Question About Netflix Streaming Movie Service

[FAYRICH]

Recently signed up for the one month free service for my 2 Vizio WiFi internet capable tv sets. Have watched 3 movies so far, and have a few more set up to watch on those nights when everything on the major networks is just repeats. If I decide to keep the service after the month is up, it will cost $8.99 per month. However, my feeling at this time is that I will not keep it. The title selection for the streaming service is missing all of the newer and better movies that they have available on DVD only. I have heard that they are going to upgrade the streaming titles sometime in the future for $1 a month more. Does anyone have the true skinny on if and when this will actually happen?

[AlanRT]

For $8.99 per month, it's very unlikely you will see many new releases on Netflix, or any other service other than PPV. That's because the distribution rights fees for new releases are too high to permit Netflix or others to make any money streaming them for a flat monthly rate.

That said, we love Netflix. For $8.99 per month, we have more video than we can possibly watch each week. I predict that streaming video is the way most if not all of the programming distribution market will be heading.

[iwc5893]

I predict that streaming video is the way most if not all of the programming distribution market will be heading.

Unfortunately, I don't see this becoming too much of a reality in the immediate future. Streaming video like Netflix, especially in HD, is putting a tremendous burden on ISP's and upstream bandwidth providers. Somebody has to pay for the upgraded infrastructure to allow for more bandwidth, and right now it's not the video providers. The ISP's are not inclined to spend a ton of money for these upgrades unless they are going to be paid for it. Netflix, and other video providers, are not inclined to share their profits with those companies that actually allow them to offer their services to their customers.

This is one of the reasons Net Neutrality is being hotly contested right now. The ISP's want the ability to control those services that take up the most resources and for which they are not being paid for. Content providers want the ability to use those resources without paying the transport agent for use of their bandwidth. Customers want the most bandwidth possible for the least amount of money, and rebel at the thought of paying for what they use.