Netflix Return Addresses scheduled for deletion from Wikipedia

Mike posted last week about the existence of a list of Netflix Return Addresses on the Wikipedia and asked you to visit the article and contribute any missing information you can. However, now there's some discussion over at Wikipedia regarding whether the article is an appropriate entry for the online encyclopedia. The page is scheduled for deletion. You can add your two cents.

Late Fees Back at Some Blockbuster Stores

Via Forbes.com:

Randy Hargrove, a spokesman for Dallas-based Blockbuster Inc., said the decision to cancel the 'no late fees' policy is made by independent franchises. About 4,600 company-owned Blockbuster locations will continue the program, he said. "

When the program started in January 2005, about 550 of Blockbuster's approximately 1,060 franchisees took it up as well. About 400 franchisees continue to run the program, with about 150 dropping it.

Props to hackingnetflix

Netflix Wins First Round

Hacking NetFlix found this Reuters story about Netflix and Blockbuster trading places:
"Netflix -- which has no debt -- now worth $1.5 billion, compared with Blockbuster at $684 million and more than $1 billion in debt."

Also:

Netflix CEO Reed Hastings says Amazon is out of the fight for online DVD rental space in the U.S.

He also says Netflix's growth will cause more video stores to close, even those belonging to Blockbuster and Movie Gallery, and

that Netflix has no plans to buy any other companies.

Hastings says Netflix will have 4.1 million subscribers by year-end.

Clark Howard likes Netflix

I listen to Clark Howard's radio show about how to "save more, spend less, and avoid getting ripped off." He recommends Netflix instead of video stores in this book, Clark Howard's Big Book of Bargains.



Most of the stuff in the book is "common sense."

PodFlix: unofficial Netflix podcast

PodFlix is

"a podcast where three guys from New Jersey wax poetic (or more often, not) about the movies they receive from Netflix. Each week, we review three movies which are bound together by a common topic. One week, we may look at spaghetti westerns, the next we might discuss James Bond movies. Except not really, because Willy has vowed never to watch a Bond film. But you get the idea.

We also discuss the latest Netflix news, and any other random stuff which is on our minds. Truth be told, we like to ramble on about useless shit more than we like discussing movies. "

More Netflix Friends available

If you would like some Netflix Friends, send an invitation to these folks:

Email Jen at jenemmanuel at hotmail dot com

Email Lisa Sue at LisaSue8781 at Yahoo dot com

Google to start renting videos?

Garett Rogers read the new terms and conditions for the Google video upload program, and it looks like they are preparing to offer video downloads, too, since "numerous mentions of "renting" is scattered throughout the new terms which suggests that they could be getting closer to providing pay-per-view or similar service."

Via Zdnet

Netflix Picks up Award-Winning Film by Academy of Art University Motion Picture and Television School Alum, Nick Tucker

Via PRWeb:

[Fandom] is a mockumentary-styled comedy, an illustration about the mental unraveling of a young man who is a little too obsessed with Natalie Portman. The film begins as a "documentary" about fans and their objects of desire, but takes an interesting turn when one of its subjects, Gordon, comes unglued and decides to meet the actress of "Princess Amidala" fame. Faced with the prospect of meeting the person he admires most in the world, Gordon freaks out and begins to unravel. The result is a portrait of a fan who can barely function, despite having his wildest dreams come true.

Nick Tucker comments, “Cinequest is a very cool company. They've been extremely helpful in getting the film promoted and seen. They're also a film festival, and I think that this helps them find films that resonate well with an audience. They're trying out a lot of new things as a new distributor, and I think that was part of the appeal for me. Fandom is a film that tries a lot of new things, too. In many ways, it was a perfect match. Cinequest helped us get our film on Netflix, which is huge, and Netflix bought three times as many copies of Fandom than most other independent films. That's a door that I'm glad to have opened.[emphasis mine--Becky]”

Netflix causing Blockbuster stores to close?

Netflix might be responsible for driving a Blockbuster Video store out of business in Tribeca.

"Tribeca movie renters will have one less option in 2006, as Blockbuster Express prepares to close its doors in January.

“The rent is just too high, and the location has not been profitable,” said Karen Raskopf, spokesperson for Blockbuster. “That particular store did not have enough traffic to stay open.”

“We look at online renting as an opportunity for us, and a growing area, not a threat,” she said. “More than 40 percent of online renters continue to rent in-store.”

She did say some stores would close around the country and fewer new ones would open.

Blockbuster Express, located in Tribeca for just over a year, will close its doors on Sunday Jan.22.

Via Downtown Express

TriBeCa is a neighborhood in Manhattan (New York City, USA). The name stands for the "Triangle Below Canal Street." It runs roughly from Canal Street south to Park Place, and from the Hudson River east to Broadway.

AMANGO DVD Verleih, Online Videothek Internet DVD Versand: DVD-Filme leihen so viele Sie wollen!

Amango looks like a German version of Netflix. The Web site is in Deutsch.

Need a friend? Have a friend.

Heather Anne is looking for friends. She visited the Netflix group on Yahoo! to find some. You can email her at heatheranne1977 at comcast dot net.

eBay: Netflix Subscription - 6 mo. 3 at a time (unlimited) (item 5650345591 end time Dec-30-05 09:46:12 PST)

Now is a good time to buy (or sell) those unwanted (!) Netflix gift subscriptions on eBay. I cannot imagine not having enough time to watch movies, as this seller says. I mean, where's your priorities, people?!

However, I did take a Netflix and BBO hiatus over the Christmas weekend. Family, you know.

"Notes to Netflix" has been dugg!

Miss Plum blogs:

you guys, please read this crazy thread on digg regarding our notes to netflix group on flickr. they are HILARIOUS, these people. they think we're fake and a marketing ploy and all sorts of other nonsense.

Did you get a Netflix subscription for Christmas?

Robb and Anne got us a Netflix subscription!!
Originally uploaded by alissab31.

Congratulations and welcome to the world's greatest online DVD rent-by-mail service! You can find out all about the company here on my blog. Check out the archives for information like distribution center locations and the best ways to use the service. Customer service information is in the sidebar on the right.

Christian DVD Movie Rentals By Mail

ChristianCinema.com uses the Netflix business model:

2-out is $15.95, 3-out is $19.95, and 5-out is $24.95.

Fewer than 1000 titles.

Conditions
• No Due Date
• No Late Fee
• Free Shipping


ChristianCinema.com, Inc.
PO Box 6430
Visalia, CA 93290
USA
Toll Free: 1-888-527-2388
Direct Line: 559-651-9898
Office Hours: 9 AM to 5PM (Pacific Standard Time)

Blockbuster loses most in quarterly franchise index

I guess now wouldn't be a good time to become a Blockbuster Video store franchise owner, eh?

Via Fosters:

Consumers are still eating the pizza, with Papa John's posting the second-best performance in the Rosenberg Center Franchise 50 in the third quarter of 2005 with a 29.7 percent gain, but they're more apt to rent the movie online or pay for it through an on-demand service.

Blockbuster was the biggest loser in the third quarter, with a 48.2 percent decline in market value. The Rosenberg Center Franchise 50 Index at UNH's Whittemore School of Business tracks the market performance of the top 50 U.S. public franchisors.

Read more about the Franchise 50 index

New Starz Study Shows its VOD Service Reduces DVD Sales and Rentals

Via Interactive TV Today:

Premium programmer, Starz Entertainment Group (SEG), has released a study that purports to show that 70% of customers of its subscription VOD service, Starz On Demand (offers around 100 titles at any one time), no longer rent or buy DVD's from their local retailers, and that 76% of those customers are more satisfied with their cable company because of Starz On Demand. The study, entitled the "Starz On Demand Satisfaction Tracker," polled 488 current Starz subscribers, aged 18 to 64, with the same digital cable service (Comcast's) in 10 major markets from September 26th to October 5th. The study was conducted, and its data processed, by OTX Research.

According to Starz, the study also found that 72% of Starz On Demand customers rent fewer DVD's, 60% buy fewer DVD's, 96% believe Starz On Demand is easy to use, and 81% are very satisfied with the service. "SEG has been aggressively promoting usage of Starz On Demand," Starz Entertainment Group EVP, Jerry Maglio, said in a prepared statement. "Because Starz is not ad-supported, we can do things with Starz On Demand that other networks cannot. SEG provides a separate satellite signal to cable companies that offer on-demand with messages reminding viewers that Starz On Demand comes at no additional charge and is easy to use. The company also premieres all its major theatrical movies in the on-demand format an average of 15 days before they appear on the linear services, and also includes bonus features on-demand that are not available on the linear channels."

Click http://www.itvt.com to subscribe to our free email newsletter, which contains all the news stories you see on this Web site, and additional breaking news and scoops, in-depth features, interviews, screenshots, videos, and other exclusive content you will not find anywhere else.

eBay: Net Flix gift certificate, 3 months free membership DVD (item 5648400741 end time Jan-18-06 11:32:14 PST)

The previous seller has another Netflix sale on eBay. This one saves you about $14 (before sales tax) off the price of three months of Netflix.

UPDATED 12-27-05: eBay: NETFLIX LIMITED EDITION T-SHIRT RED XL NEW! (item 7567761072 end time Dec-28-05 17:17:01 PST)

Submit your best offer to buy this limited edition Netflix t-shirt on eBay. The "buy it now" price is $6.99 + shipping. There are only three left, so hurry!

I have no affiliation whatsoever with the seller.

UPDATE: The "buy it now" price has gone up to $12.99 (last I checked, on 12-27-05) and some more t-shirts have magically become available.

Disgruntled Netflix employee rants on LiveJournal

This really explains why your customer service experiences with Netflix can be frustrating. I found a LiveJournal post written by someone who claims to work in the customer service call center for Netflix. Read how this person's supervisor at Netflix instructs him/her to respond to an unhappy customer:

Today I had a call from (oh surprise) a very unhappy customer. The company that does our check handling had frozen his account due to "suspicious activity" and refused to elaborate to the customer even though he'd never had any problem before. He was furious that he was being treated like this. I was trying to explain, apologize and defend Netflix. Then I made the catastrophic error of actually asking Queen Bitch for advice...

...Whenever I asked her 'how was I supposed to respond when the customer asked this?', she told me to apologize. In fact, that's apparently all I can do to respond to every situation, is apologize. Not solve, not ask, not explain. Apologize.

Read more of their December 20th entry.

Report errors with Web site or movie listings to Netflix

We as customers need to hold Netflix accountable for their mistakes. If they screw up a delivery, or have wrong information on their Web site, please don't let your only response be a negative rant. Do something constructive with your anger, and give Netflix the feedback they need to improve their service. I know they read the stuff, because I've submitted corrections to them, and those corrections have shown up on the Web site soon after. You can also suggest ways they can improve their business.


David English has an issue with Netflix, which I've submitted to them as a suggestion. The more people who make a suggestion, the more likely they will implement it.

Here’s a problem I’ve noticed with Netflix. When a film is reissued in a better print, it can take a while to replace the older version with the newer version. It isn’t always clear from the website which version you’re getting, unless the box art definitely shows the newer version. I know Criterion has re-released Grand Illusion, as well as Beauty and the Beast. I’ve read online they may reissue Seven Samurai next year.

In other cases, a film moves from one distribution company to another. Shoot the Piano Player recently moved from Fox Lorber to Criterion. Netflix still shows the Fox Lober box art. I wonder if they’ll mix in the Criterion prints as replacements, and at some point, switch over to the Criterion box art.

Netflix Store Grand Opening

HackingNetflix beat me to it, but Jim at Listology.com noticed that Netflix's DVD sales are out of beta and they are having a "grand opening".

Unlike their rentals, all DVDs for sale come with a case and their original artwork.

Oops! I deleted your message.

You know how it is. You get forty-two-zillion spams each day, but nestled among those ads, viruses, and trojan horses, is maybe a legitimate order confirmation or missive from one of your faithful blog readers. I know I've accidentally deleted emails from Netflix, by trashing my spam without looking at it. One of those emails was telling me that their affiliate program was changing, so I went three months without any affiliate ad dollars (I'm no longer an affiliate, by choice). The only way to be sure to get an important email from Netflix, is to add their address to your address book. My Yahoo! spam filter will not block anything from someone in my address book. Therefore, I have several addresses that end with @netflix.com in there. For example, problemreview at Netflix, site.errors at Netflix, info at Netflix, etc. Word to the wise.

Meanwhile, if you sent me an email in the last three or four days, I think I accidentally deleted it while cleaning out my bulk mail. I caught a quick glimpse of the subject after I clicked the "empty trash" button, so I know it has to do with Shatner's DVD club. Please re-send.

1001 movies in my queue

If you are a faithful reader or one of my Netflix Friends, you know I have an unusual queue. Everything in my queue is in the book 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die, in chronological order according to North American release date. Trying to see all the movies in this book is a fun scavenger hunt, like completing a collection. And it has greatly expanded my appreciation for all sorts of films.

When I started using this list in May 2004, I had seen about 200 of the titles in the book. Now I've seen 651. About 300 of them came from Netflix. Of the 349 left to see, 248 are in my Netflix queue. Of those, 242 have been released and 10 are "release date unknown."

I bought the 2001 edition of the book in 2004, when a couple hundred of the titles weren't on DVD, so I occasionally have go back and re-check Netflix for the ones I've had to skip over, to see if they have since been released. I start from the beginning of the book and look for every skipped title on Netflix. I discovered several that (for some unknown reason) weren't in my queue, but Netflix has them. These, for example:

Pickpocket
In the Year of the Pig
The Sorrow and the Pity
Dersu Uzala

There are nearly 100 films I still can't find anywhere on DVD or VHS. I have used the library, Nicheflix, Facets, Greencine, and Amazon.com. Some are out there, but too expensive to buy. I'd appreciate any suggestions you have. I don't want to buy them, if I can avoid it. If I buy them, I want to spend about the same price as a rental. I would pay $5 to rent from a bricks and mortar store whatever is not on Netflix. I pay Nicheflix and Facets about that much, plus about $3 shipping and handling. So I guess I'm willing to spend $5-10 on eBay or Amazon, for the titles on this list which I haven't seen.

The above photo is a view of the book with my 101 sticky notes indicating movies I cannot find on DVD.

Some statistics regarding TV on DVD at Netflix

TV-on-DVD releases have snowballed to fuel and capitalize on power watching. "70 percent of all TV series on disc were released in the past year," says Steve Swasey, director of corporate communications for the rental service Netflix. And they're flying out of the warehouse.

Since the first-season DVD of Lost was released in September, Netflix has shipped almost 400,000 copies to its subscribers. Customers have ordered 4.4 million copies of the first five seasons of The Sopranos, the show that launched power watching when it first started coming out on disc in 2000. TV DVDs now account for 15 percent of the million titles Netflix ships daily - 23.5 million in total since 1999, Mr. Swasey says.

Via WFAA

What I've seen of Leonard Maltin's 100 Must-See Films of the 20th Century

I have finally seen the last movie on Leonard Maltin's 100 Must-See Films of the 20th Century. You can see the list here, or buy Leonard Maltin's Movie Guide 2005.

Peerflix holiday promo

Peerflix is having a holiday promotion, limited time offer valid from December 15 through 19 only, in which new account registrants receive a free "surprise DVD gift."

Peerflix is an online peer-to-peer DVD trading service.

Icestorm traps desperate Netflix Fan

Yes, folks, I am iced in. I can't get to work, so I'm trapped in my house, alone, with my dog, and two Netflix movies, four Nicheflix, and one Blockbuster Online. I know my suffering doesn't compare to that of others in the world, but for me, it's all I can bear.

Thank God the electricity is still on.

Lauren's mail fetish

Lauren blogs:

It's such a rush, like any good climax I suppose. The anticipation. The moment of truth. And then either the fullfillment or dissapointment. And contrary to how I usually feel about Christmas presents and sex...when it comes to the mail, it is better to receive than to give.

She's talking about Netflix, of course.

William Shatner DVD Club

Science Fiction would be my favorite movie genre, if it weren't for the fact that so much of it is crap. It looks like William Shatner has lent his name to an enterprise which is about to turn that around. He is "club curator and film expert" for the William Shatner DVD club. The great thing about this club is that it looks like Shatner is finding those rare science fiction movie treats which did not make it on the big screen, but are worth a look anyway. Sign up, and they will send you one great science fiction film per month for $48 per year, or $4.00 per month, roughly the price of an in-store rental, except the films are yours to keep. Register now and get your first film free, and you have 30 days to change your mind.

If you're interested in other genres, check out the Columbia House or Disney movie clubs.

via Film Jerk

Fine print: I do not endorse any of these clubs, and no one is paying me to mention them.

Would you give your fingerprint for movie downloads?

The Digital Music Weblog writes about a technology which uses "biometrics" for protecting copyrighted material.

The pros:

”The appliance lets you search for any movie that, say, George Clooney has appeared in, and download it. You’ll have access to more movies than you get at Blockbuster, and you don’t even have to walk to the mailbox, like you do with NetFlix.”

Access to the network requires a fingerprint, which is attached to the file the user downloads and becomes the key that allows that file to be played. The fingerprint can also be used to trace unauthorized acquisition of copyrighted material.

The cons:

But, as Digital Music News analyst Richard Menta notes, “The problem is that once a fingerprint is stolen, it can’t be changed like a credit card number, and it is compromised forever. One, of course, doesn’t have to go to grotesque lengths of stealing the finger itself, just the algorithm that represents the fingerprint electronically on a device or file. Once VeriTouch records a fingerprint, the user is trusting that they will be able to protect it.”

Netflix is great for seeing Dead White Men

Mark Olsen, of WorldMagBlog, writes:

One of the great things about services like NetFlix, DVDs, and the expected arrival of the video dial tone is that for the home viewer the equivalent to the Great Works by long Dead White Men are more available than ever. Over this last weekend, I availed myself of such services and my kids and I watched High Noon directed by Fred Zinneman starring Gary Cooper and Grace Kelly.

Just as with books by long dead white men, e.g., Homer, Plato, Aristotle, Tolstoy and so on, is that one thing that insures that these works are worthwhile is that they have endured the test of time. High Noon is one such movie ... and actually one I've never seen either and so of course my kids hadn't either.

Good stories and great acting don't need color, pizzaz, and fancy CGI to make a great film. I intend to watch (and inflict on my kids) more of movies from the "classics" lists. Seeking those long dead b&w great movies ... that have stood the test of time. It's worth it for the same reasons as why Great Books are worthwhile.

On the other hand, if you still can, skip Gone With the Wind. The critics are right. It's a great movie ... at the same time it is also not a very [great] movie. Kind of a contradiction, a Great but bad film.

Israel has a Netflix-clone

CinemaVillage.co.il looks like an online DVD rental by mail service, but I can't be 100% positive, because the Web site is in Hebrew. The domain name suggests it's in Israel. I would think having your movies delivered would be a very attractive option in these dangerous times.

New Netflix upgrade options

Netflix has introduced a new upgrade option. Now, when you upgrade your account, you don't have to wait until your billing date to start receiving more DVDs. Netflix gives you a choice as to whether it takes effect right away or you can wait until your billing date. If you choose for it to go into effect immediately, they will ship the additional DVD(s) the next day, and charge you a prorated rental fee according to the number of days until your billing month is up.

According to this subscriber, the fee came out to about $0.83 per day for the 2-out plan. However, it's about $0.64 for me, for the 3-out. I guess it is based on your monthly rate, including taxes, divided by the number of days in the month.

I can't tell if this is a trial feature or not, since I wasn't planning to upgrade until I found this entry on The Stupid Page and just had to test it out.

As of this minute, the official Netflix site hasn't changed their FAQ to match this new feature. It still says "Any changes to your service will take effect at the start of your next billing date. Until that time, your Netflix membership will remain unchanged."

Glued to the screen

Via www.azstarnet.com:
"Netflix carries 7,500 television titles and ships about 150,000 DVDs of TV shows a day, says Steve Swasey, a spokesman for the company. "

Read more about how TV shows on DVD (which you can rent from Netflix) are turning some people into crazy addicts with no social life.

Netflix has Sunday Morning Shootout

I first heard about this program from DVD Exclusive Online:

"AMC's Sunday Morning Shootout is coming to DVD designed as a "film school in a box," according to distributor Delta Entertainment.

The six-disc set of the first season of the weekly program, which focuses on the business of the entertainment industry...'The Shootout experience is a must-have resource for aspiring filmmakers and everyone who loves movies,' said Delta president Eric Diltz. He said the program 'reflects the company's commitment to supply the domestic home entertainment marketplace with quality, entertaining, viable product.'"

Netflix has it.

Q&A: Reed Hastings, Netflix

HackingNetflix found this great Q&A with Reed Hastings, CEO of Netflix, in Inc Magazine, via Thomas Hawk's Digital Connection blog. Here's an exerpt:

There are three types of customers at Netflix. One group likes the convenience of free home delivery, the movie buffs want access to the widest selection of, say, French New Wave or Bollywood films, and the bargain hunters want to watch 10 or more movies for 18 bucks a month. We need to keep all the audiences happy because the more someone uses Netflix, the more likely they are to stay with us.

You should Read More

I'm happy now

On November 28, the status of the newly released Harold Lloyd Collection: Vol. 2: Disc 1 was Long Wait, which usually means a month. I had it in my #1 queue position for just 12 days when I received notice that Netflix shipped it today! I take back all those ugly things I said about Netflix. All is forgiven.

40 Things That Only Happen In Movies

Now that you've had Netflix for a while, you'll recognize the things on this list of 40 Things That Only Happen In Movies

Have you rated your genres?

Netflix gives you the ability to rate, not just movies, but your favorite genres, too. You can indicate how much you love science fiction or hate romantic comedies. If you expand each genre by clicking on the plus sign to the left, you will see a bunch of subgenres. O'Grady's review mentioned the cool genres that Greencine has, but Netflix has plenty, too. For example, here's how the Action genre breaks down:

Action Classics
Action Comedies
Adventures
Blockbusters
Comic Books and Superheroes
Crime Action
Deadly Disasters
Espionage Action
Espionage Thrillers
Foreign Action
Martial Arts
Military & War Action
Urban Action
War
Westerns

I've discovered that rating genres has the effect of making my Netflix recommendations more accurate.

Blockbuster Online uses Mercado

Via BusinessWire:

Mercado is the leading e-commerce search & merchandising software specialist for online multi-channel retail and B2B organizations. By enabling a superior buying experience and equipping business managers with a powerful platform on which to implement merchandising strategies, retailers and businesses can constantly grow their business results. Sears, Williams-Sonoma, JCPenney, Macy's, Tower Records, Blockbuster, MSN, and OfficeMax, are some of the companies benefiting from Mercado's solutions. For more information about Mercado Software, please visit www.mercado.com or call 888-376-1400.

In contrast, Netflix uses their own proprietary software which they have built from the ground up, which is why the Netflix site is so much faster and easier to use.

Join AFI and get to vote on the next 100

If you would like to vote on which films make it onto the list of America's 100 most inspiring films, join the American Film Institute, and vote on AFI's 100 YEARS...100 CHEERS. Entry-level membership is $50.

A different way to display ratings

I was checking out Blockbuster Online's United Kingdom site, and I looked up a couple of films to see the layout and test their selection. I really like the way they display user ratings. It takes up more screen space, but it also gives more helpful information. It may not be practical for Netflix to implement this style, because they already cram alot of information on a page, but I wish they could. It can be very good to know if people have strong "love it or hate it" reactions to a film, or if everyone is clustered around the 3-star rating, instead of a simple rating.

The above ratings apply to Tokyo Story / Late Spring.

Wouldn't it be helpful to know that people felt this way about a movie?

Brilliant
0%
Very Good
0%
Worth a Look
33.3%
Disappointing
33.3%
Dreadful
33.3%

The movie in question is Murderball.

Top Ten ways to spell "queue"

10. queue
9. cue
8. Q
7. que
6. kew
5. cew
4. qeue
3. ku
2. qu

And the number one way to spell queue is:

1. list

Don't Netflix these films

There are a couple of movies coming soon that you shouldn't wait to see on DVD. You should see them on the big screen. Not because they are eye-candy, which they are, but because they are both very special movies.

The first movie you absolutely MUST see on the big screen is The Chronicles of Narnia: the Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, which releases December 9. This is going to be a very special film, based on the first of a series of books which I read over and over as a child. I have heard great things about the movie adaptation, and I've been looking forward to this film since I was 11 years old. If it does good boxoffice, they will make more, and I would really love to see the whole series done right. I heard one guy, who saw a press preview of it, say that it left his children "giddy" with joy.

The other film is King Kong, which releases December 19. This is Peter Jackson's first movie since the Lord of the Rings trilogy. He is putting his heart and soul into this film, because it is a childhood favorite of his, the movie that made him want to be a filmmaker. Folks, Jackson is the next Spielberg.

I reluctantly supply you with the Netflix links for Narnia and if you really must wait, King Kong. Queue these up only if you would like to "vote" for the DVD.

P.S. I know this seems to contradict what I said earlier about the movie-going ordeal, but I would make an exception for these films.

O'Grady's PowerPage reviews Netflix alternative Greencine

I haven't mentioned Greencine on my blog in quite a while, probably because I haven't been a member since last Spring. For those of you who are curious about Netflix alternatives, here's the bottom line to O'Grady's review:

So I've been hooked up with GreenCine for the last month and a half and I can say that the experience has been cool. Unfortunately, they don't have the 20 gagillion distribution centers that NetFlix has so I had to wait a whole 2-days to get my title. Being a documentary-whore, I like the selection that they offer and to me the extra buck or two is worth the variety.

Since everything now-a-days has a rating system, I give GreenCine 4 out of 5 stars. GreenCine isn't trying to be the next NetFlix, they're just trying to create an "Alternate Scene".

Here are some hard facts about GreenCine:

Range of DVD's
25,000+

Monthly Price
$9.95 - 1 DVD
$14.95 - 2 DVD's
$21.95 - 3 DVD's
$27.95 - 4 DVD's
$33.95 - 5 DVD's
$49.95 - 8 DVD's
$59.95 - 10 DVD's

Free Trial Period
2-weeks

He also mentions that Greencine claims to have about half the number of titles that Netflix has, but they do stock some rare, out of print titles that Netflix doesn't carry. Greencine ships only from California.

Netflix saves you from movie-going ordeal

via The Monitor (McAllen, TX):

"'The whole idea surrounding a movie is that it has become an experience outside what you can do at your own house,' he said. 'Going to the movies has now become such an ordeal, something you do once every couple months and with something you really want to see. Paying for popcorn and overpriced tickets, you can spend $100 or more if you have kids or need a babysitter. If it's worth $100, it can be ruined pretty quickly.'"

Do you think the movie-going experience has deteriorated lately? Is that why you switched to Netflix? You can read more about what others think here: .

Netflix better move on video

If I worked for Netflix, I'd be working on getting some online video out there to my subscribers NOW. I'm starting to feel a sense of urgency about it. I know Netflix CEO Reed Hastings has said that DVDs will last another 5 years, but meanwhile, Netflix could become obsolete. People will associate it with DVDs only, and it will seem like a dinosaur. If Netflix is to be the peoples' video portal, they need to be moving on providing content now, even if they have to go to yard sales and flea markets to find it. Too many providers are jumping on the VOD bandwagon. Somebody like Yahoo or iTunes or Comcast is going to stake out the territory, and then it's going to be Netflix-who?

Do you think I'm right, or am I panicking?

"They Befriended Me From The Start..."

"They Befriended Me From The Start..."
Originally uploaded by Jacob..

Jacob is looking for Netflix Friends.

Christian Science Monitor compares Netflix and Blockbuster

Via csmonitor.com. Bottom line? "Movies through the mail are here to stay, at least until the next paradigm shift - films streamed over the Internet, perhaps. Until then, Netflix and Blockbuster Online are so similar in price and delivery time that you can't go wrong with either."

The online article includes a reader poll in which respondents overwhelmingly vote for Netflix, 63.4% to 5.4% for Blockbuster. Add your vote to the mix.

Best of 2005

Fimoculous is collecting lists of the Best of 2005 in several categories, like music, books, and film. In the next couple of months, they will have hundreds of links. If you like to check out what various people and publications are saying are the best films of 2005, this is a great place to start.

Netflix.com benefits from post-holiday boom in online shopping

Netflix was in the top ten retail sites visited on CyberMonday, the biggest online shopping day since Thanksgiving.

Via eCommerce Times:

"'Cyber Monday' brought a surge of traffic to many online retailers as shoppers returned to work following the holiday weekend ready to tackle their holiday gift lists," said Heather Dougherty, senior retail analyst at Nielsen//NetRatings. "Heavy promotional activity will entice shoppers to take advantage of the discounts and free shipping offers that are being offered online."

Analysts are saying it's going to be a good year for retail.

Things to do in the dead of winter in Wisconsin

Chris suggests these

"9 Things to do in the dead of winter in Wisconsin:

1) Learn to bake bread
2) Check out public library
3) Up the Netflix subscription
4) Draw something
5) Shave entire body
6) Buy new super-long RPG for Playstation 2
7) Drink
8) Sleep
9) Repeat"

I could do all but #5 and #6.

The genius of Netflix

Via Cultureby.com:

"And this brings me to the genius of NetFlix. I have been trying to figure out what's so charming about the model. (I have only been signed up for a couple of months. Thanks to Tom Guarriello for getting me started.) Partly, it is the sheer pleasure of getting a 'surprise in the mail.' Partly, it is the sheer convenience of filling the 'Q' at my leisure and having them fill orders at theirs. Partly, it's the blessing of assisted choice and those, sometimes cunning, recommendations. (Was there anything so depressing as going to a video store to stare at the containers of really bad movies in order to find the one you wanted.)

But mostly the power of Netflix comes from it's creation of 'access constrained by interval' and the recreation of a kind of scarcity (a 'managed scarcity'). With Netflix, I have access to just about all the movies in the world. But, given my subscription model, they come to me only 2 at a time.

Two movies are not a lot. In a world of nearly limitless access, this should be irksome. But it ain't, of course, because these are almost always exactly the movies that interest me. Two movies has a deeper virtue. 'Two movies' is an elimination of all the movies that might otherwise bid for my attention, damaging my sense of value and, God knows, even my identity formation. (And there's been quite enough of that, already.)

The fulfillment model is especially clever. I can speed up the interval at which I receive new movies. I do so merely by returning the old ones. This is an interval I do not choose or need to dwell upon. It is set in train naturally when I finish watching my present movies. In effect, I am setting my own wave. I am managing access. "

I stole a big chunk of the above post, but the Netflix bit is actually a small portion of the overall essay. Read more

WCCO-TV Compares Blockbuster And Netflix

The CBS affiliate in Minneapolis, MN, WCCo-TV, compared Blockbuster Online and Netflix for three months. It's the usual yada-yada except for this bit:

"When it came to delivery, Netflix beat Blockbuster. In a three month time period, Blockbuster only beat Netflix once, and that was during the trial period.

As for the cost, it was $60 to rent 24 movies. To get the same number of movies from a video store would have been $93."

Hacking Netflix beat me to it.

Suggestion for a new Netflix feature

Nige says: "Netflix should have a feature where if any two members rate all their viewed movies with exactly the same ratings, they are declared cinematic soulmates and forced to share a bed."

Netflix gets some new releases early

According to faithful reader Manda. She received Long Way Round a month before Amazon's release date.

Another way to keep your Netflix handy

Powerful enough to keep a DVD stuck to the fridge.
Originally uploaded by IvyMike.

If your house is littered with Netflix envelopes, here's an idea to help you keep track of them: use a magnet to pin them to the fridge.

New niches springing up all over

Via DVD Exclusive Online.
Partly because Netflix is increasing demand for many niche titles, the studios and independent filmmakers are stepping up production of straight-to-DVD titles in many niche categories that were previously ignored. Like, for example, college sports, dog-sitting, wine tasting guides, talk shows, quiz shows and Broadway musicals.

Read more.

Netflix Fan's Christmas wish list

This is the first item I've added to my Christmas wish list:
Logitech Harmony 520 Advanced Universal Remote - universal remote control ( 966191-0403 )

Its Fremont, Calif., seller touts it as "the first activity-based remote" that has "a simple online setup process for complete customization."
You can set up the remote to work with your TV, digital cable box and DVD player/VCR combo using a computer and the Logitech Harmony Web site. Once configured, one press of a button will turn on the TV and digital cable or the TV and DVD player. And, just about everything works perfectly.

Via the Washington Times

I'm making an exception this year, and I'm accepting bribes, payoffs, kickbacks, and whatever else my loyal readers or Netflix wants to send me :). You have to do it in the spirit of Christmas, though, and not ask for anything in return.

Now I'm angry, or "Netflix Fan goes on a rant"

Netflix has finally disappointed their #1 fan. Y'all are right. Now I feel your pain. I can understand why you get angry. If y'all thought that I was receiving a special experience from Netflix because I'm a blogger, IT AIN'T SO.

It's not fun if you are excited about getting a new movie and it doesn't ship when you expect.

I have had the Harold Lloyd Collection in my queue, in the number one spot, ever since I found out it would be released. Netflix has it as being released tomorrow, so I returned a movie on Saturday, hoping that Netflix would receive it today, and then send me my number one choice. Didn't happen.

Did they send me my number two? Nope. I've had Masculin Feminin in the number two spot for about a month, with "Long Wait" status.

Did they send number three? Nope. The Producers has been in the number three spot for about two weeks, also with "Long Wait" status.

I have returned 12 titles in the last 30 days, so my top two choices were passed over 12 times (not counting Harold Lloyd, which wasn't released).

Instead, they sent me my #4 choice AGAIN.

Not that there's anything wrong with that, because I do not queue anything I don't want to see, but I was hoping to get lucky.

That brings up another thought: I don't understand complaining about Netflix sending you an old piece of crap movie IF IT'S IN YOUR QUEUE. What's it doing there if you don't want to see it?

Please pray for Netflix Fan, that she'll bounce back from this crushing blow.

Manic Monday

Carl blogs about his bad Monday, and a near-tragedy with an accidental Netflix-envelope switcharoo, via Insomniac's Dream Sequence:

"It's 3pm. I head on over to the Post Office to place my Netflix envelopes in the box. I do and drive off.

Just then I realize that of the three envelopes I have in my back, I have one left. This one has my movie in it...

This means I have placed my envelope with my software backup and web site backup DVDs in the mail, going to Netflix.

I panic.

Then I head inside to spin my tale of woe to the (who I hope) will be sympathetic postal workers.

On my second person, I gain success. The nice girl there brings a cart and we go out front to the boxes. She opens the box and I pull out my envelopes and quickly locate the one I need.

I thank her profusely and head back to my car feeling thoroughly stupid."

Oops!

Notes to Netflix
Originally uploaded by LauraFries.com.

Here's a note I really hope Netflix gets!

DVD box has hints if it's bootleg

If you're looking for bargain DVDs, and you don't want to be suckered into buying a bootleg copy, the Courier-journal has the scoop:

A dead giveaway that a DVD is a bootleg is if the seller advertises that the DVD comes in a "color collector's case." That means a plain package. It also means "recorded off TV."

You don't want something that's been recorded off TV. Quality suffers.

Do your research. Check to see if the studio logo or other trademarks are on the box. The absence of these could be a sign it's a bootleg. Check IMDB.com or Amazon.com to see if the movie has been released on DVD. If it hasn't been released yet, what you're buying isn't legit.

Read more

Netflix spokesman at investor conference

Via AZ Central
International banker Credit Suisse First Boston is sponsoring an invitation-only conference for 400 investor clients in Phoenix, AZ, and Netflix will be there.

"Face time," said Steve Swasey, spokesman for Netflix, the online movie rental company whose CEO and co-founder, Reed Hastings, is scheduled to present the company's outlook Wednesday.

Hastings may tell all about how the company expects to grow to 5 million subscribers next year or how the company ships 1.2 million DVDs daily - 25,000 at its Phoenix distribution center alone - and other information readily available on its Web site and elsewhere. But for the investors, the conference provides better insight, Swasey said.

"They get to know who's behind the management team in which they're investing," Swasey said.

Read more

Need suggestions for how to get Netflix movies when your mailbox is too small

WindyCityMike writes:

I was wondering if I might either pick your brain, or pick the brains of my fellow readers should you choose to publish this. In the past, I had Netflix delivered to me at my workplace. However, I recently began work at a company that has a policy that discourages its employees from receiving personal mail at work (I've not been there long enough to know whether the policy is actually carried out). As I live in an apartment building, my apartment's mailbox is too small to accept a Netflix DVD, and it does not have a bin (not that I'd feel safe leaving DVDs unattended anyway). And the property manager's answer, leaving packages with the custodian at my building, is a less-than-optimal solution due to the frequency upon which I would need to bother him. So, how do I get my Netflix movies delivered to me? The only other solution I can think of is to rent a mailbox at a nearby UPS Store or a Kinko's. However, if someone can think of a less expensive or more palatable response, I'd be appreciative. Any ideas on how best to resolve the situation?

Mike

Quitting Nicheflix

Nicheflix is a great service, but I've decided to quit and go with Nicheflix a la carte instead. Nicheflix is an online DVD-by-mail rental service which specializes in multi-region DVDs. I was using the service as a supplement to Netflix, to obtain the titles Netflix didn't have and which I couldn't find anywhere else. I was on the two-out plan for $19.99/month, and I quit with seven titles in my queue. Of those seven, three were unavailable or out of stock, and three were "available shortly." I think I'll have better luck trying to obtain those titles through the Nicheflix a la carte service, which allows me to rent them individually without a monthly fee. They charge for shipping, but they supply a prepaid return envelope.

If you are looking for rare European, Asian, or American films which haven't been released on DVD here in Region 1, you can rent them from Nicheflix, but you might need to have a multi-region DVD player, and sometimes a PAL converter, too. You can learn more about the various regions and formats here.

I am still a member of Netflix (3-out) and Blockbuster (3-out).

Netflix envelope "damaged in handling"

Netflix envelope "damaged in handling"
Originally uploaded by Netflix Fan.

Seems like everyone got one of these new holiday-themed Netflix envelopes this week. I received three, one of which was damaged by the USPS, as you see here.

However, I remembered to be thankful that the disc inside was unhurt, and the envelope was delivered promptly, and it has this nifty new design, with an ad for Aeon Flux on the inside of the flap.

Classic Film Preview

Classic films that are finally restored and released to DVD don't receive the same fanfare that so-called "new releases" do, so if you've been waiting for a rare film like Harold Lloyd's The Freshman (1925) to be available, you might not hear about it. Now you can. If you love Classic film, check out Classic Film Preview, a new blog which my Web buddy David English just started in which he alerts you to great classic, silent, and foreign films coming soon to television or DVD.

He has good things to say about film.

I'm also going to keep an eye on his blog for rare movies coming to TV which are not available on DVD yet.

Netflix has Ringers: Lord of the Fans

I don't usually mention a specific new release film on this blog, but this one has a special place in my heart. It was made by some of the people behind theonering.net, affectionately known as TORN. If it weren't for the loyal Tolkien fans at that site, I would never have survived the long wait between episodes of the Lord of the Rings trilogy. They provided me with daily production news and spoilers that kept me in the mood for four whole years. My heroes. TORN is also one of the sites which inspired this Netflix Fan blog. I kinda model myself after them.

Ringers: Lord of the Fans is a documentary about Tolkien fandom and the enormous influence Tolkien has had on the fantasy worlds of art, music, literature, and film.

QUEUE IT

TiVo to Transfer Shows to iPods, Sony PSP

Via The New York Times

By LAURIE J. FLYNN
Published: November 21, 2005
SAN FRANCISCO, Nov. 20 - TiVo, the maker of digital video recorders, plans to announce a new feature on Monday that will let TiVo owners watch recorded television shows on Apple's video iPods and on Sony's handheld PSP game machine.

DVDs delivered "in about an hour"

DVD Revolution is a video store located in a suburb 50 miles outside of Chicago, which delivers DVD movies and games to your home "in about an hour." You have the option to order snacks with your movie. You get the movie for about a week, and you can return it by mail, or have it picked up. They are now teaming up with pizza restaurants to deliver pizza and a movie. You have to register with their site to find out if you live in their delivery area and what their rate structure is.

Theory: what Netflix does with double-sided discs

A faithful reader hypothesized, in an email to me, that Netflix delayed the release of the Harold Lloyd Collection because it contains double-sided discs, and they needed extra time to print a single-sided version. It would come to you with the gray Netflix label on it. It's in my queue, so I can test this theory myself.

What do you think of this hypothesis? Have you ever received a double-sided disc from Netflix?

Geektronica's Netflix spreadsheet is in the New York Times!

via the New York Times:

"A middle school science teacher in Seattle, Justin Baeder, wondered whether he saved very much getting his DVD's through the mail. So he created an Excel spreadsheet that calculates exactly how much he does save. It turned out to be just a little, about $6 a month, but he loves Netflix and keeps using it.

He's posted the calculator on his Web blog, the Republic of Geektronica at www.geektronica.com. All you need to do is download it and paste your Netflix rental history, which Netflix provides on its site, into the spreadsheet."

Read more

What it costs Netflix to make you happy

According to the latest SEC quarterly report filed by Netflix, they spend about 10% of revenues on fulfillment. That is, "those costs incurred in operating and staffing the Company’s fulfillment and customer service centers, including costs attributable to receiving, inspecting and warehousing the Company’s DVD library."

I may not be reading the report right, but that sounds cheap. What do you think?

Click here for the PDF.

Netflix Friends (circle yes or no)

Ryan thinks he is a newbie. He's just now joined Netflix, and he's looking for Friends. Would you invite him to be yours?

Netflix makes top 50 in Best of the Web for 2006

Internet Retailer magazine announced its Top 50 Best of the Web online retailing web sites. “We are pleased to recognize The Top 50 for 2006. They reflect the best of what retailers can do online,” says Kurt T. Peters, editor of Internet Retailer. “Retailers in our Top 50 aren’t necessarily the biggest, the most profitable or the best known—they are the sites that innovate to take online retailing to the next level.”

Netflix made the list in the Computers/Electronics/CDs/DVDs category, along with these others:

BestBuy.com
CDBaby.com
CircuitCity.com
Crutchfield.com
Headsets.com
HPShopping.com
iTunes.com
Netflix.com
Newegg.com
SonyStyle.com
ThinkGeek.com

How many movies I've seen so far this year

I have seen 400 movies since January 1, 2005. Only two of them were repeat viewings. This does not include many short films I've seen this year.

157 were from Netflix
87 from Blockbuster Online (not including in-store coupons)
29 from Nicheflix
33 from Blockbuster Video, Hollywood Video, and Video Review stores
38 in the theatre (not including various film festivals I've attended)
5 from Greencine

Netflix Testing Lower Prices

This is from Video Business:

Netflix is testing lower price points on its monthly subscription plans, chief finance officer Barry McCarthy told analysts and investors at the Lehman Brothers Small Cap Conference Wednesday.

“The reason we’re testing it is we think the market is price elastic,” McCarthy said.

The company also believes lower prices could drive more subscribers its way, forcing some moderately successful video stores to close and push even more renters online. As more people go online, the company expects to have to spend less money on marketing, McCarthy said.

Via Hacking Netflix

Props to Jennifer Netherby at VideoBusiness.com for covering the Netflix stories. She interviewed me once. Nice lady.

Who's your ideal Netflix customer?

This is from a FastCompany interview with Reed Hastings, Netflix CEO:

FC: Who's your ideal Netflix customer?

RH: A customer who's traveling and forgets to rent a movie and watches no movies in a month [might be], because they haven’t cost us anything and they've paid us $9.99 or $17.99. On the other hand, a customer who's a very light user is not going to stay with us very long. It's not that there's something wrong, that they don't like you, it's just that they aren't watching any movies. That's the number one reason for customer churn. On the other extreme we've got users that are total movie hounds -- they're watching 15 movies a month -- and in some narrow sense, it would be better to get rid of them because you're losing money on them. But then, they stay with us a long time. So there is no best customer. We try to make the experience work for all of them and we try to balance that.

An interesting exercise is when we run short of titles. We try to always be in stock, but sometimes we're not. Say we've got 1,000 copies and there's 5,000 people who want a movie. So maybe somebody's already gotten a lot of value for their $20 or $18 or $9 because they've watched a lot of movies while other people have hardly watched that many movies this month, so they haven't gotten enough value yet. Our sense of fairness is that if we run short, it goes first to the people who haven't gotten the most value yet in order to create a fair and balanced experience for our customers.

Netflix Analysis Spreadsheet Revised to Work with Website Changes

Netflix is no longer emailing rental histories, so the previous Netflix analysis spreadsheet won’t work.

Geektronica has revised the spreadsheet, so now you can just copy and paste your rental history from their website. The upshot is that it now factors in the time it takes for Netflix to ship you a new disc after they receive your previous disc, which the old spreadsheet didn’t do. In other words, any shipping delay, intentional or not, is factored into your cost analysis.

Via Geektronica

Netflix gives The Harold Lloyd Comedy Collection new release date

Netflix says The Harold Lloyd Comedy Collection will be "Available on Nov 29, 2005." If you receive it before I do, please handle it with care!

Cross-platform Netflix widgets via Konfabulator

Konfabulator* is a little tool which allows you to run dashboard-like widgets on your Mac or PC, without having to have Mac OS X.4 (Tiger).

They have a couple of Netflix widgets which allow you to see your queue in a little window on your desktop, without requiring your browser to be open. It helps if you have an always-on Internet connection.

*Konfabulator is a JavaScript runtime engine for Windows and Mac OS X that lets you run little files called Widgets that can do pretty much whatever you want them to. Widgets can be alarm clocks, calculators, can tell you your WiFi signal strength, will fetch the latest stock quotes for your preferred symbols, and even give your current local weather.

Market Emerges for Online On-Demand Programming

Via Media Buyer Planner:

"A market is quickly emerging for on-demand programming offered online (and via cable or satellite TV). Nearly one in five - 19.1 percent - who are web users say they would probably purchase online on-demand programming (TV shows, movies, concerts or sporting events) that could be watched on their computer; about a third (32.9 percent) say they are unsure whether they would; and 48.0 percent say they would not, according to a recent Burst Media survey (via MarketingVOX) of some 3,300 web users age 18 or older."

If you like survey data, click through for more digits.

Online DVD Rentals will have 25% market share by 2009

By Jeffrey Goldfarb

LONDON (Reuters) - The online DVD rental market is expected to capture a quarter of all video rental spending in the United States and one-third in Europe by 2009 as consumers get more comfortable paying for the convenience of receiving Hollywood blockbusters in the mail.

Market research firm Screen Digest said on Tuesday that by the end of 2005, 6.3 million subscribers will have spent more than $1 billion renting DVDs over the Internet, with the market seen tripling to almost $3 billion in four years despite the growing threat of video-on-demand services.

"Our cash-rich, time-poor society values convenience very highly, and is willing to pay for it," Screen Digest analyst Angus Wood said.

The U.S. online rental business is led by industry pioneer Netflix, while in Europe the diverse number of players has led to speculation of rampant consolidation.

Via Reuters

Enjoy a FREE advance screening with broadband!

TiVo and Tai Seng Entertainment are pleased to present RED TROUSERS as part of the TiVo Video Download trial program. To receive RED TROUSERS through TiVo Video Download, your TiVo box must be connected to the Internet via broadband.

I hope this means that the Netflix-Tivo video-on-demand joint development deal is still in the works.

Netflix is helping the Independent Spirit Awards again this year

The Film Independent Spirit Awards celebrate the best of independent film. FIND (Film Independent) and IFP (Independent Film Project) members are allowed to vote for the Spirit Awards, and, this year, FIND members will receive a free three-month Netflix membership and a special code allowing them to rent all the nominated films.

Via FILMMAKER MAGAZINE | BLOG

Cyberflix.ca Promises A Whole New Way To Rent DVDs Online In Canada

I'm sorry, but I just had to laugh when I saw the headline for this press release announcing the arrival of Cyberflix, a brand-spanking-new Canadian online DVD rental service: Cyberflix.ca Promises A Whole New Way To Rent DVDs Online In Canada. Their "whole new way" is the Netflix way of renting DVDs online. I guess they are aiming for the demographic that lives under rocks, eh?

They are also "the best way to rent movies online", I guess because a simple Google search reveals that the other taglines were taken.

DVDHype is "Canada's First Online DVD Rental Store"
Zip.ca is "Canada's Largest Online DVD Rental Service"
DVD-Rental is simply "Canada's Online DVD Rental Service"
and
DVDFlix is "Canada's First Choice Online DVD Rental Store"

Netflix loves Hackingnetflix.com!

My blogging mentor Mike K of Hacking Netflix, was featured in a Danbury (CT) News Times article and what they have to say about him is true:

Kaltschnee doesn't treat Netflix with kid gloves. He posts messages from angry customers. He writes about rival companies — Blockbuster, specifically, which recently entered the online rental world.

Still, the folks at Netflix love him.

Neil Hunt, the company's chief product officer, had awfully nice things to say about HackingNetflix when he appeared with Kaltschnee on a CNBC show last month.

"He's extremely well-informed. In fact, we find that the comments posted on Mike's blog and other similar blogs are extremely useful for us to help keep a pulse on what people are saying and thinking out there," Hunt said, according to a transcript of the show posted online.

You can call NetflixFan the "hacking hacking netflix" blog :). Mike inspired me to blog about Netflix, and he's been very helpful to me about it, not being bothered by the competition, but rather linking to me repeatedly. Now that's a nice guy!

Netflix's fast growth could have affected service

According to the latest SEC filing by Netflix, "the number of DVDs mailed to paying subscribers increased 56 percent," and the average number of subscribers increased by 59%. This is trememdous growth. I'm amazed that Netflix has been able to maintain the same level of service to most of its subscribers, in the face of such growth. I think this is one of the vicissitudes of the business that could have affected how quickly we received our movies in the past year.

If you are a business owner, could you tell me how a typical business would handle a 56% increase without sacrificing customer service?

Possible new Netflix feature?

Greencracker got a hint from Netflix about a possible new feature they were exploring a year ago, but it hasn't appeared yet. It looks like they were considering allowing customers to put their accounts on hold for $.99 a month, instead of cancelling outright. If you like the idea, maybe they will implement it if enough people show an interest, eh?

On the other hand, this feature may not be necessary, because Netflix keeps all your ratings and queue information for two years after you cancel. Cancelling is like putting your account on hold, because it's all there when you come back.

If you've ever cancelled your account and re-subscribed later, how was the experience? Did you run into any complications, or was it easy?

50 independent films for your Netflix Queue

Jon Pliske, author of Love or Inertia? blog, has discovered more great Netflix Fodder on this list of Empire Magazine's 50 Greatest Independent Films. He says, "I don’t particularly agree with some of their picks and I wouldn’t consider several of them independent. But they assure us that they have only picked films that were made with an 'independent spirit.'"

You can see the original list here, or view my checklist on Listology, in proper order from 1-50, without all the flash and dazzle of the Empire site.

The Harold Lloyd Netflix release delayed

The Harold Lloyd Collection was in my queue with a release date of November 15, but it has since been automatically moved to the saved section of my queue, with release date unknown. I'm guessing that negotiations broke down and Netflix will not be able to rent it as soon as they hoped. However, if you can't wait to see Safety Last! on DVD, you can buy it.

Show all Netflix History since the dawn of time *Updated

This button is at the bottom of your "view all returned DVDs" page which you access through your Netflix account page. Click it to see your entire rental history at once, rather than receiving it by email request as you did formerly.

Blogger, Netflix Fan commenter, and Web genius Jim Biancolo pointed out this new feature to me on this post.


*Update: if you are logged into Netflix, try this link to view all your returned rentals.

Things to do on a long weekend when no Netflix comes

• Play
• Exercise
• Eat vegetables (other than popcorn)
• Read a book
• Clean the house
  
• Rake leaves
  
• Inhale the crisp Autumn air and bask in the bright sunshine

Ah, who am I kidding? I'm going to Blockbuster.

Friday is a USPS holiday--no Netflix

I'm sorry I didn't warn you earlier, but the United States Postal Service will not be delivering mail on Friday, November 11, so no Netflix! Aack!

Check the USPS Calendar

10-Q says what the Netflix settlement might cost

Here are some tidbits of news from the Quarterly Report (10-Q) Netflix, Inc. filed yesterday with the SEC.

I've been wondering what the settlement would cost Netflix. All they say is that, "The Company estimates the total cost of the settlement will be approximately $3,980,000 with the actual cost dependent upon many unknown factors such as the number of current and former Netflix subscribers who will claim the settlement benefit."

If there are 3.5 million current subscribers, and they estimate in the settlement agreement that it affects six million potentially eligible class members, then about 2.5 million could sign up for their one month free, costing Netflix from $9.99 to 17.99 per month per person in revenues and added fulfillment expenses. The top limit would be about $45 million, if every single eligible former subscriber took them up on the offer.

Read more

Study: 12% Of Web Users Watch TV Shows Online

MediaPost's Wendy Davis reports that, "INTERNET USERS ARE INCREASINGLY WATCHING TV online, according to a new study by Points North Group. The study, presented at Ad:Tech Tuesday by Points North President Peter Storck, revealed that 16 percent of online users visit television networks' Web sites or shows at least three to four times a week, while 12 percent watch entire TV shows at least that often. Other findings were that 20 percent of Internet users watch video news segments online, 13 percent view movie previews online and 5 percent download movies. The study, conducted with Horowitz Associates, was based on a survey of nearly 1,100 people."

I think it's interesting that only 5 percent download movies. I would have thought that number would be higher, what with all the hype online video on demand is getting.

Netflix has 37 shipping centers

From the Netflix pressroom,

Netflix operates 37 shipping centers located throughout the United States.
Netflix reaches nearly 92 percent of subscribers with generally one-day delivery.
On average, Netflix ships one million DVDs each day.

Listology has a list of the location of all 37 Netflix distribution centers, based on user input.

Too much of a good thing?

Neil Van Dyke loves Netflix, but he has three problems with them. He writes:

The only nits I have to pick with Netflix so far are:
1. the weekends and 1-day shipping mean that if you watch one DVD a day for 3 days in a row, you often won't have a DVD for the 4th day;

[Yes, I sometimes get food at restaurants that is too hot and fresh, too.]

I don't know what Netflix can do about this next one, except keep releasing movies:

2. the $18/mo. is slightly higher than I'd like, and will probably mean that I cancel my subscription once I've caught up on all the films I want to see;

This is something Netflix could fix:

3. if you report a DVD as damaged and ask for a replacement, there's no way to cancel that replacement, even if won't ship for another 2 days.

Where's the history?

Astute observer Jsandpiper noticed that the "Send Full Rental Activity" link is gone from the "your account" page at Netflix.com. If you find it, please let us know! Let's hope this is a temporary glitch, eh?

The Politics of Netflix-ing

LAist has an important article about the Pros and Cons of using the Netflix Friends feature, including these "Tips to a successful Netflix relationship"

>>If you want to maximize the experience, either remain anonymous or setup a second login (no extra fee) and use it for anything that would tarnish your street cred.
>>Only add friends that truly get your insane taste.
>>Remember that Netflix can be configured to send you anywhere between 1 and 8 DVDs at a time. Ask yourself how many movies you really can digest in any given week, and adjust accordingly. We think the 2 DVD plan is perfect: you have choices, you're rarely left without at least one movie, and you avoid the daunting surplus situation we spoke about earlier.
>>Own your good or bad taste without apologies. You're friends will still love you... well, maybe.

Bookins - Hassle Free Book Trading

Free books, and free membership, from Bookins, a new book-trading service for those times when (gasp!) you're tired of watching movies from Netflix. Looks like it operates on the Peerflix model.

» Use prepaid postage. No trip to the post office.
» Get delivery confirmation. All shipments tracked.
» Shipping is only $3.99, charged to recipient.
» 100% Quality Guarantee

The way it works:

List books you own you'd like to trade.
Select books you want to receive.
Mail your books when requested—automatically get books you select from others in return.

Netflix vs. Blockbuster: which one is better?

Cnet has a side-by-side comparison of Netflix and Blockbuster, but they don't take sides. Show the newbies where to go for the best service and selection. Go there and vote for Netflix!

TV on DVD book for Netflix queue ideas

TVShowsOnDVD.com and TV Guide have teamed up to publish a book containing descriptions of all the television shows available on DVD, for your Netflix queueing pleasure.

Netflix film gets theatrical debut

Netflix will release the comedy concert film COMEDIANS OF COMEDY (103 min., USA) theatrically in an exclusive engagement at the Cinema Village (22 E. 12th Street) in New York City on November 11th, followed by a special Los Angeles Premiere screening of the film in Los Angeles at the American Cinematheque’s Egyptian Theatre (6712 Hollywood Blvd.) in Hollywood on November 16th at 7:30 PM. The filmmakers will appear in person at the screening in Los Angeles.

This is a follow-up to two posts I've done about this film. I first posted about how Netflix acquired the film and then how they took it to the SilverDocs film festival.

Via Indieville

Does the Netflix settlement offer "suck"?

A commenter on this blog has started a Web site called The Netflix Settlement Sucks, in which he gives you exerpts from the long form containing instructions for how to opt-out of the class, or object to the terms. His major reason for objecting is that the plaintiff's lawyers seem to be getting the lion's share of the cash, whereas the subscribers, supposedly the injured party, are getting a "token" one month of free service, which he alleges is really a way to bait customers into upgrading their service.

I have read the entire settlement, and I can find nothing stating the total value of the settlement offer, so it is impossible to determine what percentage of the settlement is going to the lawyers and what is the value of the benefit to subscribers. However, it does say that "There are approximately six million persons who were paying members of Netflix's service prior to January 15, 2005." If the benefit of an extral rental per month were worth just $1.00, that would cost the company six million dollars, which would make the attorneys' share about 43%. I think that the benefit is costing Netflix more than that. If the attorneys' fees and costs are merely 25% of the total cost of the settlement, that would make the total settlement worth over ten million dollars. What I conclude is that we do not have enough information at this time to determine if attorney's fees and costs are excessive in proportion to the value of the benefit to the class members. If you plan to remain a class member and object to the settlement, I suggest making one of your objections this lack of information regarding the total value of the settlement.

As to whether Netflix stands to profit from offering customers a free one month upgrade to their service, that is up to the subscribers. I believe Netflix has the right to assume that subscribers have enough sense to cancel the upgrade before being charged. They also have a right to profit from their subscribers' laziness, if they have made a reasonable effort to inform the subscribers of the costs.

Another reason you may wish to object to the terms of the settlement is that it punishes Netflix too harshly for what is essentially a failure on the part of the consumer to understand the reasonable limits of an "unlimited" service. Neither have I found anything in writing where Netflix "promised" anyone one-day delivery. This is an unjust settlement. I suggest you remain in the class, do not opt out, and object to the terms of the settlement on the grounds that it is excessive, unnecessarily punitive, and not representative of your wishes as a class member.

Netflix proposes settlement in Chavez v. Netflix class action lawsuit

I received this email from Netflix at 5:21 PM PST November 1, 2005:

You are receiving this notice because you were a paid Netflix member before January 15, 2005. Under a proposed class action settlement, you may be eligible to receive a free benefit from Netflix.

A class action lawsuit entitled Chavez v. Netflix, Inc. was filed in San Francisco Superior Court (case number CGC-04-434884) on September 23, 2004. The lawsuit alleges that Netflix failed to provide "unlimited" DVD rentals and "one day delivery" as promised in its marketing materials. Netflix has denied any wrongdoing or liability. The parties have reached a settlement that they believe is in the best interests of the company and its subscribers.

Netflix will provide eligible subscribers with the benefit described below, if the settlement is approved by the Court.


Current Netflix Members: If you enrolled in a paid membership before January 15, 2005 and were a member on October 19, 2005, you are eligible to receive a free one-month upgrade in service level. For example, if you are on the 3 DVDs at-a-time program, you will be upgraded to the 4 DVDs at-a-time program for one month. There will be no price increase during the upgraded month. (If you cancel your membership after October 19, 2005 and before you receive the upgrade, you will have to rejoin to get the upgrade.)


Former Netflix Members: If you enrolled in a paid membership before January 15, 2005 but were not a member on October 19, 2005, you are eligible to receive a free one-month Netflix membership on your choice of the 1, 2 or 3 DVDs at-a-time unlimited program. (If you rejoin after October 19, 2005 but before you receive the free one-month membership, you will receive a credit for the free month when it becomes available.)
These benefits will be provided after the Effective Date as defined in the Settlement Agreement. Your eligibility for the benefits is based on your membership status as of October 19, 2005. The full Settlement Agreement is available for review at www.netflixsettlement.com.

You have four options to respond to the proposed settlement. You have until December 28, 2005 to make your decision:

Option 1. Sign Up For The Benefit As Part Of The Settlement
To receive the benefit, you must complete the online registration process no later than February 17, 2006, at www.netflixsettlement.com. By signing up for the benefit, you waive your right to bring a separate lawsuit against Netflix concerning the Released Claims (as defined in the Settlement Agreement found at www.netflixsettlement.com).

Option 2. Do Nothing
If you do not wish to receive the benefit, do nothing. You will not receive the benefit but will remain a Class Member. You therefore waive your right to bring a separate lawsuit against Netflix concerning the Released Claims.

Option 3. Exclude Yourself From the Class
To exclude yourself from the class, you must mail a letter by December 28, 2005. By excluding yourself, you preserve your right to bring a lawsuit against Netflix concerning the Released Claims. However, you will not get the benefit described above.

Option 4. Make An Objection To The Settlement In Court
To object to the settlement, you must file legal papers in the San Francisco Superior Court by January 5, 2006.

To receive your benefit, you must register by February 17, 2006 as described above in Option 1. You will not receive any other reminders to register for the benefit. If you have registered for the benefit and your eligibility is confirmed, then you will be provided additional information by email following the Effective Date as defined in the Settlement Agreement.

After the benefit period ends, the new or upgraded level of service will continue automatically (following an email reminder) and you will be billed accordingly, unless you cancel or modify your subscription. You can cancel or modify your subscription at any time.

In addition, if the settlement is approved by the Court, Netflix will modify portions of its Terms of Use. Netflix also will refer to its Terms of Use in certain advertisements.

To get more information about the settlement and procedures, and to take options 1, 3 or 4, visit www.netflixsettlement.com.



SRC: 10312005CAS
(c)1997-2005 Netflix, Inc. 970 University Ave., Los Gatos, CA 95032
This message was mailed to [netflixfanatic@yahoo.com]

I haven't decided what I'll do yet. I may opt out, because I think it is a frivolous lawsuit and a contemptible exploitation of the class by unprincipled lawyers. I have been on a jury for a Federal court in a civil action, so I understand that a lawsuit like this could have taken weeks to try, costing the court and both parties a great deal of time and money. The negative publicity would have been damaging. Netflix is doing what they can to control the damage. A lawsuit like this is a type of extortion, forcing Netflix to pay up or take an even larger hit.

I believe Netflix has done nothing wrong, and that reasonable subscribers had reasonable expectations regarding the terms and what Netflix meant by "unlimited." Reasonable people know what to expect for $17.99.

Netflix always stated clearly that "most subscribers" could expect "usually one-day delivery". Since I understand the English language and basic logic, that tells me that some subscribers would NOT receive one-day delivery, and those that do receive one-day delivery would experience times when they would not.

In this society, you are expected to use good judgment and accept the consequences of your own decisions, unless you can persuade a lawyer to sue.

Netflix model is succeeding worldwide

For all those investment analysts who remain skeptical of Netflix's long-term success, I suggest they look at how Netflix-clones are proliferating all over the world. After I posted about a Japanese online DVD rental service, a faithful reader alerted me to the existence of MediaXpres in Spain.

Australia has BigPond Movies (Fetchmemovies), Homescreen, and Quickflix

Canada has Zip.ca.

For France, there's Glowria and Cinehome.

In Germany, they have Frisbi and Netlieh.

For each one I find, another one springs up. I'm sure there are lots more. Please post in the comments if you know of other online DVD rental delivery services outside of the U.S. Just because I link to a business on this blog does not mean that I guarantee it is legitimate.