10 ms·

It is the only way to get mainstream films on netflix any more.

by nsnick 8y ago

aBioGuy 8y ago
Yeah, that's why we subscribe. Digitally renting a movie is crazy stupid for busy parents of young children. It takes us 2-3 days to watch a movie (in the ~40 minute chunks we have each night). Digital rentals force you to finish watching a movie within 24-48 hours...
Finnucane 8y ago
Or even non-mainstream films. Or anything more than a few years old. Or a fair number of cable TV series. Basically, if it is available on disk, Netlfix can mail it to you. And their mailing service is pretty efficient. It's rare to have to wait long to get something. The only annoyance is that occasionally you get a 'rental only' disk that doesn't have the extras.
- ghaff 8y ago
  >Basically, if it is available on disk, Netflix can mail it to you. Unfortunately, they're really letting their back catalog rot. An awful lot of things I saved in my DVD queue at some point are no longer available. In many cases, they're still available to buy but Netflix doesn't have them.
  - __david__ 8y ago
    Yeah, I've noticed this, too. It's quite sad—they used to have practically everything ever printed on disc. Now my "Saved" list is bigger than my Queue. I just noticed a couple things on it I ended up finding the discs on Amazon, so it's not like they're out of print. Just not worth stocking I guess.
    - ghaff 8y ago
      They basically drove most of the local rental places out of business and now are slowly dismantling their own operation for physical media. Torrents aren't really an option for most obscure stuff. So you pretty much now have to just buy media for a lot of things out of the mainstream.
hackerbrother 8y ago
It's essentially a cable channel. Big-name movies come and go, and there's no way of telling then it happens. E.g. the Shining has been on there, and the Incredibles 2 is on there now.
paulddraper 8y ago
That is mentioned as one of the reasons in the article.
kalleboo 8y ago
Ben Heck: The Try and Find a Recent Movie on Netflix that isn't made by Disney Challenge! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QxcIocprvoA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QxcIocprvoA
- chewzerita 8y ago
  Wow, I'm happy I don't pay for that! Edit: because it looks like it will turn into a wasteland after disney leaves
SilasX 8y ago
Stupid question: would it be possible (legally or economically) for studios to just cut off Netflix from rental licensing rights?
- hsivonen 8y ago
  The basis of Netflix’s U.S.-only disc business is that in the U.S. for physical-medium movies, there is no distinct rental right, but the first-sale doctrine allows Netflix to rent movies that have been offered for sale on disc and that Netflix has bought on disc.
  - SilasX 8y ago
    I thought rental services had to pay more for copies bought in order to rent out en masse?
    - VectorLock 8y ago
      You rent out the copies you buy.
      - SilasX 8y ago
        Yeah I got that part. I just thought there were separate rights you had to buy in order to rent them out for money, based on comments I'd read from previous discussions. I just did some googling and found out there doesn't seem to be such a restriction.
        OkGoDoIt 8y ago
        There's separate rights needed to show a movie to a public/large audience, like at a movie theater.
    - d1zzy 8y ago
      The first sale doctrine allows any individual/company to buy retail discs and rent those physical copies out. No need of an agreement from the copyright holder for that. However, in practice, large rental companies (like Netflix) likely DO have contracts that make it easier and cheaper for them to get large numbers of discs without buying them on the retail market. But at least the first sale doctrine provides a fallback if contracts fail. I think I read somewhere that in the past Netflix has had to refer to the retail market for certain titles.

It is the only way to get mainstream films on netflix any more.

by nsnick 8y ago

It is the only way to get mainstream films on netflix any more.

Yeah, that's why we subscribe. Digitally renting a movie is crazy stupid for busy parents of young children. It takes us 2-3 days to watch a movie (in the ~40 minute chunks we have each night). Digital rentals force you to finish watching a movie within 24-48 hours...

Finnucane 8y ago

Or even non-mainstream films. Or anything more than a few years old. Or a fair number of cable TV series. Basically, if it is available on disk, Netlfix can mail it to you. And their mailing service is pretty efficient. It's rare to have to wait long to get something. The only annoyance is that occasionally you get a 'rental only' disk that doesn't have the extras.

ghaff 8y ago
>Basically, if it is available on disk, Netflix can mail it to you. Unfortunately, they're really letting their back catalog rot. An awful lot of things I saved in my DVD queue at some point are no longer available. In many cases, they're still available to buy but Netflix doesn't have them.
- __david__ 8y ago
  Yeah, I've noticed this, too. It's quite sad—they used to have practically everything ever printed on disc. Now my "Saved" list is bigger than my Queue. I just noticed a couple things on it I ended up finding the discs on Amazon, so it's not like they're out of print. Just not worth stocking I guess.
  - ghaff 8y ago
    They basically drove most of the local rental places out of business and now are slowly dismantling their own operation for physical media. Torrents aren't really an option for most obscure stuff. So you pretty much now have to just buy media for a lot of things out of the mainstream.

hackerbrother 8y ago

It's essentially a cable channel. Big-name movies come and go, and there's no way of telling then it happens. E.g. the Shining has been on there, and the Incredibles 2 is on there now.

paulddraper 8y ago

That is mentioned as one of the reasons in the article.

kalleboo 8y ago

Ben Heck: The Try and Find a Recent Movie on Netflix that isn't made by Disney Challenge! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QxcIocprvoA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QxcIocprvoA

chewzerita 8y ago
Wow, I'm happy I don't pay for that! Edit: because it looks like it will turn into a wasteland after disney leaves

SilasX 8y ago

Stupid question: would it be possible (legally or economically) for studios to just cut off Netflix from rental licensing rights?

hsivonen 8y ago
The basis of Netflix’s U.S.-only disc business is that in the U.S. for physical-medium movies, there is no distinct rental right, but the first-sale doctrine allows Netflix to rent movies that have been offered for sale on disc and that Netflix has bought on disc.
- SilasX 8y ago
  I thought rental services had to pay more for copies bought in order to rent out en masse?
  - VectorLock 8y ago
    You rent out the copies you buy.
    - SilasX 8y ago
      Yeah I got that part. I just thought there were separate rights you had to buy in order to rent them out for money, based on comments I'd read from previous discussions. I just did some googling and found out there doesn't seem to be such a restriction.
      - OkGoDoIt 8y ago
        There's separate rights needed to show a movie to a public/large audience, like at a movie theater.
  - d1zzy 8y ago
    The first sale doctrine allows any individual/company to buy retail discs and rent those physical copies out. No need of an agreement from the copyright holder for that. However, in practice, large rental companies (like Netflix) likely DO have contracts that make it easier and cheaper for them to get large numbers of discs without buying them on the retail market. But at least the first sale doctrine provides a fallback if contracts fail. I think I read somewhere that in the past Netflix has had to refer to the retail market for certain titles.