Netflix Price Changes (1 Viewer)

[Joshua Clinard]

I doubt that many people rip DVD's they get from netflix. Besides it takes about 8 hours to rip a DVD on a 2 GHz computer from what I have read.

I had netflix before, and canceled it because it was too expensive. This is just another reason not to re-join.

 

[Chris_Morris]

I'm sure there are not that many, but I don't doubt that some have a set-up to rip many at once (multiple computers), then burn them to eBay them, or flea market them. 64 DVDs a month is $47.36 in postage alone, not to mention packing and handling costs.

Chris

 

[Mark-W]

I used to be the kind of customer that Netflix loved:
I would have my four titles out, and would take weeks to actually watch them and return them. Heck, there are some titles I had for MONTHS.

Now that I am less inclined to blind-buy and want to see more films that I may or may not enjoy, I am going through many more movies during a month.

Someone mentioned that maybe Netflix should expand in to adult titles and I do not think that is a good idea. The biggest being that adult DVDs cost more to buy than other DVDs.
The average "mainstream" film has an MSRP of about $20.
I would imagine the average MSRP for an adult title
is about $45.00 (which is why I never buy them).

How many copies of When Harry Met Sally on DVD can
Netflix buy compared to When Harry Wet Sally?
Probably 3:1.

It would be exspensive for them to develop a catalog of adult titles, and some investors and customers would not be happy about the new offerings. Even eBay hides their "mature audiences" section and won't allow Paypal payments to be made for anything listed in that section.

Back to less purient topics, I think the reason Netflix raised the price so much more for the 8 titles at a time folks because those are the customers that are costing them the most at the post office because they probably rotate those 8 titles much more quickly than the folks who are lower-tiered programs: these are die-hard movie viewers who want to get their money's worth. I might watch two rentals a week, but I bet the 8-titles-a-month people, on the average, from the get go, make sure to watch their rentals and return them quickly.

Nothing wrong with that, but I can see why NetFlix is doing what they're doing. Frankly, I would pay $26.00 a month for my "grandfathered in" 4 DVDs at a time system. After that, I would have to think about it. I used to be a big buyer, and I found I can usually recover most of the money spent buying titles if I list them on eBay before they have an official price drop from the manufacturers.

Personally, I try to return 2 DVDs in one sleeve, hoping that I save Netflix a bit on the postage exspense, and, they have gotten MUCH faster at both receiving and shipping titles. I can wait until I have two ready to send back and not be waiting.

 

[DaveGTP]

Um, nope. More like 30 minutes or so tops, and ditto again to burn it. I know some people who rent as many as they can get through and then copy/burn them all. Into their house and back out again within a day, without fail. I can see why Netflix is losing money on them - especially with all the distribution centers to pay for. What it comes down to is that Netflix is TOO FAST FOR THEIR OWN GOOD.

Now my greencine service is actually cheaper than netflix. They used to charge $22 but dropped to $20 early this year - the exact opposite of this change. Of course, they don't have a bazillion distribution centers, so I don't go through nearly as many discs as a Netflix account, but the eclectic selection makes up for it

 

[Chris]

Netflix doesn't want to appeal to the porn market, either. Look at companies like http://www.urentdvd.com/ that's all they do.. and the pricing is in line with that (though they do a unique thing, if you stay subscribed for 3 months, you get one disc free to keep) So it isn't really the cost (adult DVDs are cheap online, etc.) it's more a matter of clientelle.. Netflix likes to appear family friendly, an alternative to blockbuster. The addition of porn would not be good in that end.

 

[Jeff_HR]

The point for me is that at least 99% or more of the films that I've bought I DO like. There are only two that I bought of those that I've actually watched that I hate. Those are "28 Days Later" & "Jack the Ripper" by Franco.

 

[george kaplan]

Well if you like 99% of the films that you see enough to want to see them again, then of course it makes sense. I see a hell of a lot of films I've never seen before and easily 9 out of 10 are rentals only. I must say that either
a) you have very broad taste in movies
b) you only rent a small spectrum of films
c) you have amazing foresight into which films you are going to like

For myself, it's important to me to have seen and be knowlegable about a wide variety of films, espceially critically acclaimed ones (e.g., the Sight & Sound list), but I certainly don't like most of them enough to want to add them to my collection (which is nearly 1000 dvds strong as it is).