Xixax Film Forum

Film Discussion => Digital Streams & Criterion Dreams => Topic started by: pookiethecat on October 08, 2003, 02:40:05 PM

Title: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: pookiethecat on October 08, 2003, 02:40:05 PM
Has anyone used this online service?  Is it good?  Is it a ripoff?  Problems? Horror stories?  Success stories?  Yay or nay?  

I love movies and blockbuster pisses me off.  But I'm wondering if it'll rip me off even more so than I'm already getting ripped off.
Title: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: MrBurgerKing on October 08, 2003, 02:44:48 PM
Netflix is a heaven.. Saved me a ton of cash so far from blind buying DVDs. Also good for exposure. If only there was a burger king version of netflix.

My only problem was getting PECKER when I ordered THE PIANO, but they quickly resolved that issue.
Title: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: MacGuffin on October 08, 2003, 02:46:02 PM
Many stories/recommendations here:
http://xixax.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=567
Title: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: Jeremy Blackman on October 08, 2003, 02:54:59 PM
You should. The only downsides are scratched-up discs and the occasional DVD lost in the mail (which they forgive).
Title: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: SHAFTR on October 08, 2003, 02:55:34 PM
You Should, only problem I have ever had is the Raging Bull Disc I got was scratched.
Title: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: pookiethecat on October 08, 2003, 03:02:44 PM
aight.  thanks.  tis my bday in a week, so maybe this'll be a present.
Title: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: TheVoiceOfNick on October 08, 2003, 04:48:12 PM
Netflix is great if you're a true DVD watcher... which means you can watch 2-5 DVDs at home per week... if you're like me though, that doesn't have time to watch movies all the time, but sometimes finds odd times to watch snippets here and there, then its a waste of money... you're better off buying DVDs like I do... or just renting whenever you feel the urge.
Title: re
Post by: pookiethecat on October 08, 2003, 06:14:08 PM
ha, i just had a discussion with the 'rents about that very issue: "managing my time."  when i mentioned netflix it induced a mass parental freakout.  how will you find time?  what about (insert random teenage time requirement here)?   the bad thing is, there's def some validity to their argument (as your post has just shown).  oh well.
Title: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: Alethia on October 09, 2003, 08:08:29 AM
the only problem ive had is my sabrina disc was all printed up.  fixed it tho. delightful movie by the way.
Title: Re: re
Post by: freakerdude on October 09, 2003, 08:30:35 AM
Quote from: pookiethecatha, i just had a discussion with the 'rents about that very issue: "managing my time."  when i mentioned netflix it induced a mass parental freakout.  how will you find time?  what about (insert random teenage time requirement here)?   the bad thing is, there's def some validity to their argument (as your post has just shown).  oh well.
I looked into Netflix as well but decided against it. The main reason was time. I would have to watch a movie every so often to make it cost worthy. I hate Blockbuster too.......especially right after Viacom bought them out a long time ago. But I can rent at my leisure with BB and that's the only good thing about them.
Title: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: Pas on October 09, 2003, 08:36:05 AM
Why don't you rent your movies at independent stores ? They have all the good movies, and some even you won't find anywhere else (cause the guy likes them probably). And when I get in mine, the clerk say : "Hi Pierre" and if I'm late he doesn't say anything and he'll take the reservations for his best clients (like me).

I like it there. It's called Premiere Video.
Title: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: Pwaybloe on October 09, 2003, 09:01:02 AM
Quote from: Pas RapportWhy don't you rent your movies at independent stores ?

Unless you live in a larger city, you won't find many independant video stores in the US.  Most of them have been bought out by Blockbuster.  

Luckily, I live in a "larger" city in the South.  Although, the independent stores are now owned by a corporate Movie Gallery.  Luckily they have held the previous inventory... for now.  Dum dum dum...
Title: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: TheVoiceOfNick on October 09, 2003, 10:12:54 AM
Quote from: Pas RapportWhy don't you rent your movies at independent stores ? They have all the good movies, and some even you won't find anywhere else (cause the guy likes them probably). And when I get in mine, the clerk say : "Hi Pierre" and if I'm late he doesn't say anything and he'll take the reservations for his best clients (like me).

If you live in Los Angeles, I highly reccommend 20/20 Video... they have a very nice selection, and chances are there is one in your hood... another great (but with only a few locations) is Oddessy Video... although 60% of their store is porn... but the non-porn part has a very good selection.
Title: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: Pas on October 09, 2003, 05:41:29 PM
Quote from: Pawbloe
Quote from: Pas RapportWhy don't you rent your movies at independent stores ?

Unless you live in a larger city, you won't find many independant video stores in the US.  Most of them have been bought out by Blockbuster.  

Damn !!! I live in a shit town and there are like 3-4 different indepedent stores. Canada can be nice.
Title: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: pookiethecat on October 09, 2003, 06:55:23 PM
pas, i just checked out the yellow pages.

i called this one store- the only one that said "independent movies" and asked him if they had foreign films. "foreign what?!" was my first indication that this guy knew jack.  "nope we don't got those..."  

i called hollywood video.  prices are pretty much equal to blockbuster, though the selection seems mildly better.

i called some other video stores and was not too impressed with any of them- either too far away, not a good selection, or too expensive

i guess 'netflix' it is.

you wouldn't even think i was in that much of a shit town either.  i mean, we have a major league baseball team and a couple new stadiums to faciliate their losing asses- i think we should damn well have decent movie stores!
Title: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: Pas on October 09, 2003, 07:05:59 PM
Quote from: pookiethecat
i called this one store- the only one that said "independent movies" and asked him if they had foreign films. "foreign what?!" was my first indication that this guy knew jack.  "nope we don't got those..."  

Hahahaha ! Did you laugh at his face (well, at his phone face) ?
Title: re
Post by: pookiethecat on October 10, 2003, 02:21:27 PM
he was one of those surly video clerk assholes.  i couldn't laugh.  i felt incensed.   :evil:
Title: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: Bethie on September 18, 2004, 06:27:23 PM
Hey, I got this e-mail from Netflix:

For a limited time, we're offering our valued members a special opportunity to give your friends and family one month of free Netflix service; that's twice the length of our regular free trial! Just forward this e-mail to your friends and family and they can enjoy a month of DVD rentals for free. This special offer expires 9/20/2004 so pass this on soon!

-Your Friends at Netflix



When I first read that I thought it meant I could send the link to ONE PERSON. Now that I just read it again...I see that it doesn't mean that. I know most of you here use Netflix, but is there anyone here that doesn't use it and wants to try it?

This offer expires soon, so let me know. Give me your e-mail address and I'll send you the link right away.

I'll be back here tonight to see if any of you want to take me up on this offer.
Title: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: 03 on September 18, 2004, 06:32:20 PM
labrona@gmail.com
Title: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: Bethie on September 18, 2004, 11:46:28 PM
Sent.


Anyone else?
Title: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: hedwig on September 19, 2004, 12:33:12 AM
leven321@aol.com
Title: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: Bethie on September 19, 2004, 12:42:12 AM
Hm. I find you to be annoying.

But I sent you the link anyway.


I'm so nice.
Title: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: hedwig on September 19, 2004, 12:54:05 AM
Thank you
Title: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: GoneSavage on September 20, 2004, 10:08:30 PM
I never liked renting movies since my old indie store went under.  Plus I got a job and made money so I could just buy most of what I wanted.  I recently joined Netflix to replace cable TV.  I watch a movie a night instead of wasting money on cable.  It's good for filling in holes that you wouldn't get around to buying.

As long as you watch movies frequently, it is worth it.  Also make sure to keep on top of sending everything back.  There is a lag between sending and receiving a new one.  As long as you keep on track, it is WELL worth it, and less than half the price of cable TV.  I started at the 3 disc level and am up to the 5 disc because sometimes I'd be left with weekend without anything because they were in transit.

edit:  I just realized I gave advice to someone who posed the question a year ago.  I apologize to the moderators.
Title: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: Jeremy Blackman on September 26, 2004, 03:43:23 PM
Dear Neflix,

Please stop recommending me movies that I've rated, and please stop putting little shooting starts next to titles in my Queue that you've oh so wisely recommended.

Thank you.
Title: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: meatball on September 26, 2004, 07:33:05 PM
Quote from: BethieHm. I find you to be annoying.

But I sent you the link anyway.


I'm so nice.

Quote from: HedwigThank you

Hmm. At least people on Xixax are honest.

I don't think I'll ever sign up for Netflix. It's too much of a commitment. I need the cheap thrills of randomly picking up a dvd at my local blockbuster rental store, taking it home and having my way with it.  :twisted:
Title: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: MacGuffin on October 15, 2004, 06:10:13 PM
Blockbuster to Cut Price for Online DVD Rentals

Video retailer Blockbuster Inc. on Friday said it will lower the price of its online DVD rental service by 12.5 percent, undercutting a price cut launched by rival Netflix Inc. a day earlier.

Blockbuster Chief Executive John Antioco told Reuters the price cut for a monthly online subscription to $17.49 from $19.99 would become effective "the week after next." He said the move was in response to Netflix's announcement it would reduce its monthly online subscription fee to $17.99 from $21.99.

"We were growing our business at a very nice clip, but would not have elected to lower our prices. Having said that, we are determined that we are not going to be beaten from a price/value perspective," Antioco said.

Blockbuster, which operates nearly 9,000 retail stores worldwide, launched its online business in August. Wal-Mart Stores Inc. also has entered the arena, and on Thursday Netflix said it sees Amazon.com Inc entering too.

Amazon.com said it had been encouraged by customers to offer online DVD rentals but had nothing to announce.

Antioco said Blockbuster "takes all competition seriously" and said the company would offer a number of new in-store and online promotions such as free movie and video game rentals to further entice customers to stay with Blockbuster.
Title: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: 03 on October 15, 2004, 07:23:47 PM
a related note:
in case anyone is considering blockbuster's free trial:
i recieved two in two weeks, they shipped them a day after registration, i recieved them a little less than a week later, shipped them the next day, and they recieved them the day before my trial ran out. a week after cancelling, i noticed on my account balance three transactions of $21.79 for BLOCKBUSTERDVD, and an email saying that i had three dvds that i had not returned, ones that i was never sent, and also that i had never queued. it was relatively simple to resolve, i called and was put on hold for approximately 20 minutes, and the gentleman was apologetic and fixed everything.

also: someone mentioned the possibility of account highjacktion and i checked, it was not.
Title: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: Jeremy Blackman on October 15, 2004, 10:44:53 PM
My God, that's exactly like a phone company scam. They regularly overbill and only fix it for the people who have enough time and patience to fight it. Is there evidence that they're doing this on a larger scale, or are they just working out bugs?
Title: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: Jeremy Blackman on November 08, 2004, 05:51:10 PM
I got this email...

17.99 per month.

You don't need to do anything. Your membership will automatically move to the lower 17.99 price.  The lower price will appear on your next bill on or after November 1, 2004.  You will still get the same great service and convenience, but now you will pay less for it.  So please sit back, relax and enjoy your movies!

-Your Friends at Netflix[/list:u]
Title: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: analogzombie on November 08, 2004, 08:38:27 PM
I've begun to notice, since they lowered their prices, that my dvds take an extra day to get to me. It used to be that Netflix would send them on , say, monday, i would get them wednesday. now i get them thursday. not too bad though.
Title: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: RegularKarate on November 08, 2004, 10:45:02 PM
I have the luck of 2 day turnaround.

They have an office here in Austin... they get it at the PO box the day I mail them, they mail them the next day and I get them the day after that.


Pretty effin sweet.  Mail Monday, get 'em Wednesday.

Haven't noticed any difference since the price decrease... that's pure paranoia.
Title: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: Dross on December 02, 2004, 04:18:16 AM
It's seemed slower to me too.

And goddamn do they need to take that green off the queue page.
Title: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: RegularKarate on December 02, 2004, 12:56:14 PM
Of course it's slower right NOW.  It's holiday season, the mail is slower during the holidays.  Netflix has opened more offices, the business isn't getting slower, the mail is.
Title: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: MacGuffin on December 02, 2004, 06:17:37 PM
Netflix Rolls Out 'Friends' Feature on Web Site

Netflix Inc on Thursday previewed a new Web feature that the online DVD rental company hopes will keep subscribers loyal as it works toward its pledge to reach 4 million subscribers by the end of 2005.

The free service, called "friends," allows subscribers to share their DVD picks with others who have Netflix accounts so that friends can monitor each other's movie habits.

Netflix rolled out a preview version of the service this week, and plans to launch "friends" for its 2.3 million subscribers in January, Netflix Chief Executive Reed Hastings told Reuters on Thursday.

"It allows our users to share and communicate and discover a love of movies," Hastings said. "We've only scratched the surface of how to use the Internet to enhance the movie experience."

Netflix, which pioneered online DVD rental and holds about 9 percent of the market, slashed its subscription price last month to fend off competition from Blockbuster Inc and Wal-Mart Stores Inc . Netflix officials said they were girding for a likely challenge from Amazon.com Inc .

In October, Netflix announced a costly plan that calls for the company to run at break-even and keep its prices low while spending more money to attract and keep subscribers.

The plan appears to be working. Netflix recently revised upward its fourth-quarter guidance for subscriber acquisitions by at least 150,000 to reflect strong growth and lower churn.

"Subscriber growth has exceeded our expectation," Hastings said. "What you will see over the next two years is innovation. We continue to blaze the path of how movies can be enjoyed."
Title: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: Bethie on December 04, 2004, 03:58:13 AM
I canceled Netflix for a few months due to lack of funds and school. Only recently did I sign back up. Netflix makes me feel so cool. I remember first day in History of Film class the prof asked if anyone used Netflix. I was the only one that used it besides him. I was proud. I had him show me his queue once. haha. I had seen a lot of the films on his list.  



I've been carrying The Office season one dvd from Netflix in my purse.  8)  I don't want to send it back.
Title: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: Jeremy Blackman on December 04, 2004, 12:17:21 PM
Quote from: RegularKarateOf course it's slower right NOW.  It's holiday season, the mail is slower during the holidays.  Netflix has opened more offices, the business isn't getting slower, the mail is.
I never got a DVD that was supposed to arrive on Tuesday. It's probably lost in the mail. (this would only be the second one ever, though)
Title: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: Gamblour. on December 04, 2004, 12:29:13 PM
Quote from: Jeremy Blackman
Quote from: RegularKarateOf course it's slower right NOW.  It's holiday season, the mail is slower during the holidays.  Netflix has opened more offices, the business isn't getting slower, the mail is.
I never got a DVD that was supposed to arrive on Tuesday. It's probably lost in the mail. (this would only be the second one ever, though)

If I recall, only one dvd got lost. And if it's the one I'm thinking of, it was a disc from 24 season 2. It took past 5 days for it to get to me, so I reported lost and ended up getting the 'lost' disc and the replacement  :| . The postal service is the worst part of Netflix, especially Atlanta's.
Title: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: GoneSavage on December 04, 2004, 05:07:40 PM
That's what you get for not getting your mail carrier a Christmas present last year.
Title: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: RegularKarate on December 05, 2004, 01:38:53 PM
I've actually had two movies lost in the mail now... very unfortunate, but they're pretty cool about it.

Two isn't bad for three years though.
Title: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: Rudie Obias on December 27, 2004, 02:29:32 AM
i just signed up for netflix and i hope it goes well.  and if it doesn't there will be hell to pay!!  *shakes fists*
Title: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: Bethie on January 11, 2005, 02:33:05 AM
I got this email the other day:

QuoteToday we're excited to announce Netflix Friends. With Netflix Friends you can see what your friends are watching and share your favorite movies with them.

To get started:
1. Click on the Friends tab
2. Create a list of friends who use Netflix
3. Share movie suggestions and ratings with your friends

Thank you for being a member of Netflix. We hope you enjoy sharing movie suggestions with your friends.

-Your Friends at Netflix

and then on Netflix:

QuoteCommonly asked questions about friends

Do my Friends need to be Netflix members?
Yes.

If I change my mind later, can I turn Friends off?
Yes, you can remove Friends at any time.

Will my Friends see my ratings?
Yes. Both you and your Friends will see how one another rated movies

Can I hide certain movies from Friends?
If you don't rate a movie your friends won't see it.

Can anyone other than my Friends see my ratings?
No. Only the people you've invited to join your Friends List can see your ratings.

I know its not a big deal or anything and kind of lame, but would any of you care to be "friends?"
Title: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: ono on January 11, 2005, 03:02:41 AM
Sure, why not.  I'd rather not post my e-mail address here.  I get enough spam as it is.  You have a PM, Bethie.  Anyone else, PM me with your e-mail address, if you want me to add you.
Title: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: Bethie on January 11, 2005, 03:10:15 AM
Got it.      8)
Title: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: cine on January 11, 2005, 03:12:10 AM
Get a room, you two.  :yabbse-angry:
Title: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: Weird. Oh on November 02, 2005, 01:45:24 PM
looks like i'll be getting a free month of Netflix from being a class action lawsuit member I didn't even know about.

http://www.netflix.com/Settlement
Title: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: matt35mm on November 02, 2005, 02:21:23 PM
Moi aussi, cracka.
Title: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: RegularKarate on November 02, 2005, 03:03:08 PM
Yeah, I got that letter too, but I'm not going to take the upgrade since I think it's a bullshit suit brought up by some douchebag that just wants free stuff and I encourage the rest of you loyal Netflixers not to take the free upgrade as well...  don't take the dirty money.  Netflix is a good company.
Title: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: cowboykurtis on November 02, 2005, 05:05:21 PM
couldnt agree with you more
Title: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: Weird. Oh on November 03, 2005, 05:06:08 AM
sorry, since I'm poor and haven't used netflix in a while since I can't afford it i'll be taking it.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: MacGuffin on February 10, 2006, 01:48:15 PM
'Throttling' Angers Netflix Heavy Renters

Manuel Villanueva realizes he has been getting a pretty good deal since he signed up for Netflix Inc.'s online DVD rental service 2 1/2 years ago, but he still feels shortchanged. That's because the $17.99 monthly fee that he pays to rent up to three DVDs at a time would amount to an even bigger bargain if the company didn't penalize him for returning his movies so quickly.

Netflix typically sends about 13 movies per month to Villanueva's home in Warren, Mich. down from the 18 to 22 DVDs he once received before the company's automated system identified him as a heavy renter and began delaying his shipments to protect its profits.

The same Netflix formula also shoves Villanueva to the back of the line for the most-wanted DVDs, so the service can send those popular flicks to new subscribers and infrequent renters.

The little-known practice, called "throttling" by critics, means Netflix customers who pay the same price for the same service are often treated differently, depending on their rental patterns.

"I wouldn't have a problem with it if they didn't advertise `unlimited rentals,'" Villanueva said. "The fact is that they go out of their way to make sure you don't go over whatever secret limit they have set up for your account."

Los Gatos, Calif.-based Netflix didn't publicly acknowledge it differentiates among customers until revising its "terms of use" in January 2005 four months after a San Francisco subscriber filed a class-action lawsuit alleging that the company had deceptively promised one-day delivery of most DVDs.

"In determining priority for shipping and inventory allocation, we give priority to those members who receive the fewest DVDs through our service," Netflix's revised policy now reads. The statement specifically warns that heavy renters are more likely to encounter shipping delays and less likely to immediately be sent their top choices.

Few customers have complained about this "fairness algorithm," according to Netflix CEO Reed Hastings.

"We have unbelievably high customer satisfaction ratings," Hastings said during a recent interview. "Most of our customers feel like Netflix is an incredible value."

The service's rapid growth supports his thesis. Netflix added nearly 1.6 million customers last year, giving it 4.2 million subscribers through December. During the final three months of 2005, just 4 percent of its customers canceled the service, the lowest rate in the company's six-year history.

After collecting consumer opinions about the Web's 40 largest retailers last year, Ann Arbor, Mich., research firm ForeSeeResults rated Netflix as "the cream of the crop in customer satisfaction."

Once considered a passing fancy, Netflix has changed the way many households rent movies and spawned several copycats, including a mail service from Blockbuster Inc.

Netflix's most popular rental plan lets subscribers check out up to three DVDs at a time for $17.99 per month. After watching a movie, customers return the DVD in a postage-paid envelope. Netflix then sends out the next available DVD on the customer's online wish list.

Because everyone pays a flat fee, Netflix makes more money from customers who only watch four or five DVDs per month. Customers who quickly return their movies in order to get more erode the company's profit margin because each DVD sent out and returned costs 78 cents in postage alone.

Although Netflix consistently promoted its service as the DVD equivalent of an all-you-can eat smorgasbord, some heavy renters began to suspect they were being treated differently two or three years ago.

To prove the point, one customer even set up a Web site http://www.dvd-rent-test.dreamhost.com to show that the service listed different wait times for DVDs requested by subscribers living in the same household.

Netflix's throttling techniques have also prompted incensed customers to share their outrage in online forums such as http://www.hackingnetflix.com.

"Netflix isn't well within its rights to throttle users," complained a customer identified as "annoyed" in a posting on the site. "They say unlimited rentals. They are liars."

Hastings said the company has no specified limit on rentals, but "`unlimited' doesn't mean you should expect to get 10,000 a month."

In its terms of use, Netflix says most subscribers check out two to 11 DVDs per month.

Management has previously acknowledged to analysts that it risks losing money on a relatively small percentage of frequent renters. The risk has increased since Netflix reduced the price of its most popular subscription plan by $4 per month in 2004 and the U.S. Postal Service recently raised first-class mailing costs by 2 cents.

Netflix's approach has paid off so far. The company has been profitable in each of the past three years, a trend its management expects to continue in 2006 with projected earnings of at least $29 million on revenue of $960 million. Netflix's stock price has more than tripled since its 2002 initial public offering.

A September 2004 lawsuit cast a spotlight on the throttling issue. The complaint, filed by Frank Chavez on behalf of all Netflix subscribers before Jan. 15, 2005, said the company had developed a sophisticated formula to slow down DVD deliveries to frequent renters and ensure quicker shipments of the most popular movies to its infrequent and most profitable renters to keep them happy.

Netflix denied the allegations, but eventually revised its terms of use to acknowledge its different treatment of frequent renters.

Without acknowledging wrongdoing, the company agreed to provide a one-month rental upgrade and pay Chavez's attorneys $2.5 million, but the settlement sparked protests that prompted the two sides to reconsider. A hearing on a revised settlement proposal is scheduled for Feb. 22 in San Francisco Superior Court.

Netflix subscribers such as Nathaniel Irons didn't believe the company was purposely delaying some DVD shipments until he read the revised terms of use.

Irons, 28, of Seattle, has no plans to cancel his service because he figures he is still getting a good value from the eight movies he typically receives each month.

"My own personal experience has not been bad," he said, "but (the throttling) is certainly annoying when it happens."
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: modage on February 10, 2006, 03:32:53 PM
FUCK.  thats awful.  i've always been a huge netflix supporter but finding this out makes me very very angry.  i got 13 movies during january and i'm on the $23.99 4 out at a time plan.  i guess i'm still averaging 2 dollars a movie but STILL.  they have been taking way longer then they used to AND i'm waiting on a couple new releases which is BULLSHIT.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: ono on February 10, 2006, 03:38:46 PM
That's not awful at all.  It makes total sense.  If you want more movies faster, you should upgrade to the plan which allows you more movies out at a time.  Think about it -- you've gotta understand, postage adds up, and if Netflix didn't do this, they wouldn't be the great company they are.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: modage on February 10, 2006, 04:09:24 PM
no, the dream is over.  it doesnt matter what plan you're on.  only how quickly you watch and return them.  and if you watch a fair amount of movies the less profitable you are and you are further punished by getting the lower priority on most requested titles. 
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: ono on February 10, 2006, 04:16:43 PM
There never was a utopia.  It was always about money.  Netflix was just able to provide a better service than the rest.  What is being experienced now is a result of growth.  It's inevitable for any business.  If you want more movies, and movies faster, again, upgrade.  That way, you won't return movies as fast because you'll have more, and you'll get more service for the price you pay.  You get what you pay for.

If you're indeed on the $23.99 plan, and you say you spend $2 per movie, that's 12 movies a month.  Look at that from Netflix's point of view: you're costing them $9.36 per month in postage.  That leaves them with $14.63 of your money to work with.  Say it takes 5 minutes to process your order.  That is, 5 minutes both ways.  Coming and going.  That's 120 minutes for your orders.  Say the average grunt gets paid $6 per hour to do work.  Maybe more.  So, it costs $12 for them to work for you.  This leaves Netflix with $2.63 to work with.  Probably NOT EVEN that, because the grunt is probably getting paid more than $6 per hour.  So, Netflix is losing money because of you.  Since this is a business, they have every right to regulate.  It's called covering their ass, and again, it makes total sense.  There never was a utopia, it's the real world.  Sad but true.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: RegularKarate on February 10, 2006, 05:03:24 PM
This is nothing new at all... this is really old news that Yahoo randomly decided to serve up as new again.

how long have you had NetFlix, Mod?  Take a deep breath... "the dream" is not"over"... nothing is changing.

They discovered long ago that they lose money on people who have the small plans yet send movies back immediately.  They have to pay for postage and processing.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: matt35mm on February 10, 2006, 05:17:59 PM
Aye, it's still good.  The only thing I was displeased with is that we don't get equal priority for the more in-demand movies.  40-Year-Old Virgin and The Constant Gardener have been at the top of my queue for over a month now.  I keep it at the top just in case, basically.  And there's no way I'm getting my hands on the R. Kelly Trapped in a Closet, which is, of course, the most demanded DVD of all times.

Their regulating the number of DVDs you get per month makes fine sense, but I would like it if they gave at least equal priority to the members on the plans higher than 3 at a time.  Make it something like a Gold or Silver Membership.  I know they don't need to hook us in with popular rentals since we're clearly hooked, but as a sign of appreciation for the members paying more, it'd be nice.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: modage on February 10, 2006, 05:34:41 PM
Member Since: June 2003   
about as long as i've been coming here.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: GoneSavage on February 10, 2006, 06:01:22 PM
I definitely experience the lag.  When I moved to California, I substituted Netflix for cable TV.  I would watch one movie a night and be sure to return it each day.  I always found it suspicious when movies were marked as sent, they'd get here the next day but when I sent movies back it could take up to 4 days.  I was pissed, but still felt like it was worth what I was paying.  I return movies a lot less quickly now so I don't have too many delay problems ... I just wish I had more time to watch the movies. 

Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: ThurstonPowell on February 11, 2006, 04:16:46 PM
I understand why the whole 'throttling' thing works as a business decision, but I'm just a guy who likes to watch movies.  I don't much care about Netflix making decisions that benefit themselves at my expense.  I have the 3-movie plan, and I don't really even watch the movies that quickly, and I'm still experiencing slower deliveries.  And Netflix will frequently send out a movie that's several titles down the list (with all the skipped-over titles listed as available 'Now') - which, why even have a numbered queue if you're going to do that?  When I first signed up for Netflix, they seemed like a serious movie lover's alternative to the video store (obviously they weren't catering solely to film lovers but Blockbuster and Hollywood Vid don't have their diverse selection - the best of both worlds).  Now that Netflix have become a phenomenon, it feels like they're deliberately alienating the serious film viewer in favor of the regular Joe who just wants to see the latest blockbuster and keep it for a week - which is what Blockbuster is all about and why I stopped renting at video stores.

I know I could switch to a plan that would give me more movies at once, but I feel like it's kind of a swindle - Now that I'm hooked, if I want the level of service I've become used to, I have to spend more money.  I could cancel, but Netflix probably wants heavier-use customers like me to cancel anyway.  If I rented the same number of movies at a physical store it would cost 3x as much per month, and the franchises don't have the aforementioned diverse selection.  Screwed either way you go.  Merry Effing Smart Business Decision, Netflix. 
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: RegularKarate on February 11, 2006, 05:10:41 PM
It's funny to me that everyone's being a baby because Netflix has grown and they can't afford to pay as much attention to the individual user as they did when it began when it's still clearly the best deal for renting movies right now.

Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: ThurstonPowell on February 11, 2006, 07:12:49 PM
Glad I contributed
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: matt35mm on February 11, 2006, 10:59:48 PM
BY THE WAY, I'd like to have some Netflix friends to see people here are renting.  Might give me a few ideas for things to rent as well.  My e-mail address is matt35mm@yahoo.com.  Invite me, please!
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: Bethie on February 12, 2006, 01:35:53 AM
What was the deal with Netflix giving a free month away to members during a certain time frame? It confused me. I think I signed up for it, but now I have no idea. 

:saywhat:
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: modage on February 14, 2006, 09:56:34 AM
okay i sent back all 4 of my movies the other day and netflix gets them today (tues) and i look to the top of my queue and all 4 (new/newer) releases have Long & Short Waits.  and that, as we know, is bullshit preferential treatment.   so i decided to clear out the rest of my queue.  so now either they're going to have to make me wait days till they come up with a copy or they're going to have to dig one up or i'm not really sure.  but that's why i'm trying it.  hopefully this will mean that even if i had to wait like 1 extra day for it to ship that Junebug, Hustle & Flow, Zathura and Saw II will be showing up at my place by Thursday or Friday.  and not like weeks from now.  so we'll see how this all shakes out.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: RegularKarate on February 14, 2006, 01:21:33 PM
Interesting experiment, Mod... let me know how it works out.

If it DOES... what you could do is how multiple queues... one for the longer waits and one just to have a longer queue... I'm always at the max queue size so I just would NOT want to delete it... how could I possibly remember what I had on there?
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: ThurstonPowell on February 14, 2006, 02:16:26 PM
Modage - I'm not sure your experiment will work how you think it might.  Under Netflix's current Terms, they ship certain movies at a certain speed depending on your rental activity.  Having more or fewer movies in your queue with particular wait times won't effect anything, I don't think.  So if you only have the four movies waiting in your queue, and you sent the previous movies all back at once, Netflix will still probably wait longer to ship the next movies, add extra shipping time, and ship from a farther-away distribution center.  Or maybe I'm not understanding what you mean. 

Another possible experiment - which I actually started doing today myself - is to send some movies back quickly and hold on to others and see if that effects which of the movies gets shipped next and how long it takes.  I had two movies arrive yesterday and one today.  At lunch today, I dropped one of the movies from yesterday and the movie from today (which I didn't really want to watch) in the mail.  I'll mail back the other movie on Friday.  So I'll see how that works out. 

The results I'm sure will alter the very fabric of the universe - or at least, the very fabric of Bloomington. 
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: w/o horse on February 14, 2006, 04:23:32 PM
Quote from: matt35mm on February 11, 2006, 10:59:48 PM
BY THE WAY, I'd like to have some Netflix friends to see people here are renting.  Might give me a few ideas for things to rent as well.  My e-mail address is matt35mm@yahoo.com.  Invite me, please!

Haha.  We're friends now and I just got this quiz about you:

QuoteHated Only One!
Correct Answer! Matthew hated 'Mortal Kombat: The Movie' and rated it 2 stars.

   Gods and Monsters
   Mortal Kombat: The Movie
   Heist
   Ferris Bueller's Day Off
I've only been on Netflix for a month and a half and they've started to slow down my orders.  For no apparent reason one of my movies right now isn't shipping until tomorrow.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: matt35mm on February 14, 2006, 04:39:44 PM
Quote from: Losing the Horse: on February 14, 2006, 04:23:32 PM
Quote from: matt35mm on February 11, 2006, 10:59:48 PM
BY THE WAY, I'd like to have some Netflix friends to see people here are renting.  Might give me a few ideas for things to rent as well.  My e-mail address is matt35mm@yahoo.com.  Invite me, please!

Haha.  We're friends now and I just got this quiz about you:

QuoteHated Only One!
Correct Answer! Matthew hated 'Mortal Kombat: The Movie' and rated it 2 stars.

   Gods and Monsters
   Mortal Kombat: The Movie
   Heist
   Ferris Bueller's Day Off
I've only been on Netflix for a month and a half and they've started to slow down my orders.  For no apparent reason one of my movies right now isn't shipping until tomorrow.
Oh my God!  What was I thinking?  Mortal Kombat deserves 3 stars.  I must've rated that when I was going through my phase of worrying that certain movies weren't sophisticated enough for me to praise.  I haven't seen it since it came out in theaters, but I DID like it, and saw it twice.

Anyhow, yeah, Netflix has been delaying movies for a little while now.  But I'm entirely fine with that.  Getting a movie the next day is AMAZING, and getting is movie within 2 days is good.  So it still ranges from amazing to good, as far as I'm concerned.  I don't ever feel like I'm not getting what I paid for.  Again, my only real beef is that certain popular movies are unavailable to me, not the delays.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: modage on February 20, 2006, 05:38:00 PM
Quote from: RegularKarate on February 14, 2006, 01:21:33 PM
Interesting experiment, Mod... let me know how it works out.
well it worked a little and didn't work a lot.  but whats worse is my service has gotten even WORSE.  okay so i'm on 4 films out at a time.  the timeline:

TUES 2/14
- they received 3 films from me
- i clear out my queue except for Junebug, Hustle & Flow, Saw II & Zathura which all have short waits except junebug which has a long wait
- they ship saw II and zathura which are both new releases that day

this far it's a success.  they shipped the two films i might not've gotten otherwise and if they can just send junebug or hustle in the next day or two this will have worked out well.

WED 2/15
- they receive the 4th film from me
- i receive Saw II & Zathura
- watch both
- all day it says Next Film "Shipping Today" until finally "Shipping Thursday"

THURS 2/16
- ship Saw II & Zathura
- all day still "Shipping Today" until finally "Shipping Friday"

FRI 2/17
- they receive Saw II & Zathura
- still no word on Junebug or Hustle i decide I can atleast add 2 films into my queue so they can ATLEAST ship those out today (it's still morning)
- add Naked & Days of Being Wild to queue, says "Shipping Today"
- "Shipping Today" becomes "Shipping Monday"!  FUUUUUCK  where the fuck did THAT come from?  they used to ship saturdays, so i dont know what the deal is.  several pissed off emails are sent

WEEKEND
- it's been too long.  i give up.  junebug has been reduced to a short wait but they still wont send them so i add handful of other films to my queue.  i'm paying to have NO movies out for a whole week now.

MON 2/20
- Naked, Days of Being Wild and two other films further down on my queue (not junebug or hustle) are shipped today.  supposed arrival dates are 2/22, 2/22, 2/23, 2/24.  FOUR FUCKING DAYS to ship one of them!?  they should all be here tomorrow, or if its a holiday today 22 at the latest.  so now it will have been 9 days without 2 films and about half that for the other two. 

EVALUATION
- i think i hate netflix.  it is more worthwhile for me to just go down the street and pay $3 for junebug or to wait it out until every goddamn new customer has seen it than to stop the flow of other films.  its like being raped by your best friend, you just never expected it.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: pete on February 20, 2006, 05:56:19 PM
I'm nomoretitanic@yahoo.com on there. 
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: matt35mm on February 20, 2006, 06:01:51 PM
This may have been a bad week to try that thing.  Well, it doesn't sound like it would have worked very well in any week, but this week especially.

My most recent movie shipped on 2/17 and the est. arrival date is 2/22.  So something odd is up this week.  An extra long pre-President's Day delay of some sort.  Although in my case it may have to do with the post office?  Since it's already shipped...  But anyway, even for the normal customer, there's this odd 5 day delay thing right now.  Perhaps 5 of your 9-day odyssey of pain may be attributed to that?

I dunno.  I'd say, yeah, if you have a decent rental place down the street, use it to rent the harder to rent movies like Junebug.  I use Netflix for a lot of the stuff I need to catch up on, and it works perfectly for that.  I'm not trying to make excuses for Netflix, though.  There's no doubt that it isn't as good as it used to be.  The unfortunate side-effect of a growing corporation, I guess.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: Chrisdarko on February 20, 2006, 07:10:40 PM
On new Releases it is better just to go to the store and get them. But the thing that netflix does is they have movies that i can't rent anywhere else BUT an on-line service. That makes it worth it to me.

I know I can't run down down to the video store and pick up Naked. In fact if i asked for it the video clerk would think I was a pervert.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: w/o horse on February 21, 2006, 04:17:22 PM
Matt every time I go to Netflix they give me a quiz about you and every time I get it right.

(https://xixax.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.classickidstv.co.uk%2Fcaptainplanet%2Frings.jpg&hash=56e0c8c387571f292bb4c4a5171dfc09b5d62370)
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: killafilm on February 21, 2006, 05:03:28 PM
I've been way slacking with Netflix since the Holidays and moving this past month.  On Tuesday last week I returned two flicks and on Thursday I had Carnal Knowledge and Chungking Express.  Seems good to me.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: pete on February 21, 2006, 06:53:46 PM
who is shawn sullivan?
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: w/o horse on February 22, 2006, 01:19:05 AM
I think Losing the Horse: is.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: GoneSavage on February 22, 2006, 06:57:07 PM
modage, when have they EVER shipped on Saturday?  I've never gotten that ever.  That would be glorious. 
I noticed the New Release thing a while ago so now for me Junebug for example sits at like 60.  I don't bother bumping anything unless it says available Now and even then (Carnivale Disc 1) keeps shifting. 

On a positive note, something very strange happened Monday.  Post offices are closed but I still drop off a movie at the P.O.   On Tuesday, Netflix had received that disc.  So the day the P.O. grabbed it, they delivered it as well, and Netflix processed it.  Strange things are afoot at the Circle K.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: matt35mm on February 23, 2006, 05:52:35 AM
I recall them shipping on Saturday, too.  That was a very long time ago, though.  That may have changed when they lowered their price.  It was definitely in the day when Netflix had no serious competitors.

Anyway, RE: the extra long shipping time for my most recent movie.  In addition to the President's Day thing, it was because it was shipped from Worcester, CA (it usually ships to me from San Jose, CA, which is near me).  They sent out two movies to me today, though, and the estimated arrival is back to one day.  I'm thinking perhaps just this movie was stocked only at the east coast facility.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: Bethie on March 26, 2006, 02:07:37 AM
I signed back up just recently. Matt, I sent you an invite to be my friend. 

8)
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: matt35mm on March 26, 2006, 02:12:04 AM
Quote from: Bethie on March 26, 2006, 02:07:37 AM
I signed back up just recently. Matt, I sent you an invite to be my friend. 

8)
And I accepted (after a while of scratching my head wondering who it was).  Thanks!
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: Bethie on March 26, 2006, 02:44:18 AM
haha. yeah, the real name thing is confusing.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: MacGuffin on May 02, 2006, 08:25:46 PM
Judge Approves Netflix Settlement

SAN FRANCISCO - A judge has approved a class-action settlement requiring Netflix Inc. to offer a free month of DVDs to 5.5 million current and former subscribers, resolving a case that prompted the online rental service to acknowledge it gives preferential treatment to its most profitable customers.

The settlement, released Monday after being approved last Friday, had been delayed since late March when San Francisco Superior Court Judge Thomas Mellon Jr. balked at a proposal that would have guaranteed payments totaling $2.5 million to a handful of lawyers.

Under Mellon's final order, Netflix must pay $1.3 million to Adam Gutride and Seth Safier — the San Francisco attorneys who filed the suit in September 2004 — and another $60,000 to lawyers whose objections to an earlier agreement helped shape the final settlement.

Netflix expects to begin sending out notices of the final settlement later this month. The Los Gatos, Calif.-based company has estimated the total settlement costs at $8.95 million, but that figure assumes it will pay $2.5 million in attorney fees.

"We settled the case in the best interest of all parties," Netflix spokesman Steve Swasey said. The company isn't acknowledging any wrongdoing.

The case revolved around allegations that Netflix had been misleading subscribers about how quickly it delivered movies to subscribers until Jan 15, 2005 — the date that the company made a little-noticed change to its terms of use.

The revision disclosed for the first time that Netflix sometimes delays shipments to frequent renters so it can give higher priority to customers who keep their movies longer.

The practice, derided as "throttling" by its critics, helps boost Netflix's profits because the company charges a flat monthly fee and provides postage-paid envelopes for DVD returns.

The system means Netflix makes more money from infrequent renters and risks losing money on customers who return DVDs quickly so they can get the next movie on their online wish lists.

Most Netflix subscribers pay $17.99 per month to keep up to three DVDs at time. The system has been successful for Netflix so far, powering the company to a $42 million profit last year as it lures people away from conventional video store merchants like Blockbuster Inc.

Current Netflix customers with the $17.99 monthly plan will have the option to check out four DVDS at no additional charge, a $6 savings. About 3.7 million former subscribers will be offered a free month of the $17.99 rental plan.

Under an earlier version of the settlement reached six months ago, Netflix would have been able to automatically charge customers after the free month of DVDs.

The Federal Trade Commission criticized that arrangement as a promotional gimmick, prompting changes that prevent Netflix from extending the service without prior customer approval.

Nearly 420,000 people accepted the original settlement. Mellon's order allows Safier and Gutride to apply for an additional $1.1 million in fees if the revised settlement entices substantially more people to sign up for the free DVDs.

http://www.netflix.com/settlement
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: I Don't Believe in Beatles on May 02, 2006, 09:52:48 PM
Netflix is selling used DVDs for $5.99 each.  I looked through the selection; from the ten pages or so I browsed they were all recent movies, like '04 and '05, with some good stuff in there.  I'd buy some of the DVDs, except, well... I have Netflix.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: modage on May 03, 2006, 09:23:59 AM
actually thats misleading.  its starting at 5.99, but going up to 11.99.  most are 9.99 though.  i've gotten Oldboy and Millions and i rate it a  :yabbse-thumbup:
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: MacGuffin on June 08, 2006, 01:38:10 PM
Netflix to screen movies on location

NEW YORK - Online movie rental service Netflix will screen 10 classics this August at locations made famous by the films.

"Field of Dreams" will be shown at the Dyersville, Iowa, baseball field surrounded by cornstalks. "Jaws" will be played at Martha's Vineyard, Mass., and "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" will get a screening by the Cedar Lane Water Tower in Northbrook, Ill.

The "Netflix Rolling Roadshow" is a coast-to-coast promotional tour beginning Aug. 2 at Coney Island in New York, where the 1979 gang film "The Warriors" will be shown. Dates for the various screenings range throughout the month.

Other stops include Stanley Kubrick's "The Shining" at the Stanley Hotel in Estes Park, Colo., and the classic Western "The Searchers" at Gouldings Lodge in Monument Valley, Utah.

Director Kevin Smith and cast members are expected to be on hand for a screening of "Clerks" at the Quick Stop in Leonardo, N.J. Other screenings will include activities related to the films, like raft floating in the ocean during "Jaws."

Also to be screened on location is the Coen brothers' "Raising Arizona" at the Lost Dutchman State Park in Apache Junction, Ariz., "The Poseidon Adventure" on the H.M.S. Queen Mary in Long Beach, Calif., and Clint Eastwood's "Escape From Alcatraz" on Alcatraz Island in San Francisco.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: hedwig on June 08, 2006, 01:45:23 PM
they should screen scarface here.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: ©brad on June 08, 2006, 02:21:25 PM
i think that's pretty cool.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: RegularKarate on June 08, 2006, 04:54:37 PM
These are actually the Alamo Drafthouse Rolling Roadshows.... they've been doing these for years. 
Netflix is just sponsoring them this year.

The ones they do here in Austin are awesome...they do Jaws a lot... usually they have people swimming around goosing people during the shark attack scenes.

when I first moved here, I knew it was going to be awesome because the roadshow was doing Goonies in a Cave.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: modage on June 08, 2006, 05:33:23 PM
yeah thats awesome.  i should go see the warriors.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: Gold Trumpet on July 28, 2006, 10:58:39 PM
Alright, assholes, I gave in. I now subscribe to Netflix. I managed to get a monstrous late fee at Blockbuster during the time of their no late fees. I have no idea when I'll be able to pay it off and I want to see too many films they don't have so I fucking got Netflix.

So far, best decision of my life. My Criterion purchases will happily drop off by 80% and I can make my future purchase all essential DVDs. I apologize for ever ranking on Netflix.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: edison on July 28, 2006, 11:30:28 PM
What package did you get?
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: Gold Trumpet on July 29, 2006, 11:00:39 AM
2 at a time, unlimited.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: Pubrick on July 29, 2006, 11:29:39 AM
Quote from: The Gold Trumpet on July 29, 2006, 11:00:39 AM
2 at a time, unlimited.

(https://xixax.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.the2unlimited.com%2Fphotos%2Fautre%2F06.jpg&hash=90bd3ebf202792d959162a14fa80e25ded755df1)
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: last days of gerry the elephant on August 01, 2006, 10:14:12 PM
Quote from: The Gold Trumpet on July 29, 2006, 11:00:39 AM
2 at a time, unlimited.

Netflix sounds better than zip.ca,
I am subscribed to the 3 DVD Plan, but it does cap the limit to 11 per month unlimited.
I should also mention the plan is $24 cdn or so...

They're both pretty much the same now...
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: modage on August 04, 2006, 11:27:46 AM
refresh me, gt, why were you ever opposed?
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: MacGuffin on October 02, 2006, 06:09:58 PM
Netflix offers $1 mln prize for better movie picks

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Online DVD rental company Netflix Inc on Sunday announced that it would pay $1 million to the first person to develop software to improve the accuracy of Netflix's movie recommendation system by 10 percent.

Netflix's Web-based recommendation system "learns" what kinds of films subscribers like by asking them to rate the films they watch. The system then recommends lists of similar titles, unique to each user.

Netflix Chairman and Chief Executive Reed Hastings, who made his fortune designing software, predicted that Web-based recommendation systems would play "an increasingly significant commercial role in the future."

"Right now, we're driving the Model-T version of what is possible," Hastings said in a statement announcing the price. "We want to build a Ferrari, and establishing the Netflix Prize is the next step."

The winning software designer must improve the accuracy of Netflix's current rating system by 10 percent. The system is composed of more than 1 billion ratings, in which subscribers use one to five stars to describe how much they liked a film.

The Netflix system uses those ratings to "predict" how many stars a consumer would assign to each of the 65,000 titles in its library.

The current system comes within one star of accurately predicting a consumer's true feelings about a film, and the company wants to cut that margin by one-quarter of a star, Jim Bennett, vice president of recommendation systems, said.

"If we can guess the really great ones for you and the ones you really abhor ... we can really choose the four- and five-star movies that people want," Bennett said.

If there is no winner, the company will award a $50,000 "progress" prize to the designer who makes the most significant advancement toward the goal.

Netflix will continue awarding the progress prize annually until someone wins the grand prize of $1 million, the company said.

The prize was modeled on the Longitude Prize, offered by the British government in 1714 to the inventor who could determine a ship's longitude during transoceanic travel.

John Harrison won the prize in 1761.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: Bethie on October 04, 2006, 01:43:30 AM
I got this email again:
QuoteFor a limited time, we're offering you a special opportunity to give your friends and family one month of Netflix service for FREE--that's twice the length of our regular free trial!

This special offer expires 10/05/2006, and quantities are limited, so forward this email to your friends and family today!

-Your Friends at Netflix

I could forward this email to you if you'd like to give Netflix a try. And you have to be fast about it, cause it looks like the offer expires soon. And quantities are limited so you're probably out of luck anyway.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: JG on January 16, 2007, 08:39:58 PM
NETFLIX OFFERS SUBSCRIBERS THE OPTION
OF INSTANTLY WATCHING MOVIES ON THEIR PCs

New Feature Will be Included in Subscribers' Monthly Membership
at no Extra Charge and Will Have a Phased Roll-Out Over Next Six Months



LOS GATOS, Calif., January 16, 2007 -- Netflix, Inc. (Nasdaq: NFLX), the world's largest online movie rental service, today introduced a new feature that allows people to immediately watch movies and television series on their personal computers and said it will make the new feature available to its subscribers in a phased roll-out over the next six months.

The introduction marks an important enhancement to the Netflix service. Subscribers will continue to receive DVDs by mail from the company's market-leading catalog of over 70,000 titles and will have the additional option of instantly watching about 1,000 movies and TV series on their PCs. The new feature will be included in subscribers' monthly membership plans at no additional cost, and the company said its phased roll-out is meant to ensure that subscribers have a great initial experience with the feature.

"We named our company Netflix in 1998 because we believed Internet-based movie rental represented the future, first as a means of improving service and selection, and then as a means of movie delivery," said Reed Hastings, the company's chief executive officer. "While mainstream consumer adoption of online movie watching will take a number of years due to content and technology hurdles, the time is right for Netflix to take the first step.

"Over the coming years we'll expand our selection of films, and we'll work to get to every Internet-connected screen, from cell phones to PCs to plasma screens. The PC screen is the best Internet-connected screen today, so we are starting there. "

Netflix said the introduction of immediate viewing is part of its plan to lead movie rental in total by adding electronic delivery to its existing DVD delivery platform. Netflix is specifically focusing on the rental segment of electronic delivery, distinct from the download-to-own market and advertising-supported electronic delivery.

The new immediate viewing feature differs from current services in that it does not require the often lengthy downloading of a large video file. The Netflix feature uses real-time playback technology that allows video to be viewed at virtually the same time it is being delivered to a user's computer. Following a one-time, under-60-second installation of a simple browser applet, most subscribers' movie selections will begin playing in their Web browser in as little as 10 to 15 seconds. Movies can be paused and a position bar gives viewers the ability to immediately jump to any point in the movie. In all, the instant watching feature requires only Internet connectivity with a minimum of one megabit per second of bandwidth. The more bandwidth a consumer has, the higher quality the video displayed, ranging from the quality of current Netflix previews to DVD quality with a three-megabit-per-second connection.

Initially, the new feature will offer about 1,000 titles and its selection will expand over time as licensing for electronically delivered movie rentals widens. The number of titles available at introduction roughly mirrors the number of DVD titles Netflix carried when its subscription service was launched in 1999. In seven years, that DVD catalog has grown to over 70,000. Most of the major and many independent studios are supporting the introduction of the new feature, including NBC Universal, Sony Pictures, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios, 20th Century Fox, Paramount Pictures, Warner Bros., New Line Cinema and Lionsgate.

In addition, content is being provided by A&E Television Networks, Anime Network, Allumination FilmWorks, BBC Worldwide, Cinema Libre Studios, Egami Media, Film Movement, Hart Sharp Video, The Independent Film Channel, Magnolia Pictures, New Video Group, New Yorker Films, Palm Pictures, Seventh Art , Silvernitrate Entertainment, Starz Digital, ThinkFilm, Video Action Sports, WMG Productions and Wolfe Video, among others.

The new feature will feel familiar to Netflix subscribers. Once it is made available to them as part of the phased roll-out, members will access instant movie watching by clicking on a "Watch Now" tab on their home page. As with the Netflix DVD catalog, subscribers can browse movies available for immediate viewing by title, genre or star rating. Personalized recommendations, based on an individual's historical preferences, will also appear at the top of the member's "Watch Now" page.

Netflix said it expects to make the new feature available to all Netflix subscribers by the end of June. The hours available for instant watching will vary based on subscribers' monthly plans. For example, subscribers on the entry-level $5.99 plan will have six hours of online movie watching per month and subscribers on Netflix's most popular plan, $17.99 for unlimited DVD rental and three discs out at a time, will have 18 hours of online movie watching per month.

http://www.netflix.com/MediaCenter?id=5384 (http://www.netflix.com/MediaCenter?id=5384)
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: squints on January 17, 2007, 03:33:14 AM
Damn You NETFLIX!! You're going to drive my humble video rental facility out of business!!!
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: Rudie Obias on January 20, 2007, 02:53:27 PM
its not mac campatable.  kinda pointless for me to resubscribe.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: matt35mm on January 20, 2007, 07:51:53 PM
Quote from: rudiecorexxx on January 20, 2007, 02:53:27 PM
its not mac campatable.

Well fuck that shit.  I was getting excited about this, too.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: JG on February 01, 2007, 06:21:11 AM
this feature has been enabled for a lot of people without them knowing.  i know it has been for me.

check here:  http://www.netflix.com/WatchNow (http://www.netflix.com/WatchNow)

the selection isn't great, but i'm going to watch last life in the universe right now. 
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: Astrostic on February 01, 2007, 06:32:22 PM
dammit.  it only works for PC users.  I have a Mac with Virtual PC and it won't play movies on that either.  This sucks.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: ᾦɐļᵲʊʂ on October 06, 2008, 08:05:53 PM
I finally caved, this has been a long while, but I got Netflix.  It took some convincing since I've been moving each year to a new address as each lease lets up.  Although I could've easily changed my address, I guess any kind of subscription didn't seem necessary.

As with anyone who is unsure if they want it or not, I am a complete and true convert.  My first two DVD's should be in my mailslot tomorrow (Bad Lieutenant and Tron).

Anyone want to be netflix buddies?
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: Stefen on October 06, 2008, 09:35:32 PM
I just download everything and stream it from my computer to my xbox to my tv.

About to watch Bad Lieutant and Tron.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: cinemanarchist on November 19, 2008, 11:40:48 AM
Netflix now officially on Xbox Live!! Go get that update now and let the movie watching begin.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: RegularKarate on November 19, 2008, 02:23:03 PM
Quote from: cinemanarchist on November 19, 2008, 11:40:48 AM
Netflix now officially on Xbox Live!! Go get that update now and let the movie watching begin.

Supposedly they're limiting new accounts... don't know if it's a bug or what.

Xbox doesn't have the Sony titles (assuming Sony wanted no part of the exclusive console deal with MS) that Roku and the other streamers do, however; they get a few titles in HD.

Roku will have HD by the end of the year with lower bandwidth needs than Xbox and Roku is going to announce new capabilities soon as well.  I'm hoping it's HULU streaming or something similar.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: Stefen on November 19, 2008, 02:32:42 PM
I hope this doesn't screw with streaming things from my conputer to my xbox.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: modage on December 09, 2008, 02:42:45 PM
you can FINALLY watch netflix on your mac.  yay!
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: RegularKarate on December 10, 2008, 12:56:21 PM
Quote from: modage on December 09, 2008, 02:42:45 PM
you can FINALLY watch netflix on your mac.  yay!

Yeah, I beta-tested it... it looks pretty nice... you have to have an Intel Mac though... can't be an older power PC.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: Ravi on December 24, 2008, 12:58:36 PM
I just signed up for Netflix.  I had a free trial in 1999 when I got a DVD player but I never renewed it.  I figure if I have Netflix I will buy fewer DVDs.  My current queue:

Mongol
Ashik Kerib
Alice (Jan Svankmajer)
Wings (Shepitko)
Burn After Reading
A Life Apart: Hasidim in America
Purple Noon
La Ronde
Wool 100%
Brain Dead
American Gigolo
The Treasure of Sierra Madre
The Man with the Movie Camera
Woyzeck (can watch on computer)
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: last days of gerry the elephant on December 24, 2008, 07:46:09 PM
Quote from: Ravi on December 24, 2008, 12:58:36 PM
I figure if I have Netflix I will buy fewer DVDs.

Not true. Especially if you're watching as much as you are. You'll realize how many good films are out there that you don't own and eventually, find a way to put them on your "wish" list.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: cinemanarchist on December 24, 2008, 08:44:05 PM
Quote from: omuy on December 24, 2008, 07:46:09 PM
Quote from: Ravi on December 24, 2008, 12:58:36 PM
I figure if I have Netflix I will buy fewer DVDs.

Not true. Especially if you're watching as much as you are. You'll realize how many good films are out there that you don't own and eventually, find a way to put them on your "wish" list.

It did lead me to ripping lots of DVDs but it's never quite the same and as much as I don't want to be addicted to packaging, I am. Now that I've moved onto Blu-Ray I've got that insatiable urge to buy again and Netflix will/does not curb that appetite.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: ©brad on April 17, 2009, 12:48:33 PM
I have long wondered why Crash holds the #1 rated spot on Netflix's top 100 list. NY Mag is on the case..

Is Crash the First of Many Search-Engine-Optimized Movies?

Why has the loathsome Crash clung to the top of Netflix's top 100 chart like some preachy fungus? And why won't it go away? Crazy bloggers are saying it has to do with quality or audience preference. We refuse to believe that this could possibly be true. Clearly, Crash has gamed Netflix's search engine in four despicable (if unintentional) ways.

1. Timeliness.
Crash's success is distorted due to historic accident: It won Best Picture in 2006, just as Netflix's user base was exploding. It was likely one of the first films new users added to their queues. If Netflix had existed for twenty years, films made before 2004 might actually crack the top 10, thanks to long histories of user reviews and recommendations — but it hasn't, and old movies haven't.

2. Awards.
Despite the fact that Oscar ratings are plummeting and people seem to care less about award shows than ever before, awards seriously skew Netflix recommendations away from films people actually like and toward films that associations praise. Thanks to its confounding awards haul, Crash is linked to every other award-winning film in the database and sucks up referrals.

3. Keywords.
In the Gladwellian sense, Crash is a connector. Thanks to its massive cast of actors from disparate genres — most of whom have absolutely nothing to do with one another — it's linked to hundreds and hundreds of other films. Via keywords like "Sandra Bullock" or "Don Cheadle," it's a single degree of separation from Miss Congeniality and Hotel Rwanda. (This is probably why it won the Oscar: Every voter in the Academy knew somebody in the film.) Yes, there are other films with large casts — but few are loaded with such an odd grab bag of talent, and such a perfect storm of factors.

4. The Bradley Effect.
Clearly, it doesn't hurt that Crash has a nearly inexplicable four-out-of-five star rating based on 2.8 million user reviews. The only rational explanation for such positive reviews is a film-crit Bradley Effect, a self-flattering bias in the star ratings that pairs nicely with Haggis's middlebrow self-righteousness (so what if you're a teensy bit racist, it's not like racism is an institutional problem, and, according to Crash, you're no more racist than the next guy and, best of all, there's nothing to be done about it ... ). Yes, the Bradley Effect was supposedly discredited in the last election — but can you really think of a more plausible explanation?

The implications of Crash's Netflix dominance are scary. For decades, producers have been compiling crass and tidy charts of stars' global worth (box-office numbers broken down by country and region). This is one of the reasons bad Brits and Aussies often get good American parts, regardless of their talent for dialects (see: Jude Law in Cold Mountain and All the King's Men). Now that search engines are driving sales of video and movie tickets, will the casts get bigger and the roles smaller? Is this slew of ensemble films (we're looking at you, He's Just Not That Into You) a result of search-engine gaming? Is this why people keep casting 50 Cent, despite any evident talent? (See: the Crash-like ensemble drama Home of the Brave.) Is this why the similar, tastefully maudlin feel-bad message movie Babel is also perched at No. 13?

Could the problem with the vaunted Netflix recommendation engine be that it's best at serving up search-engine-friendly films, instead of films we might really like? Do the number of name actors, number of awards, maudlin message, and timeliness steer users toward Crash instead of better movies? If so, maybe the competitors in the million-dollar Netflix Prize contest would improve their algorithms by penalizing films for having big casts, preachy messages, recent production dates, and truckloads of statues.

It's worth a try. Crash must be dethroned.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: Stefen on April 17, 2009, 12:56:17 PM
haha. oh, crash.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: polkablues on April 17, 2009, 05:27:02 PM
Someone needs to start a campaign to get everyone to add a certain movie to their queues to try and knock Crash off the top.  I propose that film be...

(https://xixax.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi35.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fd179%2Fpolkablues%2Fgoodburger.jpg&hash=91444831b8dc2ff48b91b425d23ac7fb6a3a2e9b)
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: picolas on April 17, 2009, 07:22:56 PM
holy shit THAT WAS KENAN?
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: SiliasRuby on April 20, 2009, 10:57:23 AM
You didn't know that?
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: picolas on April 20, 2009, 03:16:21 PM
...BAN!
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: Stefen on August 11, 2009, 10:47:20 AM
So XBox 360 just gave an update where you can watch tons of movies on demand (instead of having to queue them up on your computer first) and do it in parties. I think it's time we all get together and make a PDL, Magnolia and TWBB commentary track.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: SiliasRuby on August 11, 2009, 11:19:31 AM
I'd be heavily interested in something like that. Gotta get an x box first
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: modage on August 11, 2009, 11:20:33 AM
When will we be able to stream Netflix in HD?
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: RegularKarate on August 11, 2009, 02:19:35 PM
Quote from: modage on August 11, 2009, 11:20:33 AM
When will we be able to stream Netflix in HD?

you mean on the X-box?

I have the Roku and there are a good number of HD streams.  Just watched Chocolate last night in HD... looked pretty good.

Comes with an Amazon channel too, which is cool because you can watch some pre-theatrical releases in HD (though that gets pricey).
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: modage on August 11, 2009, 02:41:00 PM
i stream it from my computer and have an hdmi that connects to my tv but it's like sub-vhs quality when you blow it up to 40".  is it better on the Roku?  i didn't think the HD was an option.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: squints on September 07, 2009, 03:14:42 AM
So i just got netflix.
Current queue:
1. Murder, My Sweet
2. The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie
3. Altered States
4. Missing
5. Shampoo
6. Melvin and Howard
7. Putney Swope
8. Schizopolis!
9. DiG!
10. Duel

all movies (aside from murder my sweet) that i've never seen or haven't seen in ages.

I really wanna see all of Hal Ashby's stuff but they didn't have The Landlord. Basterds!!!
Any suggestions?
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: Reinhold on September 07, 2009, 08:18:09 AM
Netflix makes a fortune off of me. I almost never turn my DVD's over quickly, and yet I won't get rid of the service. Streaming stuff from Netflix = no cable. The video quality kinda sucks though.

Discreet charm and Schizopolis are two of my favorite movies. Just watched Schizopolis again last night with my girlfriend who hates her copy writing job.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: RegularKarate on September 08, 2009, 04:44:18 PM
Yeah, I rarely watch the discs... have gone pretty exclusively instant streaming.

Quote from: Reinhold on September 07, 2009, 08:18:09 AM
The video quality kinda sucks though.

Really?  What device are you using?  The old encodes were kinda crummy and all of the Starz stuff is sub-par compared to the rest, but everything else has been pretty good and the HD stuff (including LOST!) looks fucking great.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: modage on September 08, 2009, 08:27:14 PM
i called netflix and it doesn't look like HD streaming to online is happening soon (though i'm sure it will eventually) so i'm really considering getting a roku player.  is it worth it?  currently plugging my imac into my tv the netflix is sub-vhs quality because it's not hd so when it gets blown up that big it looks like crap.  i wouldn't want to bother with this if the quality werent going to be good but it could be worth it. 

thoughts?  rk?  anyone?
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: pete on September 09, 2009, 05:30:11 AM
I saw roku two years ago so maybe it's advanced in leaps and bounds since then, but Roku doesn't seem to really aid your connection speed all that much - meaning if you had a slow connection (which warrants a lower-quality image) on your computer, chances are roku wouldn't do better.  this was 2 years ago though, so maybe now there is a box that can physically accelerate your internet speed.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: Bethie on September 10, 2009, 01:21:17 AM
Quote from: Reinhold on September 07, 2009, 08:18:09 AM
Netflix makes a fortune off of me. I almost never turn my DVD's over quickly, and yet I won't get rid of the service.

same here. I never even remember I have netflix until I see my bank account statements. wonder where those dvds are.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: RegularKarate on September 10, 2009, 03:18:18 PM
Mod, do you get a good connection speed to Netflix?  If so, that's what's important.

Roku doesn't help the connection speed, it just processes the stream directly for the television.
It's only 99 bucks and I'd say it's been worth it, but on the other hand, they're kind of testing the waters with a lot of stuff so some of the updates cause connection speed issues with some people.  I go up and down (and get a little obsessed with fixing it), but most of the time it's up and when it is, it's great.

Netflix also has connection through X-box and some Tivos and now TVs and bluray players so if you wait around, you might end up with a device that also happens to stream NetFlix.

The nice thing about the Roku is that it's going beyond just Netflix.  Right now you can watch Amazon Video (in HD) if you can stand paying that much.  The only plus I see with the Amazon right now is that it's got 5.1 sound and a little higher quality HD streams, but it's pretty pricey... oh, and they have simu-releases... Girlfriend experience came out on Amazon before it hit theaters.

They also have MLB.com (I don't give a shit about baseball) and are supposed to be adding a good deal more channels before the end of the year.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: MacGuffin on September 21, 2009, 01:40:28 PM
Netflix awards $1M prize to improve movie picks

NEW YORK – Netflix Inc. declared a seven-member group of researchers, scientists and engineers from around the world as winners Monday of its three-year, $1 million contest to improve its movie recommendation system by at least 10 percent.

It was a close call, but BellKor's Pragmatic Chaos narrowly beat out a rival group called the Ensemble for the Netflix Prize, the Los Gatos, Calif.-based company said at an awards ceremony in New York.

For those more excited by algorithms than touchdowns, following the Netflix Prize has been like the Super Bowl. And the winning method could have implications well beyond Netflix recommendations; any business that uses people's preferences to sell products could learn from the exercise.

Tens of thousands of people have pored over the problem since the contest began in October 2006. At last count, there were more than 51,000 contestants from 186 countries.

In the end, one-time rivals joined forces to form the two remaining powerhouses, BellKor and Ensemble.

"We had a bona fide race right to the very end," Netflix CEO Reed Hastings said in a statement. "Teams that had previously battled it out independently joined forces to surpass the 10 percent barrier. New submissions arrived fast and furious in the closing hours."

The winning team consists of two researchers at AT&T Inc., two engineers from Montreal, a research scientist at Yahoo Inc. and two machine-learning researchers from Austria. Netflix said all seven met in person as a group for the first time Monday.

BellKor in June became the first team to cross the 10 percent threshold. That kicked off a 30-day period during which other contestants could try to beat them. The Ensemble submitted its solution in late July, with just a few minutes to spare before the deadline.

According to Netflix's prize leaderboard, the Ensemble improved predictions for what movies people will like by 10.1 percent, while BellKor had improved predictions by 10.09 percent.

But Netflix actually had another set of data, visible only to Netflix. That one showed a 10.6 percent improvement by both teams. BellKor won because it submitted its final entry about 10 minutes before Ensemble.

Netflix is now planning a second contest — a sequel, if you will. While the first contest required contestants to improve predictions for subscribers who regularly provide ratings on movies they've watched, the second will involve those who don't rate movies often or at all.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: polkablues on October 01, 2009, 09:11:39 PM
http://www.netflix.com/wizardofoz/ozyourself/ (http://www.netflix.com/wizardofoz/ozyourself/)

In commemoration of the new Wizard of Oz release, Netflix has a fun little web app that lets you upload a photo and replace the scarecrow's face with your own (or whoever the hell you want, I suppose) for like a 30 second clip from the movie.  It's actually pretty cool, and one of the more impressive uses of the "insert your face into a video" technology, though I can't shake the sense that it kind of looks like the scarecrow has murdered you and is wearing your face as a skin-mask.  On that note, have fun!  And if anyone finds a way to save the videos to your computer, let me know.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: RegularKarate on October 02, 2009, 11:41:01 AM
whoah, that's so creepy.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: hedwig on October 05, 2009, 05:08:28 PM
i've just witnessed a sneak preview of my nightmares for this evening. thanks.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: Neil on October 06, 2009, 02:36:53 PM
Quote from: polkablues on October 01, 2009, 09:11:39 PM
http://www.netflix.com/wizardofoz/ozyourself/ (http://www.netflix.com/wizardofoz/ozyourself/)

In commemoration of the new Wizard of Oz release, Netflix has a fun little web app that lets you upload a photo and replace the scarecrow's face with your own (or whoever the hell you want, I suppose) for like a 30 second clip from the movie.  It's actually pretty cool, and one of the more impressive uses of the "insert your face into a video" technology, though I can't shake the sense that it kind of looks like the scarecrow has murdered you and is wearing your face as a skin-mask.  On that note, have fun!  And if anyone finds a way to save the videos to your computer, let me know.

isn't there a program where you just adjust the size of a box over whatever you want to capture, and it does it?

I've seen people a few friends use it on this site called www.stickam.com....i'll look into it, i probably sound like an idiot, but what's new?

I know this software exists,

EDIT: found

IshowU for mac though, you can get a trial version for free and pirate bay a pass etc...
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: polkablues on October 06, 2009, 11:27:03 PM
Only for macs.  Lame.  Well, I'm sure there's a Windows alternative out there somewhere.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: Stefen on October 12, 2009, 12:09:32 AM
I decided to get a Netflix account. I was using my moms account to stream shit but now my buddy got an XBox, so I set up Netflix streaming on his like I have on mine and saw that his selection was fucking awesome compared to mine. Apparently, it gives you instant stream based on your tastes. I was getting my mom's taste, which sucks. I decided to just open my own account so I can get good streaming flicks and to rent flicks I can't find good rips of (seriously, it's tough as shit to find a good rip to any 70's movies. Has anyone seen a good rip for Badlands? It's like the holy grail).
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: Stefen on October 15, 2009, 05:43:07 PM
So does netflix really send movies out slow if you send them back quickly?
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: ono on October 15, 2009, 05:50:00 PM
Yes, for more popular titles, you'll have to wait longer (called "throttling").  There's some webpage explaining the phenomenon.  Here's one of the first I turned up:

http://www.outsidethebeltway.com/archives/netflix_penalizing_frequent_renters_with_throttling/

That article is, of course, from 2006, so there's no telling how much it's changed since then (probably even more, since the service has grown).

And the site that did the original study:

http://dvd-rent-test.dreamhost.com/
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: RegularKarate on October 15, 2009, 05:52:20 PM
Quote from: Stefen on October 15, 2009, 05:43:07 PM
So does netflix really send movies out slow if you send them back quickly?

I've heard that, but don't think it's true.
I watch almost everything instant lately, but a year or so ago, I went through them super fast and they always came back within a couple days (a day there and a day back).
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: Stefen on October 15, 2009, 05:57:51 PM
I don't plan to rent popular stuff because I just download the big movies and stream them, but do you think they'll throttle some of the foreign and arthouse/indie stuff I'm getting? I've only had Netflix for a week and already on my third go-around.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: ono on October 15, 2009, 06:01:33 PM
A friend who uses Netflix to stream movies like you told me: "not a delay because of usage but sometimes it has to rebuffer due to net speeds" and "at least one movie a day; on days when I'm working from home could be four a day".  And she generally watches horror flicks, some more popular than others.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: Stefen on October 15, 2009, 06:06:29 PM
I've been streaming to my XBox 360 using my moms account since last November and I've never had problems. Only time it buffers is when I'm downloading something or a podcast is dling unbeknownst to me. Otherwise, it works fine. I just wish the selection was better. Same 500-600 movies everyday, it seems.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: JG on October 15, 2009, 06:48:34 PM
just got netflix back for the first time in two years.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: for petes sake on January 04, 2010, 06:43:30 PM
So has anyone else noticed the community section of Netflix has disappeared?  This makes me sad, as I like to think my friends care about what I rated LAND OF THE LOST.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: modage on January 04, 2010, 07:10:02 PM
I was looking for it today actually for the first time in forever and I had to go to the Help section to try to find instructions on how to get there.

(There is actually still a FRIENDS link at the bottom of the site though.)
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: modage on January 24, 2010, 07:55:25 PM
I bought a Roku, but if it sucks I'm returning it. 
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: polanski's illegitimate baby on January 24, 2010, 08:08:52 PM
Netflix online streaming introduced me to a whole new world of shit films.:) It's been getting better though... Still, i put netflix on hold every three months consecutively while rating as many films as i can so that my recommendations are somewhat relevant. Usually i go find what i want there and use Vuze to download it.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: Stefen on January 24, 2010, 08:11:28 PM
Netflix streaming is awesome. If your netflix queue library is shit, your selection is going to be shit and you'll have to go to netflix.com to add stuff.

I was using my moms for awhile and I was getting every shitty movie ever. Horrible, horrible movies. Then I got my own and started getting awesome movies. Tons of Criterion titles.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: polanski's illegitimate baby on January 24, 2010, 08:16:22 PM
You misread prolly... My queue has little to do with the limited amount of B movies available for streaming...
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: Stefen on January 24, 2010, 08:36:25 PM
You're complaining that Netflix doesn't have enough BAD movies?
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: polanski's illegitimate baby on January 24, 2010, 08:49:25 PM
Lol. Could i be saying that? You think that's what i am saying? Limited amount of B movies is what Netflix streaming is already. I don't really need any more.. :) I did say it was getting better though, e.g., Criterion etc... Still only about 17 percent of netflix is streamed and probably a quarter of those is worthy of bandwidth. LOL Btw, i hope you won't think i am using dial-up Stefen ;)

Edit: I have, in fact, been complaining quite a bit lately. Maybe i've been watching too much Larry David. But as one journalist from google quotes of the day said, "Rage is the only quality which has kept me, or anybody I have ever studied, writing columns for newspapers." :)
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: RegularKarate on January 25, 2010, 02:25:52 PM
The instant queue is worth having.  They have been adding a shit-ton of criterions and while I was complaining about the quality of those streams earlier, I have found that generally if the title is available on Blu-ray, they usually make the stream HD.

The selection just gets better and better.

My suggestion is to follow the Netflix New Choices to watch instantly RSS feed.  It updates anytime they add something new.  You'll see a lot of crap come through, but at least every month a high quality batch of new stuff comes through and it's like Christmas.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: RegularKarate on April 01, 2010, 02:16:09 PM
So, Netflix Instant just got a huge basket full of FOX!

All seasons of King of the Hill, Firefly, Arrested Development, The X-Files, 24, and more.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: Stefen on July 02, 2010, 02:02:50 PM
Just got a PS3 which means I have Blu-Ray now but I had no idea the BR selection on Netflix was so shitty. Was hoping to get some Criterions over the weekend, but they only have like 1000 BR's for rent and it's all just shitty movies. What gives? Is there anywhere else to rent good BR's and not just Avatar?
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: polkablues on July 02, 2010, 02:22:36 PM
I think when you're just browsing through the "blu-rays" tab under Genres, it doesn't actually show you every blu-ray that's available.  You're better off searching for whatever movie you're interested in, then checking to see if Blu-ray is listed as a format.  I'm pretty sure every Criterion Blu-ray is available on Netflix now.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: RegularKarate on July 02, 2010, 02:23:40 PM
yeah, stefen, pretty much everything that's available in blu-ray is available through netflix.  just look up the title and it will tell you whether they have it on blu-ray or not.

For a test, I went through the Criterion list of blu-rays and the first random three titles I picked were available in blu-ray on Netflix.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: Stefen on July 02, 2010, 02:38:11 PM
Ah, thanks, guys! I see it now!

So being someone who has NEVER seen a Blu-Ray, what film would you recommend I pop my cherry to? I was thinking The Red Shoes but that isn't out for awhile. Days of Heaven? The Last Emperor? Chungking Express? Get my Aussie DP on? Paris, Texas? Oh, I think that may be the one!
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: Pwaybloe on July 02, 2010, 02:59:18 PM
Depending on the quality of your TV/Monitor/Projector, I would go with the Seventh Seal.  The blacks and whites are the best I've ever seen. 
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: Reinhold on July 02, 2010, 03:50:30 PM
The Dark Knight looks fantastic on blu ray, so does chungking express.

thanks for the tip about the seventh seal
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: RegularKarate on July 02, 2010, 04:15:06 PM
Do you like Dark City?  That was the first one that really smacked me in the face.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: Stefen on July 06, 2010, 12:27:33 AM
I went with Days of Heaven as my first Netflix Blu-Ray, but a buddy let me borrow The Dark Knight and I was blown away. UPGRADE!  :yabbse-thumbup:
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: modage on August 26, 2010, 04:21:30 PM
The Netflix app is now available for iPhone and iPod touch.  You can stream your Netflix Instant to your phone.  Yep, it's awesome.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: polkablues on August 26, 2010, 06:04:46 PM
Quote from: modage on August 26, 2010, 04:21:30 PM
The Netflix app is now available for iPhone and iPod touch.  You can stream your Netflix Instant to your phone.  Yep, it's awesome.

Another reason to never give up my unlimited data plan.




EDIT: Dammit, I Stefened.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: Stefen on August 26, 2010, 07:12:30 PM
I haven't stefened in awhile. I think I'm done.

This is the greatest app in the history of mankind. The quality, even over 3G is astounding.

I feel bad for anyone who doesn't have an unlimited plan. I hear each film takes up like 200mb. That's basically only 10 movies a month with nothing else.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: Stefen on November 22, 2010, 03:33:25 PM
So get this crap, 4 days ago I changed my $9.99 one out at a time plan to the $16.99 two at a time plan. Only because there was two films I needed real quick this weekend for something. Today I was going to change it back but I get an email stating their prices have just increased and the $16.99 plan is now $18.99 and my old $9.99 plan isn't available, but there is a new $11.99 plan. This wouldn't be a big deal, but it turns out if you were already on the $9.99 plan, you get to keep it. I was on it 4 days ago! Do you think they'll let me switch it back? Hold time is ridiculous right now so I'm going to wait until tonight.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: matt35mm on November 22, 2010, 04:01:49 PM
You can only keep the 9.99 plan until the end of the year.  That's the plan I'm on and I got an email saying that I'll be charged more starting in January.  So it doesn't make a difference really.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: modage on January 04, 2011, 02:31:26 PM
Speaking of Best Buy, THIS (http://twitpic.com/3i5csq) is so annoying.  The studios evil plan FORCING Netflix not to be able to carry titles until they've been out for a month so you'll be inclined to buy them.  Makes me really mad.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: RegularKarate on January 04, 2011, 02:35:52 PM
Yeah, that's old news.  They've been through a few different waves of that now.
Redbox is about to cave too, I hear. 

Funny, cuz it used to be the other way around.  I remember when movies would come out for rental only on VHS... you'd have to wait to be able to buy it.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: Stefen on January 04, 2011, 02:38:08 PM
I remember those wait to buy VHS days. You could buy them right away, but they would be like $100.

That was one of my selling points in getting my mom to buy me a DVD player. "You can buy DVD's right away! You don't have to wait! Plus they have all kinds of cool features like where you can put them in the cd-rom and it will bring up photos from the movie! Please, mom! PLEASE!!!"

She actually bought my PS3, too. But that conversation didn't have yelling, just facts like how it can play video games and blu-ray movies. Ya know, adult talk.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: modage on January 04, 2011, 02:49:50 PM
Yeah I mean I knew about it a while ago too.  But didn't realize how much it annoyed me until I stepped foot into a Best Buy and saw them rubbing it in my face.  I'll just have to do some pirating or something so me and the studios can be EVEN again.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: JG on January 04, 2011, 03:16:52 PM
Quote from: Stefen on January 04, 2011, 02:38:08 PM
That was one of my selling points in getting my mom to buy me a DVD player. "You can buy DVD's right away! You don't have to wait! Plus they have all kinds of cool features like where you can put them in the cd-rom and it will bring up photos from the movie! Please, mom! PLEASE!!!"

I remember having a vague understanding of what a DVD player was but I knew that I really wanted one. I was under the impression that you could choose your own camera angle in every scene. I also was super excited to get to watch each movie's alternate endings. This began a recurring theme of watching movies with my dad, where, if he didn't like the ending, he would get angry and ask to see the alternate endings. he was almost always disappointed.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: Sleepless on January 04, 2011, 06:05:46 PM
That whole Netflix doesn't get it for a month after release but it's on PPV now is bullshit. It's basically these old failing companies banding together to try and survive while these new companies are raking in all the bucks. Look at Blockbuster, it's on it's last legs... or has it died already? Netflix will survive this recent attack, it's a completely different business model based more on cinephiles renting obscure movies from all eras and all countries. The only time of year it really matters about when stuff is available is when people are rushing to make their end of year lists. And there is a crapton of stuff I haven't seen from 2010. But yeah, it annoys me too - it's the new equivalent of "Fullscreen format - no more annoying black bars." It'll pass. Hopefully. Heil Netflix!
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: Jeremy Blackman on January 04, 2011, 10:42:31 PM
Quote from: Stefen on January 04, 2011, 02:38:08 PM
I remember those wait to buy VHS days. You could buy them right away, but they would be like $100.

Fun fact... I worked at Blockbuster for a year during the transition to DVDs (a unique experience for sure), and $100 was always the price they paid for each new release VHS copy they had in stock. This is why they made such a push to sell off their "previously viewed" VHS tapes. For some reason, as DVDs became available, Blockbuster was able to pay the cheaper price of $20-25 or whatever it was. (These were the prices I saw in the actual Blockbuster computer system in the "what we paid" column, and my managers confirmed it, so I'm pretty sure it's true.) Maybe this explains some of the speed with which the DVD transition happened.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: modage on January 05, 2011, 08:55:15 AM
It's crazy that movie studios had rental chains over a barrel like that.  I remember going to Suncoast video and seeing a VHS of Pulp Fiction on the counter being sold for $100.  That was crazy.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: socketlevel on January 05, 2011, 10:04:52 AM
some movies were priced for rental and some priced for sale on VHS. it really came down to the amount of copies made based on the title and how confident the studio thought it would sell. considering the manufacturing cost of a VHS was much more than a DVD (in the neighborhood of 4-5 dollars in the early days, because of moving parts and magnetic tape vs. pennies for a DVD) the mark up is actually a smaller ratio. the profit margin for a DVD was much higher with considerably less risk.

video games were very similar, there was more risk of losing money with a cartridge before the jump to CD and then in turn DVD.

the fact that VHS were so much is what brought about the rental market in the first place.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: Sleepless on January 05, 2011, 12:58:44 PM
Maybe I'm incorrect, but I always thought that rental versions of VHS/DVDs were intentionally priced much higher that "for sale" units anyway?
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: socketlevel on January 05, 2011, 04:08:09 PM
yes that's what i'm saying, it's fundamentally supply and demand.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: Sleepless on March 02, 2011, 01:35:17 PM
So the new iPad went on sale today http://www.apple.com/ipad and I'm tempted, but I know there was some talk about flash not working on iPads before... will Netflix instant work on there, because that'd be a big incentive for me to drop $500.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: polkablues on March 02, 2011, 01:36:56 PM
There's a Netflix app that you can stream instant from. You can even do it over 3G.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: modage on March 02, 2011, 01:45:35 PM
Netflix Instant works on the iPad, incl. 1st generation.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: Sleepless on March 02, 2011, 02:14:46 PM
Great.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: SiliasRuby on March 24, 2011, 01:27:13 AM
Just now I found that you can watch saturday night live from 1975 to season 35 streaming on netflix. That means I can watch every year phil hartman (my favorite) was on....

Thats enough for me to keep paying for netflix no matter how high the cost and it isn't that much of a cost...
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: Stefen on March 24, 2011, 01:36:56 AM
Whoa. I didn't know that. That's awesome.  :shock: I'm going to watch the seasons from the 90's.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: Pas on March 24, 2011, 02:12:26 AM
whaaa? I think I'll get netflix just for that... well, if it's available in Canada. SNL I mean.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: modage on March 24, 2011, 09:15:01 AM
I think they cut all the musical performances, maybe some other stuff too, so they're not complete episodes. But still cool, yeah.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: polkablues on April 03, 2011, 01:46:34 PM
Eerie, Indiana and Rocko's Modern Life on Instant. I'm having a nostalgia marathon.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: squints on April 03, 2011, 06:24:57 PM
i'm nauseous i'm nauseous....

also,

laundry day is a very dangerous day.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: polkablues on April 03, 2011, 07:14:26 PM
Which is funnier, bananas or cheese?
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: Mr. Merrill Lehrl on May 07, 2011, 05:01:21 PM
[Boring, typical backstory omitted], so after I found and killed the man (who was wearing my fiance's engagement ring, the villain!), I began to Netflix stream, and these are some gems I found recently:

Berlin: Symphony of a Great City, Walter Ruttmann (1927) - Another famous city opera, Man with the Movie Camera, is also available to stream, but this one is less well known and its counterpart dvd OOP.  Less experimental than Man w/Camera, this is a graceful depiction of natural rhythms infused with a visual, filmic sense of narrative.

The Landlord, Hal Ashby (1970) - This came out on dvd without me realizing in May 2010 but is not available in disc form from Netflix.  An unusual blend of heartfelt drama and social satire, I couldn't always tell what was going to happen next and was often delighted.  Naturalistic performances and adventurous filmmaking.

The Year My Voice Broke, John Duigan (1987) - Long OOP and unavailable in disc form from Netflix.  Such a treat to see for the first time and discover the origins of a character I loved in the later film Flirting.  Owes a lot to 400 Blows, it's sometimes breathtakingly beautiful, and always searches for honesty, but crams too much narrative in its final moments.  Very much worth seeing though.

Circus, PBS Circus documentary (2010) - Big circus fan, and this was a great six-parter about an important American circus, the cast and crew.  The narrative blossoms in an intelligent and engaging manner.

Others I haven't watched yet but can't wait to:
Lupin the 3rd: The Castle of Cagliostro, Hayao Miyazaki (1980)
Two in the Wave (Deux de la Vague), Emmanuel Laurent (2010)
Henri Langlois: Phantom of the Cinematheque (Le Fantôme d'Henri Langlois), Jacques Richard (2004)
Vigilante Force, George Armitage (1978)
Devil's Angels, Daniel Haller (1967)
The War Game*, Peter Watkins (1965)
Up Tight!**, Jules Dassin (1968)
Chang: A Drama of the Wilderness, Merian C. Cooper and Ernest B. Schoedsack  (1927)
Aelita, Queen of Mars***, Yakov Protazanov (1924)
Leaves from Satan's Book, Carl Theodor Dreyer (1921)
The Adventures of Prince Achmed (Die Abenteuer des Prinzen Achmed)****, Lotte Reiniger (1926)
How to Get Ahead in Advertising, Bruce Robinson (1989)

* Banned by the BBC for being too disturbing, Peter Watkins's documentary-style drama imagines the devastating effects of a nuclear attack on a small town in England -- collateral damage from an all-out war between the U.S.S.R. and the United States. Food supplies dwindle, orphaned children roam the streets, and burn victims die a slow, agonizing death. Despite being a work of fiction, the film won the 1967 Best Documentary Oscar.
**In this remake of the 1935 film The Informer, unemployed and desperate Tank bungles his role in a Cleveland robbery, leading his best friend and accomplice, Johnny, to kill a guard during his getaway -- and then everything heads downhill.
***Known as the first Soviet sci-fi film, this film tells the tale of young Los, who lives in 1921 Moscow. When a mysterious radio message is beamed around the world, Los (Nikolai Tsereteli) receives it and begins building a spaceship to reach its sender: Aelita (Yuliya Solntseva), the daughter of the ruler of a totalitarian state on Mars. When Los helps the Martian proletariats begin an uprising, Aelita offers to help, but all is not as it seems.
****Considered by many to be the first full-length animated film, the story of Lotte Reiniger's mesmerizing work is taken from The Arabian Nights. A young prince named Achmed embarks on a series of great adventures, including uniting with Aladdin and the Witch of the Fiery Mountains to save a beautiful princess. Produced in Germany, this color-tinted film utilizes laboriously cut out silhouettes to tell its story.

  If you know some other good ones, let me know.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: squints on May 08, 2011, 12:07:20 AM
Wow, that's a great list! Thanks for the heads up!

Now if the playstation network would just start fucking working again....
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: polkablues on May 08, 2011, 12:23:49 AM
Netflix streaming still works on the PS3 even with the network down.  When you first try to open it, it'll give you a message about needing to be logged into Playstation Network, but if you persist, it'll ultimately open Netflix and everything works like normal.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: Mr. Merrill Lehrl on May 09, 2011, 05:18:56 PM
Of course with all these great options known to me, even anticipated by me, last night I watched Tremors II: Aftershocks, just because it's so fucking easy.  Anything that feels like a movie I would've watched on late night HBO in the 90s I'm a sucker for, including movies I watched on late night HBO, like Cool World, The Chase, Bebe's Kids, Red Rock West, etc., a more select group compared to the movies I would've randomly encountered in VHS or DVD form on random movies-for-sale shelves in grocery stores, gas stations, or what have you.  It's like I can't stop picking up all the movies I wanted to pick up in those days.

But the previous night I watched Two in the Wave, which was great and had strong vibes of the film as religion theme that's so captivating and flattering for cinéastes, and which is still best represented by the passion, intensity, and ambition of the French New Wave filmmakers.  The documentary is about that spirit more than the filmmakers (I want to see the tribute film Godard made about Eric Rohmer, which isn't mentioned in the movie but I know exists).

For Mother's Day I had to endure the gf's family, who among other things have different ideas about film than I do, as in their concept of films and filmmaking and the filmworld is derived almost exclusively from network talk shows, People and Vogue, TMZ, etc., and to whom my idea of filmmaking is fucking ridiculous and my concept of myself as a filmmaker utterly laughable.  I'm not still talking about random HBO movies, which I'd have high odds of connecting with them about, but anything non-Hollywood, foreign, artistic, etc, because ultimately they see movies as a business enterprise and successful filmmakers as financially and socially prosperous, which is sometimes true but not always, but try telling them that.  Anyway I sang praises for Netflix streaming to them.  They said they're already down with steaming.  Her brother also told me that he believes people will carry hundreds of movies around with them in terrabyte flash drives, in the future, near-future in fact, and dvds will be stupid things no one will believe anyone could ever have wanted to purchase.  Who the fuck wants to carry a terrabyte flashcard for movies when there's streaming technology?  He's ruled out as a possible sci-fi script collaborator.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: Stefen on May 09, 2011, 06:33:06 PM
I'm doing the free Hulu Plus trial for a month on XBox LIVE. it's pretty neat so far. I don't have cable, so it's nice to be able to watch things like The Daily Show and Colbert Report.

But man, there are so many ads. You would think that if you're paying for it, it wouldn't be ad supported, but that's not the case. Luckily with the Criterion films it only has a commercial at the beginning and nothing during the film, but still, it's kind of a drag. Also something that kind of sucks is they don't have the directors in the descriptions of the films, which I think is unacceptable.

It's nice to use it on XBox, tho, instead of having to watch on my PC. Not sure if I'm going to shell out the $8 a month for it yet. There's way too much junk I couldn't care less about on there. We'll see.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: Mr. Merrill Lehrl on May 10, 2011, 02:44:48 PM
Streamed The Pleasure of Being Robbed last night.  What an amazing movie.  Sometimes when I watch a movie and have a real connection with it I can feel like all the other movies I watch are products of impatience while I wait for another movie to love.  On a real for me but ultimately subjective level The Pleasure of Being Robbed is worth one hundred Tremors 2:  Aftershocks, is what I'm saying, because Pleasure's riches connect me with the treasures of my own existence and illuminate my relationship with cinema and cinema's relationship with reality.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: picolas on May 13, 2011, 03:29:02 PM
http://instantwatcher.com/upcoming_titles

is there a website like this for canadian netflix? something with a list of all titles and upcoming releases?
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: Mr. Merrill Lehrl on May 30, 2011, 01:39:09 PM
Netflix streaming has altered my viewing habits.  I'm more inclined to watch something I wouldn't go out of the way or pay to see.  Last night's double feature of Tales from the Hood and Adam Rifkin's The Chase being a perfect example.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: squints on May 30, 2011, 04:19:47 PM
oh i love tales from the hood, growing up i watched that all the time...seeing it on Netflix brought back some memories.

I saw Bebe's Kids was on there last night. Had to watch that immediately. "We don't die we multiply!"
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: Stefen on May 30, 2011, 04:28:01 PM
I spend more time looking for something to watch than I do actually watching.

"Oh, that looks good! Not in the mood, tho. Oh, how about this one? Heard good things! Not now. Save that one for later. They made a sequel to this?! AWESOME. Gotta see the first one first, tho. Let's see what they have in documentaries..."

Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: polkablues on May 30, 2011, 05:16:56 PM
I usually go through and open new tabs for each movie I think I might want to watch.  By the time I'm done I have twenty open tabs, no idea which to choose, and it's too late and I have to go to bed anyway.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: Mr. Merrill Lehrl on May 30, 2011, 11:30:40 PM
Quote from: squints on May 30, 2011, 04:19:47 PM
I saw Bebe's Kids was on there ... Had to watch that immediately.

Me too!
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: Mr. Merrill Lehrl on June 02, 2011, 02:44:01 PM
(https://xixax.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.moviegoods.com%2FAssets%2Fproduct_images%2F1010%2F506421.1010.A.jpg&hash=806111c50e92abd6f7a474d96074552430e5832f)

These are the last days for instant streaming of André De Toth's The Bounty Hunter with Randolph Scott.  It's up until the 6th, only on streaming and doesn't have a region 1 dvd.  Watched it last night and it's recommended.  Riding Shotgun also ends on the 6th and isn't on dvd.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: Stefen on June 02, 2011, 03:01:36 PM
^It's also one of the first 3D movies. NO LIE.

(https://xixax.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.d3.com%2Fimages%2Fbounty01s.jpg&hash=8589fa4e331c50b1a29b60848f9aa0324056a94b)
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: The Perineum Falcon on June 03, 2011, 09:29:57 PM
Quote from: polkablues on May 30, 2011, 05:16:56 PM
I usually go through and open new tabs for each movie I think I might want to watch.  By the time I'm done I have twenty open tabs, no idea which to choose, and it's too late and I have to go to bed anyway.
http://www.whatmovieshouldiwatchtonight.com
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: Sleepless on June 03, 2011, 10:24:40 PM
I love that there's a scary shit category. Cool idea. They need to do an app.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: Mr. Merrill Lehrl on June 04, 2011, 01:54:28 PM
(https://xixax.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fcdn.alt1040.com%2Ffiles%2F2008%2F05%2Fmonster_camp_poster.jpg&hash=ff20a5b50a051f40569c6a743ee6683095bde8ad)
The picture of 8 Sampsonia Way (http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_OCnztutDOHg/SX4oUSBwUpI/AAAAAAAAAMw/eFrNyEMFz8E/s1600-h/Picture+3.png) on Google Maps was when I first heard about LARPing.  Its existence made complete sense to me.  Then I encountered it in The Wild Hunt (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1493886/), the insane Canadian movie wherein the game becomes real life.  The movie introduced me to the structure of LARP performances, and I first heard LARP talk.

The documentary Monster Camp (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0970948/), streaming on Netflix, examines a chapter of the game in Seattle.  Monster Camp is actually one of two LARP documentaries streaming on Netflix (the other is Darkon).  I like that they're both classified as Genres:  Documentary | Fantasy on IMDb, and I really like the message board discussions of them, especially this post (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0970948/board/thread/76519866?d=81611399&p=1#81611399).  To quote from it:

"Anyway, my opinion on LARPing:
I personally think it's a lot of fun, because I think of it as interactive improvisational theatre. You've got a costume, you've got a character and a setting, and everyone is contributing to a story and trying to make it as interesting as possible. =) However, I think it crosses the line when it becomes escapsim, or a sort of self-medication. If you seriously wish and desperately pretend to be your character, then there are almost certainly some real-world issues that are in need of remedy. But, as long as you're doing is as a fun aspect of life as opposed to a replacement, it's awesome. =) Just keep it healthy."

There are captivating dimensions to the game, and many of them are well-explored in Monster Camp.  I think the concept of two people in LARP costumes fucking is rather interesting, just like I think furry sex is interesting.  I first learned about furries from the MTV documentary Plushies & Furries (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0371086/), and then later met the director Rick Castro.  He owns a fetish gallery in Los Angeles, the Antebellum (http://findlocal.latimes.com/listings/antebellum-gallery-hollywood).  Two of the LARPers in Monster Camp have not successfully graduated from high school yet, although they're into their 20s, and if I understood correctly one of them still attends high school.  It's his fifth year being a senior.  It must be night school by now right?  I probably don't have to tell you that some of them, including these two, play too many videogames.  Some of them are parents, and some parents bring their kids.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: Stefen on July 06, 2011, 09:28:13 PM
The new Netflix site overhaul is awful. Just plain awful and clunky and difficult and stupid to navigate.

I don't know what they did but everything they recommend to me makes no sense.

What's British about Let Me In and Full Metal Jacket?

(https://xixax.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg845.imageshack.us%2Fimg845%2F5916%2Fnetflix1.jpg&hash=180614707f72b82308210a04ad0aa1e298f11780)

Some of the stuff they used to recommend would make me scratch my head, but it's really bad now.

Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: Pozer on July 07, 2011, 12:02:27 AM
Quote from: S.R. on July 06, 2011, 09:28:13 PM
(https://xixax.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fimg845.imageshack.us%2Fimg845%2F5916%2Fnetflix1.jpg&hash=180614707f72b82308210a04ad0aa1e298f11780)

Harry Brown shouted Britishly to Mr. Bean, "Let me in, we're going before the dinosaurs! Walking with monsters can be more dangerous than black death so bring along your full metal jacket!"

i'd let you do mine but i recently canceled my Netflix.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: Stefen on July 12, 2011, 01:02:38 PM
Netflix raises their prices for Blu-Rays's + streaming again for the second time in a year. This time from $11.99 a month to $17.98 a month.  :yabbse-angry:

Effective September 1st for existing customers and immediately for new customers.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: Pubrick on July 12, 2011, 02:06:42 PM
Looks like Netflix has jumped the shark.

Glad I never had the chance to get it.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: polkablues on July 12, 2011, 03:58:56 PM
Price increases are always obnoxious, but realistically, the service that Netflix provides is still well worth it at that price. I'll probably end up dropping my plan from three discs at a time to just one or two, but that was something I needed to do anyway.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: Sleepless on July 12, 2011, 04:20:04 PM
I'm disappointed because it seems like such a cop out move. They've got to realize that the majority of people are going to just cut the DVD option and go streaming only. There are plenty of other options out there (i.e. Redbox) for movies not available on streaming which will cost a fraction of the price to rent, especially if it's only for the occasional recent release. All I can think is that by doing this Netflix are hoping to convince studios to give them streaming rights at the same time the DVDs become available for rent, but it seems like a perilous bluff on their part, particularly when there are so many competitors out there just waiting for Netflix to take the one wrong step which will lead to their ultimate failure. This may well have been it, but fuck I hope it isn't.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: john on August 22, 2011, 11:28:52 PM
Paul Schrader's Blue Collar is now streaming, thereby justifying the existence of all previous and future monthly rate increases... well, not quite... but if you still haven't seen it and you have Netflix you now have no excuse.

Further convincing from Patton Oswalt:

http://www.aintitcool.com/node/39802
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: Jeremy Blackman on August 22, 2011, 11:41:15 PM
In other news, I find it interesting that this thread's title is once again a valid question.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: Jeremy Blackman on September 19, 2011, 02:09:52 AM
http://www.avclub.com/articles/netflix-finds-a-new-way-to-offer-less-service-for,61911/

Seriously, what happened? This feels somewhat apocalyptic.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: O. on September 19, 2011, 02:28:05 AM
Film rights are such a pain. If Netflix offered $50/month to include instant streaming to its whole (its DVD catalog), I would so do that. No need for cable/DirecTV
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: Stefen on September 19, 2011, 02:34:21 AM
So not only are you not going to be able to do one price plan for blu-ray/DVD by mail and streaming, but you're going to have to go to two separate sites to do both?

Netflix is garbage.

Quote from: O on September 19, 2011, 02:28:05 AM
Film rights are such a pain. If Netflix offered $50/month to include instant streaming to its whole (its DVD catalog), I would so do that. No need for cable/DirecTV

Eff that. The best thing about the mail service is that you can get special features that only come on discs. If they offered all their content at BD quality and included special features, then yeah, $50mo would be worth it, otherwise, anyone can just download just the movie in the same quality Netflix charges for it.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: Sleepless on September 19, 2011, 11:06:32 AM
I agree with O. If they had the catalog to justify it, I would gladly spend $50 a month for streaming. Last night's announcement is just giving the people unhappy about the price-increase the opportunity to bash them some more. It's really not a significant move considering the streaming and DVD-by-mail arms of the service are already divorced. I'm actually optimistic about this development as it shows that they really are committed to the streaming side of things and choosing to keep the recognized Netflix name for the streaming side of the business is a clear indicator (yet again) that streaming is the future of their industry.

I don't have cable right now, I refuse to pay what I consider an obscene amount of money for essentially 200+ channels of reality TV. How many real housewives can you watch? I know that streaming and Netflix in particular doesn't have the wealth of choices that DVD rentals and some cable channels offer, but hopefully someday soon it will be. I'd bet money that eventually you can subscribe to HBO and Showtime directly through their websites and bypass cable providers entirely. I know a bunch of you download often shitty torrents of movies and premium TV shows and studios know they're missing some revenue by not offering instantly-available online streaming options. Same with your favorite sports team - one day you're going to be able to just buy a season pass and stream all their games live without bothering with local TV networks or a pricy cable sports package. Granted, I'd already decided to drop the DVD part of my Netflix subscription and retain just the streaming prior to last night's announcement, but I'm taking it as vote of confidence by Netflix in what I've long thought must be the logical future of all home entertainment.

The problem right now is that Netflix doesn't have the titles to truly justify such a cost - even at $8 a month it's annoying to not have access to many of the latest releases. Also annoying is that since they're not available on streaming, you can't "save" them to your list like you could with "not yet released DVD titles." But I guess that's a relatively minor gripe. For now, I'm going to hold tight where I am and probably look into another temporary option for latest release DVDs. Hopefully things will improve significantly by early next year.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: Stefen on September 19, 2011, 01:26:47 PM
Quote from: Sleepless on September 19, 2011, 11:06:32 AMI would gladly spend $50 a month for streaming. Last night's announcement is just giving the people unhappy about the price-increase the opportunity to bash them some more. It's really not a significant move considering the streaming and DVD-by-mail arms of the service are already divorced. I'm actually optimistic about this development as it shows that they really are committed to the streaming side of things and choosing to keep the recognized Netflix name for the streaming side of the business is a clear indicator (yet again) that streaming is the future of their industry.

$50 a month is worth it to people who don't give a crap about picture quality or special features and just want to watch Breaking Dawn on their standard definition television, but for those of us who have spent a good chunk of change on our home theater systems, getting only streaming means absolutely nothing for us. A lot of us have tailor made our entertainment systems for blu-ray and their special features, not crappy streaming.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: Sleepless on September 19, 2011, 02:08:45 PM
Of course not. If you can afford to spend thousands of dollars on a TV then you can afford to piss away a hundred plus bucks a month on cable anyway.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: Reel on September 19, 2011, 02:18:42 PM
I gotta say Sleepless, you're right about not paying for cable. I've been surfing that shit everynight and there's never anything good on, now that IFC's gone to shit. The only benefits of having cable for me is getting to watch Louie and Curb, but that ain't worth the whole package! Cable Tv sucks nowadays.

Oh and I'm glad you netflixers are getting screwed, finally. I'm sick of hearing "ooh, it's on Netflix. I'll watch it on Netflix.You don't have Netflix? You gotta get Netflix." This is what you deserve.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: Jeremy Blackman on September 19, 2011, 02:44:19 PM
Like Stefen I'm pretty much done with the streaming service. I'm going to 1 DVD at a time, maybe 2 because it's fairly cheap. Really irked about this Quikster silliness, though. The article I linked above suggested that it might be an attempt by Netflix to kill off the delivery service in a way that doesn't directly tarnish Netflix.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: Sleepless on September 19, 2011, 03:14:31 PM
Quote from: Reelist on September 19, 2011, 02:18:42 PM
I gotta say Sleepless, you're right about not paying for cable. I've been surfing that shit everynight and there's never anything good on, now that IFC's gone to shit. The only benefits of having cable for me is getting to watch Louie and Curb, but that ain't worth the whole package! Cable Tv sucks nowadays.

Oh and I'm glad you netflixers are getting screwed, finally. I'm sick of hearing "ooh, it's on Netflix. I'll watch it on Netflix.You don't have Netflix? You gotta get Netflix." This is what you deserve.

Haha.

Honestly, other than the lack of big recent releases not available on Netflix (of which there seem to be A LOT at the moment) the complete lack of HBO titles is perhaps my biggest frustration. I really wish they would just allow you to subscribe directly through HBO Go, but right now you can only access it if you already subscribe through a cable provider. I've got to believe that they'll change that at some point down the road, surely?

Clearly I'm a big believer in streaming as the medium of the future. Hell, even canceled TV shows (https://daitexas.wordpress.com/2011/07/09/soaps-lead-the-way-to-the-future/) are getting a new life as web series. So what if they're soap operas? I never made the jump from DVD to BluRay. I just didn't have enough interest early on, and then the cost negated any benefit of doing so. Now, I'm confident that BluRays and DVD will both become obsolete as both streaming and digital downloads become the norm. I don't really understand Stefen's complaints, but then I don't have a uber high-end entertainment center like he does. Regardless, down the road, HD streaming that even he'd be happy with is surely likely.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: Stefen on September 19, 2011, 03:24:20 PM
Quote from: Sleepless on September 19, 2011, 02:08:45 PM
Of course not. If you can afford to spend thousands of dollars on a TV then you can afford to piss away a hundred plus bucks a month on cable anyway.

I don't get this. :ponder: Cable doesn't have the picture and sound quality/special features of blu-ray, either. Both Netflix and cable tv are lacking in quality compared to a blu-ray disc.

Both plans on Netflix were great because streaming had some gems, but you could also always get the BD disc for films you wanted to watch in quality and see special features.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: Sleepless on September 19, 2011, 03:44:07 PM
Fair enough. I assumed that you were also taking odds with my streaming versus cable argument as well. Obviously not.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: RegularKarate on September 19, 2011, 04:17:40 PM
Oh my god, the whining.

Do you not remember what you used to have to do to rent movies?  Do you remember how much it would have cost to rent 15 to 20 movies a week?  Do you remember what the quality used to be like?  VHS?

This is like that Louis CK joke about the guy who's on an airplane complaining that the Wifi is slow.

All that's happening here is that one website is now two and they're offering games.  The price isn't going up again (unless you want games, but you SHOULD have to pay more for that).  Is it THAT hard to go from one site to another?  Are you that fucking lazy?

I think it's a strange move and I'm curious if it's to either smooth the process of phasing physical media out once it becomes necessary (it will) or if it's just to separate figures so they can impress investors so they can widen the selection of streaming movies.  Still, Netflix has done so much for the way we rent movies, you can't sit through a rough patch of (very likely, necessary) change without throwing a temper tantrum?
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: Jeremy Blackman on September 19, 2011, 04:44:02 PM
It's not so much laziness as it is feeling betrayed that Netflix is trying to dump their disc service... and sending it to an uncertain (at best) or doomed (at worst) future.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: Jeremy Blackman on September 19, 2011, 04:46:06 PM
And I realize these are all first-world problems, as they say, but at the same time I think it's silly for consumers to be simply in awe of technology so much that they'll accept anything.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: Sleepless on September 19, 2011, 04:49:52 PM
Quote from: RegularKarate on September 19, 2011, 04:17:40 PM
Oh my god, the whining.

Do you not remember what you used to have to do to rent movies?  Do you remember how much it would have cost to rent 15 to 20 movies a week?  Do you remember what the quality used to be like?  VHS?

This is like that Louis CK joke about the guy who's on an airplane complaining that the Wifi is slow.

All that's happening here is that one website is now two and they're offering games.  The price isn't going up again (unless you want games, but you SHOULD have to pay more for that).  Is it THAT hard to go from one site to another?  Are you that fucking lazy?

I think it's a strange move and I'm curious if it's to either smooth the process of phasing physical media out once it becomes necessary (it will) or if it's just to separate figures so they can impress investors so they can widen the selection of streaming movies.  Still, Netflix has done so much for the way we rent movies, you can't sit through a rough patch of (very likely, necessary) change without throwing a temper tantrum?

:bravo:



Quote from: Jeremy Blackman on September 19, 2011, 04:46:06 PM
And I realize these are all first-world problems, as they say, but at the same time I think it's silly for consumers to be simply in awe of technology so much that they'll accept anything.

Can we please get a marque that says "Netflix = White People Problems"?
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: Stefen on September 19, 2011, 05:33:38 PM
Quote from: RegularKarate on September 19, 2011, 04:17:40 PM
Oh my god, the whining.

Do you not remember what you used to have to do to rent movies?  Do you remember how much it would have cost to rent 15 to 20 movies a week?  Do you remember what the quality used to be like?  VHS?

This is like that Louis CK joke about the guy who's on an airplane complaining that the Wifi is slow.

So because things used to be worse, but as technology advanced, got better (because, ya know, that's what happens as time goes on), then someone got greedy, so things got worse again, we're not allowed to bitch and complain about it?

Fuck outta here with that. (https://xixax.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ezboard.com%2Fimages%2Femoticons%2Flaugh.gif&hash=b1ec1332e3a364bb91ed6eb5269b970d61f11615)
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: RegularKarate on September 19, 2011, 05:44:08 PM
Quote from: S.R. on September 19, 2011, 05:33:38 PM
So because things used to be worse, but as technology advanced, got better (because, ya know, that's what happens as time goes on), then someone got greedy, so things got worse again, we're not allowed to bitch and complain about it?

Fuck outta here with that.

No one said you're not allowed to do anything.
How is this that greedy, by the way?  Prices go up, that's how businesses afford to offer you more, they charge you more (because, ya know, that's what happens as time goes on).  It's still cheaper than anything (legal) that's out there offering the same thing.

I'm also not saying I wasn't bummed when NetFlix prices originally went up, but I'm over it... businesses do that.  This isn't another price increase... just a small change.

Bitch and complain all you want (I really am more on your side than Netflix's)... I just find it funny.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: polkablues on September 19, 2011, 08:15:22 PM
I'm pretty much with RK here.  Netflix got everyone so fat and happy that minor alterations are being met with hugely disproportionate freakouts.  So now I have to have one bookmark to watch streaming and one to manage my disc queue.  There goes one-and-a-half seconds of my day that I'll never get back.  Yes, it seems clear that they're pushing the very profitable portion of their business (streaming), to the detriment of the less profitable portion (disc mailing), but proclamations that the sky is falling and they're going to eliminate discs altogether are wildly premature.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: Jeremy Blackman on September 19, 2011, 08:18:52 PM
Quote from: RegularKarate on September 19, 2011, 05:44:08 PMI'm also not saying I wasn't bummed when NetFlix prices originally went up, but I'm over it... businesses do that.

Successful businesses typically don't. Case in point: Netflix's stock has plunged, Netflix's execs have been dumping their stocks, they're facing a mass exodus of customers, and they're splitting off a core (and the original) part of their business into some random destined-to-fail subsidiary. ("Quikster?" Really?)

After the massive popularity of streaming, which is a cheaper service for them to run, Netflix got greedy... and stupid. It's that simple. Their attempt to split and/or kill off their disc service has only been followed by more stupid decisions.

I'll say it again. It's silly for people to be so in awe of technology that they will just accept whatever is given to them, as long as it's shiny and magical. That's such a dumb way to approach things as a consumer. We should be way past that.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: Stefen on September 19, 2011, 08:36:57 PM
Quote from: RegularKarate on September 19, 2011, 05:44:08 PMBitch and complain all you want (I really am more on your side than Netflix's)... I just find it funny.

It's a pain in the ass. Do a price increase, fine, people will complain a bit then get over it, but what they're doing now by making you visit two separate sites, and pay two separate bills, for the exact same service as before, is just a complete pain in the ass.

It might not be a big deal to people who only use either streaming or the mail service, but for those of us who use both, it's a complete inconvenience for a service that was flawless for us just a few months ago. For example, I've been going through Bergman's filmography, so I would watch some streaming, but the ones that were available on blu-ray, I would watch on blu-ray. It was flawless integration. I also wanted to hear the Carpenter and Russell commentary on The Thing, so even tho the stand alone movie is available on streaming, I waited for the blu-ray.

Just settling for something because it "used to be worse" is silly and dangerous. That's the same type of attitude so many people have in other things in life. Take for example employment. When people are just happy to have a job, that's when they got you right where they want you. They can take away all they can because you're content just having the most basic of whatever. If you're feeling cheated about anything, you should always speak up, regardless of what it is and how silly it is.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: pete on September 19, 2011, 09:06:17 PM
(https://xixax.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fs3.amazonaws.com%2Ftheoatmeal-img%2Fcomics%2Fnetflix%2Fheader.png&hash=dc782f4801d28bf13ac57365bf191c6e72cf8078)
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Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: Stefen on September 19, 2011, 09:19:36 PM
^lol. pretty much.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: Jeremy Blackman on September 19, 2011, 09:28:23 PM
I thought the AV Club headline summarized it very well: "Netflix finds a new way to offer less service for more money"

Though to be honest I've never been that upset about the price hike, because it's still a fair price. I'm mostly concerned/disgruntled about the future of the disc service. If that does go away, it will feel like a betrayal, for obvious reasons. We are one big step closer to that.

And to be absolutely clear, this is what I'm talking about:

Quote from: RegularKarate on September 19, 2011, 04:17:40 PMDo you not remember what you used to have to do to rent movies?  Do you remember how much it would have cost to rent 15 to 20 movies a week?  Do you remember what the quality used to be like?  VHS?

While I understand this way of thinking, it absolutely drives me crazy, for all the reasons Stefen and I described. We might as well be saying, "Watching movies over the intertubes... what'll they think of next?" We badly need to get over this technological hypnosis.

It's like smartphones. Many, many years after the iPhone was released, people are still so in awe of the technology that they (at least in this country) don't demand reasonable prices for mobile phone service.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: pete on September 19, 2011, 09:35:48 PM
Quote from: pete on September 19, 2011, 09:06:17 PM
(https://xixax.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fs3.amazonaws.com%2Ftheoatmeal-img%2Fcomics%2Fnetflix%2Fheader.png&hash=dc782f4801d28bf13ac57365bf191c6e72cf8078)
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sorry my original post only included the first part of the panel. now it's complete. sorry about that.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: Sleepless on September 20, 2011, 09:44:17 AM
To be fair, I don't think any of us here who are pro-streaming take the attitude that it's all magic pixie dust so we're willing to pay anything because it's so wonderful. I choose streaming because it's convenient first and foremost. Even though the DVD-by-mail option gives you a greater choice (for now), you still have to wait for the DVDs to arrive, which means streaming is generally still the better option all around - for me at least. But if actual BluRays and special features are what you must have, then fair enough, the streaming is not for you. But don't misunderstand that those of us choosing streaming over physical disks are simply suckers for whatever the latest fad is. A large part of why I chose streaming in the first place is the value I feel I'm getting. Again, I'm not comparing this directly to how much it used to cost to rent VHS tapes ten years ago, but rather to contemporary alternatives such as cable.

I think the cell phone analogy is particularly apt, especially considering that the two biggest companies in both cable and cell service (AT&T and Verizon) are charging people a fortune and like shmucks, the public are paying up. When I first moved to the US from the UK I couldn't believe the obscene monthly fees for a basic cellphone - and this was before data plans were commonplace. That's actually why I put off buying a smartphone for as long as I did, because I couldn't justify spending that much money each month when I knew doing so was akin to being anally raped. Finally, I discovered Virgin Mobile and I'm not getting unlimited data, unlimited texts and far more minutes than I can use for just $40 a month. And even though I sing praises of the service and value I'm getting to people I know, they're still spending crazy money on an iPhone with AT&T. I do not understand it. If the rumors of the cheaper version of iPhone 5 being released on Virgin Mobile next month are to be believed, then it could be the start of a mass revolution if the general public comes to see that they are being ripped off so significantly.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: RegularKarate on September 20, 2011, 10:43:12 AM
Yes, I'm not being hypnotized by technology.  I see what you're saying, Jeremy, and I understand why you feel like that, but while that attitude can lead to healthy consumer rebellion, it can also lead to becoming a grumpy, entitled old man (for the record, I'm not calling YOU a grumpy, entitled old man).

And Stefen, are you serious?  How is it THAT much harder than it was before?  You already had separate queues and your bill will be charged automatically.  We also don't know that they won't tell us when something on terriblenamester is also available streaming (if they don't, that will suck).

I agree that this is going to be a little bit of a pain and it will take some mild adjustment to deal with, but I also know that if this makes more financial sense to separate the companies (they are dealing in different things) then the consumer will probably benefit in the end.

Quickster is a horrible name though.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: Sleepless on September 20, 2011, 10:55:41 AM
I tweeted this last night, but this is perhaps the funniest side note to the whole Qwikster (http://t.co/ZI1zNYKV) revelation.

Yes, that's right. It's not even Quickster. It's fucking Qwikster.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: Jeremy Blackman on September 20, 2011, 11:24:45 AM
Quote from: RegularKarate on September 20, 2011, 10:43:12 AMYes, I'm not being hypnotized by technology.  I see what you're saying, Jeremy, and I understand why you feel like that, but while that attitude can lead to healthy consumer rebellion, it can also lead to becoming a grumpy, entitled old man (for the record, I'm not calling YOU a grumpy, entitled old man).

That's fair... I'm sure there's a healthy balance.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: Stefen on September 20, 2011, 01:04:11 PM
Quote from: RegularKarate on September 20, 2011, 10:43:12 AM
Yes, I'm not being hypnotized by technology.  I see what you're saying, Jeremy, and I understand why you feel like that, but while that attitude can lead to healthy consumer rebellion, it can also lead to becoming a grumpy, entitled old man (for the record, I'm not calling YOU a grumpy, entitled old man).

How does being irritated when technology takes a step back equate to being a grumpy old man?

Netflix, a service most of us relied on to watch films, are getting rid of their DVD/BD service (at least this is the first step), so some of us who use the service because picture/sound quality and special features are important to us, are irritated. If you only use the streaming service to watch whatever they offer you, in less than stellar quality, then sure, it probably doesn't make much sense why so many people are upset, but you should at least be able to understand why people who have spent years, little by little upgrading their home theater systems to accommodate the current gold standard of home entertainment viewing feel completely slapped in the face. Those of us who made Netflix what they are are being kicked off to the side so they can focus on the lowest common denominator user base they've decided to cater to.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: RegularKarate on September 20, 2011, 05:16:34 PM
You're just assuming that they're getting rid of the DVD/BD service entirely.  I'm sure it will eventually disappear, but I'm sure they'll wait until streaming technology reaches or surpasses BD.

How is it a step backward?  They're getting better and better at encoding the HD streams.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: Stefen on September 20, 2011, 05:54:54 PM
Quote from: RegularKarate on September 20, 2011, 05:16:34 PMHow is it a step backward?

Two separate sites, two separate bills, two separate queues with absolutely no integration between what used to be a single service sure isn't a step forward.

And what makes you think they're going to keep around the BD service longer than they have to? Their bread and butter is the streaming service where people can watch whatever dick and fart comedies and mindless action flicks are available. Netflix splitting the two services into completely different companies with no integration whatsoever pretty much proves they're trying to get rid of one or the other and chances are it's not the low-quality streaming service with no special features.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: Jeremy Blackman on September 20, 2011, 06:07:08 PM
Netflix's streaming quality really does leave something to be desired. The limits they've put on buffering need to be removed or at least reduced. Try using Netflix Streaming somewhere with a low or moderate-speed broadband connection... it looks like a WMV file from 12 years ago.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: Stefen on September 20, 2011, 06:18:55 PM
Quote from: Jeremy Blackman on September 20, 2011, 06:07:08 PM
Netflix's streaming quality really does leave a lot to be desired. The limits they've put on buffering need to be removed or at least reduced. Try using Netflix Streaming somewhere with a low or moderate-speed broadband connection... it looks like a WMV file from 12 years ago.

True dat.

But an even bigger problem I see down the line is Comcast and other cable/broadband companies using people streaming crappy quality Netflix as a reason why they should move to tiered pricing on home internet instead of one fee a month for unlimited internet.

In a perfect world, it would be nice if Netflix could stream everything imaginable for one monthly fee, but that would NEVER happen. There's no way Comcast, who owns most of cable TV and most of broadband internet is going to let Netflix use up, not only all the entertainment content it wants to use for it's own cable service, but also the internet data it provides to deliver it.

It's going to be pretty shitty when not only can you NOT rent BD's from Netflix and have to blind purchase everything to get it in the best quality, but you can only watch a certain amount of streaming content a month because otherwise, you will go over your monthly bandwidth limit and have to pay a substantial fee.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: Pubrick on September 20, 2011, 07:06:43 PM
Quote from: S.R. on September 20, 2011, 06:18:55 PM
It's going to be pretty shitty when not only can you NOT rent BD's from Netflix and have to blind purchase everything to get it in the best quality, but you can only watch a certain amount of streaming content a month because otherwise, you will go over your monthly bandwidth limit and have to pay a substantial fee.

welcome to my world. ha!

oh, i've made myself sad..
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: RegularKarate on September 21, 2011, 10:44:36 AM
Stefen, if that happens, that will suck.  This doesn't "prove" anything though.  It's more than likely a move to separate profit from loss a little more clearly for shareholders etc... they MAY end up selling Quikster, in which case, hopefully it gets sold to someone that keeps the quality up, but this doesn't "prove" that they're going to get rid of it completely.

As far as streaming goes, I often forget that not everyone has a broadband connection (I don't know what you consider "moderate" speed, JB), but I have been streaming Netflix to my TV since basically day one and the improvements have been incredible.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: Stefen on September 21, 2011, 02:55:36 PM
Quote from: RegularKarate on September 21, 2011, 10:44:36 AMThis doesn't "prove" anything though.  It's more than likely a move to separate profit from loss a little more clearly for shareholders etc... they MAY end up selling Quikster, in which case, hopefully it gets sold to someone that keeps the quality up, but this doesn't "prove" that they're going to get rid of it completely.

lol, that's exactly what it means. All you're saying is Netflix is going to keep the blu-ray and DVD by mail service around for sure. Unless they don't. You really think their goal is to keep the blu-ray and DVD by mail service around? Come on. Separating the DVD and streaming into two separate companies? That means trying to get rid of DVD by mail serivice. Selling Quikster later on down the line? That means getting rid the DVD by mail service. Sold to someone that tries to keep the quality up? That means getting rid of the DVD service.

Quote"Qwikster" is Netflix for "Oh, go away already." Netflix desperately wants to kill off its DVD-by-mail rental business. It's tried raising prices, and it's trying to spin off the operation, but the problem is that Netflix really isn't in control here.

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2393196,00.asp (http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2393196,00.asp)

QuoteNow you're probably thinking, "this isn't such a big deal; it's just a name change." But those words I just put into your mouth?  THEY ARE WRONG.  Very wrong indeed.  This represents much more than a name change.  This represents Netflix's growing desire to leave behind the world of DVD rentals and switch entirely to instant streaming.

http://www.themoviepool.com/industry-news/item/1517-will-netflixs-quest-to-kill-dvds-destroy-their-company?.html (http://www.themoviepool.com/industry-news/item/1517-will-netflixs-quest-to-kill-dvds-destroy-their-company?.html)

QuoteHow much you wanna bet what he really would have liked to do is kill off the DVD-by-mail service altogether? It probably costs the company more money to send out actual DVDs. But can the company really thrive on streaming alone? I'm not so sure. The thing is, right now, the quality of Netflix's streaming service BLOWS. The company owes most of its success to people like my film student friends from college who ate/drank/breathed movies and used Netflix to consume everything from All About Eve to Arrested Development. The streaming service as it exists now is not enough to hold any REAL movie lover's attention. All it's good for is old TV shows and movies that either bombed at the box office or came out in 1984, AKA flicks you can get on DVD at the bargain bin at a dollar store. I doubt most people will be apt to pay for streaming Netflix on its own, unless they're guaranteed to get new releases, quality classics, and an all-around better title selection.

http://thestir.cafemom.com/technology/126149/netflix_makes_monstrous_move_to (http://thestir.cafemom.com/technology/126149/netflix_makes_monstrous_move_to)

Hey, if streaming could offer blu-ray quality picture and sound along with all the special features that come on discs, I'd cancel the mail service in a second, but that won't happen because not only is technology years off, but the studios still find blu-ray discs financially lucrative, so there's no way they're going to let Netflix have the special features that are a selling point for them moving actual discs. Not to mention the cable companies who provide broadband not being happy about the bandwidth being used to provide blu-ray quality streaming of content that they want to use for their own cable television service, which would most likely lead to tiered monthly broadband pricing and you wouldn't even be able to stream all the movies you wanted to anyways, otherwise you go over your monthly bandwidth limit and have to go outside and throw a tennis ball against a wall for the rest of the month.

And in the grand scheme of things, Netflix is nothing more than a middle man. A middle man the studios don't even need in a digital age. Before, Netflix was beneficial for them because it bought their discs and mailed them out to customers. Everything worked well because people still bought DVD's because they were cheap, but now, with streaming, all Netflix is doing is using the studios content and delivering it digitally. The studios can do that on their own. They're already trying with Hulu. So there is a 0% chance that all content, in BD sound and picture, along with all the special features, will EVER be available to stream from Netflix, or any other digitally streaming service. The only way it will be available is on actual blu-ray discs from the studios who make the movies, and renting these discs was a service Netflix USED to provide (before they created a new, throwaway company) for a very reasonable fee before they hiked their prices 60% in an effort to kill this very same service.

The fact of the matter is, unless you're watching the streaming content on your tiny computer monitor, which anyone who posts here most likely isn't, the streaming quality is garbage. I watch Netflix on my 46in HDTV through XBox 360 and PS3 and even the content that claims to be in HD (and not all of it is, which is a shame) doesn't come anywhere NEAR what a blu-ray disc looks like. Not to mention there aren't special features. Go throw on 2001 streaming, then put in your blu-ray and tell me I'm wrong.

Netflix is most definitely trying to get rid of the BD/DVD by mail service because they don't see a future in it, and maybe there isn't, but for me, and I hope for the rest of you, quality will always be more important than accessibility and it's going to be a real shame when we have to either blind buy a blu-ray to see it for the first time or watch it in less than stellar streaming quality and not even be able to browse the special features when we're finished.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: Pwaybloe on September 21, 2011, 07:27:32 PM
Stefan, you're correct.

Which brings up a good question... R.K., do you own a HDTV or BD player?
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: Pubrick on September 22, 2011, 01:51:54 AM
Quote from: Pwaybloe on September 21, 2011, 07:27:32 PM
Stefan, you're correct.

Which brings up a good question... R.K., do you own a HDTV or BD player?

(https://xixax.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fcache.blippitt.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2011%2F03%2FPopcorn-02-Stephen-Colbert.gif&hash=c701647f95bdba56b76e3e14b96844e774aaffa5)
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: RegularKarate on September 22, 2011, 12:13:13 PM
Haha, P... I know it seems like I came here for a fight, but I didn't.

Stefen, you might be right... hell, it's very likely you are.  I don't know what you thought you were accomplishing by quoting other people who are freaking out too, but I get that's what you think.

Honestly, the only thing I can't agree with is this:

Quote from: S.R. on September 21, 2011, 02:55:36 PM
there is a 0% chance that all content, in BD sound and picture, along with all the special features, will EVER be available to stream from Netflix,

Special features, you have a point with.  That may be where the studios get people to want to buy discs (but really, most people don't care about them any more so who knows what weight that will hold) and if that's the compromise, that's the compromise.  I can deal with it and honestly, it was already happening with the discs.  Studios were making special "Netflix Only" discs with limited or no special features.

Quality though... that's what we thought about DVD quality streaming years ago.  Technology will get better.  Netflix has enough power to make the studios want to get involved.  It can happen and I think it's very possible.

Quote from: Pwaybloe on September 21, 2011, 07:27:32 PM
R.K., do you own a HDTV or BD player?

Yes, I do.  Have for years.
I have never at any point said that the quality of Netflix streaming is anywhere near as good as blu-ray.  I have only said that they have come a long way with it so it's possible they could get there eventually.

Quality is important to me too, guys.  Like I said, I'm mostly on your side.  I just think the freaking out is funny.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: Stefen on September 22, 2011, 02:25:41 PM
Quote from: RegularKarate on September 22, 2011, 12:13:13 PM
Haha, P... I know it seems like I came here for a fight, but I didn't.

Stefen, you might be right... hell, it's very likely you are.  I don't know what you thought you were accomplishing by quoting other people who are freaking out too, but I get that's what you think.

Honestly, the only thing I can't agree with is this:

Quote from: S.R. on September 21, 2011, 02:55:36 PM
there is a 0% chance that all content, in BD sound and picture, along with all the special features, will EVER be available to stream from Netflix,

Special features, you have a point with.  That may be where the studios get people to want to buy discs (but really, most people don't care about them any more so who knows what weight that will hold) and if that's the compromise, that's the compromise.  I can deal with it and honestly, it was already happening with the discs.  Studios were making special "Netflix Only" discs with limited or no special features.

Quality though... that's what we thought about DVD quality streaming years ago.  Technology will get better.  Netflix has enough power to make the studios want to get involved.  It can happen and I think it's very possible.

Yes, that's my WHOLE point. blu-ray quality with special features will NEVER be streamed on Netflix. One or the other may eventually be, but together? No way. Studios won't allow that. There will ALWAYS be a need for a rental service to get everything that's on a disc because the studios aren't letting discs go anywhere anytime soon regardless of when Netflix, Quikster, Qwikster or whatever it's called decides not to rent them out to their customers anymore. And with most local video stores being put out of business by Netflix, the only way there's going to be to get actual discs to get the best quality picture and sound and all the features, is going to be to buy the discs at retail price instead of just renting it for a couple days, and in this economy, that's just not realistic. I guess the next logical argument is that we shouldn't blame Netflix for not having a better job that pays more money so we could blind buy every movie we want to see.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: Sleepless on September 22, 2011, 02:43:07 PM
I do agree with the argument about broadband capabilities (and the cable providers' choke-hold on it). That will be a big issue in the future, and it only goes to show once again the importance of net neutrality.

In an interesting side note to all of this, with the f8 announcements today it has been announced that Netflix will be integrated into Facebook in 44 countries so you can watch movies that your friends are watching. Except in the US.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: RegularKarate on September 22, 2011, 03:41:41 PM
...and MY point was that you were losing the special features anyway.  It's more the studios doing than Netflix though.
I guess I'd be a little more upset if I felt a need to watch special features on movies I rent.  I never want to watch special features unless I buy a movie anyway.  I've hardly got time for that shit unless I really love a movie and then I'm just going to probably buy it anyway.

I still think it's funny that you keep jumping to your only other option being "blind buying" a movie.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: Stefen on September 22, 2011, 05:02:44 PM
Quote from: RegularKarate on September 22, 2011, 03:41:41 PMI guess I'd be a little more upset if I felt a need to watch special features on movies I rent.

lol. Yeah, you would. You would be very upset if you enjoyed watching special features on movies you rent and now with Netflix essentially killing all video stores, they're now making moves to completely distance themselves from renting blu-ray discs with high quality sound, picture and special features in order to offer simply an inferior streaming product with no features whatsoever. As a matter of fact, you would be upset just like myself and countless others are.

I think you understand now.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: Stefen on September 22, 2011, 05:07:58 PM
Quote from: Sleepless on September 22, 2011, 02:43:07 PM
I do agree with the argument about broadband capabilities (and the cable providers' choke-hold on it). That will be a big issue in the future, and it only goes to show once again the importance of net neutrality.

Totally. Net neutrality is probably the single biggest dilemma facing this current digital age. If the broadband conglomerates are able to control how much bandwidth we use and how much we pay for it, it will be a disaster.

I don't see how the majority of people would let it happen. We saw it happen with mobile internet, but I think that's only because the product was so new that they were able to cap data usage and almost nobody even noticed or made an uproar about it. But with home internet and broadband, it's already settled in. People are already used to the way it is and the way it has been. Unlimited internet for a monthly fee. If people have to start watching how much they use the internet, heads will roll. Reddit would crash!

For those of you who do have tiered and capped internet bandwidth, how did it come about and how do you monitor it?
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: JG on September 22, 2011, 06:38:26 PM
SHOULDN'T
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: Jeremy Blackman on September 22, 2011, 10:59:46 PM
End of thread?
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: polkablues on September 22, 2011, 11:26:28 PM
At least until it's time for the "Qwikster: What Were We All Freaking Out About?" thread to start up.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: Pwaybloe on September 23, 2011, 03:29:37 PM
Netlix?  That must be the new Adults-Only spinoff. 
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: Sleepless on September 23, 2011, 04:39:46 PM
Quote from: wilderesque on September 23, 2011, 02:32:50 PM
Also, anyone else hearing the rumors that Amazon may acquire Netlix?

I hadn't heard anything, so I googled it. Found this (http://techland.time.com/2011/09/23/sell-netflix-to-amazon-that-might-be-crazy-enough-to-work/). Seems purely speculative at this point, although the guy makes some interesting arguments for it and adds another dimension to the whole need for Qwikster theories. However, there is absolutely no facts behind his speculations so far as I can tell. It could be interesting if it happened, and I would be inclined to say it could be in the best interests of consumers if such a deal did transpire, but it's all to vague at this point.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: Sleepless on September 26, 2011, 10:44:12 PM
Interesting blog (http://marcrandolph.com/2011/09/26/did-netflix-screw-up-i-dont-think-so/) by Marc Randolph, one of the original founders of Netflix (no longer with the company) on why it was the right decision to split the company. Stefen, you might not be happy to learn that he does indeed predict DVDs-by-mail are going to go much the same way as DVD-for-purchase. You remember when Netflix did that, right?
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: Stefen on September 27, 2011, 12:43:18 AM
Quote from: Sleepless on September 26, 2011, 10:44:12 PM
Interesting blog (http://marcrandolph.com/2011/09/26/did-netflix-screw-up-i-dont-think-so/) by Marc Randolph, one of the original founders of Netflix (no longer with the company) on why it was the right decision to split the company. Stefen, you might not be happy to learn that he does indeed predict DVDs-by-mail are going to go much the same way as DVD-for-purchase. You remember when Netflix did that, right?

So basically what he's saying is that it's a really good move for the financial bottom line of Netflix. That's pretty cool, I guess. But to be honest, I'm a customer and a consumer so I don't really give a shit about the financial bottom line of Netflix. It doesn't really matter to me if Netflix makes A LOT of money or a lot of money. I don't see why anyone who doesn't hold a financial interest in Netflix and is simply a customer, would be happy with, over the last 12 months, paying $9.99 a month for DVD by mail and streaming, to paying $8.99 a month for streaming and $8.99 a month for DVD by mail, and also having to use two separate websites with absolutely no integration whatsoever. But that's just me. Paying more for less just doesn't make sense to me.

But that's all fine and dandy. It sucks, but I'll pay it since I like the service, but the part that troubles me and pretty much confirms my fears are...

QuoteNot having to worry about compatibility between the services makes it infinitely easier to optimize every decision around the real prize, which is clearly streaming.

Well, that sucks. I don't really consider an inferior quality product with no special features "the real prize," but again, that's just me. And were people really having trouble with compatibility between the two options of content? I mean, was it really that difficult to decide if you wanted to rent the dvd disc, with all the features, or just stream it to your television, if available, and chances are, it wasn't? If people were really having a difficult time dealing with this, wouldn't it have been better to just optimize your website to where if someone is on the streaming only plan, they only see streaming content, and if someone is on only the DVD by mail plan, they only see DVD by mail content, and if someone was on both, they see both? That seems like a better solution to people not being smart enough to navigate a website. Oh, but that would force Netflix to keep around the DVD by mail part of their service, when they would much rather just spin it off into another separate company for easy dumping in case the going gets tough and they want to get rid of their customers who prefer quality and features, but don't want it to look bad for the Netflix name.

QuoteAre customers upset?  Undoubtedly.  And I'll be the 27,184th to say that the communications surrounding both the price increases and the Qwixter launch were ham-handed, tone-deaf, and have unquestionably damaged the brand.  But should fear of either of these things have prevented Netflix from taking this step and ensuring that their streaming service has every possible advantage going forward? Absolutely not.

Whoa -- slow down there, buddy. Sure, I guess if you only care about accessibility and getting a small dose of content as quickly as possible, however bare bones and crappy quality it is, then yeah, this is good news, but for a lot of us, we really care more about quality and features.

Basically, what he's saying is, you should be happy just ordering a pizza from Pizza Hut and having it delivered right to your kitchen table than you should be going out and dining in a fine Italian restaurant, where you're waited on by a server who reads to you whine list (basically what I'm doing now) and even offers you desert, all for the same price as the delivered, cold, basic pizza from Pizza Hut. Oh, and did I mention you can't even order the pizza you want? Nope. They only have a few choices and those are what you're stuck with.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: Sleepless on September 29, 2011, 04:54:42 PM
This may have been posted elsewhere. It probably has, but I just found out about it today (maybe I forgot I heard about it before, I dunno), but I wanted to mention it here since it ties in with much of the recent discussion. Netflix has bought/is producing the new David Fincher/Kevin Spacey drama House Of Cards (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1856010/), and have committed to a two season order. I think it's a move closer toward what I've talked about in the past (http://daitexas.wordpress.com/2011/09/19/my-lovehate-relationship-with-netflix/). Not necessarily the exclusive content shit, but the idea that Netflix and inevitably competing services will eventually take over from cable as the de facto source of home entertainment.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: Stefen on September 29, 2011, 07:01:56 PM
Quote from: Sleepless on September 29, 2011, 04:54:42 PM
This may have been posted elsewhere. It probably has, but I just found out about it today (maybe I forgot I heard about it before, I dunno), but I wanted to mention it here since it ties in with much of the recent discussion. Netflix has bought/is producing the new David Fincher/Kevin Spacey drama House Of Cards (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1856010/), and have committed to a two season order. I think it's a move closer toward what I've talked about in the past (http://daitexas.wordpress.com/2011/09/19/my-lovehate-relationship-with-netflix/). Not necessarily the exclusive content shit, but the idea that Netflix and inevitably competing services will eventually take over from cable as the de facto source of home entertainment.

^I hope so. Cable used to be awesome before it became too complicated.

Back in the day when you could actually channel surf and see what was on the channel was the bomb. You could just press up, up, up, up, up and up until you found something that looked interesting. And you always knew where your favorite channels were so you knew when you were getting close. That was the best way to discover cool stuff. When I was 12 I used to stay at my Grandmas house on the weekends because both my parents worked and I would sleep on the couch in the living room, but since I was a pussy, I was always scared of the dark so I would stay awake until the sun came up just watching TV and channel surfing. I remember channel surfing at 2am and seeing Vampire Hunter D on TBS. It was the greatest thing I had ever seen. I would have never watched it if I didn't accidentally stumble on it and see the violence it had. If I read the title Vampire Hunter D on a channel guide, I wouldn't checked it out.

Now, even the channel guides are complicated and they take FOREVER to navigate through. At least that's how it is on my moms DirecTV and my dads Comcast. You bring up the guide to see what's on and you click down and it takes 2 seconds to make the move, but you don't know that, so you click down again thinking it didn't register and before you know it you have skipped 5 channels, then gone back 4, then skipped 6 more, hop-scotched back 9. Eff it. Now, the only thing you have to go by is a title and a description and they're always written terribly and make no sense. Plus, there's a million channels that you don't even get and configuring your system to only show channels you get is virtually impossible so you have ESPN in the beginning around channel 137 then you have 100 PPV channels you have to skip over before getting to other channels, then you have all the movie channels that you may or may not get, then you have all kinds of weird channels that make no sense and just have like a random number and a code, then you have MTV, then 50 other channels who knows what the fuck they are, then Discovery, etc, etc.

I sound like the biggest hipster in this thread. Everything was better before.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: Pubrick on September 30, 2011, 12:26:37 AM
I think you miss your childhood.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: Ravi on September 30, 2011, 05:24:13 PM
I HATED having to look at the TV listing in the newspaper or wait for the Preview channel to finally land on whatever channels I was looking for. Now I can scroll through the channel guide to whatever channel and whatever time I want.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: Sleepless on October 05, 2011, 02:59:34 PM
Has anyone heard of VEOH.com before? Found it today after a random search for Godard's King Lear (http://bit.ly/qZFkBi). The whole damn film is up there to watch for free. Can't believe it. It's been years since I've seen it, and that was on a shitty VHS copy I can't even play anymore. Well chuffed. But anyway, anyone know anything about this site?
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: Pubrick on October 06, 2011, 02:25:19 AM
Quote from: Sleepless on October 05, 2011, 02:59:34 PM
Has anyone heard of VEOH.com before?

it seems that you can only watch 5 minutes of it unless you install some spam/malware bullshit.

there's millions of sites like this around. it's a trap.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: Sleepless on October 06, 2011, 12:48:33 PM
Yes, I saw that when I went back later. Fuckers.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: Sleepless on October 10, 2011, 08:39:57 AM
Stefen, your Monday just got a little better:

Ahh, July. We miss you so. The world was newer then, the air fresher, the people a little nicer, and there used to be something called Qwikster. Built as a solution to the heady problem of renting videos to people who still use optical media, Qwikster was supposed to be the part of Netflix that still slipped disks into little sleeves. Netflix proper, on the other hand, would simply stream videos over the Internet and never the twain would meet.

Writes Netflix:

    It is clear that for many of our members two websites would make things more difficult, so we are going to keep Netflix as one place to go for streaming and DVDs.

    This means no change: one website, one account, one password... in other words, no Qwikster.

That's right: Qwikster is dead. Netflix's CEO Reed Hastings says the plan was misguided and that this will be the last time they futz with the pricing in a long while. Considering no one could actually spell Qwikster (Quixter? Quickstor? Qkstr?) let alone cared enough to create two accounts, one for streaming and one for the occasional DVD, it was a fairly sly move on Netflix's part. I just wonder what pushed them over the edge? Low uptake? Feeling silly when they said the name? I have a line in at Netflix right now asking them but until then, revel in a world with one fewer standalone DVD rental service.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: RegularKarate on October 10, 2011, 09:35:28 AM
I just got an email from Netflix.  Congratulations, internet whiners, you won.


I actually mean that sincerely.  I'm glad it worked this time.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: Stefen on October 10, 2011, 01:49:57 PM
Good on Netflix to admit their mistake and fix it.  :bravo:
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: Bethie on October 13, 2011, 12:39:45 AM
Wonder Years now available to instantly stream on Netflix? Netflix, you're forgiven. :yabbse-thumbup:
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: ono on October 13, 2011, 08:58:31 AM
Awesome.  (The Wonder Years, if it was made today, would be based on the years 1991-1996.)  Amazon Prime also has it.  http://www.amazon.com/Pilot/dp/B005SH5H62/ref=sr_1_1?s=instant-video&ie=UTF8&qid=1318514219&sr=1-1
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: Reel on October 13, 2011, 10:04:23 AM
Quote from: ono on October 13, 2011, 08:58:31 AM
(The Wonder Years, if it was made today, would be based on the years 1991-1996.) 

Totally.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: Sleepless on October 27, 2011, 02:44:00 PM
Google Inc.'s YouTube is expected to announce as early as next week that it has signed a slew of partnerships with media companies and well-known personalities to produce original content for the popular video website, said people familiar with the matter.

Among the expected partners are major media companies such as IAC/InterActiveCorp.'s Electus, News Corp.'s ShineReveille unit, RTL Group's FremantleMedia Ltd., as well as skateboarding legend Tony Hawk and "CSI" creator Anthony Zuiker, other people familiar with the matter have said.



That was all I could get from the WSJ article because I don't subscribe. If anyone does, or has more info please share. This could be interesting.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: matt35mm on December 23, 2011, 04:27:07 PM
I don't think there's a Hulu thread and I didn't want to start one because I don't expect that we'll ever have any significant discussion about it. But, I wanted to share this deal. It's probably for U.S.A. only.

Free Hulu Plus for 3 months, if you've never signed up for Hulu Plus before:

http://www.hulu.com/plus/lg_offer

CODE: UIMZURU37X3U


They've got all the Criterions. I just did it and it's legit.


UPDATE: Code expired.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: Ghostboy on December 24, 2011, 01:32:35 AM
Damn, code didn't work.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: matt35mm on December 24, 2011, 09:53:46 AM
I think the code expired today, sorry! I didn't know when it would.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: Tictacbk on December 25, 2011, 06:33:21 PM
This is the first year in probably over 10 years that I didn't get any DVDs for christmas.  Netflix has won.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: Sleepless on April 11, 2012, 09:10:34 AM
How's the current streaming selection on Netflix right now? I did a search for a few titles on the non-member version of the site and it appears the ones I happened to look for are all available, but it's not clear if they're available in streaming or if just on DVD. I'm not going to ask anyone to check a list of films for me, just wondering if a current subscriber considers the library of streaming titles to be worth joining up again if  I'm looking primarily for releases within the past 6 months?
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: polkablues on April 11, 2012, 10:59:43 AM
I look at Netflix Streaming like checking out movies from the public library. If you go in looking for a specific title, you'll probably be disappointed. But if you go in just to browse, chances are you'll find something you feel like watching.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: Sleepless on April 11, 2012, 11:28:46 AM
That's how I treated it in the past, aside from occasionally getting into a TV show that had all episode of on there. So nothing has improved in the few months I've been away? Might consider trying out Blockbuster's new scheme for a while until things get better then... Might bridge the gap between Redbox's convenience and Netflix's DVD selection.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: Pwaybloe on April 11, 2012, 07:11:32 PM
Blockbuster's new scheme?  Are you referring to their package deal when you sign up for Dish Network?

If you are a Criterion fanatic, there's no better place than Hulu Plus. 
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: socketlevel on April 11, 2012, 08:17:55 PM
let's be honest with ourselves, 90% of the reason to buy criterion is to geek out and place them on our shelves (ordered by the spine #) so that we can occasionally look over and smile. The other 10% is to own or be introduced to a classic deemed so by an elitist company.

And I own a lot of them...

the last thing i would do is stream one.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: polkablues on April 11, 2012, 09:16:14 PM
There's not even a 1% that can be partitioned off to "movies are sometimes good to watch"?
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: Pwaybloe on April 11, 2012, 09:27:05 PM
Quote from: socketlevel on April 11, 2012, 08:17:55 PM
let's be honest with ourselves, 90% of the reason to buy criterion is to geek out and place them on our shelves (ordered by the spine #) so that we can occasionally look over and smile. The other 10% is to own or be introduced to a classic deemed so by an elitist company.

And I own a lot of them...

the last thing i would do is stream one.

Suit yourself.  However, I believe you have a misconception on the video quality.  It certainly meets or exceeds DVD quality.  Regretfully there are zero to minimum bonus features and no commentaries, which I really miss. 

Regardless, I have a selection of about 400+ movies I can choose from and stream anywhere for $8 per month (I'm currently streaming Ozu's "The Only Son" in a hotel room at 480p).  You could never get the speed or economy from a mail order service like Netflix and Blockbuster.  Also, in case you haven't checked lately, Criterion discs are rarely available anymore. 

If you just blind buy instead, well then I guess you are a moron that likes to "geek out and place them on our shelves (ordered by the spine #)..." 
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: O. on April 12, 2012, 03:55:17 AM
A professor of mine blind buys a lot of DVDs. In Blu-Ray, too. I asked him if he liked Meek's Cutoff or Uncle Boonme, and he hadn't seen either but had the DVDs for a while (months), both of these being movies I streamed. I could't imagine being like that. So much money.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: RegularKarate on April 12, 2012, 11:26:51 AM
Now days there is always something to watch on Netflix streaming and the quality is just getting better and better.

They just added Melancholia... if you want to get sad and angry today.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: mogwai on April 12, 2012, 02:20:37 PM
Quote from: RegularKarate on April 12, 2012, 11:26:51 AM
Now days there is always something to watch on Netflix streaming and the quality is just getting better and better.

They just added Melancholia... if you want to get sad and angry today.

Well, you get angry of how slow the first part is and how fucking sad the last part is. Spoiler?
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: Sleepless on April 12, 2012, 04:38:51 PM
Quote from: Pwaybloe on April 11, 2012, 07:11:32 PM
Blockbuster's new scheme?  Are you referring to their package deal when you sign up for Dish Network?

If you are a Criterion fanatic, there's no better place than Hulu Plus.

No, I mean their DVDs-by-mail/in store swap scheme. I hate Blockbuster, so it goes against everything I stand for, but it allows for the typical range of movies I'm trying to watch conveniently (e.g. Meek's Cutoff and X-Men: First Class). I'd prefer something which offered a board selection by streaming, but it doesn't seem such a thing is available for a low monthly subscription. I guess there's always a jailbroken Apple TV...
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: RegularKarate on April 12, 2012, 04:55:36 PM
That scheme is old.  Have fun getting frustrated with scratched discs and cropped movies.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: socketlevel on April 12, 2012, 08:28:36 PM
Quote from: RegularKarate on April 12, 2012, 11:26:51 AM
Now days there is always something to watch on Netflix streaming and the quality is just getting better and better.

They just added Melancholia... if you want to get sad and angry today.

well, in truth, netflix in Canada isn't what it is down south. The selection is horrible.

don't get me wrong I'd watch a film on netflix, I just think raving about criterion releases on hulu is missing the reason why that company is as big as it is. It's all based on a pretension; that i shamefully admit to falling for time and time again.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: Sleepless on April 12, 2012, 08:58:44 PM
Quote from: RegularKarate on April 12, 2012, 04:55:36 PM
That scheme is old.  Have fun getting frustrated with scratched discs and cropped movies.

Yeesh... You got a point. I guess I'll stick to Redbox, Mubi and occasional iTunes rental.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: mogwai on October 28, 2012, 02:35:58 PM
Some of y'all probably have heard that Sweden and other European countries also have Netflix now. I'm too lazy to browse through my question so apologises in advance. My question is that I saw a wee bit of "Outlaw Josey Wales" and the audio was a wee bit unsynced with what the characters said. Has that happened to anyone here? That unsynced business didn't feature with the other titles.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: Just Withnail on October 28, 2012, 02:52:29 PM
This happened to me as well today, in Norway. But it fixed itself during the viewing.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: classical gas on December 11, 2012, 10:20:11 PM
For those with netflix instant who are interested in the history of film, there's a documentary on there called 'The Story of Film: An Odyssey".  It's pretty informative and made by a critic from Ireland, so it doesn't focus solely on American cinema.  But it's broken down into 15 episodes, each one an hour, so it's pretty extensive.  It starts with the invention of film by Edison to present day, and the guy has no problem spoiling the movies he talks about.  Not everyone of course, but I now know how "The Phantom Carriage" and "Greed"(1924) end.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: polkablues on December 11, 2012, 10:29:48 PM
Having the ending of Greed spoiled is a vastly superior means to appreciating the film than is actually watching it.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: Pubrick on December 12, 2012, 01:25:44 AM
Quote from: polkablues on December 11, 2012, 10:29:48 PM
Having the ending of Greed spoiled is a vastly superior means to appreciating the film than is actually watching it.

No way, I LOVED sitting through countless minutes of "reconstructed" scenes played out via wild zooms and pans of a production still. Thrilling stuff.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: Frederico Fellini on December 12, 2012, 09:19:30 AM
Quote from: classical gas on December 11, 2012, 10:20:11 PM
For those with netflix instant who are interested in the history of film, there's a documentary on there called 'The Story of Film: An Odyssey".  It's pretty informative and made by a critic from Ireland, so it doesn't focus solely on American cinema.  But it's broken down into 15 episodes, each one an hour, so it's pretty extensive.  It starts with the invention of film by Edison to present day, and the guy has no problem spoiling the movies he talks about.  Not everyone of course, but I now know how "The Phantom Carriage" and "Greed"(1924) end.


That's my favorite film documentary EVER! Though, Mark cousins accent is so strong, sometimes I couldn't understand shit. But that documentary is amazing, 15 hours of great stuff. Many movies I had never even heard of and lots of little insides on certain directors and certain movies. Loved it, highly recommend it.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: wilder on February 01, 2013, 08:14:03 PM
How Netflix is turning viewers into puppets
"House of Cards" gives viewers exactly what Big Data says we want. This won't end well
BY ANDREW LEONARD
via Salon

I hit the pause button roughly one-third of the way through the first episode of "House of Cards," the political drama premiering on Netflix Feb. 1. By doing so, I created what is known in the world of Big Data as an "event" — a discrete action that could be logged, recorded and analyzed. Every single day, Netflix, by far the largest provider of commercial streaming video programming in the United States, registers hundreds of millions of such events. As a consequence, the company knows more about our viewing habits than many of us realize. Netflix doesn't know merely what we're watching, but when, where and with what kind of device we're watching. It keeps a record of every time we pause the action — or rewind, or fast-forward — and how many of us abandon a show entirely after watching for a few minutes.

Netflix might not know exactly why I personally hit the pause button — I was checking on my sick son, home from school with the flu — but if enough people pause or rewind or fast-forward at the same place during the same show, the data crunchers can start to make some inferences. Perhaps the action slowed down too much to hold viewer interest — bored now! — or maybe the plot became too convoluted. Or maybe that sex scene was just so hot it had to be watched again. If enough of us never end up restarting the show after taking a break, the inference could be even stronger: maybe the show just sucked.

In 2012, for the first time ever, Americans watched more movies legally delivered via the Internet than on physical formats like Blu-Ray discs or DVDs. The shift signified more than a simple switch in formats; it also marked a major difference in how much information the providers of online programming can gather about our viewing habits. Netflix is at the forefront of this sea change, a pioneer straddling the intersection where Big Data and entertainment media intersect. With "House of Cards," we're getting our first real glimpse at what this new world will look like.

For at least a year, Netflix has been explicit about its plans to exploit its Big Data capabilities to influence its programming choices. "House of Cards" is one of the first major test cases of this Big Data-driven creative strategy. For almost a year, Netflix executives have told us that their detailed knowledge of Netflix subscriber viewing preferences clinched their decision to license a remake of the popular and critically well regarded 1990 BBC miniseries. Netflix's data indicated that the same subscribers who loved the original BBC production also gobbled down movies starring Kevin Spacey or directed by David Fincher. Therefore, concluded Netflix executives, a remake of the BBC drama with Spacey and Fincher attached was a no-brainer, to the point that the company committed $100 million for two 13-episode seasons.

"We know what people watch on Netflix and we're able with a high degree of confidence to understand how big a likely audience is for a given show based on people's viewing habits," Netflix communications director Jonathan Friedland told Wired in November. "We want to continue to have something for everybody. But as time goes on, we get better at selecting what that something for everybody is that gets high engagement."

The strategy has advantages that go beyond the assumption of built-in popularity. Netflix also believes it can save big on marketing costs because Netflix's recommendation engine will do all the heavy lifting. Already, Netflix claims that 75 percent of its subscribers are influenced by what Netflix suggests to subscribers that they will like.

"We don't have to spend millions to get people to tune into this," Steve Swasey, Netflix's V.P. of corporate communications, told GigaOm last March. "Through our algorithms we can determine who might be interested in Kevin Spacey or political drama and say to them, 'You might want to watch this.'"

And maybe we will. Early reviews for "House of Cards" are promising. It will be fascinating to find out how many people gorge themselves on all 13 episodes this upcoming weekend. (Netflix data shows that's how we like to consume our TV series now — in great gulps and marathons — so that's how it will give them to us.) But one does end up wondering: What will the Big Data approach mean for the creative process? If Netflix perfects the job of giving us exactly what we want, when and how will we be exposed to things that are new and different, the movies and TV shows we would never imagine we might like unless given the chance? Can the auteur survive in an age when computer algorithms are the ultimate focus group? And just how many political dramas starring Kevin Spacey can we stand, anyway?

The scope of the data collected by Netflix from its 29 million streaming video subscribers is staggering. Every search you make, every positive or negative rating you give to what you just watched, is piped in along with ratings data from third-party providers like Nielsen. Location data, device data, social media references, bookmarks. Every time a viewer logs on he or she needs to be authenticated. Every movie or TV show also has its own associated licensing data. The logistics involved with handling every bit of information generated by Netflix viewers — and making sense of it — are pure geek wizardry.

Netflix doesn't just know that you are more likely to be watching a thriller on Saturday night than on Monday afternoon, but it also knows what you are more likely to be watching on your tablet as compared to your phone or laptop; or what people in a particular ZIP code like to watch on their tablets on a Sunday afternoon. Netflix even tracks how many people start tuning out when the credits start to roll.

Correlating the raw numbers of Kevin Spacey fans who also like David Fincher and have a fondness for British political dramas is just the beginning. Netflix knows enough about what you are watching to judge specific aspects of content as well. Last summer senior data scientist Mohammad Sabah reported at a conference that Netflix was capturing specific screen shots to analyze in-the-moment viewing habits, and the company was "looking to take into account other characteristics."

What could those characteristics be? GigaOm's report of the Sabah presentation speculated that "it could make a lot of sense to consider things such as volume, colors and scenery that might give valuable signals about what viewers like."

Netflix chief content officer Ted Sarandos has said that all that data means that Netflix has a very "addressable audience." Unlike the traditional broadcast networks or cable companies, Netflix doesn't have to rely on shoveling content out into the wild and finding out after the fact what audiences want or don't want. They believe they already know.

Of course, data-centric decisions don't guarantee hit-making success. Kevin Spacey's participation isn't bulletproof (see "Fred Claus") and even David Fincher can't claim a perfect record. ("Alien 3," anyone?) Netflix's ambition to challenge HBO as a destination for quality original programming will require fabulous craftsmanship to go along with the Big Data filters. All the Big Data in the world can't rule out, once and for all, the possibility of a bomb.

But that goes without saying. The interesting and potentially troubling question is how a reliance on Big Data might funnel craftsmanship in particular directions. What happens when directors approach the editing room armed with the knowledge that a certain subset of subscribers are opposed to jump cuts or get off on gruesome torture scenes or just want to see blow jobs. Is that all we'll be offered? We've seen what happens when news publications specialize in just delivering online content that maximizes page views. It isn't always the most edifying spectacle. Do we really want creative decisions about how a show looks and feels to be made according to an algorithm counting how many times we've bailed out of other shows?

For years Netflix has been analyzing what we watched last night to suggest movies or TV shows that we might like to watch tomorrow. Now it is using the same formula to prefabricate its own programming to fit what it thinks we will like. Isn't the inevitable result of this that the creative impulse gets channeled into a pre-built canal?

It's certainly possible to overstate the case here. One could argue that Netflix's strategy is only a slightly more sophisticated version of what's already been in place for, well, forever. We wouldn't be seeing teenage vampires or zombies every time we turn on the TV if the money that bankrolls the content creation business hadn't already decided that's what we want to see. Actors who have the fortune to appear in hit movies or TV show get more parts to play. So what else is new?

But there's a level of specificity made possible by Big Data that suggests we're headed into new territory. "House of Cards" is just one symptom of a society-wide shift. The Obama campaign used the same kind of number crunching to target voters with more accuracy than any political campaign had ever accomplished before. Online advertisers are also gathering vast amounts of detailed information about us from our smartphones, our Facebook likes and our Google searches.

The sheer amount of data available to crunch is already phenomenal and is growing at an extraordinary rate. Last summer, at a panel discussion that included several significant players in the emerging Big Data universe, Michael Karasick, a V.P. at IBM Research, estimated that there is "a thousand exabytes of data on the planet anywhere." An exabyte is one quintillion bytes, or one billion gigabytes. That's a lot of ones and zeroes all by itself, but the mind-boggling part of the equation is that Karasick predicted that just two years from now there will be 9,000-10,000 exabytes of data on the planet.

The companies that figure out how to generate intelligence from that data will know more about us than we know ourselves, and will be able to craft techniques that push us toward where they want us to go, rather than where we would go by ourselves if left to our own devices. I'm guessing this will be good for Netflix's bottom line, but at what point do we go from being happy subscribers, to mindless puppets?
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: Sleepless on February 04, 2013, 10:57:23 AM
As interesting as that article was, I got maybe 2/3 of the way through. For those who likewise didn't bother to read: in short, Netflix is deciding what TV shows to produce based on analytics. Lots of people who watched the original 1990 version of House of Cards also watches loads of movies starring Kevin Spacey as well as those directed by David Fincher, which is why they decided to get both involved in a remake.

This is off topic, but something I've been reading a lot about in the past couple of weeks, all of which has been published around the House of Cards release... Basically, there is a lot of collective head scratching going on concerning how on Earth Netflix can sustain itself going forwards. Anyone who is a subscriber knows that their movie library is increasingly pitiful. I cancelled my subscription about a year ago, and am back on thanks to the offer of a second free trial. Less than half the movies in my queue are no longer available instantly. I can't think of a single title I've searched for which is available instantly. It seems to me that Netflix is focused more on TV than movies, and it seems that's going to continue.

The problem for Netflix is that they themselves are saying that people like to have marathon TV sessions. I can understand it that some people might feel $8/month is a good deal if your plan is to watch every episode of Cheers over the course of a few weeks, then go straight into the entire run of Frasier, then Third Rock from the Sun... But it seems to me to be a cycle of diminishing returns which seems unsustainable. When my current free trial ends in a couple of weeks, I'm going to be quitting Netflix again. Yes, I'll pay my $8 when the new Arrested Development eps are up, but I'll cancel again without hesitation.

We've all moan about this before - that the once great Netflix - a mecca for cinephiles - is not what it once was. I think instant streaming is great, and it would be stupid to argue that's not the way of the future. The problem is that there really doesn't seem to be any alternative out there. I know there's Vudu and Hulu, and the new Redbox streaming service - but there's nowhere that offers both latest mainstream releases AND older/offbeat/indie/arthouse/foreign films is there? Maybe this is the future of a la carte programming. Except instead of paying Netflix for all kinds of movies, TV shows and sports events, we're going to have to pay several different companies, making our expenses the same as for a premium cable package right now. That sucks.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: Pwaybloe on February 04, 2013, 09:44:24 PM
I'm a big fan of Hulu Plus, which pulled me in with the Criterion Collection.  I was getting fed up with Netflix and Blockbuster having long lead times on Criterion movies I wanted to see, so I switched and have been happy with their service.  Non-Criterion cinematic gems pop up on Hulu Plus every once in a while like, "The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover", "Tie Me Up, Tie Me Down", "The 39 Steps", "The Gospel According to St. Matthew", and "Dead Man" which are all still currently listed.  However, there is a lot of useless content that either caters to a specific demographic or something Hulu found for a bargain and decided to upload it.  You will need to be patient and filter out the best you can.

For new releases I have to see, I rely on Redbox.  It typically suits most of my needs, but you're right that it is impossible to find all that Netflix could offer.  The problem is that Netflix just can't or won't rise to their full potential. 
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: Sleepless on February 05, 2013, 10:05:36 AM
Yes, I think the way forward is going to have to be to try to find the best "non-mainstream" (sheesh, that sounds terrible) movie service, then rely on Redbox for the latest releases stuff. I'll have to spend some more time browsing HuluPlus and maybe give them a try.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: Reel on February 10, 2013, 01:45:58 PM
Quote from: classical gas on December 11, 2012, 10:20:11 PM
For those with netflix instant who are interested in the history of film, there's a documentary on there called 'The Story of Film: An Odyssey".  It's pretty informative and made by a critic from Ireland
Quote from: Freddie on December 12, 2012, 09:19:30 AMThat's my favorite film documentary EVER! Though, Mark cousins accent is so strong, sometimes I couldn't understand shit.


Oh my god, most annoying narration EVER! I'm sure this doc is very interesting, but it's too bad I'll never get to see it because it's 15 hours long and I can't even make it through this 2 minute clip:


Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: Frederico Fellini on February 11, 2013, 09:18:39 AM
Quote from: Reelist on February 10, 2013, 01:45:58 PM

Oh my god, most annoying narration EVER! I'm sure this doc is very interesting, but it's too bad I'll never get to see it because it's 15 hours long and I can't even make it through this 2 minute clip:



Do like I did and put subtitles on it. Yeah it's 15 hours but it's 15 hours well spent... if you love Cinema.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: Reel on April 02, 2013, 08:59:26 PM
Question:


So, I'm one of those dudes who scrolls through every category on Instant streaming, taking note of everything I want to watch ( I even scrawl it down on a piece of paper- with all the horror titles it looks like a serial killer manifesto ) but every once in awhile when I search for something  I notice stuff I never would've found on there in a million years. Does Netflix's configuring it's library for my 'tastes' conflict with it allowing me to access the whole catalogue?  Just wonderin'...
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: RegularKarate on April 03, 2013, 11:41:46 AM
I don't know what you mean. Are you asking if Netflix won't allow you to see movies it doesn't think you will like?

I subscribe to the NetFlix RSS feed so anytime they add a title, I get a notice... it's a good way to keep track of new shit. Once a month you have to scroll through a ton of titles, but it doesn't really take all that long to pass over stuff you know you don't care about.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: polkablues on April 03, 2013, 06:26:30 PM
I know what he's talking about. I feel like I can spend all day browsing and get a sense for everything that's available in whatever genre, then I'll be searching for a specific actor or director or something, and you find out all these other movies are available that never showed up while browsing. I definitely get the sense they will limit what you find while browsing to whatever their sneaky little algorithms think you'll be interested in.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: Reel on April 03, 2013, 09:00:33 PM
Quote from: polkablues on April 03, 2013, 06:26:30 PM
I know what he's talking about. I feel like I can spend all day browsing and get a sense for everything that's available in whatever genre, then I'll be searching for a specific actor or director or something, and you find out all these other movies are available that never showed up while browsing. I definitely get the sense they will limit what you find while browsing to whatever their sneaky little algorithms think you'll be interested in.

right on polkster, we gotta figure out how to hack the system!
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: Jeremy Blackman on April 19, 2013, 05:30:36 PM
I'm sure this has been mentioned before, but I was reviewing my Taste Preferences in Netflix and a few of the categories they've been inclined to offer are completely bonkers:

Cool Moustaches
Monkeys
Mexican Sexy Comedies

E: Research reveals that the "Cool Moustaches" category was created to celebrate Movember. That's disappointing.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: Jeremy Blackman on April 20, 2013, 11:10:52 AM
Actually I was relieved to find that those categories had not been selected for me. But I'm thinking about it.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: wilder on April 23, 2013, 11:43:39 PM
Netflix Eyes Profitable Disc Rental Future (http://www.homemediamagazine.com/rental/netflix-eyes-profitable-disc-rental-future-30239)
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: wilder on May 14, 2013, 11:39:47 AM
Netflix makes changes to public API after "Streamageddon" backlash
via PaidContent

Figuring out which titles are going expire soon on Netflix just got a lot harder: The company changed its public API Monday night to prevent this information from popping up on third-party websites.

Netflix made some changes to its public API Monday night that make it harder to figure out which movies are going to be taken off the service. The company will no longer provide the expiration date of movies through its API, which will mean that third-party tools like Instantwatcher.com's Expiring Soon on Instant list will stop working.

"With the frequent, often last minute, changes in content flow the title expiration data available through our API has been inaccurate, so we have decided to no longer publish this information," a Netflix spokesperson said via email. The company's Director of Engineering – API Daniel Jacobson reiterated this point in a post on the company's developer blog, adding that members will still be able to find the expiration date for each movie or TV show episode on the title's web page.

The move will likely impact a number of third-party services, and comes two months after Netflix essentially closed its public API to all newcomers. Back in March, Netflix said that it was no longer issuing new API keys because the way the company was changing the API had changed: Initially meant to enable third-party apps, Netflix's API has been playing a key component for the technology behind the company's streaming service.

Restrictions to public APIs have been a common pattern for companies like Netflix and Twitter in recent months, but it looks like there may have been another reason for Monday's changes: Netflix took a number of titles off its catalog in early May, leading some publications to write about "the great Netflix Instant vanishing of 2013" or even a "Streamageddon purge."

Not all of those stories were completely accurate. Some reported a number of 2000 titles disappearing, but Deadline put the number close to 1000. And reports that Warner was pulling titles off of Netflix to power its own streaming service were quickly denied by the studio.

Netflix clearly wasn't happy about all that streamageddon talk. Now it looks like it pulled the plug on another part of its API to prevent us from freaking out in the future — like at the end of the month, when a number of Viacom shows are set to disappear from the service.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: wilder on July 18, 2013, 01:06:04 AM
Why is Netflix secretly cropping movies? (http://flavorwire.com/404511/why-is-netflix-secretly-cropping-movies)
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: polkablues on July 18, 2013, 01:21:39 AM
My suspicion is that Netflix isn't doing a thing themselves, but the content providers are providing them with cropped versions of these movies. Which is a problem in itself, but people shouldn't jump all over Netflix for it.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: wilder on July 22, 2013, 11:51:37 PM
Netflix to Expand Beyond Series Into Original Documentaries, Stand-Up Comedy Specials
by Todd Spangler
via Variety

Netflix is moving to mimic HBO even more closely: The Internet streaming service's execs said they will widen the original programming beyond TV series to include documentaries as well as stand-up comedy specials.

"Over the last six months, our move into original programming has begun to redefine Netflix in the eyes of consumers," CEO Reed Hastings and CFO David Wells said in a letter to shareholders discussing second quarter results.

In terms of relative size, about 5% of Netflix's approximately $3 billion in content library net book value is for originals. That ratio could increase to 10% to 15% in the years ahead, Netflix chief content officer Ted Sarandos said at a recent investor conference.

Down the road, Netflix's originals initiative will include "broadly appealing feature documentaries" and stand-up comedy specials. "Netflix has become a big destination for fans of these much loved and often under-distributed genres," Hastings and Wells said.

etflix is still buzzing from garnering 14 Primetime Emmy nominations last week, with "House of Cards" earning nine nominations — including Outstanding Drama — while "Arrested Development" notched three, and thriller "Hemlock Grove" landed two.

"We couldn't be more proud and pleased for the series creators, actors, composers, designers and others who are being recognized by their peers for the excellence of their storytelling on Netflix," Hastings and Wells said.

Netflix has not disclosed any viewing metrics associated with specific shows. The company gauges success of each original title "by looking at viewing-to-date and estimated future viewing, relative to cost," the execs said.

So far, Netflix has ordered second seasons of its initial four projects — "Lilyhammer," "House of Cards," "Hemlock Grove" and "Orange Is the New Black," which the streamer picked up for a second run before the first season debuted. Netflix is in discussions with the cast of "Arrested Development" for a fifth season.

Later this month, Netflix will premiere "Mako Mermaids," a series aimed at teen audiences, followed by Ricky Gervais series "Derek," season two of "Lilyhammer," and "Turbo: F.A.S.T. (Fast Action Stunt Team)," its first animated original from DreamWorks Animation.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: polkablues on July 23, 2013, 12:35:57 AM
This reminds me, I've been watching Orange Is the New Black and it's pretty great. If you liked Weeds in the early years, before it went off the rails, chances are you'll like it. Same proportion of humor and pathos.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: ono on September 25, 2013, 03:34:22 PM
http://criterioncast.com/netflix/

Maybe this has been mentioned before, maybe not.  But this's a list of all the currently-streaming Criterion movies on Netflix.  So for those that complain that Netflix lacks a quality selection of movies, I hear you.  Maybe this will help.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: Reel on September 25, 2013, 03:49:56 PM
I wish there was a giant list of text with every netflix title, so I didn't have to scroll thru page after page of cover art.. I swear to god, there are hundreds of movies that they don't even place under any category.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: ono on September 25, 2013, 03:51:49 PM
Agreed.  And I'm slightly annoyed as well that they removed the option to put a move that you've just added to your queue (now called My List -- ugh) to the top.  I don't get why they're dumbing things down.  Oh wait, of course I do: to make things more palatable for the masses.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: Reel on October 11, 2013, 07:13:21 PM
just sitting here trying to enjoy my evening watching some netflix and the bitch keeps buffering on me. It's been doing this for the past few weeks! What the fuck is wrong with my router?
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: Sleepless on November 05, 2013, 01:48:23 PM
The Movie Deal Netflix Wants to Make — And It's Not Day-and-Date

Ted Sarandos wants to secure rights to films hot on the heels of their theatrical bows.


"Why not premiere movies on Netflix the same day they're opening in theaters?" Ted Sarandos posited in a keynote speech at the recent Film Independent Forum.

The streaming service's chief content officer stopped short of saying he was actually pursuing such an arrangement, but make no mistake, this was no hypothetical. Sarandos is actively seeking a deal to secure financing for at least one, if not an entire slate of films budgeted well above indie levels, according to sources.

While releasing those titles day-and-date with cinemas would be a tall order, Sarandos wants them 45 days or even 30 days after their theatrical bow.

Netflix declined comment.

That may be a tough get, considering exhibitors are not likely to relax their long-held hard line against anything that encroaches on their exclusive release window, which enables theaters to play movies for at least 90 days before they can be seen on other platforms.

Sarandos clearly understands that, and isn't happy about theater owners' intractability. He accused them of stifling innovation, warning that "not only are they going to kill theaters — they might kill movies," a broadside that is drawing an equally vociferous response from exhibitors.

"It's my opinion that if we do not keep the windows as they are, theaters won't have a chance," said Larry Allen, president and CEO of Allen Theaters, a 108-screen circuit based in New Mexico. Sarandos' proposal would "put us out of business," he added.

A week after floating the day-and-date notion, Sarandos struck a very different tone on the idea, though he still held out the possibility of getting into the theatrical game.

"I wasn't calling for day-and-date with Netflix," he said in an appearance at a Bloomberg event Nov. 4. "I was calling to move all the windows up to get closer to what the consumer wants."

While insiders say it's unlikely Netflix could surmount the significant obstacles that stand in the way of altering traditional windows, they acknowledge it's not impossible. The streaming service may represent the best hope for reviving what's been called premium VOD, a prospect that is starting to seem newly enticing after an overcrowded summer hurt the longevity of pictures like "World War Z" and "Man of Steel."

Sources privy to Sarandos' thinking say he is encouraged by how original TV programming has moved the needle for Netflix, and frustrated by the lack of demand on the service for movie titles supplied through various output deals with companies like Relativity and the Weinstein Co. He's hoping that by accelerating the windows on certain titles he can work the same magic with movies that he has with TV hits like "House of Cards." It's unclear whether he intends to charge Netflix subscribers a separate fee on top of the $7.99 a month they currently pay.

In his original speech, Sarandos suggested going day-and-date on a "big" movie, though how expensive a production he's really talking about is another murky matter. While indie films often go the route of VOD day-and-date release — and in many cases, even pre-theatrical release — "big" to the Netflix chief likely means movies that are in the $15 million-$30 million range, where the proceeds from foreign pre-sales alone can considerably mitigate risk.

Given its own reluctance for deficit financing even with its TV properties, Netflix would almost certainly have to partner with a secondary source of financing that shares the company's appetite for risk-taking to leverage such a plan.

Collapsing release windows continue to be such a hot-button topic in Hollywood that studio executives are loath to address it on the record for fear of offending exhibitors, their longtime partners in shared box office revenue. John Fithian, the president of National Assn. of Theater Owners, refused to be interviewed for this story.

Major studios don't have reason to engage in conversations with Netflix yet, but Netflix may need a studio on its side in order to gain leverage and credibility on the issue. If the streaming service were to go forward and produce films on its own, movie theaters likely would balk at showing them. Larger chains such as AMC Theaters and Regal Cinemas don't show films that are released on VOD the same day as theatrical.

"I think there would have been a better chance at that prior to (Sarandos') keynote address," quipped Tim League, CEO and founder of Alamo Drafthouse Cinemas, an indie chain with screens in Texas and New York. "If it were a good movie we thought we'd have an audience for, we'd play it. We've had great success with some VOD titles."

But some studio execs are privately cheering for Netflix even as they concede the company's odds are slim of gaining traction on shrinking windows.

The studios feel that Netflix may be the best partner available for premium VOD, because while pay-TV distributors' VOD platforms play second banana to their linear channels, Netflix has a proven ability to drive eyeballs to an on-demand attraction.

Some say they saw all along that Sarandos was talking a big game on day-and-date, and add he might really be aiming for getting a title after 30 or 45 days in theaters, the latter period reserved for hotel-based VOD, where top titles can go for $20 per rental.

While exhibitors don't want the time new releases spend exclusively in theaters curtailed, a 45-day window would also inflame outlets that typically get the homevideo window to themselves, whether that's Walmart or Apple's iTunes.

Since the studios have never been willing to experiment, there's no research on the effect a more compressed window would have on a film's lifetime cume.

According to Doug Stone, president of Box Office Analyst, 96% of theatrical box office for wide release films this year has come from the first six weeks (or 42 days) of a movie's wide release, up from 93.9% in 2006. The average window is still 120 days, and many agree with Sarandos that there's no good reason to keep films away from consumers' homes for so long.

"Whether (the 90-day window is) worth fighting for is still a question in my mind," says Stone. "Everybody predicted the doom of theatergoing when videotapes were out and permeating the market. What happened is box office kept increasing, and there was more funding for the production of films."

In the end, Netflix may just make a theatrical deal by going the traditional route, said Stone, debuting new movies in theaters like everybody else. "This is a business," he added. "It's not a philosophical argument."

Source: Variety (http://variety.com/2013/biz/news/netflix-to-preem-movies-the-same-day-they-bow-in-theaters-1200796130/)
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: classical gas on December 17, 2013, 06:00:42 PM
Not sure if anyone has tried this (I just did) but if you download this app from the Chrome store called Hola you can watch UK netflix.  You download the app, go to the settings and unblock netflix.  Then you go to netflix UK (in the google search it'll say "programmes" in the description) and then click on the Hola icon and click "not working", then you switch to the UK flag and get access.  It's apparently legal and safe and you can watch the final episodes of Breaking Bad.  I also saw The Hobbit and 50/50 on there, but didn't go beyond that.  Anyone had any trouble with this because it seems to work just fine.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: Jeremy Blackman on January 19, 2014, 06:20:26 PM
Hey by the way, net neutrality is dead. Guess not enough people cared about it.

This is expected to have huge consequences for Netflix. Prices will probably go up...


http://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2014/01/15/netflix-net-neutrality-costs/4491117/
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: Sleepless on January 20, 2014, 09:43:44 AM
Richard Branson or someone needs to come along and introduce a completely new solution for people who want high-speed internet without having to go through the cable companies. The sooner the better.

It seems Netflix (and HBO, AMC) is continuing to change how the larger TV industry goes about doing things:

From The Guardian (http://www.theguardian.com/media/media-blog/2014/jan/19/broadcasters-us-drop-pilot-tv-shows)

QuoteWhat is the best way to pick a winning TV show? For decades in the US broadcast industry the answer has been a creative "running of the bulls" known as pilot season. It starts now with a script frenzy and ends in the autumn when the new shows air and are either lauded and recommissioned into television eternity, killed instantly, or limp along for two or three seasons before dying a silent and unremarkable death.

This cycle, which seems absurd when set against how people actually consume television, not to mention its attendant costs – estimated at $300m-$400m a year – is now coming to an end. Last week Fox announced it was giving up on pilot season in favour of the radical practice of "commissioning television all year round". On the face of it this is a minor and very dull adjustment in how broadcast business is done. On a deeper level, however, it marks part of a fundamental shift in how all commercial creative processes and production cycles are shifting to be more synchronised with the habits of the audience.

Until now pilot season has been seen as an efficient way to identify the best programmes. However, two things have disrupted this cycle: the success cable networks like HBO, AMC and Showtime have achieved without investing in pilots, and the data-driven commissioning approach of Netflix and Amazon, which takes the tens of millions of "interactions" between viewers and programmes and turns them into a basis for sorting out promising ideas. Breaking Bad came from an established creative team, its creator Vince Gilligan had access to commissioners others might not, but he credits Netflix with fostering an ardent but small fanbase which talked about and shared the show at a time when its ratings alone would have killed it. While broadcast networks were schmoozing advertisers, Netflix has been refining how it helps television and film viewers find what they want. In a brilliant piece of exploratory technology journalism, the Atlantic writer Alexis Madrigal and Georgia Tech professor Ian Bogost recently took apart the Netflix algorithmic box of tricks which delivers more than 76,000 different types of viewing experience to its subscribers. The company has been open about how, by placing its personalised "genre categories" such as "drama with a strong female lead" in front of viewers, it generates loyalty and more viewing. As Madrigal notes in his piece, the amazing wealth of data "can't tell them how to make a TV show, but it can tell them what they should be making". A sterile creative process which reinforces formulaic repetition? Or a system which can produce series such as House of Cards or Orange Is the New Black that have freshened up the possibilities for US television and invaded awards season?

These shows might not be delivering the numbers of mainstream broadcast hits, but to apply the same measurement to such a radically different experience and business model would be unfair. Recent audience studies in the US have suggested that streaming of television is now second only to live TV, and while the majority of TV viewers envisage themselves buying an internet-enabled television at some point, fewer than a quarter now would watch shows on DVD.

Television executives, like newspaper executives before them, are an endangered species. The combination of "taste" on a human level with the incredible datasets gathered by platforms like Netflix embodies the new blend of talent and numbers that will set viewing patterns everywhere in the future. It is not at all surprising that crude rituals like pilot season are dying – it is more of a surprise that the riches of broadcast television have allowed them to last until now.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: Sleepless on January 21, 2014, 04:48:24 PM
From Variety: (http://variety.com/2014/digital/news/would-amazon-use-over-the-top-tv-as-a-loss-leader-for-e-commerce-1201066139/)

Amazon.com — which has disrupted book publishing and retailing, among other industries — now may be looking to rattle the cages of the pay-TV biz.

The e-commerce colossus has approached entertainment companies about licensing TV channels for a broadband-delivered service, the Wall Street Journal reported. Amazon did not respond to a request for comment.

Amazon has the potential to "massively disrupt the TV ecosystem" with a service that could be run at essentially zero margin, Janney Capital Markets analysts Tony Wible and Murali Sankar wrote in a research note last week.

SEE ALSO: Verizon Buys Intel's Internet TV Unit, and Telco Plans to Launch Virtual TV Services

"Today's MVPDs (multichannel video programming distributors) are designed to generate a profit but there is ample room for new companies to run at a lower margin or in the case of AMZN price at cost to generate revenue from the sale of merchandise sold through the TV," the analysts speculated.

Amazon is uniquely positioned to enter the pay-TV business, the analysts said, because it already operates a large technology infrastructure — Amazon Web Services, which Netflix uses to deliver Internet video — and has a massive global consumer base of 224 million consumers.

Last year, Amazon was reported to be developing a set-top box – which would presumably serve as a delivery mechanism for a linear TV service designed to compete with cable, satellite and telco TV services.

Word that Amazon is seeking TV deals for a virtual pay-TV service comes as Intel announced a deal to sell its own broadband-based television unit to Verizon Communications in a deal worth around $200 million, according to sources. Verizon says the Intel Media acquisition will let it accelerate development of over-the-top services. Sony, meanwhile, said this month it intends to launch a test of an Internet TV service in 2014. Others reported to be interested in the concept include Google and Apple.

If Amazon launched an over-the-top TV services, networks — especially premium networks like HBO, Showtime, and Starz — would benefit from an Amazon over-the-top service while traditional cable and satellite operators would risk losing video subs, the Janney analysts said.

Amazon may also use a virtual pay-TV service to rally political support against usage-based billing by broadband providers, which also sell TV service. For Amazon, a virtual cable TV product "may be needed to protect AWS (Amazon Web Services) from a looming battle over Usage Based Billing (UBB) of Internet data," Wible and Sankar wrote.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: Sleepless on March 21, 2014, 12:35:15 PM
Surprised no-one has mentioned Popcorn Time (http://techcrunch.com/tag/popcorn-time/) here yet given all the media attention it's gotten over the past couple of weeks. Anyone tried it? Any other thoughts or comments?
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: jenkins on March 21, 2014, 03:47:30 PM
hadn't heard about this. it took me a week to find out about Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, that's how news savvy i am

let me short/sweet this:
i don't pirate movies
other people i know pirate movies, then we watch them together
so i'm into it
i downloaded this, i didn't do something right, it's not working
dangit
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: Mel on March 21, 2014, 04:49:09 PM
Quote from: Sleepless on March 21, 2014, 12:35:15 PM
Surprised no-one has mentioned Popcorn Time (http://techcrunch.com/tag/popcorn-time/) here yet given all the media attention it's gotten over the past couple of weeks. Anyone tried it? Any other thoughts or comments?

Because it is torrent all the way down? So you either not interested in that at all or you're at least familiar with it already. Commentary about how Hollywood and model of distribution used by it is backward is interesting, but it is hardly a novelty. Hollywood is own biggest enemy in this battle.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: Neil on March 22, 2014, 10:12:23 AM
Thanks mel for clearing it all up.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: jenkins on May 07, 2014, 03:01:37 PM
wilder,
maybe other people,
maybe someone,

there are a bunch of 50s american-culture b-movies that have appeared on netflix streaming and i want to watch all of them:
(https://xixax.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FGnNZKI7.png&hash=b5ee4d9ce0ba726c2d4be874a3d1e24114c871de)
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: wilder on May 07, 2014, 04:25:06 PM
Cool now I just need _time_
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: jenkins on May 07, 2014, 06:50:27 PM
watched high school hellcats and found it astonishing. its 50s crime-movie qualities are social complexities and repercussions, with a female teenager twist. this is 1 of 5 from the director that year, 1958, and the teens are being bad and fascinating in ways that feel aligned toward future john waters.

hope the netflix programmer who brought these in gets a promotion. great remembrances of social/cultural/cinematic history

watching more
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: wilder on May 07, 2014, 07:56:44 PM
Sounds like a fun ride - maybe next week
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: 03 on May 08, 2014, 02:47:11 AM
vice raid and so young so bad are really really great. the others i didnt care for, but just my opinion they sucked ass.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: polkablues on May 08, 2014, 01:37:04 PM
I can't decide if the girl on the cover of So Young, So Bad looks more like Carey Mulligan or Taylor Swift.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: Sleepless on June 07, 2014, 11:41:14 AM
The strangest thing is happening...

My four year old keeps watching these Leapfrog movies on Netflix on our Apple TV. Each time he watches one, another becomes available to watch. I thought he was making it up at first, but sure enough it's true. First thing this morning there were 7 movies. He watched one, it went back to the Leapfrog page and there were 8. He watched another. Now there are 9. It's so bizarre.

Has anyone else experienced something like this with Netflix before? I'm just scratching my head here. I think it might be to do with him choosing shows by navigating through the characters in the kids section. Not a big deal, just find it weird.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: polkablues on June 07, 2014, 12:38:50 PM
My guess is it's something to do with their browsing algorithm, where they don't show you everything that's available, just a cross-section of what the computers think you might want to watch based on past viewing. Presumably, as your kid watches more of these things, it's gradually adjusting the formula to let the system know, "Hey, maybe he would want to watch even more of these." Weird way for it to do it, though.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: Sleepless on June 07, 2014, 01:12:54 PM
Quite possible. The Netflix algorithm is a fucking head-scratcher.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: wilder on October 02, 2014, 01:04:57 PM
Netflix Strikes Exclusive Four Picture Deal With Adam Sandler, David O. Russell Will Make Two Films With Annapurna
via The Playlist

Netflix are certainly getting aggressive this week. First the company announced a day and date release of the "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" sequel, and this evening the streaming video company announced another bold move with with respect to original movie programming: a four-picture deal with Adam Sandler. Sandler will star and produce four untitled movies for Netflix exclusively.

"People love Adam's films on Netflix and often watch them again and again. His appeal spans across viewers of all ages —everybody has a favorite movie, everyone has a favorite line— not just in the U.S. but all over the world," Netflix Chief Content Officer Ted Sarandossaid in a press release.

"When these fine people came to me with an offer to make four movies for them, I immediately said yes for one reason and one reason only....Netflix rhymes with Wet Chicks," said Sandler. "Let the streaming begin!" Classy, right?

Sandler's Happy Madison Productions will develop the four films alongside Netflix; each will be premiered exclusively to subscribers in the nearly 50 countries in the company operates. Sandler's current studio film commitments are not affected by this deal.

Sandler's movies have grossed more than $3 billion worldwide, although his latest movie "Blended" grossed only $46 million domestically, and 2012's "That's My Boy"  is his lowest grossing Happy Madison production since "Little Nicky" in 2000.

In related news, David O. Russell made a two picture deal with Annapurna Pictures, the Megan Ellison-run company that produced "American Hustle."
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: Reel on October 02, 2014, 04:32:22 PM
Quote from: Reelist on September 21, 2014, 07:44:19 PM
Oh, look! Adam Sandler's trying something

This might be our last shot at getting something edgy outta him. Come on, Adam..

(https://xixax.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2F4.bp.blogspot.com%2F-ctanoxBZ_6c%2FUFHTkVAzChI%2FAAAAAAAAAsE%2FKMdA7CALgr0%2Fs1600%2Fyou%2Bcan%2Bdo%2Bit.jpg&hash=e26f9235147ba832e22261ce67278011888f59a2)
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: jenkins on December 01, 2014, 04:53:38 PM
norte, the end of history, a 4h10min heavy-hitter, by lav diaz, is on netflix streaming

not sure when i'll watch this but i want to
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: ono on January 10, 2015, 06:42:21 AM
http://wallstcheatsheet.com/entertainment/8-new-netflix-originals-premiering-in-2015.html/?a=viewall
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: 03 on February 24, 2015, 09:14:27 PM
march releases:

30 for 30: Or Miracles and Men (2014)
The ABCs of Death 2 (2014) *Available 3.5
The Brothers Grimm (2009)
Evelyn (2002)
Food Chains (2014) *Available 3.5
Finding Neverland (2004)
Mercy Rule (2014)
Monsters High: 13 Wishes (2013)
Monsters High: Ghouls Rule (2012)
Rules of Engagement (2000)
Teen Witch (1989)
Patch Adams (1998)
After the Fall (2014)
The Angriest Man in Brooklyn (2014)
Archer: Season Five (2014)
Cesar Chavez (2014)
Glee: Season Five (2013)
How to Train Your Dragon 2 (2014)
Monster High: Haunted (2015)
Tyler Perry's The Single Moms Club (2014)
Aziz Ansari: Live at Madison Square Garden (2015)
My Own Man (2014)
Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt (2015)
3rd Rock from the Sun: The Complete Series (1996-2001)
A Different World: The Complete Series (1987-1993)
Dummy (2002)
God's Not Dead (2014)
Life Itself (2014)
Marvel & ESPN Films Present: 1 of 1: Genesis (2014)
You're Not You (2014)
Bloodline: Season One (2015)
Ask Me Anything (2014)
Frankie & Alice (2010)
Garfunkel and Oates: Season One (2014)
The Man with the Iron Fists (2012)
November Man (2014)
Trailer Park Boys: Season Nine (2015)
Turn: Season One (2014)
Mad Men: Season Seven (2014)
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: Reel on February 24, 2015, 09:31:30 PM
Boo.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: 03 on February 24, 2015, 10:29:32 PM
hey cmon like 4.3% of that is watchable dude
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: ono on February 24, 2015, 11:50:57 PM
Quote from: 03 on February 24, 2015, 09:14:27 PM
march releases:

Finding Neverland (2004)
Archer: Season Five (2014)
Aziz Ansari: Live at Madison Square Garden (2015)
Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt (2015)
3rd Rock from the Sun: The Complete Series (1996-2001)
A Different World: The Complete Series (1987-1993)
Mad Men: Season Seven (2014)

17.9% by my math!  Maybe more because some failed name recognition.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: 03 on February 25, 2015, 12:08:53 AM
well your math doesnt include that archer is an inexcusable joke of a program that should be erased off the face of the earth for a multitude of factual reasons that don't include opinion or taste. also, aziz isn't funny in the least bit and the filler that he provides is better in small doses, which is what filler is. the rest that you listed is perfect and what i included in my percentage.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: wilder on June 22, 2015, 04:21:39 PM
Netflix Orders Maria Bamford Comedy Series From Mitch Hurwitz & Pam Brady
via Deadline

(https://xixax.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FIifpCDv.jpg&hash=ba22e201bcadee70126d72c29d7020c56b46158c)

Netflix boss Ted Sarandos said in January that the Internet network is aiming at offering as many as 20 original scripted series a year. The company is well on its way with a slew of new series pickups in the past few months. The latest is Lady Dynamite, a single-camera comedy starring actress-comedian Maria Bamford. It is executive produced by Arrested Development creator Mitch Hurwitz who has a deal at Netflix and cast Bamford as Debris Bardeaux in the new installment of his cult comedy he did for the streaming giant in 2013.

Co-written by Hurwitz and South Park alumna Pam Brady and produced by Netflix, Lady Dynamite, which had received  13-episode order, "is based on what Bamford has accepted to be 'her life.' The occasionally surreal episodes, refracted across multiple periods inspired by the actor/comedian's life, tell the story of a woman who loses – and then finds – her s**t."

Brady, Hurwitz and Bamford executive produce, with Brady serving as showrunner.

This marks the latest comedy series order for Netflix, which recently picked up the single-camera Bob Odenkirk-David Cross sketch comedy With Bob And David and an untitled Aziz Ansari show, and the multi-camera Fuller House and The Ranch starring Ashton Kutcher and Danny Masterson, which is in the final stages of deal-making. Coming up are the Wet Hot American Summer followup series and the Judd Apatow-produced Love.

Bamford is the creator and star of cult web series The Maria Bamford Show and Maria Bamford: the special special special, which is available on Netflix. She is the first female comic to have two half-hour Comedy Central Presents specials and appeared in the Comedy Central series The Comedians Of Comedy and Netflix's Comedians Of Comedy: The Movie. Bamford's extensive voiceover work includes Netflix's BoJack Horseman as well as Cartoon Network's Adventure Time and PBS' Word Girl.

Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: 03 on July 27, 2015, 01:22:45 AM
my 60 year old mother has recently undergone a shoulder transplant, as a result of that and my recent nursing license, i've been taking full time care of her. so i've had to find her some interesting things to keep her entertained, and i've found that my blind assumptions were empirically good. both super recommended to naysayers especially (bc i was one, bro)

the first series is called grace and frankie. a netflix original created by the friends people and fargo/its always sunny people. lily tomlin, charlie sheen, jane fonda, sam waterston, and a myriad of recognizable people. basically two rich af attorneys decide to announce their 20 year long homosexual affair to each of their wives of 40 years and the two chicks end up dealing with their hatred for one another due to their spontaneous and unwanted connection. an amazing family comedy while still being ridiculously tear welling and poetic at many points. think modern family rated r.

the second series: miss fishers murder mysteries. also entirely netflix. don't have much to say but watch this. it is fucking phenomenal. think of a sexy(ier?) angela lansbury donning a louise brooks outfit in a peter greenaway film co produced by david fincher.

Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: jenkins on December 13, 2015, 04:21:30 PM
i got a free Netflix trial so i could watch A Very Murray Christmas which, i must say, was very much worth the price. can't complain about a free Christmas treat, and now i want to watch Somewhere again.

streaming Netflix currently, as if i live in 2015. thing is, two or so hours ago i finished Brother's Keeper, and i can't stop thinking about Brother's Keeper. it's jammed me up in this wonderful way. has everyone/anyone seen it?

(https://xixax.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2F5thxaSX.jpg&hash=52da1e11772312fa407427cee4c1e23135a53653)

currently "obsessed" with it. the directors learned direct cinema through the Maysles, they're perhaps best known for the Paradise Lost trilogy, or maybe Metallica Some Kind of Monster or Book of Shadows Blair Witch 2.

Brother's Keeper, which title is plucked from an Old Testament Cain/Abel quote that's used in epigraph, it has so much of humanity bottled inside it. it's so well put together, Grey Gardens good, and in fact there's a murder trial in the background. it's a bit like if Claude Lévi-Strauss made a movie about this murder, in terms of how well the human dimensions are explored.

records indicate this doc has been previously supported by Ethan Coen, in a list given to Time Out:

QuoteEthan Coen
01. Brother's Keeper
02. Il Bidone
03. Salesman
04. The Bad News Bears
05. The Fortune

Joel Coen

06. The Fortune
07. High and Low
08. Dames
09. Separate Tables
10. Where Eagles Dare
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: jenkins on December 16, 2015, 12:52:03 AM
(https://xixax.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2F854Jl2A.jpg%3F1&hash=14590c1663f5a653f4490695c4c09fe2bf18b960)
Maysles and Akerman, cinematically speaking, they died happily. i like documentaries and narratives about singular personalities in the city. i escape into them, and also they're people. i was glad to have watched this and she and Maysles were meant for each other.

(https://xixax.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FE9vx2bK.jpg%3F1&hash=5f0aa23d2a521074c988c9a00d192fd16e233f8f)

this is the type of thing that happens when i have netflix. so i sampled this, i'm only three movies behind in the series (i've only seen the first), and i watched the beginning of this, then i scrubbed through it and, you know, there might be something to this movie. i mean it doesn't look like it, but maybe. i'd be ok with being a person who watched all of this movie and even better if i'd seen the ones before it too.

(https://xixax.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2F91MwpJG.jpg%3F2&hash=0dea3922925b4e99d08f9df8c5ce66700ba3b287)

another nyc gem here. that apartment in that building in that circumstance with those people and the camera. it's not too wild to say that i wish the entire hollywood apparatus would dismantle itself and actually just all movies were like this, is what i'm saying. it's a fact that i preferred this to The Dark Knight, for example, which they're a big fan of, and i thought this was pretty good. i most liked when they went to the beach, and the vice doc with them meeting David O.

(https://xixax.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FYqInshP.jpg%3F1&hash=67da22f21222b53f47940bb09a33a7ef63d43141)

the native american dad was a good dad. i don't now think of Adam Sandler as a terrible person. i mean, they're goofy. i didn't realize Vanilla Ice was Mark Twain. i missed the Harvey Keitel part because actually i saw the first ten minutes of this movie, fell asleep, then i watched the last half hour, and i thought it was a good movie.

(https://xixax.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FFYq8B8D.jpg%3F1&hash=922ec910f447873ce3b5dc1c12c2e90853516fb9)

took a gamble, calling it a win. i liked the pov shot with the spraypainting and electronic music and cops. i liked all the electronic music and cityscape. there were many narrative choices that were so French to make. why would you spraypaint the dog?? meanies. then it's a bit like Paranoid Park. also other things. glad i watched this.

(https://xixax.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2F9VtCOKa.jpg%3F1&hash=ae731c0cc5a5c6bb0bfddb5872de560ec864a5ab)

there was too much WW2 at the end for me. i most liked between the two wars, androgyny and the idea of people throwing fantastically textured parties, that's always this thing i like to hear about.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: jenkins on December 17, 2015, 01:52:37 PM
(https://xixax.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FKPOkrhC.jpg%3F1&hash=aa28a3b9afe14016daa1eacc450df1bd2c282152)

if you haven't seen it it's better than what you're imagining, and if you've seen it you're feeling me on this. even thinking now about the movie's opening makes me grin. there are fire breathers, there's a fire breather performing when the first gunshot happens, during a street parade, and get out of town about how good that is, and how much skill it takes to put this entire movie together. to say it's a jam packed movie is an understatement. watched it on Netflix and i'm still going to blu-ray it
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: jenkins on December 21, 2015, 02:50:37 PM
(https://xixax.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FtGRRPZf.jpg%3F1&hash=ac986eb30f089066596f1729ef75421d39b51823)

Sean Baker is the real deal. when Starlet first came out i thought it'd be too easy. i thought i could guess the movie because of its ingredients. but Baker does one of my favorite things, he thinks from the insides of his characters, so it's just a cherry on top that he incorporates elements most commonly associated with exploitative material.

if i described the narrative i'd be spoiling the movie. maybe the trailer does that, i didn't watch the trailer. if Baker made the movie tomorrow perhaps the middle and the end would be composed differently. the end is melodramatic, which is odd because the movie itself isn't very melodramatic. or like, it's melodramatic but straight faced, except for the end. Tangerine is better executed, but that means Baker went from great to greater.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: jenkins on December 24, 2015, 03:08:56 PM
(https://xixax.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FazmvU6K.jpg&hash=f46027d18db721d33ae5f49cf21fe857fcf6d5eb)

Prince of Broadway was 2008, Starlet was 2012, and Tangerine was this year. before Prince were two other movies. in tv land he was a co-creator of Greg the Bunny and wrote the twelve episodes of Warren the Ape. Sean Baker.

he was the co-writer, director, cinematographer, and sound designer for Prince of Broadway. that's called "bringing it." that's being a Carpenter.

my gateway was Tangerine, which is indeed the best movie of his i've seen, but i like how my backward travel allows me to know what he'll become while i watch his earlier movies. i think he's a miracle, he's a hero figure to me now, and i still don't know a lick about him, since i think he has a talent for creating selfless cinema, with characters unlike him and his life (yet richly detailed within their movie worlds).

that's Mike Leigh and Ken Loach stuff. that sounds like people movies, and it is. and he bakes these movies in modern and effortless ways. he feels natural to his times. i think his world perspective is marvelous, as he operates in realms of morality without magnetizing himself to their analytics.

his movie are 100% about the actors on screen and exist as such. there only being people and their emotions, his movies have ended with — what does one do during one's hard times? one moves forward along with others the same. the feels. the strong ones. i think the final texture of Tangerine is the one created with the confidence of experience. and watching Prince and Starlet i see how he gets and deserves this confidence.

this is Kenneth Turan's LA Time Review:

Quote"Prince of Broadway" thinks outside the box. It's an undeniably small yet almost indefinable film, warmhearted and bittersweet, laced with both humor and tough emotions. Plus it has a kind of bicoastal appeal.
  Though it won the grand jury prize at the 2008 Los Angeles Film Festival and was a nominee for the 2009 Independent Spirit Awards' John Cassavetes nod, "Prince" owes a lot of its allure to its very New York situation and state of mind.
  As directed by Sean Baker, "Prince" greatly benefits from its gritty cinéma-vérité setting on the edges of Manhattan's wholesale fashion district, a place where street-level clothing hustlers try to make a few dollars on the far side of the law.
  "Prince's" script is credited to Baker and Darren Dean, but an on-screen message tells us that the dialogue "was realized through improvisation and a collaborative process with all actors."

New York state of mind. love it. i always miss it in LA. i usually miss this quality in LA movies, except Baker is indeed bicoastal. and transcultural. and i assume everyone is simply jealous he brought the iphone 5s to the big screen because goddamnit he did it.

in Prince what's realistic is a hustler brings customers from the street into the backroom of a store owned by Karren Karagulian (who's in Prince, Starlet, and Tangerine). the hustler sleeps on the floor of a shabby apartment in new york city, yet he dresses with style, and his style pattern is interrupted by his ex bringing him his child. escapades ensue, of both the practical and emotional variety. and the kid is a flawless actor, he's a child doing the type of acting that makes the adults jealous.

a thing i'd meant to mention while chatting Starlet is James Ransone. because this trivia for fans of The Wire:

(https://xixax.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FlAf83AS.jpg%3F1&hash=5515d39da9e34cc2321337e46c1019dff168baf3)

he was Chester 'Ziggy' Sobotka in The Wire, he was in Generation Kill, and he's pitch perfect in both Tangerine and Starlet.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: wilder on January 14, 2016, 02:54:58 PM
Netflix Says It Will Shut Down Users Who Connect Via Proxy Or VPN
via The Playlist

Netflix is now in 190 countries, and it's widely assumed that viewers can access a wealth of streaming titles, but that's not the case. While the company's technology is advanced and its reach is global, Netflix must still observe territorial rights. To keep it simple, when studios finance films, part of the budget comes from distribution deals made in a variety of countries around the world, so while one movie may be released in the United States by The Weinstein Company, it might be handled by another company in Portugal. So when Netflix makes a deal to stream a film or TV show, it must secure rights via the distributor in each territory. For a long time, Netflix users outside the U.S. who found the company's catalog selection wanting used browser widgets, proxy servers, or VPNs to hide their IPs and gain access to the streaming site's plethora of titles. But it seems those days are over.

While it has politely looked the other way for years, Netflix VP of content delivery architecture David Fullagar revealed today that the company will be blocking access to users who to come the site through third party means. Here's a portion of what he had to say in a blog post:

...given the historic practice of licensing content by geographic territories, the TV shows and movies we offer differ, to varying degrees, by territory. In the meantime, we will continue to respect and enforce content licensing by geographic location.

Some members use proxies or "unblockers" to access titles available outside their territory. To address this, we employ the same or similar measures other firms do. This technology continues to evolve and we are evolving with it. That means in coming weeks, those using proxies and unblockers will only be able to access the service in the country where they currently are. We are confident this change won't impact members not using proxies.


It's not exactly clear what technology Netflix will be using to block users, but the company seems confident. However, Netflix recognizes the pain some customers face in not being able to access the shows or movies they want, and Fullagar says that Netflix being able to offer the same content everywhere is "the goal we will keep pushing towards."
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: 03 on February 13, 2016, 03:27:41 AM
so if i play netflix and lay down in bed, it asks if i want to continue playing in less than an hour, halfway through an episode  forcing me to get up and restart it.

i accidentally left netflix on this afternoon, left the house, and found it still playing many hours later,. like a season of a show's worth of time, still playing. what kind of bullshit is this?

is there some kind of setting for this? why would this be random, it's freaking me out
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: Jeremy Blackman on April 07, 2016, 08:15:01 PM
New on Netflix this week:

Boogie Nights
2001: A Space Odyssey
A Clockwork Orange
The Princess Bride
Best In Show
Erin Brockovich
Sunset Boulevard
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: polkablues on April 07, 2016, 08:37:10 PM
Except for Sunset Boulevard, I already own all of those movies on disc. Netflix and I are very in sync right now. Vibing, as jenkins would say.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: Sleepless on May 15, 2016, 07:40:33 AM
Special Correspondents. Held my interest. Caused several sensible chuckles and a couple of extremely brief audible laughs. Not bad.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: Sleepless on June 30, 2016, 09:21:23 AM
No-one mentioned the Netflix-Disney pact due to start bolstering Netflix's movie content starting in September, so here's some info on that (http://www.vulture.com/2016/05/netflix-will-start-streaming-disney-films-soon.html). There's so many Disney-related movies this year, it'll be exciting to be able to watch them all at the touch of a button.

Also, here are my three top TV shows currently streaming on Netflix that you should be watching too:
Bloodline (http://xixax.com/index.php?topic=13523.0)
Les Revenants (http://xixax.com/index.php?topic=12740.msg329654)
Happy Valley (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TXdBMaocR_E)
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: Jeremy Blackman on June 30, 2016, 10:19:00 AM
Yes, Happy Valley is excellent! I especially love the first season. It's that rare show that seems to take its time with character moments but is actually really fast-paced. Kevin from Season 1 is the highlight for me... what a fully realized and agonizing performance.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: Jeremy Blackman on November 04, 2016, 08:18:09 PM
New season of The Fall is on Netflix! Why did no one tell me?

I might have to watch this first, though:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yZLHiru3vI0
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: Jeremy Blackman on November 05, 2016, 02:11:59 AM
^ "Undecided" was really good.

Very much takes the structure and format of Borat or Bruno, a mockumentary with a narrative that collides with real life. In this movie, they meet every presidential candidate, and it gets... interesting. Like Sacha Baron Cohen, some of their stunts made headlines. People didn't know they were making a movie.

Here's a good example of what they do, not from the movie. (It's best to avoid spoilers. Maybe even skip the trailer I posted.)


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iuNsVdKVel0

They also did this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jZnY3DSBbCg

And this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mgLXpym5lAs
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: Vire on May 08, 2017, 07:34:42 AM
Quote from: 03 on February 13, 2016, 03:27:41 AM
so if i play netflix and lay down in bed, it asks if i want to continue playing in less than an hour, halfway through an episode  forcing me to get up and restart it.

i accidentally left netflix on this afternoon, left the house, and found it still playing many hours later,. like a season of a show's worth of time, still playing. what kind of bullshit is this?

is there some kind of setting for this? why would this be random, it's freaking me out

Lol, i know it's so annyoying when it asks if you want to continue playing like that.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: Sleepless on September 22, 2017, 03:25:00 PM
This article makes some great points about the lack of quality cinema currently available on Netflix, and raises worthwhile concern about the place classic cinema has in both contemporary times and the future.

On a personal level, I've long been an advocate of Netflix but its charm is seriously waning. It used to be a great place to discover both new and old films and TV, but over the past six months in particular I've noticed that it's in something of a rut. Aside from very occasional examples such as Clouds of Sils Maria or Sunset Song, there's nothing really of interest being added on the film side. Even on the TV side, too, it'd just there to fill a void. Between the quickly-binged seasons of a handful of shows I enjoy (many of which are admittedly guilty pleasures), too often I find myself scrolling through my list but find nothing I'm terribly excited to watch. A huge source of frustration has been very little information out there about the new stuff that's being added. Oh, there's a bunch of sites with lists, but not real information about what this stuff is. The originals are especially frustrating, because there's rarely any trailers, and in order to find out anything about them, you have to look them up in the app. Netflix seriously need to rethink their marketing strategy beyond simply abandoning their algorithm and suggesting every new high-profile release to their entire audience base. But I know I'll keep my subscription because it's not that much, and it's still the primary source of home entertainment for my entire family. (I'm a bad parent and let my kids be entertained by the boob tube way more that I ever thought I would.) We have Amazon Prime too, of course, but this article is (rightly) even more scathing of them. The Grand Tour may have been the straw that broke the camel's back in terms of me jumping on the AP bandwagon, but that aside, the video streaming is the aspect of AP I use the least.

I want to just bite the bullet and commit to a longterm relationship with Mubi. I've flirted with her in the past, but in truth, I was never fully committed. Absolutely me, not her. If I make a point to carve out at least one night a week for her pleasures, I think it could turn into something serious. But at the same time, I'm attracted to FilmStruck too. A 14-night-stand with her too couldn't hurt, could it?

NETFLIX, STREAMING VIDEO AND THE SLOW DEATH OF THE CLASSIC FILM (http://www.newsweek.com/2017/09/22/netflix-streaming-movies-classics-664512.html)

Related, I randomly and completely separately came across this article today too and now it's got me wanting to draw up business plans and figure out how to make such a thing work.

How to Start Your Own Cinema for Under $15,000 (http://www.indywood.org/new-blog/2015/3/2/how-to-start-your-own-cinema-for-under-15000)
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: wilberfan on December 20, 2018, 12:11:35 AM

Netflix Continues Quest for World Domination, Plans to Release 90 Movies in 2019 (https://www.slashfilm.com/netflix-movies-in-2019/)

QuoteNetflix is an unstoppable machine, churning out more original programming by the minute. As we head into 2019, the streaming service has an ambitious plan: to release at least 90 movies. For reference, most traditional movie studios release around 30 movies a year – but Netflix wants to outpace that. And they probably will, too. Get ready for close to 100 Netflix movies in 2019.


Quote
One of the most controversial elements of Netflix's distribution model is their apparent disdain for theatrical releases. Traditionalists have criticized the streaming service for this, insisting a theatrical experience is key. But Netflix doesn't see it that way. "In a world where consumer choice is driving everything — how we shop, how we order groceries, how we are entertained — we're trying to get to a place where consumers have theatrical viewing as a choice," Stuber tells the New York Times. "But we also think it is critical that, if you don't have the means or the access or the time to go to a theater, you are still able to see movies without a long wait."

In 2019, Netflix will be releasing new films from impressive names like Martin Scorsese, Steven Soderbergh and many more. It's time to face facts: it's Netflix's world now, and we're all just streaming in it.



This isn't sustainable, is it?? 
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: polkablues on December 20, 2018, 12:25:32 AM
I mean, conceivably. Having essentially zero cost for distribution and marketing gives them a certain advantage.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: Jeremy Blackman on December 28, 2018, 10:58:12 AM
Netflix is apparently using a number of fake accounts (with stolen profile photos) in an attempt to create viral memes for Bird Box...

https://twitter.com/samiswine/status/1078506903909523456

Bird Box btw is the very definition of a passable but forgettable Netflix movie. And I hate to say this, but Sandra Bullock's plastic surgery (extensive use of botox, they say) has removed most expression from her face and dulls her performance to a crippling degree.

Edit: This is speculation as of now but seems likely.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: Drenk on December 28, 2018, 11:06:49 AM
Quote from: Jeremy Blackman on December 28, 2018, 10:58:12 AM
Netflix is apparently using a number of fake accounts (with stolen profile photos) in an attempt to create viral memes for Bird Box...

https://twitter.com/samiswine/status/1078506903909523456

Bird Box btw is the very definition of a passable but forgettable Netflix movie. And I hate to say this, but Sandra Bullock's plastic surgery (extensive use of botox, they say) has removed most expression from her face and dulls her performance to a crippling degree.

We should appreciate Nicole Kidman's surgeon. He managed not to ruin her ability for acting.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: Jeremy Blackman on December 28, 2018, 11:21:21 AM
Fully agree. Kidman's performance in Big Little Lies is one of the best of her career and was really not hindered by the work she's had done. What happened with Sandra Bullock is really a shame though. We could be having a legit Sandrassance right now.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: Jeremy Blackman on January 05, 2019, 04:01:52 PM
Two very important Bird Box stories:

Straining for allegory (https://twitter.com/paolamendoza/status/1081643829420265473) (although sure, I buy it)

And the inevitable:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-tQeFOvlGeM
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: Jeremy Blackman on June 20, 2019, 04:07:24 PM
Kumail Nanjiani:

"Netflix would rather have five things that people kind of like than one thing people really love."
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: polkablues on June 20, 2019, 05:14:37 PM
Fair, but for every blandly mediocre Bird Box there's a polarizing masterpiece of batshittery like The Perfection. I think it's less that they want every thing they make to appeal to every viewer and more that they want to make so many wildly different things that every viewer can find something that appeals to them. It's essentially the opposite of the boutique approach taken by something like HBO, but I think just as valid.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: Sleepless on June 21, 2019, 09:14:45 AM
Quote from: polkablues on June 20, 2019, 05:14:37 PM
Fair, but for every blandly mediocre Bird Box there's a polarizing masterpiece of batshittery like The Perfection. I think it's less that they want every thing they make to appeal to every viewer and more that they want to make so many wildly different things that every viewer can find something that appeals to them. It's essentially the opposite of the boutique approach taken by something like HBO, but I think just as valid.

*fixed.

I wonder when/if this strategy is going to come back and bite them? There's an occasional Netflix Original which is legit good and does "breakthrough." Think Haunting of Hill House, Roma, and it's hard to imagine The Irishman won't too. But for the most part when I see that something is a Netflix Original, I automatically think it'll be mediocre to passable and skip over it. I certainly don't actively seek out Netflix Originals - and the fact that the service is now so saturated in this crap, I really do resent the fact I still pay for it every month (but hey, the kids enjoy whatever shows they watch on there, and I do indulge in guilty pleasures like The Crown of Legends of Tomorrow.)

Of course, I don't think Netflix cares that the "Netflix Original" brand has become synonymous with substandard productions (and production values). The Netflix strategy seems to be just keep people watching. That's why they always cut away from the closing credits and autoplay the next episode or something else entirely. They just want you to keep watching. Churning out cheap Netflix Originals is a way to ensure there's always more content, no matter whether it's good or bad, so long as you keep watching. Which is weird, because they're pushing so hard to be seen as a major awards player. But Roma is not representative of the Netflix brand. They desperately want to be seen as a bastion of awards-calibre entertainment, but even a cursory glance through their homepage shows that's not the experience their customers receive. They want to be everything to everyone, and the result is no one truly loves them. But we keep watching.

Maybe that's all just part of trying to attract new filmmakers to the service? They'll splash big cash to get headlines at festivals, but there does seem to be a limit... Their contracts are seemingly designed to appeal to showrunners to get them in the door, for example, but because the costs rise season-on-season we're now seeing a bunch of shows being cancelled after season 3 because they've now gotten to expensive thanks to Netflix's contract strategy (e.g. Santa Clarita Diet, Bloodline).

Compare Netflix with Amazon, which seems to produce much, much less original content; yet Amazon seems to have a better hit-for-miss ratio, and with the executive shakeup that's taken place over there over the past year or so, it seems like they're going to be doing a much better job of having more steady shows/films with broader appeal. There's still churn, but as they move to things like the Lord of the Rings show, I think we'll get a much better idea of how the Amazon brand wants to be seen. Meanwhile, Netflix just keeps on putting out more and more stuff to try and create a fear that if you're not watching, you're missing out.

It makes me kinda sad. I used to LOVE Netflix - they made it so easy to watch so much great stuff. They're the reason no-one ever buys DVD boxsets anymore. But when they decided to focus on producing masses of cheap originals the service went sharply downhill. I'm still a paying customer, but I'm rooting against them.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: Jeremy Blackman on June 21, 2019, 10:49:27 AM
I revived Netflix for one month to catch up on a few things, and after a week or so I feel like I've already run out of worthwhile things to watch. The state of the service is not good.

I did find one gem: The Sinner (Season 1). It's from USA, not a Netflix original. Highly recommended if you like a twisty murder show. Worth it for the Jessica Biel and Bill Pullman performances. Do not read a synopsis; what happens in the first ep is best left a surprise.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: WorldForgot on June 21, 2019, 11:56:54 AM
Quote from: Jeremy Blackman on June 21, 2019, 10:49:27 AMI did find one gem: The Sinner (Season 1). It's from USA, not a Netflix original. Highly recommended if you like a twisty murder show. Worth it for the Jessica Biel and Bill Pullman performances. Do not read a synopsis; what happens in the first ep is best left a surprise.

Quote from: Fernando on January 29, 2019, 03:32:12 PM
Quote from: wilberfan on August 19, 2018, 04:15:50 PM
Quote from: polkablues on July 26, 2018, 05:41:37 PM
Just finished watching season one of The Sinner, on the basis that Carrie Coon is playing a major part in season two, so it must be a worthwhile show. And... it is! Pretty familiar modern psychological crime thriller plotting, but the story holds together well, it stays compelling all the way through, and it's given me a newfound respect for the acting talents of both Jessica Biel and Bill Pullman (no small feat on the latter). It's a great example of a show in which character and plotting are inextricably woven into each other, which I consider a hallmark of good writing.


Watching (and for the most part enjoying) this show due to this post.  Loved Carrie in "The Leftovers", so had to check it out.  Thanks for the recommendation!

So I fucked up and started watching season 2, I blame netflix since they sent me directly to S2 instead of 1, and when Carrie Coon appeared I remembered reading this post, so, is it mandatory to watch S1 first?

seemz like a xixax fav!
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: polkablues on June 21, 2019, 12:24:45 PM
For the most part, I don't think the criticisms you can levy at the state of Netflix's original movies really apply to their series. They have a ton of great ones: American Vandal, Love, Sex Education, GLOW, Russian Doll, 3%, Bodyguard, Money Heist, Big Mouth, Bojack Horseman, The Society, Black Summer, I Think You Should Leave, Orange is the New Black, Dark, Crashing, Mindhunter, The Haunting of Hill House, The End of the Fucking World, Lovesick, House of Cards, Queer Eye, Master of None, Narcos, Elite, The Rain, Dear White People... there is no television network in history that's carried this many quality series all at once. Some haven't carried this many in their entire history (looking at you, CBS).
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: Sleepless on June 21, 2019, 01:13:59 PM
Quote from: polkablues on June 21, 2019, 12:31:18 PM
The fact that he can easily list every movie that proves his point kinda disproves his point.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: polkablues on June 21, 2019, 01:28:45 PM
First, how dare you. Second, my list was much longer and therefore it's a totally different situation.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: Jeremy Blackman on June 21, 2019, 01:34:26 PM
I didn't realize people had already seen and opined on The Sinner here. Nice! In that case, I shall boldy reiterate my recommendation. Will seek out Season 2.

Polka is right that Netflix's TV content is a whole lot better than their movies, which seem to be a Hollywood dumping ground. (Black Summer is good?)
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: polkablues on June 21, 2019, 01:45:52 PM
Black Summer has also been previously opined on:

Quote from: polkablues on May 20, 2019, 07:25:02 PM
BLACK SUMMER
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tQA1omPJN24

There are a lot of reasons to be skeptical of this one. It's yet another zombie thing. It's a ostensible prequel to Z Nation, the show that was seemingly based on the pitch, "The Walking Dead, but intentionally bad." It's produced by The Asylum, the company behind such masterpieces as the Sharknado hexalogy and the Pacific Rim ripoff titled... *deep sigh*... "Atlantic Rim." There's no reason to expect this to be good.

EXCEPT IT IS. It eschews the bloat and soap opera melodrama of The Walking Dead in favor of a sparse, starkly minimalist, intensely focused narrative. There's a single story being told here: people are trying to get to a place and there are obstacles making it hard for them to do so. Characters drop in and out of the story organically, characters die abruptly and typically with little fanfare, and notably -- unlike The Walking Dead, where the human characters almost always seem to outmatch the zombies and are only in danger when they really fuck up somehow -- the stakes feel truly life and death at almost any given moment. Dialogue is scarce, and there are long sections where we're just following a character or characters, the tension building the whole time, and when that tension breaks it goes off like a pipe bomb. There are only a few points across eight episodes where it feels like it goes too over the top and you're reminded of the show's provenance, but it does so much right that it was easy for me to forgive those moments.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: Sleepless on November 19, 2019, 10:08:23 AM
Netflix Teams Robert Towne And David Fincher for 'Chinatown' Prequel Series Pilot Script

Netflix has closed deals with Robert Towne and David Fincher to work up a pilot script for a prequel to the 1974 classic film Chinatown, sources tell Deadline. Towne won an Oscar for scripting a drama that mixed fact and fiction to tell the story of a private eye hired to expose an adulterer who instead uncovers far more unsavory things.

Fincher will be executive producer along with Towne and Josh Donen. The idea behind the prequel series would be to focus on a young Jake Gittes (played in the film by Jack Nicholson) as he plies his business in a town where the wealthy and corruption involves areas like land, oil and gangs. The hope is that Fincher might direct the pilot, but that is not part of the deal which at this point covers a pilot script. Roman Polanski directed the original film and the late Robert Evans produced it.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: Jeremy Blackman on February 06, 2020, 09:31:47 PM
Huge:

https://twitter.com/netflix/status/1225506511184703493

Nevertheless, my Netflix break shall continue.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: Sleepless on February 07, 2020, 08:39:48 AM
Fucking finally.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: jenkins on April 06, 2020, 08:20:41 PM
just like what netflix movies would Richard Brody recommend well here you go (https://www.newyorker.com/culture/the-front-row/what-to-stream-forty-of-the-best-movies-on-netflix-right-now)

"American Factory": One of the rare recent cases where the Oscars did well: this documentary, by Julia Reichert and Steven Bognar, is both a telescope and a microscope, uniting the local impact of globalized businesses and the international reach of local institutions and customs.

"Atlantics": The confluence of genres and ideas in Mati Diop's first feature—a tale of labor relations and their political implications, a yearning romance, a drama of migration, a ghost story—is matched by her deeply textured and richly imaginative style.

"The B-Side": A fascinating portrait of a portraitist: Elsa Dorfman, a photographer whose large-format Polaroids are masterworks of technique and sensibility, shares her life story and her fund of wisdom with the documentary filmmaker Errol Morris.

"The Ballad of Buster Scruggs": The Coen brothers' six brief Western sketches blend self-conscious antics and melodramatic poignancy with theological designs and the rampant cruelty of raw places and times.

"Bathtubs Over Broadway": Dava Whisenant's high-spirited documentary, about unintentionally ludicrous yet catchy musicals written and staged for corporations, is also the story of a fan who has sought for decades to preserve the shows' legacy—and of the artists who created them.

"Best Worst Thing That Ever Could Have Happened": The Stephen Sondheim musical drama "Merrily We Roll Along" was a colossal disaster when it opened—and quickly closed—in 1981; this documentary, by Lonny Price, a member of the original cast, traces its development and its afterlife, as well as its effect on his own life and that of his fellow-performers.

"The Bling Ring": Sofia Coppola's teen true-crime drama is also a vision of the transformative power of social media and the art of the selfie—and evidence that not all self-transformations are alike.

"The Burial of Kojo": The Ghanaian musician Blitz Bazawule's first feature is a luminous memory piece of family and city life, from the perspective of a child, that conjures a teeming and lyrical subjectivity to match.

"Burning Cane": Phillip Youmans—who directed this film at the age of seventeen—displays a preternatural maturity, both emotional and aesthetic, in this drama about an elderly woman's effort to protect her grandson and her daughter-in-law from her irresponsible son.

"By the Sea": The fourth film directed by Angelina Jolie is an intense erotic melodrama, set in the nineteen-seventies, about an artistic couple's collapsing marriage amid the labyrinthine luxuries of the French Mediterranean coast.

"Carrie" (2013): This adaptation of Stephen King's novel, directed by Kimberly Peirce, is better than the one directed by Brian De Palma; so sue me.

"Don Verdean": The religious element of Jared Hess's loopy comedies here finds its most radical and disturbing expression, in a tale of an archeologist looking for artifacts to prove the historical authenticity of the Bible.

"A Ghost Story": David Lowery's low-budget, clandestinely made mystery tale turns the humorous conceit of a comic-book-style ghost into one of the most grandly imaginative and exquisitely nuanced romantic dramas of recent years.

"Good Time": This wild ride of a crime drama, which the Safdie brothers made just before "Uncut Gems," is filled with the turmoil of Queens streets and makes its political context all the more conspicuous.

"GoodFellas" (leaving April 30th): No, Martin Scorsese doesn't glamorize gangsters, but he certainly understands the point of view of people who do—and the relentless desire that makes society, high and low, run.

"Happy as Lazzaro": Alice Rohrwacher audaciously links two tales—one of neo-feudalism at a rural Italian estate and another of urban scavenging in the modern city—by way of the wondrous adventures of a mystical, mythical innocent.

"High Flying Bird": Steven Soderbergh infuses this tale of the business of pro basketball—and the efforts of black athletes and agents to confront its inequities—with passionate energy and a brash sense of swing.

"Hugo": Adapting a children's novel by Brian Selznick, Martin Scorsese tells a fanciful version of the real-life story of the innovative French director Georges Méliès (whose career began in the eighteen-nineties) and his sad final years—and about the very essence of cinematic innovation.

"I Called Him Morgan": Kasper Collin's insightful and wide-ranging documentary about the great and short-lived jazz trumpeter Lee Morgan is centered on the only extant recorded interview with his common-law wife, Helen Morgan, who killed him.

"Imperial Dreams": Malik Vitthal's first feature is a tense drama about a young black writer's struggle with the Kafkaesque nightmare of the carceral system and its long reach into family life.

"The Irishman" : The fastest three and a half hours I've had at the movies in quite a while—and it plays even better on Netflix, where you can pause it and make it last even longer.

"Jersey Boys": Clint Eastwood turns this adaptation of a musical play about Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons into a panoramic tale of the political underpinnings of American pop culture.

"Krisha": Krisha Fairchild stars in this turbulent and tender family drama, directed with fierce urgency by her nephew Trey Edward Shults, that's set around an apocalyptic Thanksgiving celebration.

"The Laundromat": Steven Soderbergh's tale of international money laundering and its effect on local business, politics, and family life includes some startlingly, sardonically comedic sequences, as well as some scintillating performances (starting with that of Meryl Streep).

"Maps to the Stars": Shockingly, David Cronenberg hasn't made a movie since this scathing inside-Hollywood horror-satire, from 2014—which suggests just how spot-on it is.

"Marriage Story": I consider this end-of-a-marriage story to be one of the great legal thrillers; the real protagonists are three divorce lawyers, played with dialectical glee by Laura Dern, Alan Alda, and Ray Liotta.

"The Master": Paul Thomas Anderson's distinctive ideas about a quasi-religious cult—namely, that it catches on because it actually helps some people—are matched by the florid and resonant performances he elicits, particularly from Philip Seymour Hoffman.

"Moonlight": Barry Jenkins's second feature starts at a rare emotional pitch and stylistic inspiration from which it only grows deeper and more daring.

"The Other Side of the Wind": Though Orson Welles didn't complete the editing of his final dramatic feature, about a reckless filmmaker burning through the tail end of his career, it resounds with his titanic and self-scourging inspiration from start to finish.

"Planetarium": Natalie Portman stars in the French director Rebecca Zlotowski's quietly extravagant drama, set in the nineteen-thirties, as a medium who, along with her sister (Lily-Rose Depp), is hired by a producer who's devising a camera that can film spirits.

"The Queen": Frank Simon's 1968 documentary, about a drag pageant at New York's Town Hall, is a crucial precursor to "Paris Is Burning"; here, a group of gay men speak candidly about their lives, at a time when they were at risk of prosecution, while the tensions behind the scenes of the competition risk bursting out onstage.

"Results": Andrew Bujalski, the primordial mumblecore director, is fascinated by the details of small businesses—here, a gym that's run by a principled entrepreneur whose financial troubles put him at odds with the woman he loves (and who works for him).

"Roxanne Roxanne": Michael Larnell's bio-pic about the rapper Roxanne Shanté is filled with fervent performances and trenchant, pain-filled visions of the hostility that she faced in the music business—and the violence that she faced in her private life.

"School Daze": Spike Lee's second feature, from 1988, is both an exuberant musical and an incisive drama about social and political divisions in the student body of a historically black college.

"A Serious Man": The Coen brothers' raucously sardonic drama, set in 1967, about a Jewish family in a suburb of Minneapolis, where they grew up, is also a philosophical tale about the links between Jewish identity and American popular culture.

"Shirkers": The title of Sandi Tan's feature refers both to this documentary and to the freewheeling, independent science-fiction film that she and friends shot as teen-agers in Singapore, in 1992; the troubling story of its incompletion is the mystery that the filmmaker probes.

"The Social Network": David Fincher captures the epochal shock of life online along with the weird imbalance of its inventors' abilities and their personalities.

"13th": This documentary by Ava DuVernay, about the development of the American carceral state in an effort to deny black Americans their civil rights, is a probing work of historical analysis and a revelation of an ongoing crime against humanity.

"While We're Young": Noah Baumbach's comedic drama, set in the milieu of New York independent filmmaking, is centered on the clash of three generations of filmmakers and their artistic and practical ideas.

"Win It All": Joe Swanberg, who builds solid dramatic frameworks for his largely improvised movies—and who worked with Baumbach in the late two-thousands—here confects a tense and turbulent tale of a Chicago gambler in hot water with his creditors.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: Jeremy Blackman on May 20, 2020, 01:40:52 PM
My inactive Netflix account was stolen — email address & login changed but my credit card still used. It took me a couple months to notice. Netflix will only refund the most recent month, so I have to dispute charges with my bank to get the other fraudulent charges reversed. Fun!

A family of 6+ ("kids" being plural) was enjoying my Netflix account for 2 months.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: Drenk on May 20, 2020, 02:07:00 PM
Netflix: you can easily get pirated for months before you remember the existence of your account.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: jenkins on May 20, 2020, 02:23:29 PM
when i lived in portland oregon and i was wondering what i was going to do with my life i interviewed at netflix. this story is true. so it began like that job interview in twin peaks: the return, i related to that scene, in which he dressed up for his job interview and he was dressed wrong for the moment. i felt that way. it was a group interview and i was overdressed. the interview was at the part when people are being posed questions. and other people received easy questions i swear, but so mine was "a lady calls and says she hasn't meant to have her account for six months and she hasn't used it, she wants a refund, what do you do?" the kind of person i am i think, give her back all her money. but i know that can't be right. so first i blow it by saying "well let me put you on hold and chat with a manager" and the whole room gasped. mouths dropped open and i was like, okay don't do that. i had to immediately bounce back but i still wanted to give her all her money back but knew that couldn't be right, so i said "i'll refund you three months," since i thought that was a compromise and netflix did not hire me
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: Jeremy Blackman on May 20, 2020, 03:21:50 PM
My bank can't dispute the charges, since my Netflix account was compromised, not the card. And apparently monthly charges are hard to dispute anyway.

Netflix fully acknowledges the account was stolen and my card was used by someone else, but they are deciding to keep my $35.

I will probably never renew my Netflix account...
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: Jeremy Blackman on June 21, 2021, 03:32:46 PM
https://twitter.com/DarrenFranich/status/1407072641408802833
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: Jeremy Blackman on June 29, 2021, 03:49:52 PM
https://twitter.com/netflix/status/1407669776969715718
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: WorldForgot on June 29, 2021, 04:21:59 PM
Production-wise it looks very similar to their series The Circle -- which, if it's the same production company then creates a thematic thread of "relationships apart from representation" or something of that ilk ~
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: Jeremy Blackman on April 20, 2022, 03:25:28 AM
https://twitter.com/stopthecap/status/1516509655027040259

The inevitable reckoning has arrived. Quantity over quality, burying gems under mountains of garbage, pathologically canceling fan-favorite shows after 2 seasons. They've somehow managed to be short-sighted and have a bad long-term strategy. Accumulating $17 billion in debt has gotten them to a place where they're steadily losing subscribers.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: polkablues on April 20, 2022, 04:56:11 PM
They've been so single-mindedly focused on bringing in new subscribers that they've actively sabotaged their ability to retain the ones they have.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: polkablues on April 21, 2022, 02:06:47 AM
In related news: https://www.avclub.com/netflix-bone-jeff-smith-original-animation-1848821909
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: HACKANUT on April 21, 2022, 10:33:22 AM
Quote from: polkablues on April 21, 2022, 02:06:47 AMIn related news: https://www.avclub.com/netflix-bone-jeff-smith-original-animation-1848821909

Wow they cancelled Bone?! Poor choice.
Title: Re: Netflix: Should I or Shouldn't I?
Post by: polkablues on April 21, 2022, 12:03:45 PM
Fingers crossed HBO or somebody is smart and picks it up.