5 ms·

Makes me wonder if continued escalation might push more people back towards Blu-Rays. Personally, I prefer just purchasing content anyways. Then if Netflix or w

by jrs95 9y ago

Makes me wonder if continued escalation might push more people back towards Blu-Rays. Personally, I prefer just purchasing content anyways. Then if Netflix or whoever has to pull it, I still have it.

veridies 9y ago
I actually just subscribe to Netflix' DVD service. I get films in much higher quality delivered every other day, and I use MakeMKV to copy them onto my computer for when I want to watch them. Films I can't get there, I just pirate. I'm not interested in installing DRM platforms on my computer to be able to watch very heavily compressed videos if they haven't been yanked offline yet.
- supercanuck 9y ago
  That sounds like a lot of work just to plop my kid in front of Dora on the tablet so I can have an hour of sanity before dinner.
  - gm-conspiracy 9y ago
    I've often heard that parenting requires a great deal of responsibility.
  - scottLobster 9y ago
    A lot of initial work maybe. I rip all of my movies with MakeMKV to a Plex Media Server running on an old 2009 desktop. The setup can take a while, mostly picking through extras on the disk and naming them properly. But the interface is just as slick as Netflix and they have an app for practically every device. And if you don't care about the extras ripping the movies is essentially just pushing a button on MakeMKV. If you're looking for a weekend project and have a movie/TV collection I'd highly recommend it. The base software is free and it runs on linux (and Windows/OSX).
- givinguflac 9y ago
  Honestly, that just seems like a waste of time to me. Regardless of "much" higher quality, at best you're getting 480p from a DVD. I'll take acceptable quality 1080p over great quality 480p every day of the week. What's more, you're still pirating, so why not just download full quality BD rips if you're going to bother?
  - swsieber 9y ago
    You can get BD through Netflix's DVD program.
  - fulafel 9y ago
    Nitpick: SD DVD is be 576p at best.
    - Dylan16807 9y ago
      PAL-only, and without a corresponding increase in horizontal resolution. 480p is a lot more accurate, though it's in some ways more like 400p.
      - fulafel 9y ago
        Nitpicking intensifies: There is no PAL/NTSC in DVD as they are analog TV color encoding systems, DVD has just resolutions and frame (field) rates. So you can practically have 576p dvds in any region.
        Dylan16807 9y ago
        At 25Hz. (plus interlacing) Edit: Or that might be wrong and the framerate can be changed separately.
  - Rebelgecko 9y ago
    Jeeze, I wish Netflix would stream in DVD quality for me. Their DRM hates my setup for whatever reason, so I'm stuck at a 1 or 2 mbps stream.
  - 9y ago
- kbenson 9y ago
  > I actually just subscribe to Netflix' DVD service. I get films in much higher quality delivered every other day That probably doesn't help with things that aren't on DVD/Blu-Ray, such as some of their original content. I don't think you can get Stranger Things in that format yet. > I'm not interested in installing DRM platforms on my computer I believe the majority of people don't watch Netflix on their computer, but instead on set-top devices connected to their TV's That may also include hybrid solutions like Chromecast, where something may be installed on a local computer (likely a phone) as well, but those generally already have DRM platforms installed...
  - veridies 9y ago
    Often true, though I know a lot of people who don't own a TV and just watch Netflix on their laptops, even when watching with a large group. I personally have a dedicated Chromebox running LibreELEC with Kodi plugged into my projector, though I also sometimes television on my laptop when I don't want to set everything up.
- ghaff 9y ago
  Unfortunately, their back catalog is getting worse and worse. If it weren't for ripping what they do still have for later watching I probably would. But I've started thinking of just dropping their DVD service and putting the money toward purchases, paid streaming, and Redbox.
wil421 9y ago
If I wanted to buy the BluRays of all the series I've watched on Netflix it would be way too costly. Buying the release day cost for a new seasons BluRay is even more expensive than the 14.99 or whatever I spend for HD Netflix. I rarely rewatch seasons after more than 5 years so streaming is usually the best/cost effective option.
- phinnaeus 9y ago
  Plus the physical space cost of storing discs. Even if you remove them from their cases, which is definitely sub-optimal, they take up a decent amount of storage space.
  - criddell 9y ago
    Exactly. Buying digital copies on iTunes makes a lot more sense to me just for that reason.
    - ocdtrekkie 9y ago
      Digital copies on iTunes are priced somewhere near "highway robbery". Because of the lack of retail-style transactions, there's no price competition on digital copies. What's funny, it's usually cheaper to buy the Blu-ray/DVD/digital copy combo packs... even if you just want the digital copy. Recently I picked up a couple Blu-rays with digital copies for $3 at Fry's. Vudu had one of them on a huuuuuuuge sale this weekend, digital copy only, for $5. The iTunes price is $14.99. Again, I got that $15 iTunes price... for $3 as physical copy with a digital code. And if I wanted, I could sell the disc at a resale shop and get back a buck or two. Buying video on demand online right now makes no financial sense whatsoever.
      - criddell 9y ago
        > Buying video on demand online right now makes no financial sense whatsoever. That's only if you place little or no value on convenience. I don't spend much money on video, so the occasional $10 or $20 purchase is bearable. I don't want a physical copy and I certainly don't want to go to Fry's. For me, iTunes / Google Play / Amazon Video all make more sense. I've actually thought about cancelling cable and buying everything on demand because I think I would save some money. We're paying more than $1000 / year for TV. That would pay for a lot of TV at $2-$3 per episode. We've never made the jump though because of live sports and the stupid blackout rules.

by jrs95 9y ago

Makes me wonder if continued escalation might push more people back towards Blu-Rays. Personally, I prefer just purchasing content anyways. Then if Netflix or whoever has to pull it, I still have it.

veridies 9y ago

I actually just subscribe to Netflix' DVD service. I get films in much higher quality delivered every other day, and I use MakeMKV to copy them onto my computer for when I want to watch them. Films I can't get there, I just pirate. I'm not interested in installing DRM platforms on my computer to be able to watch very heavily compressed videos if they haven't been yanked offline yet.

supercanuck 9y ago
That sounds like a lot of work just to plop my kid in front of Dora on the tablet so I can have an hour of sanity before dinner.
- gm-conspiracy 9y ago
  I've often heard that parenting requires a great deal of responsibility.
- scottLobster 9y ago
  A lot of initial work maybe. I rip all of my movies with MakeMKV to a Plex Media Server running on an old 2009 desktop. The setup can take a while, mostly picking through extras on the disk and naming them properly. But the interface is just as slick as Netflix and they have an app for practically every device. And if you don't care about the extras ripping the movies is essentially just pushing a button on MakeMKV. If you're looking for a weekend project and have a movie/TV collection I'd highly recommend it. The base software is free and it runs on linux (and Windows/OSX).
givinguflac 9y ago
Honestly, that just seems like a waste of time to me. Regardless of "much" higher quality, at best you're getting 480p from a DVD. I'll take acceptable quality 1080p over great quality 480p every day of the week. What's more, you're still pirating, so why not just download full quality BD rips if you're going to bother?
- swsieber 9y ago
  You can get BD through Netflix's DVD program.
- fulafel 9y ago
  Nitpick: SD DVD is be 576p at best.
  - Dylan16807 9y ago
    PAL-only, and without a corresponding increase in horizontal resolution. 480p is a lot more accurate, though it's in some ways more like 400p.
    - fulafel 9y ago
      Nitpicking intensifies: There is no PAL/NTSC in DVD as they are analog TV color encoding systems, DVD has just resolutions and frame (field) rates. So you can practically have 576p dvds in any region.
      - Dylan16807 9y ago
        At 25Hz. (plus interlacing) Edit: Or that might be wrong and the framerate can be changed separately.
- Rebelgecko 9y ago
  Jeeze, I wish Netflix would stream in DVD quality for me. Their DRM hates my setup for whatever reason, so I'm stuck at a 1 or 2 mbps stream.
- 9y ago
kbenson 9y ago
> I actually just subscribe to Netflix' DVD service. I get films in much higher quality delivered every other day That probably doesn't help with things that aren't on DVD/Blu-Ray, such as some of their original content. I don't think you can get Stranger Things in that format yet. > I'm not interested in installing DRM platforms on my computer I believe the majority of people don't watch Netflix on their computer, but instead on set-top devices connected to their TV's That may also include hybrid solutions like Chromecast, where something may be installed on a local computer (likely a phone) as well, but those generally already have DRM platforms installed...
- veridies 9y ago
  Often true, though I know a lot of people who don't own a TV and just watch Netflix on their laptops, even when watching with a large group. I personally have a dedicated Chromebox running LibreELEC with Kodi plugged into my projector, though I also sometimes television on my laptop when I don't want to set everything up.
ghaff 9y ago
Unfortunately, their back catalog is getting worse and worse. If it weren't for ripping what they do still have for later watching I probably would. But I've started thinking of just dropping their DVD service and putting the money toward purchases, paid streaming, and Redbox.

wil421 9y ago

If I wanted to buy the BluRays of all the series I've watched on Netflix it would be way too costly. Buying the release day cost for a new seasons BluRay is even more expensive than the 14.99 or whatever I spend for HD Netflix. I rarely rewatch seasons after more than 5 years so streaming is usually the best/cost effective option.

phinnaeus 9y ago
Plus the physical space cost of storing discs. Even if you remove them from their cases, which is definitely sub-optimal, they take up a decent amount of storage space.
- criddell 9y ago
  Exactly. Buying digital copies on iTunes makes a lot more sense to me just for that reason.
  - ocdtrekkie 9y ago
    Digital copies on iTunes are priced somewhere near "highway robbery". Because of the lack of retail-style transactions, there's no price competition on digital copies. What's funny, it's usually cheaper to buy the Blu-ray/DVD/digital copy combo packs... even if you just want the digital copy. Recently I picked up a couple Blu-rays with digital copies for $3 at Fry's. Vudu had one of them on a huuuuuuuge sale this weekend, digital copy only, for $5. The iTunes price is $14.99. Again, I got that $15 iTunes price... for $3 as physical copy with a digital code. And if I wanted, I could sell the disc at a resale shop and get back a buck or two. Buying video on demand online right now makes no financial sense whatsoever.
    - criddell 9y ago
      > Buying video on demand online right now makes no financial sense whatsoever. That's only if you place little or no value on convenience. I don't spend much money on video, so the occasional $10 or $20 purchase is bearable. I don't want a physical copy and I certainly don't want to go to Fry's. For me, iTunes / Google Play / Amazon Video all make more sense. I've actually thought about cancelling cable and buying everything on demand because I think I would save some money. We're paying more than $1000 / year for TV. That would pay for a lot of TV at $2-$3 per episode. We've never made the jump though because of live sports and the stupid blackout rules.