Netflix May Drop DVD Mailing

[tigerfan33]

If this is the case and they do not improve titles for streaming. I will be done.
Netflix Is Abandoning DVDs, Customers Who Prefer DVDs - MOVIE TALK on Yahoo! Movies

 

[mdram]

this could help bolster blockbuster. if netflix abandons dvds, mabye bb will increase

 

[B_Kranski]

If the Optical version of netflix is gone so am I, and I am sure millions of others. Would be there own funeral, and they are hosting it.

 

[jayn_j]

Decreased resolution, limited titles. Download has its place in our house, but it does not replace mailed BluRays. More buying. Could be a boost for Blockbuster.

I also echo the final paragraph about the bandwidth of the backbone. I believe our increasing demands are outstripping increases in available bandwidth.

 

[RandallA]

I'm gone too. I started looking at Blockbuster's Mail service. I'm also getting tired of Netflix not having the latest movies until 3-4 weeks after they're released. Most of my friends and family have already watched the latest movies by the time I receive them from Netflix.

 

[bkos]

Here's Netflix's blog post that caused the article to be written:

Monday, January 17, 2011
Removing "Add to DVD Queue" from Streaming Devices

Hi there, it’s Jamie Odell, director of product management at Netflix, with an update for members who add DVDs to their Queue from the device they use to watch instantly. We’re removing the “Add to DVD Queue” option from streaming devices. We’re doing this so we can concentrate on offering you the titles that are available to watch instantly. Further, providing the option to add a DVD to your Queue from a streaming device complicates the instant watching experience and ties up resources that are better used to improve the overall streaming functionality. This change does not impact the Netflix Web site, where most members manage their DVD Queues.

Doesn't mean that they are going to stop mailing physical discs...at least not yet. They are just making it harder for users to add physical discs to their queue through streaming devices like the Roku or PS3.

 

[digiblur]

I think it is a good idea...too many times have the kids added a DVD to my queue from the 360...and it ended up being something stupid that they really didn't need to order the DVD of in the first place.

 

[mike123abc]

I have to agree it is a good idea. My parents did not realise that adding to queue on BD player meant it was coming in the mail vs available on the BD player. They got a few DVDs they did not know they had even ordered. Only showing streaming content on streaming devices makes sense.

 

[Hemi 6.1]

Well if they make all their movies available VIA Streaming, Then Fantastic!

But right now, I think their list of "Watch it now" selection is sad.

I used Netflix only and dropped all my premiums, Well that lasted about a month before I added all my premiums back.

 

[jayn_j]

I find it difficult to watch streaming on the projector. OK on the smaller plasma, but the big screen shows that it is slightly worse than DVD quality. I want the BluRay for down there. If it is just a 'not available on streaming sources' issue, I am OK with it. I usually add to my queue over the website anyway. Besides the TIVO and XBOX streaming interfaces are so dismal, that I usually add to the streaming queue from the webpage as well.

 

[Peter Parker]

As recent events show they won't be dropping discs as soon as they might want to. As for BB somehow gaining from this----they will be out of business before that happens.

 

[yaz96]

I find it difficult to watch streaming on the projector. OK on the smaller plasma, but the big screen shows that it is slightly worse than DVD quality. I want the BluRay for down there. If it is just a 'not available on streaming sources' issue, I am OK with it. I usually add to my queue over the website anyway. Besides the TIVO and XBOX streaming interfaces are so dismal, that I usually add to the streaming queue from the webpage as well.

Are you watching the HD streaming movies? I can see what you're saying if you're only watching SD, but the HD movies are pretty sharp. Unfortunately, there's just not very many of them.

 

[TheForce]

Let's be honest here. I love what Netflix is trying to do and enjoy their streaming library BUT...

The PQ on the SD is so compressed it looks like the most compressed SD channels on DirecTV. ON the Netflix HD movies, the compression forces the video to look like a mediocre DVD. However, I can enjoy the movies on Netflix in HD but hardly ever watch the SD stuff. I have a very fast Cable internet connection here and it always tests at maximum quality. Also, While there seems to be plenty of content in HD, the newest offering of HD plus DD5.1 is extremely sparse. In fact I think I have seen all they have. Remember, I am watching on a 92" wide screen so bad video looks worse for me than on a 55" LCD or Plasma. Bottom line, Netflix HD is worse looking than any of the Dish Network HD channels. If they are "HD Lite" what would you call the Netflix HD?

 

[harshness]

I used Netflix only and dropped all my premiums, Well that lasted about a month before I added all my premiums back.

If they can't satisfy a DIRECTV movie channel subscriber, who's left?

 

[bacchus101]

So they are cutting out the 40% of Americans that don't have a true broadband connection? I highly, highly doubt that. Not to mention that those who actually do have speed, also have caps.

I can watch a streaming title when I'm in a bind via my fixed wireless internet but I have to wait 8 minutes for the movie to start and have to expect at least 2 rebuffers per hour. Oh, did I mention that the video quality makes me yearn for the youtube of old? Sometimes I get confused and think I'm watching Tetris.

Netflix will not be dropping DVDs anytime in the near future.

In other news, I hear betelgeuse is going supernova in 2012...

 

[LocutusOfBorg]

It seems to me that they have a long way to go before they can go "streaming only". I recently bought a new bluray player that does streaming. There's been issues with the content not finishing (network error) and/or, even more so, a LOT of pauses (re-buffering) on a lot of titles and/or something strange happens to the video. The titles that do work OK look great.

 

[navychop]

....
In other news, I hear betelgeuse is going supernova in 2012...

If we were to know about it in 2012, it's already happened. So you found out with your quantum communicator- that's cheating!


Netflix seems to expect MAJOR improvements in the internet infrastructure in the next two years. Right. Back to Betelgeuse.

 

[SatinKzo]

In other news, I hear betelgeuse is going supernova in 2012...

Since we'll have a couple days of "extra sunlight" due to this, I hope netflix is ready cause I won't be able to sleep and will need something to do while all the neutrinos are passing through me.