heard of this until now. Even if they do double the price though, I'll still consider it a bargain. Seriously, I used to buy so many DVDs I only wanted to watch once and didn't have storage space for... Now Netflix is kind of like my Kindle - don't know what I did without it.


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## Brem (Jun 29, 2011)

I had no idea about this until now. I'll check my e-mails to see if I got something like this. 

Yup, I got the e-mail. They better not tax me for this then. Having to pay $9 a month already for one dvd out at a time and the instantQ. 

$15.98? Wow man, they better add more programming to the instant queue than for that price. 

And while they're at it, they better make it work on Linux computers. 

I guess it's still better than cable. So you have that.


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## Mike D. aka jmiked (Oct 28, 2008)

Haven't gotten the email yet, but when I do, I'll keep the DVD part and cancel the streaming part. I like to watch the extras, and I haven’t seen any of those on the streaming offers. Besides, I can only watch streaming on the laptop and iPad, neither of which is satisfactory.


Mike


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## mom133d (aka Liz) (Nov 25, 2008)

Someone Nameless said:


> I recently considered just canceling the DVDs in the mail and getting them from Blockbuster when I wanted them. I rode by the other day and to my amazement, Blockbuster closed! I had no idea they were going to. I suppose now it is mostly all Red Box rentals.


http://www.blockbusterexpress.com 
Blockbuster now operates vending machines like Red Box. Never used the Red Box site, but I'd assume they work the same...you can search for locations near you, look at what those machines have available BEFORE going to it. Some of the BlockBuster machines allow you to reserve it online, but none of the ones near me use this feature.


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## Sandpiper (Oct 28, 2008)

I got the e-mail today.  I've never streamed.  Don't intend to.  So keeping the same DVD plan, monthly charge will be lower.


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## rho (Feb 12, 2009)

Someone Nameless said:


> Which movies channels will you get and will it be new releases?


Showtime, STARZ, Encore, plus some additional channels. And I can use on demand or Amazon for ones I might want to see that aren't on there and be at about the same place price wise..


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## mlewis78 (Apr 19, 2009)

Netflix confirmed with me that the change goes into effect August 9th.  It's still a better deal for me than any of the premium channels on my Time Warner service.  HBO is $15/mo. plus tax extra.  I don't buy any of the premium channels.  

Time Warner rates are ridiculously high here.  I wanted to go back to basic cable with them, but they said it would cost MORE, since I have a package (including internet and phone).  My bill is about $150/mo.  It varies, since the service is so bad that I occasionally get small credits


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## sjc (Oct 29, 2008)

Scheherazade said:


> I never use my one DVD out at a time but it was nice to know I had that option. I guess this is their sneaky way of making the streaming cost more. They seem to be losing a lot of affiliates, so maybe they're panicking and trying to make more money to entice more people to allow their shows to be streamed.
> 
> And as much as it sucks, it does sort of make sense. They've offered the streaming free along with regular plans for a long time and now streaming has actually become an option that works on its own. There's a lot of people who do Netflix for DVDs and stream every now and then who will make the choice to go to DVD only and save on bandwidth for the people who stream constantly, then there's people like me who mostly stream and are horrible about not watching the DVDs... with us they'll stop having people sit on DVDs for months at a time. I -just- opened my last DVD shipped to me last week just to seal it up and send it back (which I still haven't done) and it was shipped to me in August of 2010.


DITTO: (Got the email today) I have had the one DVD that I have had out for months; I actually have to look for it to return it. I stream 99 percent of the time. So, I am going to switch to just the streaming. This could bite them...because if many do like I am and drop the DVD to just streaming; they will feel the pinch. I hope they increase the streaming availability to more current movies. Maybe this will force them to.


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## Geemont (Nov 18, 2008)

My wife subscribed to the bone minimum plan available.  It's dirt cheap, less than $10.00, I think, but we haven't picked a movie for more than 12 months.  There's a chick flick on the counter my wife says she'll watch... some day.  Probably not though.

Time to cancel Netflicks.  We just don't watch movies.


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## Elizabeth Ann West (Jul 11, 2011)

We have the three out at a time and streaming. I'm not upset about the price increase. I'd rather pay a few dollars more every month than see commercials. We do not have cable in the house, and we're going on two years since we cut it. So our ONLY entertainment bill is the $20 something Netflix bill and that's fine. 

I think they're a victim of their own success and the price raise is to keep the company going. It takes money to make money. For me, their customer service has always been top notch (if a wrong movie came in or one that was unplayable, a new one was sent out right away, they didn't wait for the "bad" movie to get back). The streaming on the Wii is fantastic. 

My husband and I kind of find the lack of big blockbusters a nice feature of the streaming. We give chances to smaller shows and films that we would have never watched if the other more commercially mainstream choices were available.


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## FrankZubek (Aug 31, 2010)

See... the film industry is losing money. 
DVD sales are down (probably because people are tired of paying 19.99 for a new movie)

True film fans are also pretty tired of the studios releasing JUST the film (at 19.99 !!!!)
.....then later on releasing another version WITH better special features
.....then another version with a director's cut
......then another version with ANNIVERSARY features.....
you get the picture- just take a look at how many times people have been buying Star Wars through the years (There is the final complete box set due in September that will STILL not have EVERYTHING within see http://www.thedigitalbits.com/ for more updates

In fact, the film industry had both netflix and Redbox sign new contracts so when a new movie comes out they have it available 30 days after the street date (giving the studio time to make the money from the film right away off those people who just absolutely HAVE to be the first people to see the film immediately (as well as pay 19.99)

Another problem here that was inevitable was that it costs money to license the rights to popular films which explains , in part, why netflix selection of streaming films isn't the best.

I think, since I do stream but not all that often- I'll stick to the one at a time DVD option and drop streaming since there is always HULU and other places (such as iTunes)

If you PREFER streaming... it might be best to consider dropping the DVD option and switch to Redbox- although I'd be looking out for that buck a night deal to go up within a year's time.

Anyway that's what I plan to do.


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## mom133d (aka Liz) (Nov 25, 2008)

Star Wars: DH put it one his wishlist (Blu-Ray). I refuse to let him get it since it doesn't have the originals.

Anyway, I've been somewhat pleased with the streaming selections. We don't go to the movies that often, cost and now needing a sitter, so we have alot of movies to catch up on. The cable plan we got includes HBO and Starz so we can catch up that way as well. And if we want to see one of the new releases immediately...Blockbuster Express. I've never seen anything I want to rent at the Red Box in our grocery store. It seems to have 2 or 3 "new" movies and then stuff that's been out for years.


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## FrankZubek (Aug 31, 2010)

Hey mom just hold out for updated version in 2013 (just a guess)  Phantom menace will be released in 3D next year so Lucas might include it in an updated package    Or perhaps the originals will be released in 2017...which will be the 40th anniversary?

Oh who knows
(grin)


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## RuthMadison (Jul 9, 2011)

Someone Nameless said:


> I have unlimited streaming and one DVD out at a time and the price has always been $9.99. I just received an email notification that they are going to divide the plans and if I continue with that same option it will now be $15.98 a month ($7.99 for streaming and $7.99 for the unlimited dvds one at the time). I love Netflix but I'm not happy with the price increase and am considering other options.
> 
> What do you do for videos? Amazon Prime, Netfilx, iTunes, cable PPV, etc.


Same for me, I got the email yesterday. It was hard to pick which to keep. I love watching streaming TV shows when I get home in the evenings, so I stuck with that and got rid of the DVD option. I guess I'm going to learn how RedBox works  Is Blockbuster still in existence?


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## RuthMadison (Jul 9, 2011)

Elizabeth Ann West said:


> We have the three out at a time and streaming. I'm not upset about the price increase. I'd rather pay a few dollars more every month than see commercials. We do not have cable in the house, and we're going on two years since we cut it. So our ONLY entertainment bill is the $20 something Netflix bill and that's fine.
> 
> I think they're a victim of their own success and the price raise is to keep the company going. It takes money to make money. For me, their customer service has always been top notch (if a wrong movie came in or one that was unplayable, a new one was sent out right away, they didn't wait for the "bad" movie to get back). The streaming on the Wii is fantastic.
> 
> My husband and I kind of find the lack of big blockbusters a nice feature of the streaming. We give chances to smaller shows and films that we would have never watched if the other more commercially mainstream choices were available.


I actually have had problems with their customer service. Maybe they've fixed it, but when I had a problem, there was no way at all to contact them. You can click a box that says what you're problem is, but if it's something that doesn't fit one of those categories? You're out of luck.

I was having an issue where my movies were never getting to me. The online list would say they were sent and a few days later that they were returned and the next movie sent, but I never got them! The address was correct, so the only thing I can think is that someone was stealing them at the post office! I wanted to discuss it with someone at Netflix and there was absolutely no way to do it.

I cancelled them for two years because of that, but I was sucked back in when they started with the streaming.


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## FrankZubek (Aug 31, 2010)

On the bright side, by just doing the one DVD at a time option- I'll be saving 3 bucks a month from the current cost so I guess it balances out. 

Sure would be nice though if the media at large would give us film devotees the same honor and attention they give those who love sports.
We both (the film fans and the sports fans) pay good, hard earned cash for these services.


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## caseyf6 (Mar 28, 2010)

We were thinking of canceling when my daughter goes to college anyway; now it's a definite.


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## Atunah (Nov 20, 2008)

I am thinking that they full expect people to drop parts of the service or all. I think the majority of people will just do streaming only. So in the long run they can start closing some of the distribution centers for the DVD's and let go of the workers that do the sorting. So less rent, payroll and postage. I guess they think it will work out in the long run for them. 

For those like me that kind of need both services, we are being screwed. If I get streaming only, then I get peeved if there is a part of the series only on DVD or I want to watch a movie even if its older that is not on streaming. If I get DVD only, then I can't have the instant gratification and have to plan when to watch what. 
I can't win either way.


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## monkeyluis (Oct 17, 2010)

My plan is only going up by $6 bucks. I have 3 @ a time & unlimited streaming. I use 99% streaming & I also use Hulu +. I cancelled cable a few months ago. I think the way they announced it was very unprofessional & insulted some members. They are losing their customer service focus. I really enjoy the streaming & have a lot on there I love to watch. My kids each have an apple tv & also watch quite a bit of streaming. They don't care about first run. I have to have the 3 at a time because we stream on more than one device simultaneously. So I have the 3 at a time so we can stream to 3 tvs at a time.


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## teeitup (Nov 1, 2008)

Not sure what I'm gonna do as I just read the email.  I recently got the Roku player and signed up for Netflix and was seriously disappointed with the quality of the stream.  I have HDTV and pretty fast internet and then when I saw the choices available was even more put off so I went ahead and changed to the DVD+ option (9.99) and have the 1st video sitting, waiting to watch.  I was a member of Blockbuster for years and could actually have 5 videos in the loop for the 2-DVD plan but just couldn't get around to watching them all, so cancelled when I realized how much money was going down the drain.  Decided to give Netflix a shot so definitely will delete the streaming and try the DVD route for a while.  Also Amazon Prime member so may try that.  I don't have any premium channels and mainly watch DVR'd shows anyway so the increased price doesn't interest me at all, and may end up cancelling all together.


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## balaspa (Dec 27, 2009)

Yeah, I heard about this, but have never been a NetFlix fan.  I had a membership for a time and quickly let it lapse.  I prefer buying them OnDemand or using Red Box.  Red Box is just $1 for a single night...awesome!


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## Sandpiper (Oct 28, 2008)

RuthMadison said:


> I actually have had problems with their customer service. Maybe they've fixed it, but when I had a problem, there was no way at all to contact them. You can click a box that says what you're problem is, but if it's something that doesn't fit one of those categories? You're out of luck.
> 
> I was having an issue where my movies were never getting to me. The online list would say they were sent and a few days later that they were returned and the next movie sent, but I never got them! The address was correct, so the only thing I can think is that someone was stealing them at the post office! I wanted to discuss it with someone at Netflix and there was absolutely no way to do it.
> 
> I cancelled them for two years because of that, but I was sucked back in when they started with the streaming.


Years ago Netflix' customer service was virtually nonexistent. It was horrible. But a number of years ago now "light bulb went on there". Their customer service is great. Go to the bottom of Netflix' front page -- Contact Us. Phone info there. Also click on "Service Code" at the bottom of the page. That gives you a number to punch in once you're on the phone with Netflix. Pretty sure their customer service is in Oregon. People are very nice. There is now no way to contact Netflix via e-mail.


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## Atunah (Nov 20, 2008)

I keep seeing those Red Box thingies around here. You couldn't pay me enough money to drive there, find a parking, and then stand in line on the side of a building with a bunch of people, trying to operate the machine while someone breathes down my neck. 
The whole point for me when I started Netflix way back is that I wouldn't have to do drive somewhere. 

I really wouldn't feel safe standing where those Red Boxes are here.


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## Cuechick (Oct 28, 2008)

I love this board! Got the email yesterday but did not think to check here. I had put my nf on hold cause of an impending move. I think I will cancel now... I like the ideal of streaming but the last few I watched stopped and started so much, I barely made it through. Very frustrating...Red Box is a great solution for now.


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## brenwinter (Jun 12, 2009)

We had the 3 DVDs plus streaming that was $19.99, but we have NEVER watched any streaming video so I just went in and cancelled that portion.  The 3 DVDs only option is going to cost $15.99, so we're going to be saving money!  Yea!!!

Brenda


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## sebat (Nov 16, 2008)

Yesterday, I was ready to cancel it all!  

Now, I'm leaning to dropping the streaming and keeping my 1 DVD at a time.  I always watch it the same day and it's less than 100 feet to the mailbox.  I average 2 DVDs a week that way.  When you consider the postage they really don't make anything off of me.  We only stream something once or twice a month so it will end up being a better deal.    

If we decide we miss the streaming, I might do the Amazon thing since it's still less money and has some added benefits.


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## BarbraAnnino (Jan 27, 2011)

I'll just switch to the streaming. There's a Redbox rental here at Wal-Mart so movies are a buck. We don't have cable so I do like to watch some of the tv shows as well as movies via Netflix, but I suspect that soon, many more movies will be available to stream.


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## Cuechick (Oct 28, 2008)

A report on the backlash on  Wired...

They are not really handling it well, deleting comments from their Facebook page... I did cancel. I still think it is a great option, if you watch a lot of movies...I may renew in the future. I do think offering a break for people who want both would be wise...I think they will be surprised at how many people choose only one option... or like me, none.


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## PG4003 (Patricia) (Jan 30, 2010)

Someone Nameless said:


> At one time when Netfix would raise their rates, old users were grandfathered in at their current rate, I think. Now I suppose that's not possible.
> 
> I recently considered just canceling the DVDs in the mail and getting them from Blockbuster when I wanted them. I rode by the other day and to my amazement, Blockbuster closed! I had no idea they were going to. I suppose now it is mostly all Red Box rentals.


The same thing happened in my town. Blockbuster was the one and only b&m video store we had and it closed overnight. Now it's Redbox or Netflix or drive 15 miles to the next town to a video store.


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## Not Here (May 23, 2011)

sebat said:


> Yesterday, I was ready to cancel it all!
> 
> Now, I'm leaning to dropping the streaming and keeping my 1 DVD at a time. I always watch it the same day and it's less than 100 feet to the mailbox. I average 2 DVDs a week that way. When you consider the postage they really don't make anything off of me. We only stream something once or twice a month so it will end up being a better deal.
> 
> If we decide we miss the streaming, I might do the Amazon thing since it's still less money and has some added benefits.


Honestly I hate the streaming from amazon and I'm an amazon nut. I rented a movie from some free dollars I had and it kept cutting out. I thought this might be just because it was streaming but the following time I tried the timed download. 1)took nearly 3 hours on high speed internet to watch and 2) still wasn't that great to watch. Hopefully they get that fixed.

Personally I don't have a problem with the increase. I was already just streaming. It seems a little silly to expect that things wouldn't increase. They've been talking about this for years now. Actually, the plan is that in 3-5 years they will be totally streaming. Something to keep in mind.


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## Cuechick (Oct 28, 2008)

I agree that prices do go up but I think not offering a combo deal price (like say 12.99) is going to bite them in the a$$... It seems most people are ready to choose one over the other which will actually bring them less revenue. Not what I think they were expecting.


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## sebat (Nov 16, 2008)

fayrlite said:


> Personally I don't have a problem with the increase. I was already just streaming. It seems a little silly to expect that things wouldn't increase. They've been talking about this for years now. Actually, the plan is that in 3-5 years they will be totally streaming. Something to keep in mind.


Actually, there was a price increase in November 2010, I pulled up "My Money" and checked. This is the second increase in less than a year. I didn't have a problem with that first increase but I do think that a 50% increase in less than a year is ridiculous!

I would prefer to be straight streaming but they don't offer the things I wish to watch that way. Up until this point, if it was offered both ways we streamed.


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## Cuechick (Oct 28, 2008)

Also, in the Wired article they point out that Netflix has been doing well:

"It’s not as if Netflix was struggling — profits were up 88% in the first quarter and, at the time of writing, the stock is up 66% in 2011"

Kinda makes you go hummmm. Personally it was easy for me to cancel right now... I was already on the verge.


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## mlewis78 (Apr 19, 2009)

When I learned about this yesterday, I changed to streaming only.  But later on I changed to dvd only, since that's all I've been using.  I loved the idea of streaming, yet I never ever used it.  I always wanted to use the dvd first.  In the past year I've taken a long time to get to the dvd because of the inconvenience of watching on my laptop.  My dvd player stopped working last year.

When I consider that I've only been using the dvds, this is a price drop from 9.99 to 7.99.  Took me a long time to see it that way!

A lot of protest Netflix facebook groups were formed last night.


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## Not Here (May 23, 2011)

sebat said:


> Actually, there was a price increase in November 2010, I pulled up "My Money" and checked. This is the second increase in less than a year. I didn't have a problem with that first increase but I do think that a 50% increase in less than a year is ridiculous!
> 
> I would prefer to be straight streaming but they don't offer the things I wish to watch that way. Up until this point, if it was offered both ways we streamed.


Hummm. I think being streaming only has made me overlook these things. Or maybe it's because we've been renting from them for years now and starter prices were higher than recent so I'm programed to compare.


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## Tara Maya (Nov 4, 2010)

I think Netflix has been taken aback by the backlash against this new policy!


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## Jane917 (Dec 29, 2009)

I have only one movie out at Netflix at a time, so I think my monthly fee will actually go down. I am not aware of any e-mail I have received from them. Even if my fee goes down, we rarely get through one movie/month. They sit around a while before we get around to seeing them. I have never streamed, though we once bought a Roku and gave it a try. Never could get the dang thing to work, so we sent it back. I have never tried streaming from Amazon. How does that work?


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## Someone Nameless (Jul 12, 2009)

Jane, Amazon streaming works through the Roku just like Netflix.


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## Jane917 (Dec 29, 2009)

Someone Nameless said:


> Jane, Amazon streaming works through the Roku just like Netflix.


We could not get the Roku to work with our TV after hours with Roku CS. I would like to try Amazon streaming directly to my laptop. Then, I think I could hook up the laptop to the TV with an HDMI cable and watch on TV, right?


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## Someone Nameless (Jul 12, 2009)

I've never done it and don't know anything about your TV, so I don't know.  You can sign in to Amazon and go check out the movies and see how they play on your computer.


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## sebat (Nov 16, 2008)

Jane917 said:


> I have only one movie out at Netflix at a time, so I think my monthly fee will actually go down.


Your current plan is...1 movie at a time + streaming for $9.99.

As of Sept 1, you will be paying...$7.99 for the streaming and $7.99 for the 1 movie at a time. You will be paying $15.98 a month for what you are getting now. You need to go into your Netflix account and choose which plan you wish to keep. If you just chose one, you will be paying less but if you leave it the same you will be paying more.


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## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

This Roku seems to be pretty expensive. Do you then need cables or other accessories? I'd rather stream from Amazon where I can pay as I go.

I'm definitely dumping my satellite. I can't see paying $112 a month when I don't have any premium channels. There are things I'm going to miss, but not for nearly $1,500 a year. 

I'm pretty far from the main broadcast towers in my area, so I might not even get all the local stations with an indoor antenna. I know I won't get Fox but I can watch my shows on Hulu.


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## Cuechick (Oct 28, 2008)

So Amazon does not also stream through the Wii?


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## Jane917 (Dec 29, 2009)

sebat said:


> Your current plan is...1 movie at a time + streaming for $9.99.
> 
> As of Sept 1, you will be paying...$7.99 for the streaming and $7.99 for the 1 movie at a time. You will be paying $15.98 a month for what you are getting now. You need to go into your Netflix account and choose which plan you wish to keep. If you just chose one, you will be paying less but if you leave it the same you will be paying more.


Thank you for reminding me to make the change in my account. I may even cut back further to the Limited 2 DVDs/month for $4.99. I doubt we ever rent more than 2 DVDs/month. If I can figure out how to use Amazon Prime streaming/downloads, I will cancel Netflix altogether. According to my hp laptop manual, I should be able to download Amazon movies using their Unbox download, or stream directly connecting with an HDMI cable.


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## kdawna (Feb 16, 2009)

I downgraded my plan a few days ago but didn't know they were going to increase the prices . My kids wouldn't watch the DVD's most of the time and I would rather just do the streaming on my I-pad. My husband  is loving watching Battle Star Galactica on his HD TV. It saves me $. We could always go get a red box movie it we want to.
Brenda


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## RuthMadison (Jul 9, 2011)

The big miscalculation on their part is that there's probably a lot of people like me.  I'm looking for ways to trim every little bit of extra spending out of my life.  I have a very tight budget, as I have only my own income.  I don't have cable, I don't do any renting except through them.  Now they're going to make me choose, but I'll be paying a couple dollars less instead of a few dollars more?  I'll pick one and pay a little less and it will help my budget.


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## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

RuthMadison said:


> The big miscalculation on their part is that there's probably a lot of people like me. I'm looking for ways to trim every little bit of extra spending out of my life. I have a very tight budget, as I have only my own income. I don't have cable, I don't do any renting except through them. Now they're going to make me choose, but I'll be paying a couple dollars less instead of a few dollars more? I'll pick one and pay a little less and it will help my budget.


That's probably why they are raising their prices. They've lost too many of their customers to the recession. I see that happening even in local businesses. Instead of making their product more attractive, they raise the prices so those of us who still have some purchasing power can make up the difference. It doesn't work.


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## Not Here (May 23, 2011)

Gertie Kindle 'a/k/a Margaret Lake' said:


> That's probably why they are raising their prices. They've lost too many of their customers to the recession. I see that happening even in local businesses. Instead of making their product more attractive, they raise the prices so those of us who still have some purchasing power can make up the difference. It doesn't work.


Actually netflix's stock went up 8% last month. They are saying that they have more customers than ever. I think that most people cut cable and went to netflix.

I'm just confused why everyone thinks they'll be spending less with amazon. It's like 70 a year for the membership and if you're just doing one movie at a time, most run from 1-4 dollars. Just doesn't seem as cost effective if you watch a lot of movies. I'm not trying to be a jerk but I'm just not understanding.


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## Someone Nameless (Jul 12, 2009)

I'm not going to Amazon to save money but I do already have the Prime anyway for faster and free shipping so I may as well take advantage of the movies when I can.


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## Jane917 (Dec 29, 2009)

If you have Amazon Prime (which saves me a ton of money in shipping/year), don't you get to watch the movies, at least some of them, for free?


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## Not Here (May 23, 2011)

I guess that's something I'm not considering. I'm a prime member for free. Last year for being a mom and this year for being a student. I don't get access to the movies though. So I guess with both combined it would be a good thing. I likely would have joined the amazon movie if I could get it on my Wii but I'm not buying a whole new electronic just for their movies.


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## Jane917 (Dec 29, 2009)

As I do a little bit more searching, I have discovered that Prime Instant Videos are not available with the Unbox feature.


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## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

fayrlite said:


> Actually netflix's stock went up 8% last month. They are saying that they have more customers than ever. I think that most people cut cable and went to netflix.
> 
> I'm just confused why everyone thinks they'll be spending less with amazon. It's like 70 a year for the membership and if you're just doing one movie at a time, most run from 1-4 dollars. Just doesn't seem as cost effective if you watch a lot of movies. I'm not trying to be a jerk but I'm just not understanding.


I already have Amazon prime. Is that what you're talking about? With prime, I get a lot of free downloads although I haven't taken advantage of it yet.


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## sebat (Nov 16, 2008)

fayrlite said:


> I'm just confused why everyone thinks they'll be spending less with amazon. It's like 70 a year for the membership and if you're just doing one movie at a time, most run from 1-4 dollars. Just doesn't seem as cost effective if you watch a lot of movies. I'm not trying to be a jerk but I'm just not understanding.


Here's my thinking....

I've never done Prime before because it's $79 a year but I was starting to think about it even before the Netflix increase. Right now, I average between 2-4 packages a month from Amazon and I have to make my order $25 to get the slower free shipping option. I would be able to get the faster free shipping plus their free movie streaming. I know it's only on select things but so is Netflix. It averages out to $6.59 a month. That make is seem much more attractive than Netflix's $7.99 a month, IMO.

I'm already planning on keeping my 1 DVD at a time with Netflix.

I'll be spending $14.58 instead of $15.98 which isn't a lot of savings but you've got to remember that I'm getting the convenience of the faster free shipping without having to make that $25 order each time.


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## mom133d (aka Liz) (Nov 25, 2008)

sebat said:


> I'll be spending $14.58 instead of $15.98 which isn't a lot of savings but you've got to remember that I'm getting the convenience of the faster free shipping without having to make that $25 order each time.


And how many times did you get something you really didn't need just to get to $25? I know I did alot. But now having Prime, I find myself spending more at Amazon than before. Its a-few-days-wait gratification


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## sebat (Nov 16, 2008)

mom133d (aka Liz) said:


> And how many times did you get something you really didn't need just to get to $25? I know I did alot. But now having Prime, I find myself spending more at Amazon than before. Its a-few-days-wait gratification


A million times!


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## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

mom133d (aka Liz) said:


> And how many times did you get something you really didn't need just to get to $25? I know I did alot. But now having Prime, I find myself spending more at Amazon than before. Its a-few-days-wait gratification


Exactly. I didn't mind waiting for the free super saver shipping, but I know I bought a lot more that I didn't really need or could have waited on to make a $25 order. What tipped the balance was something I needed immediately and they were offering free prime for 30 days. It didn't take long to realize it added up to convenience, savings, and less things in my house that didn't have to be there.

I just looked at what amazon is offering for free. A lot of good things both TV and Movies.


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## sebat (Nov 16, 2008)

fayrlite said:


> I likely would have joined the amazon movie if I could get it on my Wii but I'm not buying a whole new electronic just for their movies.


Yeah, I don't really want a new electronic either.

My husband has been looking at 10" netbooks for the past year or two. He's wanting something little to take on weekend trips. I told him when he found one that has HDMI connections, he could have it. Well, he finally found it a couple of weeks ago. I think it's around $300. I've heard that one of the special offers coming up on the KSO is 20% off select laptops. We are either going to buy it then (if it's on the offer) or wait until Christmas. I'm planning to keep that hooked up to my tv all the time for streaming. I also have all the movies that we owned ripped to hard drive and we'll be able to watch them through that too. I've looked at the Roku and several others but they don't all stream everything. I think this will solve all my needs.


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## mom133d (aka Liz) (Nov 25, 2008)

sebat said:


> My husband has been looking at 10" netbooks for the past year or two. He's wanting something little to take on weekend trips. I told him when he found one that has HDMI connections, he could have it. Well, he finally found it a couple of weeks ago. I think it's around $300.


My Dell mini10 has HDMI output. Its two years old, pretty sure I paid more than $300 for it though. But I've had a HD crash, and we keep putting off calling Dell. I bought the extended warranty, I'll fix a desktop, but I don't want to open a laptop/netbook.


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## sebat (Nov 16, 2008)

mom133d (aka Liz) said:


> My Dell mini10 has HDMI output. Its two years old, pretty sure I paid more than $300 for it though. But I've had a HD crash, and we keep putting off calling Dell. I bought the extended warranty, I'll fix a desktop, but I don't want to open a laptop/netbook.


If you have the warranty, I don't see why not. I know many years ago people were against working on laptops but I really don't think that's the case anymore. My husband has had his worked on twice. HP replaced a video card that went bad (it was a recall notice) and then he had a local tech replace one of his hard drives.

One of my Uncle's has a laptop hooked to his tv and it's wonderful! The even use the tv as a monitor to play games.

I'd hookup my laptop but for some reason it makes a high pitch squeal when I do. My laptop has a sub-woofer and I think I'm getting feedback through that. I can't use my husband's because he's usually playing his game on it and doesn't want to watch tv anyway.


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## Scheherazade (Apr 11, 2009)

I think people choosing one over the other is -exactly- what they're expecting.  I also think they're expecting a lot more people to go all streaming instead of all DVD.  This lets them cut back significantly on their distribution centers and postage while also being able to better guarantee their stock of DVDs.  If you figure they have, and I'm just throwing out numbers to illustrate it, but say you have 2000 customers who may or may not ask for a DVD to be sent to them today.  1500 of them aren't going to ever do it because they stream, but you still need those employees and handling centers in place -in case- they do.  You remove those streamers from the picture and you get a much better idea of how much you need to be investing in the DVD side, thus cuts can be made.

On top of that they're getting $6 more or whatever it is from people for streaming.  I don't care how they try to spin it, it was always a $2 addon for the streaming.  They're trying to claim now that people pay for streaming and the $2 was for DVDs, but that's just to try to make people see the price adjustments in a tangible form since so many people think electronic media should be free.  It may seem like they're going to lose money from people cutting back to one or another, but I think the opposite is liable to happen.  What they may not have been prepared for is the backlash... they may not have handled it well, but it's silly to get this angry at them.  It's a change that probably should have come a year ago, but nobody likes to be asked to pay more money.


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## Brem (Jun 29, 2011)

So will anyone cancel netflix because of the price hike? I don't think I will, just favor too many tv shows and movies and $5 isn't too much to be honest.


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## ak rain (Nov 15, 2008)

I can't stream movies so my cost went down

Sylvia


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## RobertY (Jun 24, 2011)

Yes, I am 100% cancelling and going the hulu plus and blockbuster express route.


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## sebat (Nov 16, 2008)

I'm definitely canceling my streaming and if I come up with as good a way to get DVDs I'll do that too.


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## Cuechick (Oct 28, 2008)

It definitely has an up side, those who are content with just one service will save money. I canceled for now cause my life is in flux and I am happy to save some money...  and yes, $5 may not sound like much but that is $60 a year...it all adds up.


Oh and I heard their stock has been dropping significantly since the announcement and the CEO has made some rude comments about those who have been vocal on the internet about their unhappiness... not really smart when the internet is your main way of dealing with customers.


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## mom133d (aka Liz) (Nov 25, 2008)

sebat said:


> If you have the warranty, I don't see why not. I know many years ago people were against working on laptops but I really don't think that's the case anymore. My husband has had his worked on twice. HP replaced a video card that went bad (it was a recall notice) and then he had a local tech replace one of his hard drives.


Yeah, that's just me and hubby. We don't feel comfortable working on a laptop ourselves. Calling Dell support has been on the honey-do list that we keep ignoring.

When my dad asked how recent movies were on Netflix I found a movie that hadn't been out very long. Going back and looking just now, I don't see anything I'd consider "recent" - Iron man 2... I think the biggest problem is that Netflix has pulled the Sony films and Starz productions during their ongoing negotiations with Starz. I'm betting that was where I was seeing newer movies, out on DVD 6 months maybe as opposed to these 1year+ releases.


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## Casper Parks (May 1, 2011)

Cost increase doesn't bother me, they have to stay in business. Will use netflix on and off, like the no contract part of it.


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## Sandpiper (Oct 28, 2008)

As I said upthread, I switched to DVD only plan -- two at a time. I return them so I get just one DVD per week. Happy with that.

Got a surprise today. I get the DVDs on Tuesdays (today). Just got e-mail from Netflix:



> Dalva was not available from your local shipping center. Fortunately, it was available from a shipping center in another part of the country. It's on its way and should arrive within 3 to 5 days.
> 
> You'll notice we also recently sent the next available DVD from your Queue to enjoy while Dalva makes its way to you.
> 
> ...


Netflix . . . it's still a very good thing.


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## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

Sandpiper said:


> As I said upthread, I switched to DVD only plan -- two at a time. I return them so I get just one DVD per week. Happy with that.
> 
> Got a surprise today. I get the DVDs on Tuesdays (today). Just got e-mail from Netflix:
> 
> Netflix . . . it's still a very good thing.


I've got so many movies on my shelves, I doubt if I'll ever need Netflix.

Right now I'm working my way into dumping my satellite and going with Hulu Plus with an indoor antenna for local channels. Just have to take the plunge.


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## Sandpiper (Oct 28, 2008)

Gertie Kindle 'a/k/a Margaret Lake' said:


> I've got so many movies on my shelves, I doubt if I'll ever need Netflix.


Don't let that stop you. Do you have _every_ DVD that Netflix offers? I've got _plenty_ of DVDs myself.


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## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

Sandpiper said:


> Don't let that stop you. Do you have _every_ DVD that Netflix offers? I've got _plenty_ of DVDs myself.


Maybe not every one, but I'll bet I have about 300 movies. It should keep me busy for a while. If I run out, there's always the ton of free movies I get through Amazon Prime. I'm getting a Roku (?) so I can watch them. Amazon has a lot of TV series for free, too.

I'm big on free stuff.


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## Sandpiper (Oct 28, 2008)

Gertie Kindle 'a/k/a Margaret Lake' said:


> Maybe not every one, but I'll bet I have about 300 movies.


I have app. 250 movies including documentaries. But oh man . . . have I got the TV series too.  I recently ordered one of my two all-time favorite TV series. Only season 1 has been officially released (so far). I'm not waiting any longer for TPTB. I ordered the "unofficial release" of the whole series. I'm waitin' on it. It is St. Elsewhere. The other series I would love on DVD -- China Beach. That'll be the day . . . .


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## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

Sandpiper said:


> I have app. 250 movies including documentaries. But oh man . . . have I got the TV series too.  I recently ordered one of my two all-time favorite TV series. Only season 1 has been officially released (so far). I'm not waiting any longer for TPTB. I ordered the "unofficial release" of the whole series. I'm waitin' on it. It is St. Elsewhere. The other series I would love on DVD -- China Beach. That'll be the day . . . .


I never got into St. Elsewhere but China Beach was great. I could go broke on old TV series.  I would love to have the original Perry Mason.

There's a channel called RTV which is off the air more than it is on, that shows a lot of old TV. The Bold Ones; Jack Benny; Peter Gunn.


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## Sandpiper (Oct 28, 2008)

Gertie Kindle 'a/k/a Margaret Lake' said:


> I never got into St. Elsewhere . . . .


It's my favorite. I went to Howie Mandel's book signing at BORDERS. (Boo hoo.) Had him sign book "Howie Mandel a/k/a Fiscus".


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## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

Sandpiper said:


> It's my favorite. I went to Howie Mandel's book signing at BORDERS. (Boo hoo.) Had him sign book "Howie Mandel a/k/a Fiscus".


It's so weird to see him without hair.


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## Sandpiper (Oct 28, 2008)

Gertie Kindle 'a/k/a Margaret Lake' said:


> It's so weird to see him without hai


Much more impressive in person. Not so crazy. Looked good.


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## Amy Corwin (Jan 3, 2011)

I'm glad you guys started this thread because it fits in right now with my mindset. I'm considering going with Amazon Prime and using them to get movies/tv shows and dumping NetFlix. Eventually, I'd like to trim the satellite way back, maybe to just basic. I can't see letting it go entirely, though, because we watch too many things on it like the Food Network, Travel Channel, and the Weather channel. I'm not sure how we could replace those, although I guess we can just browse the Internet on our computers for the weather.

Not sure we're going to be able to work it all out. I have some Powerline devices on order from Amazon to see if I can build out our existing Ethernet network to include the TV downstairs (our only TV) and because our devices are old, I got an additional device to let us pick up either Netflix or Amazon once we're connected (assuming it works). Assuming all that works, the next step will be to see if we really can stream video. I tried once before via wireless through an old computer to the TV, but that was an abysmal failure. It just kept saying...BUFFERING.

It looks like Amazon Prime has just as much stuff as NetFlix and will be 6$/year cheaper, as well as the additional benefits of free/fast shipping of all the other junk I order from them.

Does anyone else have any opinions on this? Was anyone able to actually dump their satellite or cable totally? How did that work out? Is there anything you miss?

We don't get the regular channels anyway (we're way out in the country and antennas pick up diddly squat) so we've lived for 15 years without ABC, NBC, CBS, but we do get FoxNews on the satellite and that's always a kick to watch.


Gertie Kindle 'a/k/a Margaret Lake' said:


> Exactly. I didn't mind waiting for the free super saver shipping, but I know I bought a lot more that I didn't really need or could have waited on to make a $25 order. What tipped the balance was something I needed immediately and they were offering free prime for 30 days. It didn't take long to realize it added up to convenience, savings, and less things in my house that didn't have to be there.
> 
> I just looked at what amazon is offering for free. A lot of good things both TV and Movies.


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## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

Amy Corwin said:


> I'm glad you guys started this thread because it fits in right now with my mindset. I'm considering going with Amazon Prime and using them to get movies/tv shows and dumping NetFlix. Eventually, I'd like to trim the satellite way back, maybe to just basic. I can't see letting it go entirely, though, because we watch too many things on it like the Food Network, Travel Channel, and the Weather channel. I'm not sure how we could replace those, although I guess we can just browse the Internet on our computers for the weather.
> 
> Not sure we're going to be able to work it all out. I have some Powerline devices on order from Amazon to see if I can build out our existing Ethernet network to include the TV downstairs (our only TV) and because our devices are old, I got an additional device to let us pick up either Netflix or Amazon once we're connected (assuming it works). Assuming all that works, the next step will be to see if we really can stream video. I tried once before via wireless through an old computer to the TV, but that was an abysmal failure. It just kept saying...BUFFERING.
> 
> ...


There's a website called disablemycable.com that tells you how to do it. I doubt if I'll be able to get my local channels because I'm too far away from the transmitters. I can get them all with an outdoor antenna, but I live in a hurricane zone and I'd be chasing the antenna down the street all summer.

I'm getting the Roku (sp) which you need to get the Amazon Prime channels. It's apparently pretty easy to set up. I'll send for it this afternoon and get it set up. I'll let you know.


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## Atunah (Nov 20, 2008)

I keep thinking about turning off some of my Uverse services, but we are bundled and get a discount so turning off some will not save any money. I can't turn it off completely as I watch certain things I need TV service for. 

We have been streaming Netflix with our Wii box, but I thought about getting a Roku. We got GoogleTV instead and holy moly I am glad. We used to have a computer hooked up to the TV for browsing and such, but I can't read all that small print and the mouse was a pain in the butt. With GTV I can get the Netflix and the Amazon, once I get Prime, other stuff and it incorporates online streaming from anywhere. First night I was sitting there first watching something from Netflix and then I watched a German/Bavarian live stream from a news channel near my hometown there. 
As long as its Flash it works. And its scaled to the TV with the google browser so there is no small print like on the computer. Heaven. 

Now I am still comparing Netflix to Amazon to see if its just a repeat or if one is really better than the other.


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## Amy Corwin (Jan 3, 2011)

Atunah said:


> We have been streaming Netflix with our Wii box, but I thought about getting a Roku. We got GoogleTV instead and holy moly I am glad. We used to have a computer hooked up to the TV for browsing and such, but I can't read all that small print and the mouse was a pain in the butt. With GTV I can get the Netflix and the Amazon, once I get Prime, other stuff and it incorporates online streaming from anywhere. First night I was sitting there first watching something from Netflix and then I watched a German/Bavarian live stream from a news channel near my hometown there.
> As long as its Flash it works. And its scaled to the TV with the google browser so there is no small print like on the computer. Heaven.
> 
> Now I am still comparing Netflix to Amazon to see if its just a repeat or if one is really better than the other.


That's interesting--I wasn't sure what the GoogleTV was all about. I briefly looked at it this morning--it says it works with our DishNetwork stuff. Other than the hardware, do you have to pay anything for the GoogleTV? I wonder how that compares to the ROKU?


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## Atunah (Nov 20, 2008)

Well you pay for the netflix and the amazon like the Roku. The differences are that the GTV also includes the full internet with the integrated Google browser. You can hook all your tv stuff up, we haven't done that yet, then when you search for anything it will search through your DVR recordings,TV channels, netflix, youtube, internet all at once and you pick. And you control everything from the included cool keyboard or the Harmony phone apps. 

I have to note that Google TV does not have Hulu plus. I think they are negotiating. It doesn't have as many channels I don't think as Roku. But most of those I looked at are also on the web so can be accessed easy with GTV. 

So Roku I believe has more channels, but they share the big stuff minus Hulu. But Goggle TV also adds complete control over all your devices, makes then searchable and includes the web in flash. It cannot get something that needs a plug in for example.


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## Amy Corwin (Jan 3, 2011)

Thank you--that's great info about GoogleTV (versus ROKU). Phew. There's really a lot to think about with these things, isn't there? 

All all I wanted to do was be able to watch movies or TV shows when I wanted, at a reasonable price. LOL   The NetFlix-DVD thing wasn't really working out for us as we'd invariably get a DVD we no longer felt like watching, keep it too long, then reorder the queue and send it back, only to get the next DVD we no longer felt like watching. It was driving me bonkers, so I thought switching to streaming would probably work out better, if I could figure it out and get everything hooked up properly.

But you've given me a lot of food for thought and I really appreciate the information about GoogleTV. You explained it in a way that even I could understand!


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## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

I ordered the Roku. Once I get that up and running (fingers crossed without any problems) I'll start looking into antennas that I can install in my attic so I can get the network channels. 

I'm determined to get rid of my satellite. It's not expensive all by itself, but the taxes nearly double what I'm paying. I'm just going to have to adjust my TV viewing. I already checked Hulu Plus and they have most of the shows I like to watch. Amazon has a boatload of free movies and TV shows, too.


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## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

My Roku arrived yesterday and I set it up today. I also signed up for a free trial of Hulu Plus. So far, all the shows on Hulu Plus that I want to watch, I can watch on the network websites. I'll keep looking for things that I might want to watch before I decide whether or not to keep it.

My indoor antenna only gets ABC, CW, a couple of Spanish Channels and some oddball things. I suspect that the towers are located in Miami and Orlando. I'm right between the two and I'll have to have a huge mast antenna to get any of the networks. Just not practical in hurricane alley. Although considering Irene's path, the entire eastern seaboard is now hurricane alley.

I set up for Amazon Prime and have already watched one of my favorite shows. Lots of stuff there. I'm going to add more free Roku channels, too. 

See you later. I have to go play.


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## Amy Corwin (Jan 3, 2011)

Hi:
Yes, I ended up with  ROKU, as well, and it works flawlessly, even though we only have a pathetic DSL connection to the Internet.
I'm less than impressed with what is available, however, theoretically free or otherwise. In fact, as they say, there is no free lunch. You're not going to see anything except YouTube/Facebook and things like that for free.

NETFLIX
I already get NetFlix, but I only had the DVD option. I changed to streaming because I figured if NetFlix was offering a "streaming only" option at ($7.99/month) it must have improved since I looked at it over a year ago. Not. I discovered to my horror that streaming-only is the same abysmal, limited option it always was regarding selection. For example, I had slowly been working my way through the Midsomer mystery series on Netflix DVD. Same with Fawlty Towsers and a few other series like those. If you get DVDs, you can see just about the entire series. If you do streaming only, you get a few of the first season. That's it. Well, I've already seen all the first season of those as well as a few of the other seasons. And while I don't mind watching one or two again, it's less than I hoped for.

So Netflix movies and TV seem limited to a few random episodes (generally first season) of TV shows, then zippola. As for movies, forget any from this century. They are mostly movies from the 70's, 80's and 90's with a few random ones from earlier in the 20th century (e.g. one or two Marx Brothers--which we watched to test the ROKU) and a few more, even more random and scarcer, movies after the year 2000. If you hoped to see NEW-er movies, well. Sorry. You have to have both the DVD and streaming options, which doubles the cost and makes me ask: what was the point of streaming, again?

Amazon Prime
So I signed up for Amazon Prime, thinking they might have more. Movies aren't "free". You're paying for them out of your $70+/year fee. So I refuse to get anything that isn't included as part of Amazon Prime.
The Prime selection is more limited than Netflix. Again from the 70's, 80', and 90's (or earlier), of the varieties you see in the $5.00 bin at WalMart. There are a few "blockbusters" mixed in, e.g. "Terminator" but they are typically from the last century, as well. Again, if you want to watch a recent movie, you're going to have to pay more for instant movies (or whatever). You'll have to shell out close to $5.00 in addition to what you've already paid for a year of Amazon Prime. Ouch.

I love movies from the 20th century, but...this has turned out to be not exactly what I was hoping for when I starting spending a lot of money to buy the ROKU, a Powerline device to set up e-net for the ROKU, and signed up for Amazon Prime (in addition to Netflix and our Satellite). As far as DVDs, I already have most of the ones I want to ever watch again, so I was hoping to access movies or shows I haven't seen a million times before. And I was hoping to avoid buying the "Rockford Files," "Columbo," and a few other DVD sets by using streaming. Unfortunately...not. No one offers complete series of any of the shows like those via streaming (unless you're willing to pay a lot of money extra).

HuluPlus isn't free either, and since I've now paid for Amazon Prime and already have NetFlix, I'm not paying another fee to watch the same things from the 70's/80's/90's that the other two are offering.

REally, I might have been better off just diving into the $5.00 DVD bin at Walmart at this point because then at least I wouldn't have to keep paying fees to watch the same movies over and over again, or paid for those new devices.

So...to sum it up.
The ROKU works flawlessly. But we're not going to be able to get rid of the cost of our Satellite dish anytime within the foreseeable future, so it's hard to see how having the ROKU improves our entertainment possibilities while reducing costs.

It has actually increased the costs while giving me more of "nothing to watch".

So, after a weekend of pottering, I'm seriously thinking of cancelling service to both NetFlix and Amazon Prime by September since by then we'll have watched the one or two movies and one or two TV episodes of shows that we have even the remotest desire to watch (as in: "well, there's nothing better on and I don't absolutely hate this") and having "drained the pool" I can't see that we'll ever use the ROKU/streaming again by around Sep 10th or so. I'm giving us a few extra days to watch the remaining Marx brother movies.

This is a lot more negative than I like to be.  Sorry. But...maybe this will save someone else some money and frustration.


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## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

I had Amazon Prime for over two years so getting the "free" movies and TV doesn't cost me anything extra. I've already watched a couple of things from Amazon Prime. There are over 2K movies available and although I wouldn't want to watch a lot of them, there are enough to keep me busy. I really like old movies and old TV shows so it is going to work better for me than for you.

I also have Hulu Plus which is $7.99 a month, but I'm not sure yet I'm going to keep it. I haven't really tried it yet.

I've got tons of videos I haven't watched in a long time and I look forward to watching those, as soon as I figure out how to hook up the Roku to the TV.

My GS and I had a good time going through the channels and setting them up.

The bottom line is I'm know I'm going to have to adjust my TV viewing habits but I honestly don't think it's going to be that much of an adjustment for me. There are maybe a dozen shows that I like to watch and $90 a month is too much to pay for that small amount of viewing. I like to watch TCM and FMC because I like the old movies, but old movies come cheap if I want to buy them.


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## Brem (Jun 29, 2011)

I really want to try Amazon Prime. How are the prices compaired to Netflix and Hulu Plus? I might just drop cable and get all 3. Most likely will still save money.


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## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

Brem said:


> I really want to try Amazon Prime. How are the prices compaired to Netflix and Hulu Plus? I might just drop cable and get all 3. Most likely will still save money.


Amazon Prime is $70 a year which entitles you to free two day shipping on most orders. I buy a lot from Amazon and it really saves me money. The free movies and TV shows come with it. If you don't buy much from Amazon, it may not be cost effective for you. Check out the free stuff to see how much of those you want to watch.

I might try Netflix, too. First I want to give Hulu Plus a good try during my free week. Then I'll see about Netflix.

I just found a channel on Roku that has a lot of old movies that I know I'll enjoy. I'm trying all the freebies first. I removed a couple of them already, but most of what I added seems to be pretty good.

There are several websites that give tips for dumping your cable. disablemycable.com is one of them.


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## Brem (Jun 29, 2011)

Gertie Kindle 'a/k/a Margaret Lake' said:


> Amazon Prime is $70 a year which entitles you to free two day shipping on most orders. I buy a lot from Amazon and it really saves me money. The free movies and TV shows come with it. If you don't buy much from Amazon, it may not be cost effective for you. Check out the free stuff to see how much of those you want to watch.
> 
> I might try Netflix, too. First I want to give Hulu Plus a good try during my free week. Then I'll see about Netflix.
> 
> ...


How is the selection on Amazon Prime? In terms of the unlimited streaming? Do they have nearly all tv shows and movies? Cause I watch a lot of tv and movies these days. May be something I'd be interested in for.

As for Hulu Plus, it's only $7.99 a month and the selection is pretty decent. The movie selection is kind of trash, but you get a lot of Fox, NBC, CW, etc shows. So it may be worth it. Plus new episodes pop up a day or so after they air.

I want to check out the Roku player.


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## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

Brem said:


> How is the selection on Amazon Prime? In terms of the unlimited streaming? Do they have nearly all tv shows and movies? Cause I watch a lot of tv and movies these days. May be something I'd be interested in for.


Amazon Prime doesn't have current shows for free. They just got all the Star Trek series so they're constantly adding new things. They have nearly 3K movies for free, but again, all 3K won't appeal to everyone.

Here's the link to the page.

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=sv_mov_7?ie=UTF8&node=2858778011&field-is_prime_benefit=1

You'll see you can sort by genre on the left side.


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## Amy Corwin (Jan 3, 2011)

Hi--you know, you made me look at Amazon Prime again and perhaps I was way too harsh in my original post. 
I just found two things I want to watch: the best of Fractured Fairy tales (I loved the Rocky & Bullwinkle cartoons and Fractured Fairy tales, along with Mr. Peabody, were my favorite bits); and the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.

So maybe I'll keep that since I buy a lot from Amazon and dump Netflix.


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## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

Amy Corwin said:


> Hi--you know, you made me look at Amazon Prime again and perhaps I was way too harsh in my original post.
> I just found two things I want to watch: the best of Fractured Fairy tales (I loved the Rocky & Bullwinkle cartoons and Fractured Fairy tales, along with Mr. Peabody, were my favorite bits); and the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.
> 
> So maybe I'll keep that since I buy a lot from Amazon and dump Netflix.


Since you buy a lot anyway, you don't have anything to lose. I'm glad you looked into it.

I still have to look at Netflix to see if they have what I want, but so far, I'm finding more things on Hulu Plus that I like. I'm going to hold off on Netflix for now.


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## sebat (Nov 16, 2008)

Amy, thanks for posting.  It reminded me to cancel my instant streaming before the 1st.


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## monkeyluis (Oct 17, 2010)

With the new announcement I've cancelled the DVD portion. Several months ago we cancelled cable. Now we just have Hulu +, Netflix Instant & Amazon Prime. We use the Roku for all of this. We also still have the physical cable plugged into the wall & they still pump in the local channels in HD. so we are all set. We have quite a bit to watch between those sources. Saving a lot of money now.


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## sebat (Nov 16, 2008)

monkeyluis said:


> With the new announcement I've cancelled the DVD portion. Several months ago we cancelled cable. Now we just have Hulu +, Netflix Instant & Amazon Prime. We use the Roku for all of this. We also still have the physical cable plugged into the wall & they still pump in the local channels in HD. so we are all set. We have quite a bit to watch between those sources. Saving a lot of money now.


We're getting ready to move so I'll be putting my on hold next week. I'm seriously thinking about stopping my DVDs for good. I've already stopped the streaming.

I've heard a rumor that Blockbuster is going to start offering a DVD/Streaming package for around $10 or $12 a month. Supposedly, that will include games and BluRay in that price. I've been watching for an actual announcement on that. I hope it really happens.


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## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

monkeyluis said:


> With the new announcement I've cancelled the DVD portion. Several months ago we cancelled cable. Now we just have Hulu +, Netflix Instant & Amazon Prime. We use the Roku for all of this. We also still have the physical cable plugged into the wall & they still pump in the local channels in HD. so we are all set. We have quite a bit to watch between those sources. Saving a lot of money now.


Let me be dumb here for a minute. You cancelled cable but still have it hooked up to your TV and you get the local channels? Is that what you're saying? Do you hook it directly to the antenna port on the TV?


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## DYB (Aug 8, 2009)

The whole "streaming" thing is a problem because studios and networks only allow older titles to be streamed.  They want to keep their recent catalog for themselves.  For example, Netflix just expanded their streaming deal with Discovery to include more shows, but it'd only be for shows that are a year old.

Netflix also just inked a streaming deal with Miramax for their catalog titles, so that's good.


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## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

DYB said:


> The whole "streaming" thing is a problem because studios and networks only allow older titles to be streamed. They want to keep their recent catalog for themselves. For example, Netflix just expanded their streaming deal with Discovery to include more shows, but it'd only be for shows that are a year old.
> 
> Netflix also just inked a streaming deal with Miramax for their catalog titles, so that's good.


That sounds good. Maybe I can watch Deadliest Catch.


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## monkeyluis (Oct 17, 2010)

Gertie Kindle 'a/k/a Margaret Lake' said:


> Let me be dumb here for a minute. You cancelled cable but still have it hooked up to your TV and you get the local channels? Is that what you're saying? Do you hook it directly to the antenna port on the TV?


Yup. It may have been part of the digital transition deal. I was going to put up an antennae in the attic to continue getting local, but when I saw we were still getting the channels I decided to not spend the moony on an antenna.


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## monkeyluis (Oct 17, 2010)

DYB said:


> The whole "streaming" thing is a problem because studios and networks only allow older titles to be streamed. They want to keep their recent catalog for themselves. For example, Netflix just expanded their streaming deal with Discovery to include more shows, but it'd only be for shows that are a year old.
> 
> Netflix also just inked a streaming deal with Miramax for their catalog titles, so that's good.


I think that's a big misconception. Hulu + offers a lot of shows that aired the previous night. We watch many shows like that. & it's not any different than using the DVR, we would watch it the next day anyway. Also many of the network sites put up the shows right away. So we watch somewhat way too.


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## monkeyluis (Oct 17, 2010)

sebat said:


> We're getting ready to move so I'll be putting my on hold next week. I'm seriously thinking about stopping my DVDs for good. I've already stopped the streaming.
> 
> I've heard a rumor that Blockbuster is going to start offering a DVD/Streaming package for around $10 or $12 a month. Supposedly, that will include games and BluRay in that price. I've been watching for an actual announcement on that. I hope it really happens.


I'm not sure about steaming yet. Should be announced at some point today. But they do have an existing deal that is better than "qwikster" for games/movies/bluray. Anyway, I cancelled the DVD portion because I watch very few new releases. If needed I'll steam from iTunes, amazon, xbox, ps3. Many options.


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## DYB (Aug 8, 2009)

Netflix just signed a deal with the CW network to stream all of their shows.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/entertainmentnewsbuzz/2011/10/netflix-cw-deal-cbs-warner-bros.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+newsandbuzz+%28News+%26+Buzz%29


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## Brem (Jun 29, 2011)

DYB said:


> Netflix just signed a deal with the CW network to stream all of their shows.
> 
> http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/entertainmentnewsbuzz/2011/10/netflix-cw-deal-cbs-warner-bros.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+newsandbuzz+%28News+%26+Buzz%29


Glad to hear that, I've been trying to catch up with Supernatural for some time now, now lets see if they include more networks soon cause there's a lot of shows I'd love to catch.


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## DYB (Aug 8, 2009)

And Netflix just extended their deal with ABC/Disney.

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/disney-abc-television-signs-streaming-deal-netflix-255208


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## Casey W (Oct 10, 2011)

All great stuff. Love netflix.


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## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

I think you mean Amazon Prime


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## CS (Nov 3, 2008)

Gertie Kindle 'a/k/a Margaret Lake' said:


> I think you mean Amazon Prime


Actually, both Netflix and Amazon inked deals with ABC.


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## Amy Corwin (Jan 3, 2011)

monkeyluis said:


> With the new announcement I've cancelled the DVD portion. Several months ago we cancelled cable. Now we just have Hulu +, Netflix Instant & Amazon Prime. We use the Roku for all of this. We also still have the physical cable plugged into the wall & they still pump in the local channels in HD. so we are all set. We have quite a bit to watch between those sources. Saving a lot of money now.


I was hoping to do that, too, and got the ROKU unit (which we love). But I think we'll have to hang on to our Satellite subscription for the foreseable future because we like the weather channel and some of the others (Food Network, Travel Channel, etc). Sigh.

But the Netflix streaming is working out very well for us. I haven't found anything on Amazon Prime I want to watch, but we have done the "rent" thing from Amazon for a few of the newer movies.


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## Sandpiper (Oct 28, 2008)

Geeeez.  I was looking at my queue in Netflix (DVD only) yesterday.  Noticed a button for a one-time extra DVD.  Netflix trying to make nice for the mess they've made with their customers lately.  (I have no problems with what they've done though.)  Didn't want to get the extra DVD then though.  Today I looked in my queue again.  Button for extra DVD is gone.  Hmmmmmm.  Nothing was said on the screen about use it now or lose it.


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## Someone Nameless (Jul 12, 2009)

I got that in December.  I think it was their holiday gift to us.


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## RobertY (Jun 24, 2011)

Yes, it was a Holiday gift. I got an email from Netflix about it Thanking me for being a loyal customer. **sigh** I used mine.  

I know I was dead set against Netflix separating streaming from the dvd's and charging for each. I still think they should have grandfathered in the ones that have had them for years and was used to both.

But they seem to have picked up the delivery speed so we decided to stick with them for the time being.


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## Sandpiper (Oct 28, 2008)

I never saw the e-mail.  (I may not completely read e-mails from them.)  Having still not used it, maybe it will show up again.


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## *DrDLN* (dr.s.dhillon) (Jan 19, 2011)

Netflix is the main source of movies these days, in our family.


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## DYB (Aug 8, 2009)

monkeyluis said:


> I think that's a big misconception. Hulu + offers a lot of shows that aired the previous night. We watch many shows like that. & it's not any different than using the DVR, we would watch it the next day anyway. Also many of the network sites put up the shows right away. So we watch somewhat way too.


One thing about Hulu is that it's co-owned by NBC Universal, Disney, and NewsCorp (Fox). So yes, they stream brand new shows - because it's their own service.

Netflix currently is really for catalog titles. Although they are going into original programming big time, with a new original series launching in February. With, of course, "The House of Cards" from Kevin Spacey and David Fincher, and "Arrested Development" to follow later.

The new original series, "Lillyhammer," premieres February 6th. (They're supposedly posting the entire series at once!)

http://www.engadget.com/2012/01/04/netflix-queues-s1-of-its-original-production-lilyhammer-for-st/


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## Atunah (Nov 20, 2008)

I had no idea about this original series on Netflix. I just watched the trailer and I can't wait to watch it now.  

This looks very very interesting.


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