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The really bad news: No more Unlimited Streaming + Unlimited DVD combines plan. --- Second, we are separating unlimited DVDs by mail and unlimited streaming i

by evanw 15y ago

The really bad news: No more Unlimited Streaming + Unlimited DVD combines plan. --- Second, we are separating unlimited DVDs by mail and unlimited streaming into separate plans to better reflect the costs of each and to give our members a choice: a streaming only plan, a DVD only plan or the option to subscribe to both. With this change, we will no longer offer a plan that includes both unlimited streaming and DVDs by mail. So for instance, our current $9.99 a month membership for unlimited streaming and unlimited DVDs will be split into 2 distinct plans: Plan 1: Unlimited Streaming (no DVDs) for $7.99 a month Plan 2: Unlimited DVDs, 1 out at-a-time (no streaming), for $7.99 a month. The price for getting both of these plans will be $15.98 a month ($7.99 + $7.99). For new members, these changes are effective immediately; for existing members, the new pricing will start for charges on or after September 1, 2011.

encoderer 15y ago
So for folks like me, who have Unlimited Streaming + 1 Disc + Bluray, we've been paying $11.99 before taxes. Now, we'll be paying $17.99. That is a very significant increase and very unfortunate. I don't begrudge what they're doing: Weaning you off your DVD habit and onto their streaming service. But I just think they are jumping the gun. Get some more first-run content available first. As it is, I'm going to take it on the chin and pay the extra $6, but with a lot less love for Netflix, for at least a little while until I forget about this.
- ctdonath 15y ago
  "I don't begrudge what they're doing: Weaning you off your DVD habit and onto their streaming service." Neither would I, if they weren't REDUCING the streaming service from my perspective. Dozens of movies on my streaming queue have disappeared before I could get to them - something I didn't mind so much so long as I could at least get the disc version. General consensus seems: if pretty much everything were available streaming, fine - but it's not, and it's that "not" part which is small enough to make the DVD plan too expensive yet the content is personally important enough that we'll pay anyway.
  - encoderer 15y ago
    I agree, I hate that. The nuts and bolts don't matter, bad service is bad service, but in case you're just curious, the reason that most often happens is due to their StarzPlay agreement. A lot of the decent newer movies on their service come from their contract with Starz to stream any of the movies currently playing on that network. Well, Starz only gets movies for a certain period (same as any other TV network). So when the run is over on Starz, it's removed from netflix as well. This isn't the entire story, but I've found 9/10 of the movies that are removed from my instant queue are because of this.
bshep 15y ago
Not happy at all. They just increased my bill by ~60% (9.99 -> 15.98), I use streaming for the most part and order DVDs when they don't have the movie for streaming. At this price point I might as well go with Vudu or some other streaming service
- ebiester 15y ago
  Why not stick with the streaming service and get your DVDs locally? Perhaps, even from a local company?
  - matmann2001 15y ago
    I don't know where you live, but around me, all the Video Rental places are going out of business.
    - a_m_kelly 15y ago
      Try your local public library, it's free. You may have to wait a day or two for ILL or movies to get to your local branch if they don't have what you're looking for right there. There's also going to be an online listing of movie that are available in the catalog, unlike most of the now defunct movie rental places.
  - bshep 15y ago
    I'm still considering the options, but the selection on Vudu is really tempting. I actually think keeping the DVD by mail with netflix and using another streaming service will probably work best for me, most likely I will just cancel netflix before the change and pay for a month whenever I want a DVD I can't stream.
  - wiredfool 15y ago
    Around here, that means a kiosk in the grocery store. Sad to say, but the selection is even more limited than the streaming catalog. I really didn't realize how good I had it when I lived a block from Scarecrow Video in Seattle.

by evanw 15y ago

encoderer 15y ago

So for folks like me, who have Unlimited Streaming + 1 Disc + Bluray, we've been paying $11.99 before taxes. Now, we'll be paying $17.99. That is a very significant increase and very unfortunate. I don't begrudge what they're doing: Weaning you off your DVD habit and onto their streaming service. But I just think they are jumping the gun. Get some more first-run content available first. As it is, I'm going to take it on the chin and pay the extra $6, but with a lot less love for Netflix, for at least a little while until I forget about this.

ctdonath 15y ago
"I don't begrudge what they're doing: Weaning you off your DVD habit and onto their streaming service." Neither would I, if they weren't REDUCING the streaming service from my perspective. Dozens of movies on my streaming queue have disappeared before I could get to them - something I didn't mind so much so long as I could at least get the disc version. General consensus seems: if pretty much everything were available streaming, fine - but it's not, and it's that "not" part which is small enough to make the DVD plan too expensive yet the content is personally important enough that we'll pay anyway.
- encoderer 15y ago
  I agree, I hate that. The nuts and bolts don't matter, bad service is bad service, but in case you're just curious, the reason that most often happens is due to their StarzPlay agreement. A lot of the decent newer movies on their service come from their contract with Starz to stream any of the movies currently playing on that network. Well, Starz only gets movies for a certain period (same as any other TV network). So when the run is over on Starz, it's removed from netflix as well. This isn't the entire story, but I've found 9/10 of the movies that are removed from my instant queue are because of this.

bshep 15y ago

Not happy at all. They just increased my bill by ~60% (9.99 -> 15.98), I use streaming for the most part and order DVDs when they don't have the movie for streaming. At this price point I might as well go with Vudu or some other streaming service

ebiester 15y ago
Why not stick with the streaming service and get your DVDs locally? Perhaps, even from a local company?
- matmann2001 15y ago
  I don't know where you live, but around me, all the Video Rental places are going out of business.
  - a_m_kelly 15y ago
    Try your local public library, it's free. You may have to wait a day or two for ILL or movies to get to your local branch if they don't have what you're looking for right there. There's also going to be an online listing of movie that are available in the catalog, unlike most of the now defunct movie rental places.
- bshep 15y ago
  I'm still considering the options, but the selection on Vudu is really tempting. I actually think keeping the DVD by mail with netflix and using another streaming service will probably work best for me, most likely I will just cancel netflix before the change and pay for a month whenever I want a DVD I can't stream.
- wiredfool 15y ago
  Around here, that means a kiosk in the grocery store. Sad to say, but the selection is even more limited than the streaming catalog. I really didn't realize how good I had it when I lived a block from Scarecrow Video in Seattle.