Anyone use Netflix?

[Adam]

I would give them a try I am interested in mainly streaming for my Tivo but they want you to pay first before they will let you see if they even offer anything you would watch.

You can't try the streaming portion during the free trial?

 

[mcdanielnc89]

I'm streaming about 8 a week on a frere trial.

 

[majorloser]

I have used them for over 3 years. Superb service.

There is a basic rule to follow if you intend to get as movies as possible: DO NOT return more than the number of movies on your plan, more than once a week. If you have the 3 movie plan, do not mail back more then 3 per week. This gives you 12 movies a month. If you try to exceed this amount, at first, it will work - maybe for a month. Then Netflix computers will start to 'throttle' you; this means they will start delaying mail outs for a couple of days or even 3 days, after they get your movie(s) back. It will cause the service to suck. I have tried it out several times over the years and that was the result. Follow the rule above and you will have fast, excellent service.

-Chris

Heck, I'm lucky if I can get all four movies delivered in one week. Much less worrying about how many I send back. They're definitely making good money on my account.

I'll probably end up going somewhere else unless the streaming content catches up with more recent releases. Having the Xbox Live available for streaming is just too easy for viewing content. But if I can't get new release movies mailed for three to four months after release, it's just not worth it.

Just for curiosity, I haven't noticed what type of discs most people are getting.
BluRay or DVD???

 

[Adam]

Just for curiosity, I haven't noticed what type of discs most people are getting.
BluRay or DVD???

I'm getting DVDs...because I don't have a blu-ray player.

 

[10010011]

You can't try the streaming portion during the free trial?

I guess I was not being clear. You have to sign up and provide a credit card get the free trial, before you can see their library, then try to cancel before they bill you if you don't like it.

Reminds me too much of all them telemarketing scams...

 

[westcott]

I have had the 3 at a time, 4 at a time, 5 at a time, 6 at a time and 7 at a time plans, and now have the 6 at a time plan(for the last 1.5 years or so). In the past, many other people have also noticed and logged/documented the throttling phenomenon. I presume they still do the same thing, though I have not bothered to try to 'test' them out again in the last year. I have no idea how you could have avoided the issue unless they somehow flag 8 at a time as 'super high priority' customer or something.

-Chris

I have had NetFlix for six years and have been very happy. I have always been on the 3 movie plan. I agree, if you send too many back too fast, they will throttle your service. After logging over 900 movies, 3 is just right and they are available as fast as I want to watch them. I can count unwatchable movies out of the 900 on one hand!!!! As for lost movies, I can count those on the other hand. Extraordinary considering we are also at the mercy of the Postal Service.

I just think of all the money I have saved and the hours of movies we have watched. You think you have seen a movie but I am still surprised what gets edited on TV or was never available in a directors cut. I would never give up NetFlix. My DishNetwork would go first before ever losing their service!!!!!

 

[croseiv]

Sure! We've been using it for a couple of years now.

 

[Nomo]

Just for curiosity, I haven't noticed what type of discs most people are getting.
BluRay or DVD???

I get mostly BD movies now. At first the availability was worse than standard DVDs but it seems to be improving, up here anyway. It's easy enough to change the priority to SD if it's a movie that you really want sooner.

I do the 3 at a time plan, average about 10 movies a month. For $17, I figure I'm probably saving at least $25 a month over renting from the local Hollywood Video. Not including gas money and years off my life waiting for one of the kids, or the GF, to decide on something.

I'm totally happy with their service.

We don't have a Roku but both kids use the streaming service through their Xboxes in their bedrooms.

 

[Chitown2477]

Does the “Watch Now” streaming functionality of Netflix play in HD and surround sound? I watch NCIS for example through my XBOX 360 (which is hard wired to my home network) and it never streams in full HD or surround sound.

This is frustrating as I used to go through XBOX Live to watch shows like NCIS and CSI and there looked great in HD and sounded great in surround sound. Now they are only available through Netflix and the quality is not nearly as good.

 

[Adam]

Does the “Watch Now” streaming functionality of Netflix play in HD and surround sound? I watch NCIS for example through my XBOX 360 (which is hard wired to my home network) and it never streams in full HD or surround sound.

Do you have the option to set the bitrate for the video on the 360? My default bitrate with my internet connection is pretty low, so the video is not the best. I can, however, manually increase it on my PC or Mac for much better video quality. As for it being in surround sound, I can't answer that at the moment.

 

[Chitown2477]

How do you manually change your bitrate on your PC?

 

[Adam]

How do you manually change your bitrate on your PC?

If you have the old Netflix player, check out this post.

If you have the new (Silverlight) version, check out this post.