Netflix offers unlimited "Watch Now"

[jinjuku]

AHHHH YAHHOOOO!

Come Monday, Netflix will offer unlimited "Watch Now" with all plans except for the $4.99 plan.

This is in response to Apple getting into the online movie rental business. You know they are going to keep growing their watch now library.

I love innovation and competition.

Here's the press release

 

[armaraas]

Another bonus for the home theater pc. Do you know if Dolby Digital/DTS is available for audio, or just stereo? I've been debating on switching to Netflix since BB raised their prices again....

 

[EJ1]

Does Blockbuster raise their prices frequently?

 

[Rickster71]

I'm a little late to the Netflix party.
I just didn't think we'd watch that many movies;
not in the summer, anyway.
I've only been using them for the last four months.
We couldn't be happier

 

[masak_aer]

I've watched it several times. Video is OK (much much better than the video clips on google/youtube). Sound is stereo but I just decode to Prologic II to get the 5.1.
Video quality relies heavily on your network speed. I have no problem so far.

 

[GlocksRock]

Does Blockbuster raise their prices frequently?

Not too often, but they recently upped their top package to $35 for 3 out at a time unlimited rentals with unlimited in store exchanges... not too bad considering how many movies you could potentially get with this each month. I have this plan now and they aren't shipping movies for some reason, they claim it's because the place that has them isn't close enough to get it to me in the mail in a timely fashion, but that would be better than not getting any movies at all... even though they show as available in my queue.

 

[armaraas]

BB doesn't raise their prices too horribly often. It's probably been a year and a half or a little more since the last raise, but I've been getting annoyed with how they change the plans. Originally we got 2 in store coupons for free, game or movie. At some point they changed things, not sure if it was with the in store exchange or before, but they took away coupons from newer members but let people who had them before a certain date still get them. Then they did the in store exchange, so the coupons became a moot point. Then they decided to limit the in store exchange to 5 a month. And the coupons I used to get seem to have a disappeared now that I could use them. I had been actually hanging onto the same movies for weeks at a time before exchanging them, so we weren't going through that many. But now that they're raising the price I just find it annoying. Maybe I'll get my coupons back.

 

[mafiaahem]

Does Blockbuster raise their prices frequently?

I started with BB in May with a plan that gave me unlimited store exchanges and a monthly e-coupon for a free movie in addition to the mail rentals. I had it suspended for about a month as I was traveling overseas. When I returned, I wanted to restart the service. They said while I am still considered an old member, I still have to choose a new plan. The new plan was changed to only 5 movie exchanges at the store and the e-coupons were gone. This was in last October. And now they have raised the price. Frankly, I am not liking their marketing tactics but the thing that is keeping me stick with them is returning the rentals at the store so you get the next-in-queue movies faster. But again, they have even slowed down this process too - they are not shipping the movies promptly.

I am thinking of switching to Netflix too, which I am hearing is prompt in shipping and has attractive plans. And while they cannot beat the BB's in store exchange benefit but they offer online movie watching which is not that bad. Only that you now have to watch movies on the PC instead of your home theater. and

 

[jinjuku]

Only that you now have to watch movies on the PC instead of your home theater. and

It's called a Home Theater PC

 

[GlocksRock]

It's called a Home Theater PC

Which I have, and will happily use to view streaming movies, only if I get full dolby digital or DTS audio tracks... PLIIx is good, but not as good as the real deal. So when someone can tell me what type of audio they get with this, I will consider switching. But I'm sure offering unlimited downloadable movies is only temporary, after a while it will be more limited. I see this as a marketing tactic to lure away current blockbuster customers. One of the only things keeping me as a blockbuster customer, is the fact that I can use in store exchanges for blu ray movies, even though the selection is limited, it's still a very nice option for me, since the online blu rays that I want to see I usually have to wait a while.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

So can you download those movies and watch later?

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

Netflix Watch Now Movies Sound

So is the sound DTS or DD or just 2-ch stereo?

 

[jinjuku]

Which I have, and will happily use to view streaming movies, only if I get full dolby digital or DTS audio tracks... PLIIx is good, but not as good as the real deal. So when someone can tell me what type of audio they get with this, I will consider switching. But I'm sure offering unlimited downloadable movies is only temporary, after a while it will be more limited. I see this as a marketing tactic to lure away current blockbuster customers. One of the only things keeping me as a blockbuster customer, is the fact that I can use in store exchanges for blu ray movies, even though the selection is limited, it's still a very nice option for me, since the online blu rays that I want to see I usually have to wait a while.

The streaming I do believe is just in stereo. I have to point out:

Currently you can get all the programming they have to offer for $8.99. Beggars can't be choosers. Maybe they will get it worked out.

I would love 5.1 Dolby Digital and a plug-in/shim for Windows Media Center.

But for $9/month. I am still happy.

 

[jinjuku]

So can you download those movies and watch later?

No, the service is streaming.

 

[GlocksRock]

I think I will pass on Netflix for now, but I do see it as a test run for future downloadable content, to see how a major movie service provider can handle it... and only standard def video with just stereo audio.

 

[Hi Ho]

I have had a Netflix subscription for a few months now and I love it. I use the streaming video only for stuff that doesn't have a killer sound track or I don't care about the video quality. I've watched a few episodes of The Office (get that damn writers strike over already!) on my laptop and the video quality is fine but I would much rather watch most movies on my main system with HD media.

 

[sparky77]

Do the movies play in Windows Media Player then? If so I can take advantage of my audio processing plugins to help expand the sound a bit.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

Well, I just let my 6 yr old daughter watch some cartoons on the Netflix Instant Movie last night. Very nice feature. Not a bad idea to check out movies to see if they are even worth renting--- preview before your rent.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

Do the movies play in Windows Media Player then? If so I can take advantage of my audio processing plugins to help expand the sound a bit.

They made me upgrade for free to Windows Media Player 11 and some other free required upgrades before it would work.