8 ms·

Netflix live in the UK

71 points by EwanToo 15y ago

JCB_K 15y ago
Don't think they'll gain much market if they keep it this way. Lovefilm is £10, which is a bit more than Netflix (£6), but their collection is infinitely better.
- CJefferson 15y ago
  While lovefilm offer more when it comes to posting you DVDs in the post, Netflix looks like it has a better set of streaming (and netflix is only streaming it seems).
- chrisfarms 15y ago
  worth noting: LOVEFiLM do have a "streaming only" package hidden away in the "upgrade package" menu[1] .... currently £4.99 but no doubt will be brought inline with netflix' £5.99 [1] http://dl.dropbox.com/u/22519236/Screenshots/2t.png http://dl.dropbox.com/u/22519236/Screenshots/2t.png
- ed209 15y ago
  We got a LoveFile subscription trial with our new (internet) tv. At first I thought I had a limited set of films because it was a trial, but after some research is seems the streamable set of films are actually really limited. The functionality is really bad too. I'm not sure if that's Sony or LoveFilm, but the way films are categorised has nothing to do with the actual film.
- mattmanser 15y ago
  The lovefilm streaming selection is pathetic. I signed up for the month free trial and they were advertising The Matrix to give you an example of how little there is to choose from. There are more modern films but you have to pay extra for them.
xd 15y ago
They've lost one potential customer already, by forcing the 1 month free trial onto facebook users only. Edit: thanks for the down votes! But in my defence, the site is broken in Chrome which is why I was unable to see an email only link.
- tomstuart 15y ago
  There's an alternative "sign up using email address" link too.
  - revorad 15y ago
    It only shows you that link if you are not logged into Facebook. Cheeky frictionless sharing messiahs.
  - xd 15y ago
    Ah, thanks for pointing that out. However the site is broken in Chrome so I was unable to even get to that stage.
    - m0nty 15y ago
      You're right, it's broken in Chrome. Signup block looks completely different. Also, using IE Tab in Chrome, it goes berserk complaining (dozens of times) about the security certificate, not sure if that's a bug with IE Tab or their website.
    - arethuza 15y ago
      The "Browse Selection" page doesn't work for me using Firefox 9.0.1 on Windows 7.
  - rmc 15y ago
    I'm using Chromium and Firefox and I can't see any email reference. Where is it?
    - ukdm 15y ago
mibbitor 15y ago
Not convinced they'll be able to gain much market in the UK. Very different from the US market.
- mbesto 15y ago
  How so? Care to explain?
  - mibbitor 15y ago
    tv is not only watchable here, it's fantastically good quality programming.
    - freehunter 15y ago
      Plus if you have a TV you're already paying for the best programming out there, the BBC.
    - alextgordon 15y ago
      They're also competing with iPlayer, 4oD, etc, which: * are used by millions of people * are free * have a much better selection
    - mbesto 15y ago
      But what about movies? Netflix has a few target groups: - People who want to watch TV shows when they are released to DVD - People who want to watch on-demand movies The US has Hulu plus ABC/CBS/FOX/NBC all have on-demand online channels. In the same respects they only hold seasons for so long. So the market in the TV area is really no different than iPlayer/4oD/etc. The top online TV series rental for Lovefilm is Robot Chicken - Star Wars.[1] I've been in the UK long enough to know that there is much more demand for US television series than Robot Chicken. (Modern Family for example, comes to mind) The real challenge here is if Netflix UK has the same ownership rights as Netflix US. Otherwise they will sit no differently than Lovefilm. Disclaimer - I'm American, but currently live in the UK. [1] - http://www.lovefilm.com/ http://www.lovefilm.com/
- rmc 15y ago
pdaddyo 15y ago
I'm in the UK and I'll continue to pay for access to the US Netflix, since it has a much larger instant library. Even though this works out more expensive, at around £10/month (I use a paid proxy called unblockus).
- podo 15y ago
  Thanks so much for this comment! :)
- stuartmemo 15y ago
  Do you need a US credit card to do this?
  - dll 15y ago
    I also do this and couldn't use any of my credit cards. My UK Debit card (Lloyds TSB) worked fine though.
  - pdaddyo 15y ago
    My Natwest card used to work, but in December it failed (Netflix saying I'm not a US customer). I resolved it by using a proxy card from entropay.com, using this guide: http://www.unblock-us.com/how-to-set-up/netflix http://www.unblock-us.com/how-to-set-up/netflix They take a percentage, but it's still cheaper than LoveFilm and I have it working on android, pc, ipad and PS3.
Jakegissing 15y ago
Pretyy excited about this, Lovefilm is a terrible website with a crappy library.
topbanana 15y ago
"Sorry, Netflix is not available in your country... yet"
jmedwards 15y ago
I am really surprised that Netflix hasn't been able to launch with a better collection than this. I think even iTunes trumps it, which is a poor show.
cadab 15y ago
I hope they get better TV/Movies soon, the ones they are advertising at the moment are terrible. I clicked on 'Thrillers' and there was only a few films i'd even heard of, let alone want to watch them. £5.99 isnt a bad price if i can get everything (or nearly) i want to watch. But currently theres no chance i'd pay, i dont even want the free trial.
- ricardobeat 15y ago
  More titles will show up soon (I guess). When it launched here in Brazil it looked worse than the local alternatives, but the library quickly filled up. Now I'm worried I'll never be able to watch everything I want :(
- kule 15y ago
  To be fair I signed up for the free month and there are quite a few more movies/tv shows you'd want to watch once you've logged in (quite a few you wouldn't find on lovefilm too). I'm surprised they didn't show a lot more of the popular ones on the sign up page to be honest...
ashleyw 15y ago
The library's a bit lacklustre. Is it the same as the US library?
- burgerbrain 15y ago
  I don't know, but the word "lacklustre" certainly describes the US library as well. Netflix instant in the US is really only worth it if you like "B movies", or just shit movies.
  - dangrossman 15y ago
    Or TV. For a couple bucks a month you get full back catalogs of a very large number of TV series, including currently airing popular ones. There's more recent TV content than you could get through in months.
  - king_jester 15y ago
    > Netflix instant in the US is really only worth it if you like "B movies", or just shit movies. This really depends on your taste. If you are looking for recent films and blockbusters, Netflix isn't really a great choice. If you are into documentaries, foreign film, silent film, and certain types of television (sci-fi and comedies come to mind), then Netflix has a large amount of content.
- sudonim 15y ago
  Netflix in the US is great for full seasons of TV shows. Sons of Anarchy, Mad Men and a bunch of others. It's also decent for classic movies and documentaries. I wouldn't expect to get the latest hollywood releases or you'll be disappointed. I'd guess that licensing in the UK is totally different and their library my reflect that. Sorry that media companies are dicks about viewing content in different regions.
  - rmc 15y ago
    No Mad Men on netflix for me (at least in Ireland)
JonAtkinson 15y ago
Their homepage says they support AppleTV; has anyone had any success in updating their device to work with Netflix? My AppleTV 2 is currently updating, but I'm told it'll take 346 hours to complete the update.
- panacea 15y ago
  Turn it off and on and try again ;]
micheljansen 15y ago
Can anyone actually browse the selection? Broken in all the browsers I tested (Safari, Firefox and Chrome): http://twitpic.com/856m1c http://twitpic.com/856m1c
- alexmuller 15y ago
  I was wondering if this was happening to just me, but it would appear not.
- justincormack 15y ago
  Fine on Chrome on Linux (no flash installed though, maybe that fixes it!).
dabeeeenster 15y ago
Having to install Silverlight on my Mac? Ugh. Library selection is poor. Just about every film I searched for was missing.
- irishloop 15y ago
  I tend to use Netflix more as a cable substitute with TV shows than a full movie library. The number of full backlogs of great shows in the U.S. at least (30 Rock, Parks and Rec, Party Down, Breaking Bad, etc.) for 8/month vs. 100/month for cable is an astounding savings for me personally. The movie selection is meh, but I can live with that for what I'm paying.
beaker52 15y ago
Out of all 4 of the films on there, there are none that I want to watch.
dmoney 15y ago
This just redirected me to my US netflix account. What am I supposed to see?
metatronscube 15y ago
I'm sticking with itunes. This is utter rubbish, its not got any redeeming features at all. This will never pickup in the UK.
- shutton 15y ago
  Yeah, I'm sticking with iTunes, at least until they get more content on there.
digitalclubb 15y ago
You think they would have made more of an effort with the catalogue on offer before launching.. I can appreciate that UK will have different licensing laws in place than the US, but what's on offer now is a real turn off and a disappointment.
moreati 15y ago
Is it normal for domains other than facebook.com to ask for a facebook password? If so that seems very risky. I would have assumed Facbook Inc to require third-party sites use a federated auth API, such as OAuth.
MattBearman 15y ago
The price is amazing, but if the selection on the site really is all they have, very few people will go for it. Think I'll do the free trial and see what the selection is like.
- msmithstubbs 15y ago
  I had the same reaction when I saw the titles on the site. Once I signed up and logged in, I could see a lot more titles that looked interesting. Still not a huge selection, but they seem to have done a poor job of promoting the service with the selection visible just on the public site. The success of the BBC iPlayer indicates a strong demand in the UK for a video streaming service. If they can get enough content deals in place I think they'll do well.
seanalltogether 15y ago
Watching Instantly Is Not Currently Available For Your Account Unfortunately your account is restricted to streaming only within the 50 United States and its territories. You may still access your account, but you will not be able to play any title. I'm disappointed that as a US based customer with a US billing address and a US credit card, even after this changeover I'm still unable to watch movies I'm paying for while staying in the UK.

71 points by EwanToo 15y ago

JCB_K 15y ago

Don't think they'll gain much market if they keep it this way. Lovefilm is £10, which is a bit more than Netflix (£6), but their collection is infinitely better.

CJefferson 15y ago
While lovefilm offer more when it comes to posting you DVDs in the post, Netflix looks like it has a better set of streaming (and netflix is only streaming it seems).
chrisfarms 15y ago
worth noting: LOVEFiLM do have a "streaming only" package hidden away in the "upgrade package" menu[1] .... currently £4.99 but no doubt will be brought inline with netflix' £5.99 [1] http://dl.dropbox.com/u/22519236/Screenshots/2t.png http://dl.dropbox.com/u/22519236/Screenshots/2t.png
ed209 15y ago
We got a LoveFile subscription trial with our new (internet) tv. At first I thought I had a limited set of films because it was a trial, but after some research is seems the streamable set of films are actually really limited. The functionality is really bad too. I'm not sure if that's Sony or LoveFilm, but the way films are categorised has nothing to do with the actual film.
mattmanser 15y ago
The lovefilm streaming selection is pathetic. I signed up for the month free trial and they were advertising The Matrix to give you an example of how little there is to choose from. There are more modern films but you have to pay extra for them.

xd 15y ago

They've lost one potential customer already, by forcing the 1 month free trial onto facebook users only. Edit: thanks for the down votes! But in my defence, the site is broken in Chrome which is why I was unable to see an email only link.

tomstuart 15y ago
There's an alternative "sign up using email address" link too.
- revorad 15y ago
  It only shows you that link if you are not logged into Facebook. Cheeky frictionless sharing messiahs.
- xd 15y ago
  Ah, thanks for pointing that out. However the site is broken in Chrome so I was unable to even get to that stage.
  - m0nty 15y ago
    You're right, it's broken in Chrome. Signup block looks completely different. Also, using IE Tab in Chrome, it goes berserk complaining (dozens of times) about the security certificate, not sure if that's a bug with IE Tab or their website.
  - arethuza 15y ago
    The "Browse Selection" page doesn't work for me using Firefox 9.0.1 on Windows 7.
- rmc 15y ago
  I'm using Chromium and Firefox and I can't see any email reference. Where is it?
  - ukdm 15y ago

mibbitor 15y ago

Not convinced they'll be able to gain much market in the UK. Very different from the US market.

mbesto 15y ago
How so? Care to explain?
- mibbitor 15y ago
  tv is not only watchable here, it's fantastically good quality programming.
  - freehunter 15y ago
    Plus if you have a TV you're already paying for the best programming out there, the BBC.
  - alextgordon 15y ago
    They're also competing with iPlayer, 4oD, etc, which: * are used by millions of people * are free * have a much better selection
  - mbesto 15y ago
    But what about movies? Netflix has a few target groups: - People who want to watch TV shows when they are released to DVD - People who want to watch on-demand movies The US has Hulu plus ABC/CBS/FOX/NBC all have on-demand online channels. In the same respects they only hold seasons for so long. So the market in the TV area is really no different than iPlayer/4oD/etc. The top online TV series rental for Lovefilm is Robot Chicken - Star Wars.[1] I've been in the UK long enough to know that there is much more demand for US television series than Robot Chicken. (Modern Family for example, comes to mind) The real challenge here is if Netflix UK has the same ownership rights as Netflix US. Otherwise they will sit no differently than Lovefilm. Disclaimer - I'm American, but currently live in the UK. [1] - http://www.lovefilm.com/ http://www.lovefilm.com/
rmc 15y ago

pdaddyo 15y ago

I'm in the UK and I'll continue to pay for access to the US Netflix, since it has a much larger instant library. Even though this works out more expensive, at around £10/month (I use a paid proxy called unblockus).

podo 15y ago
Thanks so much for this comment! :)
stuartmemo 15y ago
Do you need a US credit card to do this?
- dll 15y ago
  I also do this and couldn't use any of my credit cards. My UK Debit card (Lloyds TSB) worked fine though.
- pdaddyo 15y ago
  My Natwest card used to work, but in December it failed (Netflix saying I'm not a US customer). I resolved it by using a proxy card from entropay.com, using this guide: http://www.unblock-us.com/how-to-set-up/netflix http://www.unblock-us.com/how-to-set-up/netflix They take a percentage, but it's still cheaper than LoveFilm and I have it working on android, pc, ipad and PS3.

Jakegissing 15y ago

Pretyy excited about this, Lovefilm is a terrible website with a crappy library.

topbanana 15y ago

"Sorry, Netflix is not available in your country... yet"

jmedwards 15y ago

I am really surprised that Netflix hasn't been able to launch with a better collection than this. I think even iTunes trumps it, which is a poor show.

cadab 15y ago

I hope they get better TV/Movies soon, the ones they are advertising at the moment are terrible. I clicked on 'Thrillers' and there was only a few films i'd even heard of, let alone want to watch them. £5.99 isnt a bad price if i can get everything (or nearly) i want to watch. But currently theres no chance i'd pay, i dont even want the free trial.

ricardobeat 15y ago
More titles will show up soon (I guess). When it launched here in Brazil it looked worse than the local alternatives, but the library quickly filled up. Now I'm worried I'll never be able to watch everything I want :(
kule 15y ago
To be fair I signed up for the free month and there are quite a few more movies/tv shows you'd want to watch once you've logged in (quite a few you wouldn't find on lovefilm too). I'm surprised they didn't show a lot more of the popular ones on the sign up page to be honest...

ashleyw 15y ago

The library's a bit lacklustre. Is it the same as the US library?

burgerbrain 15y ago
I don't know, but the word "lacklustre" certainly describes the US library as well. Netflix instant in the US is really only worth it if you like "B movies", or just shit movies.
- dangrossman 15y ago
  Or TV. For a couple bucks a month you get full back catalogs of a very large number of TV series, including currently airing popular ones. There's more recent TV content than you could get through in months.
- king_jester 15y ago
  > Netflix instant in the US is really only worth it if you like "B movies", or just shit movies. This really depends on your taste. If you are looking for recent films and blockbusters, Netflix isn't really a great choice. If you are into documentaries, foreign film, silent film, and certain types of television (sci-fi and comedies come to mind), then Netflix has a large amount of content.
sudonim 15y ago
Netflix in the US is great for full seasons of TV shows. Sons of Anarchy, Mad Men and a bunch of others. It's also decent for classic movies and documentaries. I wouldn't expect to get the latest hollywood releases or you'll be disappointed. I'd guess that licensing in the UK is totally different and their library my reflect that. Sorry that media companies are dicks about viewing content in different regions.
- rmc 15y ago
  No Mad Men on netflix for me (at least in Ireland)

JonAtkinson 15y ago

Their homepage says they support AppleTV; has anyone had any success in updating their device to work with Netflix? My AppleTV 2 is currently updating, but I'm told it'll take 346 hours to complete the update.

panacea 15y ago
Turn it off and on and try again ;]

micheljansen 15y ago

Can anyone actually browse the selection? Broken in all the browsers I tested (Safari, Firefox and Chrome): http://twitpic.com/856m1c http://twitpic.com/856m1c

alexmuller 15y ago
I was wondering if this was happening to just me, but it would appear not.
justincormack 15y ago
Fine on Chrome on Linux (no flash installed though, maybe that fixes it!).

dabeeeenster 15y ago

Having to install Silverlight on my Mac? Ugh. Library selection is poor. Just about every film I searched for was missing.

irishloop 15y ago
I tend to use Netflix more as a cable substitute with TV shows than a full movie library. The number of full backlogs of great shows in the U.S. at least (30 Rock, Parks and Rec, Party Down, Breaking Bad, etc.) for 8/month vs. 100/month for cable is an astounding savings for me personally. The movie selection is meh, but I can live with that for what I'm paying.

beaker52 15y ago

Out of all 4 of the films on there, there are none that I want to watch.

dmoney 15y ago

This just redirected me to my US netflix account. What am I supposed to see?

metatronscube 15y ago

I'm sticking with itunes. This is utter rubbish, its not got any redeeming features at all. This will never pickup in the UK.

shutton 15y ago
Yeah, I'm sticking with iTunes, at least until they get more content on there.

digitalclubb 15y ago

You think they would have made more of an effort with the catalogue on offer before launching.. I can appreciate that UK will have different licensing laws in place than the US, but what's on offer now is a real turn off and a disappointment.

moreati 15y ago

Is it normal for domains other than facebook.com to ask for a facebook password? If so that seems very risky. I would have assumed Facbook Inc to require third-party sites use a federated auth API, such as OAuth.

MattBearman 15y ago

The price is amazing, but if the selection on the site really is all they have, very few people will go for it. Think I'll do the free trial and see what the selection is like.

msmithstubbs 15y ago
I had the same reaction when I saw the titles on the site. Once I signed up and logged in, I could see a lot more titles that looked interesting. Still not a huge selection, but they seem to have done a poor job of promoting the service with the selection visible just on the public site. The success of the BBC iPlayer indicates a strong demand in the UK for a video streaming service. If they can get enough content deals in place I think they'll do well.

seanalltogether 15y ago

Watching Instantly Is Not Currently Available For Your Account Unfortunately your account is restricted to streaming only within the 50 United States and its territories. You may still access your account, but you will not be able to play any title. I'm disappointed that as a US based customer with a US billing address and a US credit card, even after this changeover I'm still unable to watch movies I'm paying for while staying in the UK.