A compendium of awesome movies on netflix instant

[Greg Nog]

The Fifth Element available until 06/01!  MULTIPASS

[dumbfish]

Spoiler alert: It's boron.

[FreddyKnuckles]

Hasnt' that been on a while?

[davy]

Dear Davy,

We are separating unlimited DVDs by mail and unlimited streaming into two separate plans to better reflect the costs of each. Now our members have a choice: a streaming only plan, a DVD only plan, or both.

Your 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

Your price for getting both of these plans will be $15.98 a month ($7.99 + $7.99). You don't need to do anything to continue your memberships for both unlimited streaming and unlimited DVDs.

These prices will start for charges on or after September 1, 2011.

You can easily change or cancel your unlimited streaming plan, unlimited DVD plan, or both, by going to the Plan Change page in Your Account.

We realize you have many choices for home entertainment, and we thank you for your business.

BULLLLLLLL SHITE. 

[jm]

Yeah, I got that same email today. Mad face.

[Thermofusion]

I switched to the streaming-only plan a while back, but nevertheless that is some bullshit.

[Greg Nog]

Huh.  That's kind of a shame.  Still, I'll probably just switch to streaming-only, as I already have a tendency to go way too long without watching the discs they send me.

[dieblucasdie]

You could also get the limited plan--2 DVDs per month for $4.99.

Also, don't blame Netflix, blame freaking Starz.

[elpollodiablo]

I switched to the streaming-only plan a while back, but nevertheless that is some bullshit.

Does this lower the cost of streaming-only for us? I can't remember what the monthly charge is.

[Thermofusion]

Streaming-only has been 8 bucks since they first started offering it, I'm pretty sure. I definitely wouldn't pay much more than that unless the selection vastly improved.

[jm]

Huh.  That's kind of a shame.  Still, I'll probably just switch to streaming-only, as I already have a tendency to go way too long without watching the discs they send me.

Yeah, while I think the price change is bunk-o, it's really not going to affect me much.  I'm pretty sure the last couple of things I've gotten through the mail have languished for a few months before I sent them back, unopened.

[davy]

I like how they pointed out that now I have a choice!

Woooo.

[El_Josharino]

Get the streaming and share with your friends!

[auto-da-fey]

I was trying to use this as my moment to finally just cancel my Netflix account (even though I don't really stream at all and so it really benefits me--fuck them anyway), but I was just charged for the next round, so it makes more sense to ride the month out and then do it. or, more likely, forget and stay trapped in the cycle forever.

[jess]

Apparently it's due to their contracts being up with some of the streaming content providers, like Sony, and the streaming content becoming much more expensive now that everyone realizes it's a big deal: http://money.cnn.com/2011/07/08/technology/netflix_starz_contract/?hpt=hp_p1&iref=NS1

It will be interesting if (or really, when) someone like Google buys Hulu. I guess I'm rooting for Google to be the one, since they would probably make it pretty awesome and a real competitor to Netflix, although then it will probably recommend content to me based on my emails and post my movie watching habits to google+...

[nonotyet]

This is actually saving money for me, because I am still without the internet at my place and have therefore never streamed a movie, and I will probably be without internet at my place for the rest of ever. I am going down to $12 a month! woo

[YojimboMonkey]

OK so I have unlimited streaming and 4 discs at a time right now, for like $27.99 a month. To get that same plan after the changes, it'll be $29.98 a month, a $1.99 difference. I'm lacking in outrage. We actually had been thinking about cutting down on the discs plan anyway since we mostly use the streaming. If we cut down to 1 disc with streaming, it's $15.98 a month. I'm pretty much OK with that.

[Greg Nog]

I switched from unlimited streaming plus one Blu Ray at a time to unlimited streaming plus one regular DVD at a time.  From $11.99/month to $15.98/month.  Still thinking about dropping down to just unlimited, but will go through my DVD queue and see if I'm likely to be missing anything awesome.

[Little Sixes Little Nines]

can someone explain the advantage of netflix instant over, say, illegal movie streaming (other than doing your part to pay michael bay's salary etc)? i would try it out myself, but it's not in nz yet....

[dieblucasdie]

Aside from not having to visit sketchy sites with spyware and pr0n ads, and the legality, it's also a convenience thing.  You can watch it on your TV if you have one of many web-enabled devices (like an xbox or a playstation or a wii or a roku). 

Also, obviously illegal streaming sites are generally going to be limited to new big releases and some older nerd-culture movies.  You're not going to be able to stream Room with a View on fuckthempaa.ru or whatever.

[jm]

Mostly just that it's, you know, instant. Given the choice of watching a movie through Netflix and trying to find it, waiting for it to download, and then finding out the copy I got is dubbed in Portuguese with Finnish subtitles, I'll go with Netflix.

xpost with blu-blu

[Thermofusion]

advantages:

it has MST3K
it has Airwolf
it has the Rockford Files

[elpollodiablo]

I'd say Netflix Instant is just *barely* worth the 8 bucks a month. I wouldn't pay 10.

[davy]

http://www.cnn.com/2011/TECH/web/07/13/netflix.pricing.protests/index.html?eref=mrss_igoogle_cnn

I'd say Netflix Instant is just *barely* worth the 8 bucks a month. I wouldn't pay 10.

I'd agree with this, if it was just me I was concerned about. BUT, man, being able to sit my kid down with unlimited cartoons on my laptop ANYWHERE I have an internet signal? Don't tell Netflix, but that shit is priceless.

[Thermofusion]

Yeah, the 8 bucks really start to justify themselves whenever I'm away from home but have my laptop and a wifi signal.