Netflix - Not bad! Qwikster - uh, never mind...

whiney's too angry to know what he's gonna be angry about

Would be interesting if Netflix could have something like premium channels: pay so-and-so to stream HBO shows, so-and-so for Criterion, etc. Build a package that way.

my anger is always expressed in all-lowercase

Is it time to change the thread title?

your love is always expressed in comic sans

I wish I could find info somewhere about how long the Hulu/Criterion deal is. I imagine it's several years, though.

I've got a Netflix copy of Elevator to the Gallows ready to return. Should I keep it or piss on it?

Managing two queues without being able to cross check them is a hassle for sure, and managing two accounts is, too, to a lesser extent. I'm surprised no one has mentioned special features (that I've noticed, anyway). There are some movies or shows whose special features I really want to see, not the least of which is closed captioning. CC works when I stream on my computer, but not through my BR player, which is not top of the line, but it's a fucking Blu Ray player, which is more than a lot of people have.

I prefer non-physical media by a mile, but only if it's equivalent to the physical media, and NF streaming is not even close. Besides the lack of "special" features, the interface feels clunky (even on a nicer machine than my BR), and the buffering - upon loading or when reversing or advancing - is way too slow.

anyone can watch it on their tv if they have the energy and known how to set it up

― iatee, Monday, September 19, 2011 9:56 AM (3 hours ago) Bookmark

Not really. I have an HDTV and a Sony Vaio laptop. It isn't impossible to feed the video stream to the TV, but it would take some fairly pricey and jerry rigging b/c they lack compatible outputs and inputs. And again, an HDTV and a Vaio are more advanced hardware than a lot of people have. Plus I am craftier than a lot of users.

"It isn't impossible to feed the video stream to the TV, but it would take some fairly pricey and jerry rigging b/c they lack compatible outputs and inputs."

Um, no it wouldn't.

With my HDTV and computer, it would. I spent a great deal of time researching this.

"Fairly pricey" being around $80 IIRC.

no HDMI out/in?

I got bad news for you: Most rental DVDs now have the special features (by which I mean stuff beyond the movie itself and trailers for other movies) disabled, or they're mastered without them, so if you want them, you're going to have to buy the disc.

No sir. xp and no S-video, either. And no VGA input on the TV.

Oh. The thread title was changed. I missed that.

I have like a billion ways to put NF streaming on my tv. Tv itself, DVD player, Wii, xbox, browser on home theater PC. Ok, only 5.

Most of the time I just use the TV itself. I like the interface the best and I only have to turn one device on.

No sir. xp and no S-video, either. And no VGA input on the TV.

― Je55e, Monday, September 19, 2011 3:29 PM Bookmark

But wait, don't you have an HDMI input on the TV? If so I think they make USB-to-HDMI adapters for pretty cheap.

If I find out that I missed an option after all the Googling, forum asking, and talking to assholes at Computer Coven, I'm going to be really annoyed with myself and everyone else. I'll get back to you.

Computer Coven? is that a cult?

OK. What. The. Fuck.

I am stunned and really annoyed with myself b/c it looks like you are right. I'm sorry I said you were wrong, and I'm sorry I was so wrong. I would be happy that I learned about this option (which is REALLY REALLY OBVIOUS) but that laptop is on its last legs, so this info doesn't do much for me now except make me question my problem solving capacity.

Actually, those converters are still kinda pricey - $60-$100.

The thing about the letter that really seems odd to me is that he frames it as an apology for his other communications, but the letter is actually an announcement of a major restructuring of their service. It seems very bizarre to announce a major change in a company's structure and function by first saying "sorry I was so arrogant months ago".

"sorry I was so arrogant months ago, that was just a warm-up for THIS"

next he'll apologize for not including the pop-up virus he meant to attach to the post

I think they want to force the studios/distributors to realize that streaming is the future and Netflix is the juggernaut that they'll have to work with to get their content out.

The thing is, the studios aren't going to give up something like On Demand, which would be pointless if new releases became available on streaming.

― Gukbe, Monday, September 19, 2011 12:35 PM (3 hours ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

^^ this is otm

"Getting some blowback on the Qwikster news...so while we won't be reintegrating the search functions I will personally fart on every 100th DVD."

i mean we can sit on the thread and trade anecdotal "well everyone i know does *this* with their netflix subscription" but my guess is that the big multinational probably has pretty good data on how many people use streaming exclusively vs mail exclusively vs both (and in the latter case how frequently for each)--as joe points out they have a long history of making the right moves on this stuff, and while im willing to believe that they might be killing off their business my guess is that theyve got reams of data backing up this decision

i mean i think the biggest misstep they made in their history was underestimating how childish the internet noise machine can be when its asked to pay a little bit more for something

Really looking forward to fielding all the confused calls from older relatives.

je55e i have a vga-to-rca converter that is absolutely terrible and might negate the whole point of having an HDTV
but it must be very very cheap right now. (i see a sketchy-looking one on ebay for about $15)
However there are also $2 cables if your vaio can output TV-out through VGA.

I actually thought they seemed to be making some rational business decisions and then the term 'qwikster' appeared

people complaining about the cost just don't remember what it was like in the 'the only store you can go to is blockbuster' era

While I took the news of the price increase with a bit of a shrug and was far from outraged, I do understand why people might have been miffed at the price increase announcement being tied to a reduction in services. I think its a little reductive to consider it just entitled people bitching about having to pay more.

i mean i think the biggest misstep they made in their history was underestimating how childish the internet noise machine can be when its asked to pay a little bit more for something

― max, Monday, September 19, 2011 3:26 PM (17 minutes ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

is it "childish" for me to complain that a service i'm currently happy with (and i didn't bitch about the price increase at all fwiw) is now way worse and more complicated?

i just added a bunch of movies i wanted to see to my dvd queue, and none of them were available streaming?

whiney otm itt, i didn't even realize there was a price raise or that i should change my plan because whatever dvd i want just showing up in my mailbox is still magical and incredibly cheap to any child of the blockbuster era, who gives a damn if the price goes up a little

heh iatee also otm i guess

oh i was talking more about the "outcry" from earlier this summer

i "get" people being mad about the qwikster thing now though i still am sort of like *rolls eyes, makes jerkoff motion*

xp exactly!

like, sorry that netflix made your incredibly easy life slightly harder for a couple years, what are you going to do, go to blockbuster?

i get finding the qwikster name change funny and pathetic but i don't know why it would make anyone mad

other than in a "please don't make me say 'qwikster' on a daily basis you morons"

it doesn't make me mad it just makes me question some people in charge in a way I hadn't before

ppl need to get in visionary mode on this, by 2015 *95% of what you watch will be streamed* [if u are not a film nerd], you can be on the apple inc "5.99 a movie for 24 hours" or the cable channels "$35 a month for a huge amount of bullshit, impossible hardward and horrible customer service" or the netflix "$10 for a huge library of streaming video"

right now there are no other options! and i dont see any coming along anytime soon

yr right i mean ppl are STARVING IN AFRICA RIGHT NOW

it's a service that i am a customer of, it is now less appealing and costs more, that's perfectly rational reason to complain

otoh their evil goal is everything streaming one day, right? so it's good that they're giving the dvd service a retarded name on purpose. xp

yeah i mean its "rational" to complain you just sound like an ass. no offense matt i like you.

plus the streaming contract w/starz is expiring in february which means the streaming content is going to get worse in a big way

I miss my cool local video stores. :(

you can only complain if it costs more than you would willingly pay for what you're getting. as long as it costs less - and, I think for most people, it still does? - people are getting a lot of consumer surplus from this service

xps