HD Rentals: The Art of the Impossible

Re: HD Rentals: The Art of the Impossible

I think I just got moved to the throttled list. I'm on vacation (use or lose, so not going anywhere) and so I'm watching about a movie a day from Netflix. On Friday morning I got the standard notification that they'd received my movie and the next available disc would ship that day. Well, I never got the movie shipped e-mail, however I did get an e-mail reminding me of the terms of use page, so I took a look at my que. I have to wait until Monday for them to ship my next movie. edit: I should mention that this is the first time that a movie wasn't shipped the same day, unless they notified me that the next movie would be coming from a different distribution center (which they didn't do on Friday).

The terms of use do clearly spell out now that folks who get less movies have priority "when the number of shipments to be processed by that distribution center on that day is exceeded."

You can see from the below image that most of my selections are short or long waits. I add movies to my que generally the weekend they open at the theatres. I'll look at the top 10 each week and add movies that seem like they might interest me. So I'm generally not real concerned about when I get the movies...sometimes longer is better since I've forgotten all the spoilt material from the commercials.



further edit to add:
I figured I'd throw in a few more details concerning my situation. I'm currently on the 3 out at a time price plan. When I'm not on vacation, I generally watch 3 movies a week (sometimes I only get 2 in). I would assume this is about average (3 out plan=3 watched a week, 4 out plan=4 watched a week, etc). My distribution center is in Columbia, SC. Maybe that has something to do with the page full of short and long waits. Your distribution center might just get more copies of HD discs for one reason or another. I've been a Netflix member since 2004.

I wasn't really being serious about being throttled, it was just a rather large coincidence that I got that e-mail about the Terms of Use the first time Netflix was unable to keep up with my return rate.

Re: HD Rentals: The Art of the Impossible

Interesting. It's definitely whether you are throttled or not. Looking at the above list, it shows Michael Clayton BD as "very long wait", whereas it shows on my queue as "short wait". I have 9 other BD movies on my queue and all show as available now except Blade Runner, which is also "short wait".

I'm not saying that it doesn't suck for people who watch a lot of movies, but if you happen to be a low frequency renter (I tend to watch 1 movie a week) it doesn't appear to be a problem (and it's not just if you are a new member either, I've been a Netflix member since 1999).

Re: HD Rentals: The Art of the Impossible

It's very interesting trying to figure out what Netflix is doing. Today all of the Blu-rays in my queue that had any sort of wait attached to them are Now available. Part of that could be that I'm on the $8.99 plan, and have held on to my latest movie for nearly two weeks, but I do think it's remarkable that they're now all available. My first thought was, "Well, maybe since they've decided on Blu-ray, they're increasing their inventories." But throttling could have something to do with it too.

Re: HD Rentals: The Art of the Impossible

Looks like Netflix just increased their Blu-ray catalog.

Blu-ray.com - Netflix Beefs Up Blu-ray Offerings

Re: HD Rentals: The Art of the Impossible

Looks like Netflix is raising their rates accordingly.

I recommend calling their toll free # 888-638-3549 and voice your opinion. Just be nice.

They're logging complaints, and this does seem to work. I recall a few months ago, Netflix was putting these obnoxious stickers around the hubs of discs, which was causing some playback issues. Lots of folks complained. Haven't seen those stickers since.

Re: HD Rentals: The Art of the Impossible

Given that I still cannot get new release Blu Ray in any reasonable amount of time and I usually end up getting the SD Disk at Redbox (God I hope they do Blu at some point) I won't pay the oncrease, I'll just keep the current account to rent TV and such.

Re: HD Rentals: The Art of the Impossible

I'm not sure 'accordingly' is really the correct term. That Netflix is attempting to see what the market will bear is probably more accurate. It is interesting to note that Netflix recently reported recorded profits, so I don't really buy the excuse that they have to raise prices to maintain a margin.

That said, I will definitely cancel their service if the average cost of a rental approaches the $4-5 mark. At that point, I can generally buy a BD and resell it and lose that much or less, which effectively becomes my rental price. My main problem with Netflix, apart from the availability of new releases, is that I can't seem to rent enough to achieve a decent 'ecomony of scale' while I still have a large backlog of my own titles to watch.

Re: HD Rentals: The Art of the Impossible

Frankly speaking, they could raise the price on the 3-at-a-time plan from $17.95 to $24.95 and I wouldn't bat an eye. I figured out about a week ago that between disc rentals and the online streaming I average $.34/hr for their services, which is a RIDICULOUS bargain.

I know everyone is looking for the next great deal, but I've been a customer for 7 years and I've received nothing but great service. I see little reason to change, personally.

Re: HD Rentals: The Art of the Impossible

Looks to me, like the rate increase will apply only to BD titles, not an across the board per month increase for everybody. Maybe I'm wrong. I'm not sure how they would work it out, but it doesn't sound like it will apply to all subscribers. It would probably kick-in when a person has the Blu-ray option checked on their account.

Re: HD Rentals: The Art of the Impossible

Perhaps results vary by the stock on hand at your local area Netflix distributor. I've had pretty good luck with hi-def rentals from the Minneapolis distributor. From what I've read, their deal with the post office is mighty thin, and it's getting less and less likely for them to ship titles cross country the way they used to. I haven't had a shipment from anywhere other than Minneapolis, since the Fall of '07.

Having recently gone from the 3 at a time to the 4 at a time deal, there has been a slight reduction in "availability" of certain BD titles. However, there have been times when I've had immediate shipping on a title that shows "short wait", and once or twice on a title showing "long wait". It's all part of the mystery of Netflix.

Re: HD Rentals: The Art of the Impossible

Unless I read incorrectly, they're planning on raising the rate according to your media selection (Blu-ray). I don't believe they are raising rates across the board.

Re: HD Rentals: The Art of the Impossible

And I would submit that those of us who don't care about online streaming should get a credit

Re: HD Rentals: The Art of the Impossible

I just hope zip.ca (our Canadian equivalent) doesn't get wind of this and apply such a rate differential.

Even our local video store charges the same price for HDM rentals as for SD rentals (though they tend to stay on the "new release" shelf a bit longer).

Re: HD Rentals: The Art of the Impossible

Eh, it was only a matter of time before a blu ray based rate increase. I they can get their BD availibilty problems straightend out then I wouldn't mind paying a little extra.

Re: HD Rentals: The Art of the Impossible

Well here's my last 30 days of rental activity

Blast of Silence (DVD)
Stardust (DVD)
Predator (Blu-ray)
Sweeney Todd (DVD)
There Will Be Blood (DVD)
Independence Day (Blu-ray)
Solomon and Sheba (DVD)
Dangerous Crossing (DVD)
Kings of the Sun (DVD)
Daisy Kenyon (DVD)
Atonement (DVD)
Enchanted (Blu-ray)

SD DVD = 9
Blu-ray = 3

If they raise it too much just for me to be able to get a couple titles a month on BD it's just not worth it to me.

I guess I'll wait and decide what I'll do when the hammer drops.

Re: HD Rentals: The Art of the Impossible

My last 30 days:

Disc Rental:

Enchanted (BD)
Grand Canyon (DVD)
The Dragon Painter (DVD)
Duel in the Sun (DVD)
Woman in the Dunes (DVD)
Murder on the Orient Express (DVD)
Sweeney Todd (DVD)
Mighty Aphrodite (DVD)
Gone Baby Gone (BD)
I, Robot (BD)
Before the Devil Knows Your Dead (BD)
Out of Africa (DVD) (At Home)
Atonement (DVD) (At Home)
Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium (BD) (At Home)

Instant Viewing:

It Could Happen to You
MI-5: One Last Dance
MI-5: Traitor's Gate
MI-5: The Rose Bed Memories
MI-5: Lesser of Two Evils
Yankee Doodle Dandy
The Enemy Below
Holiday
Columbo: Candidate for Crime
Columbo: Double Exposure
Columbo: Publish or Perish
Columbo: Mind Over Mayhem
Columbo: Swan Song
Columbo: An Exercise in Fatality
Columbo: Negative Reaction
Columbo: By Dawn's Early Light
Columbo: Playback
Columbo: A Deadly State of Mind
Columbo: A Case of Immunity
Columbo: A Matter of Honor
Columbo: Now You See Him
Columbo: Last Salute to the Commodore
Columbo: Old Fashioned Murder
Columbo: The Bye-Bye Sky High IQ Murder Case
Columbo: Try and Catch Me

Sure beats buying the Columbo TV sets. I would not be surprised to see an increase in price for use of the Instant Viewing in the near future.

Re: HD Rentals: The Art of the Impossible

In the last 2 months, i have had discs come from Las Vegas, Houston, and Delaware, of all places! In each case it was a standard DVD, but one thats been out for a while. Its like the only disc they have in the whole system! Of course since i am in Tulsa, it took 4 days to get my disc from Delaware. I got ripped off that week. I do the one at a time, and usually watch 5 or 6 movies a month. My local NetFlix is from Oklahoma City. Unless the disc has to go 1000 miles the turnaround is the next day, so if i have alot of time on my hands i could watch 3 in a week. I think thats worth the $10 or so a month.

Re: HD Rentals: The Art of the Impossible

Netflix finally sent me the HD DVD of Eastern Promises today which has been in my queue for months. I almost keeled over. Maybe they will send me American Gangster soon, it's my last HD DVD in my queue.

Re: HD Rentals: The Art of the Impossible

i was shipped american gangster today.
this was in the q since release and has always been long wait.

also netflix did an update to the site last night and
now nearly half of my q had a "wait" status added on.

Re: HD Rentals: The Art of the Impossible

I finally gave up on the HD-DVD version of AG, switched it to DVD, and got it immediately.

Doug