Netflix streaming (1 Viewer)

[ChuckWL]

This is what bothers me with Netflix streaming. Whats here today may be gone tomorrow. I enjoy period dramas and I have been in the middle of a BBC program and cannot finish because it is removed.

This is from feedflix.com

325 Titles are coming to streaming in the next 30 days.
2744 Titles expire in the next two weeks (GONE POSS.?)
9 Titles became unavailable this week
http://feedfliks.com/streaming

 

[ChuckWL]

Originally Posted by Douglas Monce
My bold statement is simply based on the reality. They will HAVE to provide service able to handle the content because that is the direction everything is moving. Frankly at 1.5 mbps, much of what is available on the internet is not accessible to you. At least not reasonably accessible. If they don’t provide at least a 10mbps service, then someone else, be it satellite or some other service, will come along and put them out of business. Even in small towns.

Two years ago when I when I first watched a film streaming on Neflix, I stated that this was likely where everything was going. Yes at the time it was not even DVD quality, but you could see where it was going. Of course most people scoffed, saying that streaming would never catch on, because there wasn't enough bandwidth. Well today its more than half of Netflix business. As streaming becomes more and more important to Hollywood, there will be enormous pressure put on the internet providers to allow unlimited streaming with out restrictions. My service already provides this. I know providers in most major cities do. If they don’t their competition will. Of course that is the disadvantage of living in a small town, but I suspect that people live there feel they have other advantages.

The fact of the matter is that the movie studios would like to get away from consumers owning their content. They have NEVER wanted you to be able to own a copy of their films. They fought it when the Betamax came out, and have been trying to find a way to put the genie back into the bottle. It looks like they have found a way. I'm not saying that physical media is going away tomorrow, but it looks to me like its days are numbered.

Doug

I know in the golden days of video that was correct but in 2010 why are all the major studios (and Netflix) and CE companies supporting the upcoming ULTRAVIOLET http://www.uvvu.com/ format which is a purchase once watch on any device format? (this is planned for major press conference at the 2011 CES and also DECE has purchased space to show at event) Also why are the studios starting programs like the Warner Archive. I believe MGM, Columbia and Fox (in 2011) are planning such buy programs. If they have no interest in selling their product these actions in 2010 would make absolutely no sense.

 

[Douglas Monce]

programs. If they have no interest in selling their product these actions in 2010 would make absolutely no sense.

It looks to me like Ultraviolet is exactly what I'm talking about. Because ultimately it is a digital rights management system. Though the website is not specific, I suspect that once you buy Ultraviolet enabled content, you will be charged extra for each device you want to view it on. Getting closer to the model the movie studios like best, you pay for it every time you watch it.

Also you may notice that Ultraviolet can also work with downloaded or streaming content.

Again this is just my take on this, but it looks to me like it is just a step closer to a situation where every time you want to watch a film, you will have to pay a fee. Or a least the number of times you can watch will be limited.

Doug

 

[Mikah Cerucco]

So DIVX all over again? No thanks. But that's not really what Netflix is, though. It's not pay-per-view. It's a monthly subscription for access to their whole library. If I want to watch Avatar 4 times in one month (once per week), I only pay the subscription fee, not once per viewing.

Douglas Monce, it's the Closed Captions included in the streaming that got my attention, not the 5.1 DD+.

The biggest reason I don't see myself making streaming a cornerstone of my entertainment anytime soon is the opportunity cost of my bandwidth. If I'm streaming a HD movie over my internet connection (and I currently have 6mbps DSL), everything else everyone in the family wants to do loses whatever bandwidth is allocated to that streaming. Web browsing becomes slower. Internet radio stutters. On-line gaming suffers. And the files I'm trying to grab from work's FTP takes forever. All because someone decides to stream The Prince and Me in HD. It's a nice supplemental service to have, but if I'm going to watch Avatar, I'd still rather just pop in the BluRay and watch it.

 

[ChuckWL]

, wherever and whenever they want. It should make digital ownership just as compelling and convenient as owning a DVD, if not more so. We can't be more specific about the plans for ultraviolet today, but you can expect to hear a lot more about it and related initiatives in the coming months.

http://newyork.citybizlist.com/18/2010/11/3/Time-Warner-Q3-2010-Earnings-Call-Transcript.aspx


Yes it is a download and streaming service and also will come packaged with physical media like DVD and BD. Again we will get more info on this at CES.

Again I dont see the modern studio (2010) taking away our choice to either own or rent. I may also mention again new purchase programs like the Warner Archives. Why go thru the trouble of setting up programs like these if the studios dont want to sell. This is the main purpose of the Archive?

 

[ChuckWL]

Originally Posted by Mikah Cerucco
So DIVX all over again? No thanks. But that's not really what Netflix is, though. It's not pay-per-view. It's a monthly subscription for access to their whole library. If I want to watch Avatar 4 times in one month (once per week), I only pay the subscription fee, not once per viewing.

Douglas Monce, it's the Closed Captions included in the streaming that got my attention, not the 5.1 DD+.

The biggest reason I don't see myself making streaming a cornerstone of my entertainment anytime soon is the opportunity cost of my bandwidth. If I'm streaming a HD movie over my internet connection (and I currently have 6mbps DSL), everything else everyone in the family wants to do loses whatever bandwidth is allocated to that streaming. Web browsing becomes slower. Internet radio stutters. On-line gaming suffers. And the files I'm trying to grab from work's FTP takes forever. All because someone decides to stream The Prince and Me in HD. It's a nice supplemental service to have, but if I'm going to watch Avatar, I'd still rather just pop in the BluRay and watch it.

And if that movie you want to rewatch is no longer on Netflix because they lost the rights to stream (See post #39 where over 2700 will expire next few weeks alone) then what do you do?

 

[Todd H]

I know what you mean Ron. My wife and I have about 140 movies in our queue. Of those 140 movies, one is available for streaming. And to make matters worse, the one movie available is from Starz, which means no HD or OAR.

 

[Ronald Epstein]

At $8 a month I might just keep Netflix (I am still on trial).

I can access it from up to 6 devices including my iPad and
iPhone.

However, I am just shocked that Netflix has been around
for a very long time and they don't have a decent selection
of new titles to show for it.

...I mean, I can always find something to watch but I would
rather not be forced to make second choices every time.

Meanwhile, as I posted above, the studios are getting very
concerned about Netflix's popularity. The entire DVD market
is going into the toilet because of streaming. The studios
have already initiated a 30-day delay window between DVD
release and Netflix availability, but from what I see from the
overall selection, there aren't many popular titles making their
way to the service.

I am not convinced this is going to change. If streaming was
still in its infancy I could be optimistic. However this far into
the game if this is the kind of selection we are to expect then
I will have to consider canceling my subscription at some point.

 

[ChuckWL]

Ron Netflix on the iPad is fantastic especially for those on the go. Worthy of the $8 cost.u

 

[Gary Seven]

I find the service worthwhile for catching up on titles I've missed in the past, particularly TV. Shows like Arrested Development abd Battlestar Galatica, which I missed when it aired, Family Guy, which allows me to see the shows w/o commercials, and a variety of others. I would not use this service solely, but with the additon of blu-ray rental, there is always something for me to watch.

 

[Douglas Monce]

http://newyork.citybizlist.com/18/2010/11/3/Time-Warner-Q3-2010-Earnings-Call-Transcript.aspx


Yes it is a download and streaming service and also will come packaged with physical media like DVD and BD. Again we will get more info on this at CES.

Again I dont see the modern studio (2010) taking away our choice to either own or rent. I may also mention again new purchase programs like the Warner Archives. Why go thru the trouble of setting up programs like these if the studios dont want to sell. This is the main purpose of the Archive?

Interesting. Well see what direction it goes because it clearly has the potential to be a pay per view situation.

Doug

 

[Douglas Monce]

And if that movie you want to rewatch is no longer on Netflix because they lost the rights to stream (See post #39 where over 2700 will expire next few weeks alone) then what do you do?

Yes that is one of the things about the situation that bothers me as well. I didn't say that I particularly liked the idea completely, just that this is the obvious direction everything is going.

However on the other side of the coin, I'm getting to see films on Netflix streaming that have NEVER been put on any home video format, and don't get run on TV.

Doug

 

[Douglas Monce]

Originally Posted by Todd H
I know what you mean Ron. My wife and I have about 140 movies in our queue. Of those 140 movies, one is available for streaming. And to make matters worse, the one movie available is from Starz, which means no HD or OAR.

Actually the recent starz releases that I've seen ARE in the OAR. Not HD yet however.

Doug

 

[Jeffery_H]

I suspect that if your town is so small that you don't even have cable, that there are many modern conveniences that you are doing with out, and that is your choice for living there. There are probably many modern annoyances you are living with out also.

Yes satellite is limited to around 1.5 mbps....for now. Again if they want to compete they are going to have to do better than that.

I never said that EVERYONE would have access to this kind of service, or that it would be available right away. There maybe some towns that will NEVER have high speed internet. After all there were some small towns that didn’t have electricity until the mid 1960’s.

Doug

Again, you are basing inferences that are not stated in my posts. I did not say that my town or other small towns do not have cable TV service. There is NOTHING we are doing without in a small town except the crime, bad air quality and other problems that most (not all) would like to escape from living in areas like that. What I did was point out you were making factual statements that simply were not true in any form. You never mentioned who your service provider was for internet, but most of them as stated prior do indeed put "data caps" on that. That's not saying your service does since I can not look up your terms without knowing who your provider is.

As stated, there is no such thing as "Again if they want to compete they are going to have to do better than that." which you mentioned several times now. But that is not a valid argument that can stand up for reasons I have already stated in prior posts if you read it fully and precisely. You are simply making statements and assumptions about IT service in general and small towns that are based on your personal opinion rather than actual facts. That's simply what I am pointing out, if you want to say that is your opinion fine, but they are not the truth of the way things actually are.

 

[Douglas Monce]

Again, you are basing inferences that are not stated in my posts. I did not say that my town or other small towns do not have cable TV service. There is NOTHING we are doing without in a small town except the crime, bad air quality and other problems that most (not all) would like to escape from living in areas like that.

And apparently high speed internet.

My internet provider is Cox Communications. I frequently send and receive very large high def video files, and have been doing so for several years. Often 15 or 20 gigs at a time, 3 or 4 times a week. In addition I watch programming from Netflix 4 or 5 nights a week. I do not have a business plan with them, just their standard home internet service. I have never seen a reduction in my service.

My point was based on where the market is going. Cable TV providers have already seen a drop in subscribers, as people are leaving that model, in favor of services like Hulu and Netflix. When you get network shows the day after they air on Hulu, for $7.99 a month, why pay $40 or $50 a month for cable TV. As always the consumer will drive the market, not the cable companies. The FCC has already stated that they are going to step in and prevent the cable operators from denying specific services.

Also I think some people maybe over estimating how much bandwidth is actually being used by a service like Netflix. The HD streams are around 5 to 7 mbps. Probably not going to bump up against most peoples data caps or bandwidth limits with average viewing.

Doug

 

[Brent M]

Originally Posted by ChuckWL
This is what bothers me with Netflix streaming. Whats here today may be gone tomorrow. I enjoy period dramas and I have been in the middle of a BBC program and cannot finish because it is removed.

This is from feedflix.com

325 Titles are coming to streaming in the next 30 days.
2744 Titles expire in the next two weeks (GONE POSS.?)
9 Titles became unavailable this week
http://feedfliks.com/streaming

That is the only negative to Netflix streaming IMHO. For example, a couple months ago they just removed LOST Seasons 1-4 with no notice or explanation whatsoever. You never know when something you're wanting to watch will be taken away.

 

[Holadem]

Last week, I opened a new Netflix account after a 3-4 years hiatus, and began streaming content via a PS3 to a 720p DLP PJ. Personally, I find this service the most significant development in home theater in years, and one that may just have revived my interest in movies.

Like many, I always thought that streaming video that is watchable in one's living room (as opposed to a computer screen), was years away, and would require a significant overhaul of the broadband infrastructure in the US. I am slightly annoyed that I let reports of sub par video quality scare me off for this long -- the thing looks great. I have never seen a Blu-Ray Disc on my set up (eh, just got the PS3, my 1st BD player, and my 1st BD is on the way from... Netflix). But many of the HD streams actually look better than what I get from Comcast. Heroes especially looks fantastic. I gather that BD looks better than HD cable, but I have a hard time imagining a difference so substantial as to justify forgoing the convenience of instant gratification, for the couple of days wait that the traditional way entails (and FORGET about driving to the nearest Best Buy to plunk down $24.99 for the disc -- the cost of a 3-months subscription). Even the SD stuff is generally DVD quality, and I am content with that.

Regarding the selection, I have absolutely no complaints. I spent the first few days re-watching various episodes of Buffy, Angel, LOST, 24, X-Files, Law and Order SVU, Babylon 5, BSG, Heroes, and some others. I love those shows, but I was never going to spend thousands of dollars buying their season sets. Now they are just seconds away. And it is immensely liberating to not have to deal with inserting or flipping discs.

Then I moved on to film. In the last 24 hours alone I have watched Let the Right One In, Revanche, and Tell No One. The rest of my Instant Queue is similarly populated with indies and foreign flicks that I haven't had a chance to watch in the last couple of years, along with some classics:

Mongol
4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days
The Death of Mr. Lazarescu
The Class
Ajami
Departures
Ikiru
Beaufort
Tell No One
Before the Devil Knows You're Dead
Solaris
Entre Nos
Sin Nombre
La Vie en Rose
Elevator to the Gallows
Metropolis Restored
Breathless
Thirst
Lady Vengeance
Oldboy
The Fountain
An Education
Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance
The Good, the Bad, the Weird

Selection? Not an issue here... Whenever a movie I want to see is not available for streaming, there is always a good alternative that is.

I only have one issue with this service: Not every movie is in OAR. Some 2.35:1 flicks are MARed down to 1.85:1, and thus unwatchable on principle. These include FOTR and Heat. Consequently, I always check the OAR of a movie before I add it to my queue. A minor inconvenience, not a deal breaker.

In many ways, I actually think Netflix streaming is too good to be true: unlimited, commercial free, instant access to a huge catalog of TV and film, many of which are in HD, for $8 a month is just insane. I would pay several times more for such a service. But its survival depends on, among other things, the preservation of net neutrality, and there are powerful interests at work against that.

--
H

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

Happy to see you around these parts again, Holadem!

I just downloaded the Netflix streaming app to the household Wii this afternoon, which is limited by the hardware to 480p. I'm not ready for an account now, but I figure I will be in the summer once the good shows go to repeats.

 

[Parker Clack]

I have been using the Netflix service for the past few months with no complaints. For me it has been all about the TV shows that I can watch. I have been using it on
my iPod Touch and Media Center PC and look forward to it being available to Android later this year.

I personally am more worried that cable providers such as Comcast and Road Runner as well as the cellphone companies are going to start raising their rates due
to all the increased data traffic. As this gains in popularity (which I am sure it will) the only way that the cost for this is going to go is up.

Also, for me the video quality is excellent and I have no complaints about the content. I do know that I have saved a bunch of money not buying TV series that
I would have in the past and have been content to watch them streamed to my living room and portable device.

So for now I am going to enjoy it while I can before some decides to price me out of it.

 

[Ronald Epstein]

So, I was touting Netflix on this forum some time before
I really got my feet wet with it.

Just prior to the holidays I bought an Apple TV. I wanted
the device because I had heard that the Netflix interface on
it exceeded any other device's GUI. Turns out it's true. Apple
has a really beautiful interface for selecting and watching
Netflix titles and for a period of a week or more I spent my
vacation holed up on my couch in front of my new display
watching a lot of Netflix content.

The bad news that I found is that Netflix really has a poor
selection if you go into it thinking you'll be watching a lot
of new releases. It really looks like the studios are making
it difficult for Netflix to acquire the newest releases, though
there are a few new titles from some of the smaller companies
such as Kino and Magnolia Films.

The good news is that I actually find myself watching and
enjoying titles that I would probably have normally passed
over. The biggest surprise was METROPOLIS which I would
have never have coaxed myself to watch under normal
circumstances. Enjoyed it so much that I bought it on Blu-ray.
As for the worst thing I watched? I got halfway through the
Joaquin Pheonix documentary before I turned it off in disgust.

The quality of the streaming has been perfect. Content looks
as good as DVD.

In fact, I am so happy with my Apple TV and the Netflix I
stream through it that I bought my Mom her own Apple TV
device so she could stream movies as well. With a WiFi
connection in her room she has had no problems with
hiccups.

For $8 a month you really can't go wrong with this service.
As disappointed as I am that there isn't newer titles, I am
very confident that as soon as the stuff I want to see gets
through the pay channels that it will eventually be added
to Netflix. In the meantime there doesn't seem to be any
shortage of stuff to watch.