Back on time? You are so kind.

Back on time? You are so kind.
Originally uploaded by Netflix Fan.

I was returning my movie to the Blockbuster store six days after I checked it out. Something about this sign is a little creepy. Like they are trying to make me feel guilty.

Display your Netflix Queue on your blog

You can actually use this thing to display anything on your blog, as long as it's available in RSS. It's called the JavaScript RSS box viewer, and all you have to do is fill in a form with your RSS feed URL and it gives you the HTML to cut and paste into your blog's template. You can see mine way down at the bottom-right side of my blog.

It is a little bit slow to load, because it's coming by way of the P3k.org site. They have instructions to make it run on your own site.

1001 Movies at Blockbuster Online

Blockbuster Online must be reading my blog. Where else would they have gotten the idea to have the 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die as a special DVD collection on their Web site? (It's my aim to see every title in the book)

You can't rely on their Web site to match the book, but it's a good start. They get some of them wrong. For example, the book calls for Los Olvidados (1950), which translated means "The Young Ones", so Blockbuster Online links to the 1961 movie with that title starring Cliff Richard. Instead of Lola (1961) directed by Jacques Demy, they link to the 1969 Richard Donner movie by the same name. Blockbuster lists the movies in groups, like 1960-1979, but not in chronological order within the groups. If a title on the list is part of a boxed set, they link to the whole set.

Poor Nate has a crazy Mom

Nate says:

I signed up for a free trial with Netflix this weekend and was eagerly awaiting my first three DVDs in the mail today. When I woke up, my mom handed me the three DVDs in their sleeves and I was excited since I'm a big proponent of that kind of business model.

Then it dawned on me: where are the return envelopes?

I went to find Common Sense mom and ask her. Her reply brought a shocked look to my face.

"Oh, I think I tore those up and threw them in the trash."

Aack! I can just barely understand opening your son's PRIVATE MAIL (a Federal offense) and discarding the envelope, BUT WHY TEAR IT UP FIRST?! It's not like it contains CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION. On behalf of subscribers everywhere, I vent my fury on the woman.

Frank Chavez v. Netflix Class Action *UPDATED*

Via Bankrupt.com

NETFLIX INC.: Consumers File Fraud Suit Over DVD Delivery in CA
---------------------------------------------------------------
Netflix, Inc. faces a class action filed in California Superior Court, City and County of San Francisco by Frank Chavez, individually and on behalf of others similarly situated.

The complaint asserts claims of, among other things, false advertising, unfair and deceptive trade practices, breach of contract as well as claims relating to the Company's statements regarding DVD delivery times. The complaint seeks restitution, disgorgement, damages, and injunction and specific performance and other relief.

Case management conference was held on March 23,2005 before Judge Thomas J. Mellon, Jr. The conference will be continued to May 11,2005.

The suit is styled "FRANK CHAVEZ VS. NETFLIX, INC., A FOREIGN CORPORATION et al, case no. CGC-04-434884." Representing the Company is Keith Eggleton of WILSON SONSINI GOODRICH & ROSATI, 650 Page Mill Road, Palo Alto CA 94304-1050 USA Phone: (650) 493-9300. Representing the plaintiffs are Adam Gutride LAW OFFICES OF ADAM GUTRRIDE 835 Douglass Street, San Francisco CA 94114 USA Phone: (415) 271-6469; and Seth Safire, 6467 California, San Francisco CA 94121 USA Phone: (415) 876-4345.

According to the revised third-quarter guidance issued by Netflix last week, "Settlement expenses in the quarter are expected to range from $3.0 million to $4.0 million. The settlement remains subject to court approvals."

Usually in a class action suit, there is some effort to contact the members of the class to give them an option to join the suit or to be left out of the suit. I am presumably a member of the class, since I'm a Netflix subscriber. I have never been informed of my options regarding this action. Have you?

*UPDATE: Settlement information has been emailed to subscribers and a Web site has been set up. You can read the email here.

Imitation of Life (1959)

I requested Douglas Sirk's Imitation of Life (1959) from Blockbuster Online. I received it from the Blockbuster store in Havelock, NC. I scanned it and posted about it, because I hadn't seen one from that store before. Silly me, I left the envelope, with the disc inside, in the scanner. Days later, when I couldn't find it around the house, I assumed I hadn't received it, so I reported to Blockbuster that it was missing! (I was having a blonde-hair day. I'm sorry). Anyhow, they shipped it once again from another Blockbuster store, this time in Statesville, NC. In my experience, it's unusual to get a movie from a store, and not a distribution center, let alone the same title twice in a row. This got me thinking "why?"

This movie is probably out of print. It was released on DVD in 2003. As with book publishing, I'm guessing that DVDs are printed in "runs" of a fixed number of copies. They sell that amount to retailers and distributors like Netflix and Blockbuster. If they don't rent or sell fast enough, then the studio quits making them. When those original discs wear out, break, or get stolen, they are gone forever, unless the studio decides to do another print-run.

This would explain why Netflix doesn't rent titles that are available elsewhere, like Amazon. If it's available at Amazon, it's at a price too high for Netflix to pay. If Netflix did scramble around, trying to buy up every single copy of every out-of-print title, they would drive prices even higher. There is no financial incentive, and too great a financial risk, for Netflix to supply expensive titles. Such titles have the same risk of being lost, broken, or stolen, as every other title, except they cost 10 times as much. (Nicheflix solved this problem by giving these titles special handling, via their a la carte option).

I'm guessing that Blockbuster stores still have copies of these classic titles that are no longer being printed, the same way your local library is full of out-of-print books. Blockbuster Online can't obtain any more new copies, but they can "borrow" them from their bricks and mortar stores, which is my theory as to why both copies of Imitation of Life came from stores in NC.

Nicheflix a la carte

This, to me, is thrilling news. My favorite non-Netflix online DVD rental service, Nicheflix, is now offering an a la carte option. I use Nicheflix for non-Region 1 or PAL titles which aren't available any other way in the U.S. These titles can be very rare and expensive. Sometimes studios will release a title overseas which they won't distribute in North America, for various reasons. Nicheflix imports these and rents them, but you need a multi-region DVD player to play them.

The a la carte option allows you to rent individual discs without a subscription. The rental period is seven (7) days from the date of arrival. Shipping is extra. They are shipped via USPS with delivery confirmation both ways.

They also have a subscription option similar to Netflix's.

James Rocchi's New Blog

As Mike reported, James Rocchi is working his notice at Netflix. Can you say ex-netflix three times fast? Here's his new civilian blog.

RentCaddy DVD Organizer

RentCaddy DVD Organizer
Originally uploaded by Matthom.

Netflixfan reader Matthom bought himself one and he likes it.

P.S. I'm not making anything off the sales of these things, nor have I been compensated for posting about them. I'm just a fan of entrepreneurialism.

WARNER SELLS MEGA COLLECTION

Many DVD fans might walk away from purchasing Amazon.com's Warner Classics Mega Collection. But Warner Home Video is sure the $3,999-priced set is a steal.

At this point, Amazon.com is the primary seller of the package, which holds 237 classic Warner films spanning 1929-70. But Warner is offering the product, streeting Nov. 22, to any interested retailer. Amazon.com is selling the set for a relative bargain, at $1,999. Via DVD Exclusive

The 64 Second Film Contest

The contest begins in October and the top 25 finalists will be determined by popular vote:

http://www.64seconds.com/

Netflix in PubSub top 1000

Netflix.com is #359 on the PubSub top 1000 as of September 25. I couldn't find Amazon, Blockbuster, or Greencine anywhere on the list.

Here are the rankings for Netflix.com:

30-Day Rank: 1,123.67 (top 1.87%)
15-Day Rank: 973.00 (top 1.73%)
Current Rank: 593 (top 1%)

The PubSub LinkRanks 1000 is a list of the most consistently influential sites that publish feeds, based on their average LinkRank scores over the past 30 days. To create this list, we've averaged the daily LinkRanks of over 16 million sources. We've also included a 15-day average as well as each site's current LinkRank as additional points of comparison.

LinkRanks is PubSub's method of measuring the strength, persistence, and vitality of links appearing in over 16 million sources that PubSub monitors.

PubSub uses LinkRanks to help users hone their subscriptions. LinkRanks can also tell you how influential a particular site is on a particular day and over time.

You gotta have Friends

Justin needs Netflix Friends. Can you help him out?

Invite him using justin dot baeder at gmail dot com

Netflix is great source for Personal Development DVDs

Steve Pavlina blogged this:

"When we first signed up for this service, we were only thinking of it for entertainment, as a replacement for occasional local movie rentals. But after browsing Netflix's special interest section, I found a variety of personal development and educational DVDs, including ones by Deepak Chopra, Suze Orman, Carolyn Myss, Eckhart Tolle, and Dr. Wayne Dyer. I watched three Suze Orman DVDs just in the past week. So I can recommend this service as an affordable way to immerse yourself in personal development material. It's a lot cheaper and more convenient than going to seminars."

New Netflix drop point in Wichita, KS

Dropping in

If you're a Netflix subscriber you may have noticed a Wichita postmark on recent movies delivered to your house.

That's because the California-based company that mails movie rentals now has a local drop point.

'The drop point speeds it up a little bit,' says Steve Swasey, director of corporate communications.

You probably won't notice that much of a difference, though. Swasey says a Netflix distribution center that opened in Kansas City, Mo., in March 2004 has made the difference in getting movies sent faster.

Via Kansas.com

Free Month of Blockbuster Online

Hello Becky,

We're making it easier than ever for you to share the convenience of BLOCKBUSTER Online™ with others. For a limited time, you can treat your friends and family to one FREE MONTH of service!

Pass along the special Promotional Code word "friends" to anyone you wish.

When they visit www.blockbuster.com, sign up for membership and enter the word "friends" into the Promotional Code field, they will receive their first month of service FREE.

OR, forward this e-mail so your friends and family can directly access this special offer here:

FREE MONTH for FRIENDS and FAMILY

Sign up, enter the code, get great home entertainment FREE for one month. It's just that simple!


Thanks for spreading the word!


Your Friends at BLOCKBUSTER Online

Critics' Picks on Netflix

James Rocchi may be leaving Netflix, but we will not be without choices.

Netflix: Critics' Picks allows you to browse Netflix for movies that received a 3-star rating or higher from top critics Roger Ebert and Leonard Maltin, publications like the New York Times and TV Guide, and online review sites Film Threat and Apollo Guide, without ever leaving the Netflix site.

Found on eBay: Rentcaddy ORGANIZER for Netflix, Blockbuster Online

eBay: Rentcaddy ORGANIZER for Netflix, Blockbuster Online (item 6434900078 end time Sep-26-05 21:45:52 PDT):
"Introducing
RENTCADDY
the Original, Patent-Pending Online Rental Organizer!
Perfect for Netflix, Blockbuster Online, GameFly
EXCLUSIVELY AVAILABLE ON EBAY!

Where do you keep your rentals?
Store up to 8 discs, info sleeves, and return envelopes
No more return envelopes cluttering your entertainment center!
Prevent misplaced, damaged, and lost rentals
Durahyde material keeps your rentals safe
Easily return discs from the road when you travel!
The best way to present a gift subscription!"

Reed Hastings will be at Web 2.0 Conference 2005

Netflix CEO Reed Hastings will be part of a panel on "The Future of Entertainment" at the Web 2.0 Conference, "the second generation Internet business conference that brings together leading Internet industry figures and companies to focus on innovation and technology developments spanning the Internet, communication and entertainment industries. The 2005 Web 2.0 Conference will take place October 5-7 at the Argent Hotel in San Francisco."

Via Businesswire

Fast Company Cover Story on Netflix

Hacking NetFlix got tipped off to the cover story on Netflix in FastCompany magazine, for winning the "Customers First Award." It's an educational article, which Mike calls a "must-read."

Here are the highlights that I found interesting:

"Warehouse workers--those closest to the customer--get free Netflix subscriptions and DVD players in order to understand what customers go through when Finding Nemo doesn't arrive in time for their kid's birthday party."

"Hastings brags that during Netflix's early days, it had 115,000 customers and 100 support reps. Today, the company has 3.2 million customers; their questions are handled by just 43 reps."

"That ratio is impressive, to be sure, but the fact that Netflix's customer-support number is deeply buried on the site certainly keeps those numbers down. (Can't find it? It's 888-NETFLIX.) That's one of a few glaring flaws in Netflix's experience--having to dig for a company's phone number on its Web site feels so 1997. Hastings doesn't agree. "It hits the right balance of customer satisfaction and cost," he says. "

"Another problem for Netflix is its relationship with high-volume renters. These highly vocal customers, who aren't profitable for Netflix, believe the company is intentionally slowing down the pace at which it sends them movies, a practice these users call "throttling." Hastings says these film buffs do get lower priority than low-volume members if Netflix is in short supply of a DVD or if one of the warehouses gets overwhelmed with demand. But he denies any other penalizing of these members. "We're not saying they're bad because they watch a lot of movies," says Hastings. "God bless them, that's fine. But if we run short, it makes more sense to give it to the people [who haven't watched as many]."

Netflix James Bond Survey Results

Hacking NetFlix reported that "Netflix issued a press release to announce that a a survey of 1,000 subscribers selected Hugh Jackman over Clive Owen as the next James Bond."

I think Netflix could have surveyed a lot more than 1000 people, but why did they do the survey at all? Who cares? This survey has nothing to do with renting movies. Possible reasons: it could be a gimmick to raise their profile in the entertainment world, since it's been a slow news week. It is also a demonstration of how they can use their customers.

No more late fees at Blockbuster? We've got video. With sound.

This hilarious video reveals once and for all whether Blockbuster still has late fees.

Peerflix Launches Peer-To-Peer DVD

InformationWeek magazine is reporting that Peerflix, after spending a year in Beta, has officially launched its peer-to-peer DVD trading service online. Their article focuses mainly on the potential copyright issues related to trading DVD's, which some fear will facilitate illegal copying.

InformationWeek also says that Peerflix "currently holds some 65,000 titles", but that's impossible. There aren't that many titles currently on DVD. According to this Reuters article, Peerflix has 65,000 DVD's, but only 25% of those are unique titles.

According to Reuters,"The Peerflix site clocked 10,000 trades in August and is set to nearly double that in September."

Why Netflix is the best way to get TV shows on DVD

It could take a long time to watch a whole season of your favorite TV show on DVD. If they put six episodes of one half-hour sitcom on one disc, that's three hours of TV. If you rent it from a store, you might have to return it in three days. If you buy it, you might have to plunk down $50 for the whole boxed set. With Netflix, you can queue up all the seasons in order and watch them at your leisure, not worrying about returning them any time soon, and not losing track of what you've seen or not seen. For a TV show you've never seen, you don't want to buy the boxed set before you discover you can't stand the show.

Via Video Business Online

Access Netflix via your T-Mobile Sidekick II

Via Mobiletracker.net

Telling You What You Like

This Los Angeles Times article regarding recommendations has a quote from Mike Kaltschnee, author of the Hacking Netflix blog.:

Online movie rental company Netflix Inc., for example, lets its customers write movie reviews. Netflix subscribers also can invite one another to become "friends" and make movie recommendations, peek at one another's rental lists and see how other subscribers have rated other movies.

Combining all these tools has helped make Netflix recommendations more in tune with subscribers' tastes, said Neil Hunt, Netflix's chief engineer.

To gauge how well Netflix does, the company compared how well customers liked the recommended movies with how well they liked movies that were picked from a list of recent releases, many of which were heavily marketed upon their release on DVD. On a five-star scale, movies recommended by Netflix scored half a star higher.

"If you spend $50 to $100 million promoting a movie, you can persuade a lot of people to watch it," Hunt said. "But if a movie stands on its own merit and matches an individual's tastes, they may enjoy it a lot more."

"This is really powerful," said Netflix subscriber Mike Kaltschnee, a 40-year-old vice president for a stock photo agency in Danbury, Conn. "There are 45,000 movies in the Netflix collection. This helps me find the good ones. Before, my taste was limited to what I happened to see at the local rental store. Now I rent foreign films, like 'Whale Rider.' I never would have rented that before. Not in a million years."

Is your queue getting shorter?

Since I last reported my queue stats in May 2005, my main queue has gone down from 315 to 271. I've switched from the 8-out to the 3-out (because of Summer).

343--Number of movies I've rented from Netflix since I joined in January 2004
271--Number of movies in main queue
3--Number of movies I have out (on the 3-out plan)
7--Number of movies in "Saved" queue
2--Number of movies with a release date in queue
24--Number of movies I've rented in the last 3 months
0--Number of movies labeled "Very Long Wait and Out of Print”
0--Number of movies labeled "Very Long Wait"
0--Number of movies labeled "Long Wait"
7--Number of movies labeled "Short Wait"
0--Number of movies in the queue that are actually television shows on DVD
4--Number of movies in the queue that I've already seen
2--Number of movies I feel are categorized wrongly
5--Average number of times I check the queue per week

I've been very good not to add anything to my queue unless it was in the book 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die. If I want to cheat and see something not in the book, I use Blockbuster :).

Netflix Party

Georgia, who is Not A Domestic Diva, has a great idea:

"Netflix has changed our life. Not only do we get to rent all kinds of foreign films we'd usually have a hard time finding, but we can also rent whole seasons of our favorite shows (and share them with our friends). So for the most relaxed weekend party you can think of, pick a show everyone's been wanting to see (like the first season of The Wire or Entourage), buy some bottles of wine and some good snacks, and lounge in the air conditioning while you're waiting out the heat wave of this Indian Summer."

Blockbuster store in Havelock, NC

I live in Greensboro, NC, so my Blockbuster Online DVDs usually come from their distribution center in Charlotte, NC. Last week, I received a movie which apparently was shipped from the Blockbuster store in Havelock, NC, which is near the North Carolina coast. Telltale signs, besides the address, are the two .37 postage stamps, and the little stickers holding the envelope closed on each side, preventing the flap from being torn off (a chronic problem with BBO envelopes). They are losing money on postage if they don't get to use the bulk mail pre-sorted discount.

Reed Hastings' predictions

I watched this interview with Reed Hastings on Business Week online from August 19. In it, Reed Hastings, CEO of Netflix, says the threat of Amazon.com entering the online DVD rental market in the U.S. is diminishing as time goes by, because they're not having big success in the U.K. where they've been operating an online DVD rental business since last year. Hastings says Amazon is 4th in the U.K., behind Video Island, Lovefilm, and Blockbuster, and their DVD rental business is only $5 million out of $8 billion total for the company, so Amazon is not focusing on it very much.

Hastings also says HD-DVD will extend the life of DVD by about 5 years.

He intends for Netflix to be a leader in the VOD business, which will start out very small until more content comes available.

He intends for Netflix to change the movie distribution business, but in order to have the power to do that, Netflix must have enough subscribers (10-20 million).

By "change the movie distribution business," I think he means turning it into video-on-demand.

Click here for the Real Player feed of the 13-minute interview.

New Netflix "drop point" in Springfield, IL speeds Midwest turnaround times

Via Springfield Journal-Register:

"It's not exactly a matter of national security that 'National Security' might move faster from your Netflix queue to your Springfield-area mailbox.

But the company that rents DVDs by mail isn't talking too much about why some labels reading 'Nearest shipping facility' have 'Springfield, IL' written on them.

It's what Steve Swasey, director of Netflix's corporate communications, calls a 'competitive advantage' over rivals such as Green-Cine and Blockbuster. All Swasey could say is that Springfield is a new 'drop point' for DVDs, in that they're sent here from the closest distribution center, in St. Louis.

'That ensures that we can get the DVDs to subscribers within a day, and nobody else does that,' Swasey says."

Blockbuster probing online video-on-demand

Via the Miami Herald:

Blockbuster demonstrated an online video service at a trade show in Europe last week and has completed a test involving 5,000 British households, but officials downplay talk of service in the very near future.

Netflix will be testing video-on-demand using set-top boxes this year.

Netflix's test of video-on-demand this year will be "very modest," said spokesman Steve Swasey.

"It will be limited mostly by content for the reason that the studios are not licensing that many titles for electronic delivery," Swasey said.

Studios typically earn only $1 or $2 from each movie rental but can make $12 or more from each DVD sale, giving them a short-term incentive against supplying recent movies to video-on-demand services.

Read more

Free Month of Netflix Promo

Thanks to Dan, who posted this Netflix one month free trial promo link on this Livejournal blog. This is a great opportunity for you fence-sitters out there. One month is plenty of time for your to rent 10-20 discs and see how fast (or slow) the turnaround is in your area.

You must register for a completely new Netflix account to take advantage of this one month trial offer (longer than the normal two week trial), which requires a credit or debit card or bank account. Netflix will automatically bill you for the next month as soon as the first month is over, so to avoid being billed, you must cancel the day before the trial is up. If you've ever had a Netflix account before, you're not eligible. This link will probably stop working in a couple of weeks. It was originally posted September 14.

UPDATE: I saw the original email the promo came in. The promo link definitely stops working on September 28, and they specify that it is a "limited quantity" offer.

Netflix-sponsored poker

From December 2004, via mediabistro.com: "Stakes were high last month when mediabistro doubled up (or was it down?) with Netflix to help put on a Texas Hold 'Em poker tournament that pitted men's magazine editors against their underlings and each other."

The fellow in black and red is Netflix film critic James Rocchi.

mediabistro.com has more photos of the Netflix poker tables. I want one!

Netflix hooks up with Cinequest film festival to distribute films

Via the San Jose Mercury News:

"Starting today, people can rent or buy some of the independent movies that debut during San Jose's annual Cinequest Film Festival.

Cinequest, the non-profit film institute, is going into the new line of business of producing DVDs, focusing on independent movies. The films produced by Cinequest DVD, the group's new video production wing, will be available for rent through Netflix, the Los Gatos online mail-order movie-rental service.

The move is an attempt by both Cinequest and Netflix to tap into what seems to be a growing market nationwide for independent films. Netflix has agreed to buy all DVDs produced by Cinequest, said Cinequest spokesman Jens Michael Hussey."

Read more

Netflix helps revive TV serials

Via HoustonChronicle.com:

"I think the business of TV is changing . . . and that serialized shows make more economic sense, one being 24," said Josh Pate, executive producer of the don't-go-near-the-water drama Surface. "What's really driving the networks' openness to this type of storytelling is that DVD sales on the back end can make it a viable financial model."

They're saying that we are beginning to see more TV shows with stories that stretch over an entire season, because they know you can rent it from Netflix or buy it. If the ratings aren't that good, they'll make their money back from the DVD sales. People don't have to be tied to the TV each week in order for the show to be successful.

"The idea of the serial is not a new thing -- it's a cyclical thing," added Paul Scheuring, another Prison Break producer. "And with the advent of TiVo and DVDs, there's a new culture going on, where people want to get the box set and watch four, five, six episodes one after another. It's like reading a novel."

Read more

NETFLIX CONVERTS NAYSAYERS, STRENGTHENS

Jennifer Netherby has written a great article for DVD Exclusive Online in response to the Netflix investor Webcast which took place last week. The article basically says that Netflix is too big to be defeated now, and although Blockbuster will grow, it will never catch up.

"'[Netflix has] reached the stage of critical mass where nobody's going to get rid of them, nobody's going to come in and make them obsolete,' analyst Dennis McAlpine of McAlpine and Associates said."

"Tom Adams, president of Adams Media Research, said he expects Blockbuster will continue to grow its business and narrow the subscriber gap with Netflix because of its ability to ship from stores and its strong consumer presence. But he believes Netflix will be able to maintain its lead."

"There's a tradition of what's called the first mover advantage, and so there was little reason to think that Blockbuster was simply going to overwhelm them," Adams said. "[Netflix] got that advantage by not just being first but by being very good."


Read more

Blockbuster and Netflix waive returns and fees for Gulf Coast members

Via Video Business online [sub req'd]:

"Blockbuster has opened 27 locations, with 34 company-owned stores and four franchisees still closed in Louisiana and Mississippi. A spokesperson said that Katrina-hit customers will not be charged for any checked-out, lost or damaged product.

Netflix is sending e-mails to Gulf Coast members informing them that they are likewise not responsible for returning copies. The online service is writing them off as lost. Netflix customers who fell victim to Katrina also are being told their monthly sub fees for August and September are being waived."

New technology combines DVD and CD in one disc

Via PrimeZone.com:

"'DVCD allows buyers to listen to CD content included within the DVD just as if they had an actual CD inserted into their computer. The product includes SunnComm's SecureBurn(TM), which allows users to legally burn a protected and enhanced music CD on their PC or Mac directly from a menu included on their DVD. Consumers can also choose to transfer the CD content to compliant portable digital devices. "

Read more

Muslim Dork drinks Chai and watches Netflix

Via Inside Bay Area.com:

"At the age of 24, Ali is an author, a law student, a Netflix junkie, a Muslim, a Pakistani and a playwright."

"'I'm kind of a dork,' he says. 'I drink chai and watch Netflix (movies).' "

"I'm a practicing Muslim who does not strap a bomb to myself," Ali joked, then added, "Religion has had a profound impact on me. Islam gave me the means and an avenue to funnel my energy."

You can read more about the play he's written here.

The Miracle of Morgan's Creek

Netflix now has The Miracle of Morgan's Creek, a "classic slapstick farce," available to rent on DVD. I have seen this movie on VHS and enjoyed it very much. It is on many top lists, including the AFI 400, the New York Times 1000 Best Movies Ever Made, and Leonard Maltin's 100 Must-See Films of the 20th Century.

Voting with your queue

Have you ever wondered if it's worthwhile to use the green button in Netflix, to save a title to your queue, even before it has a release date? Well, it turns out, it's very important for you to do so. According to this article , "Netflix informs studios which of its 50,000 titles its 3.2 million subscribers put in their 'queues,' to be mailed when the product comes out. "

Using this information, the studios know how great the demand for a title is, and based on that, they determine how many DVDs to make.

"By placing real orders for material they want to buy or rent, consumers are voting with their pocketbooks, industry analysts say."

Your queue, and Amazon's pre-sale list, says Michael Arkin, senior vice president of marketing for Paramount Home Entertainment, "are opinion polls of a sort, earpieces into buyers' tastes. It's a way of taking the pulse of the public, checking it on a daily basis."

You actually influence how many copies of new releases Netflix will have, by saving titles to your queue before the movie is released.

The Netflix Workout

My friend Jim has started a new blog, called Lean and Hungry Fitness. I must admit, I don't like the "hungry" part, but lean is good. He used The Netflix Workout to lose the first 20 pounds. I love anything that provides an excuse to watch Netflix!

Top 50 Cult Films

One of the sources for rare movies is Five Minutes To Live. They have an interesting list of Top 50 Cult Films. Most of them are unavailable through Netflix or any other traditional source.

Netflix Announces Analyst Day Webcast

LOS GATOS, Calif., Sept. 6 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Netflix, Inc. Nasdaq: NFLX) will be webcasting its Analyst Day presentations on September 8, 2005. The live webcast can be accessed at the investor relations page of the Netflix web site at http://ir.netflix.com . An archive of the webcast will be available within 24 hours of the end of the event.

The event will begin at approximately 8:00 a.m. Pacific Time with a keynote presentation by Reed Hastings, Netflix's chief executive officer and co-founder, and will include presentations from the Netflix senior management team. The presentations will conclude at approximately 12:30 p.m. Pacific Time.

Netflix is the world's largest online movie rental service, providing more than three million subscribers access to over 50,000 DVD titles. Under the company's most popular program, for $17.99 a month, Netflix subscribers rent as many DVDs as they want and keep them as long as they want, with three movies out at a time. There are no due dates, no late fees and no shipping fees. DVDs are delivered for free by the USPS from regional shipping centers located throughout the United States. Netflix can reach nearly 90 percent of its subscribers with generally one business-day delivery. Netflix offers personalized movie recommendations to its members and has more than 500 million movie ratings. Netflix also allows members to share and recommend movies to one another through its Friends(TM) feature. For more information, visit http://www.netflix.com.

Dashflix mini widget

The mini version of the popular Dashflix widget for Mac OS X 10.4 or later allows you to view your Netflix queue at a glance. Its author says, "If you’re like me, you are both obsessive and a Netflix customer. This combination leads to constantly double-checking what’s in your queue and what has been shipped to you. Now you can engage in this psychotic behavior from the comfort of your own desktop!

The Dashflix mini widget gives you a list of your “At Home” movies, complete with estimated delivery dates. Flip it over, and you’ll see all the movies in your queue. Click on any movie to bring up Netflix’s summary of the film in question."

Download it for free from Apple.

Save gas

...sign up for Netflix, Greencine, Nicheflix, or even (gasp!) Blockbuster Online.

Zip.ca buys VHQ Online

Canada's largest source for online DVD rentals has purchased the assets of its nearest competitor - VHQ Online - in an effort to increase its Canadian marketshare.

Ottawa-based Zip.ca, which recently struck a deal to handle Rogers Vido online rental service, currently rents out about 15,000 discs per day.

Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed, however, Zip.ca chief executive officer Rick Anderson told the Globe and Mail that the acquisition of VHQ's on-line DVD rental business gives Zip an inventory of 220,000 discs which he says is more than twice the size of any other firm in the country.

According to Onlinedvdrental.ca, a website that monitors DVD rental companies there are over ten firms that specialize in online DVD rental with Zip being far and away the largest. You can find a complete list of the companies that specialize in online DVD rentals at the site.

Via Digital Home Canada

Amateur Netflix ad

Netflix 1
Originally uploaded by whitleyrr.

whitleyrr says "Netflix is having their customers do their marketing for them in exchange for a free month's service. So this is the one I took of Jeff for him to submit. Obviously, we doctored it a bit."

See more ads here.

Albany, NY has Netflix distribution center

Kevin has noticed a new Netflix distribution center in Albany, NY.

He's also looking for Netflix Friends.

Breaking the Waves

After being "release date unknown" at Netflix forever, Breaking the Waves (1996) suddenly became available last week with a September 1 release date. It now has a short wait. It is a Dogme 95 film by Lars von Trier. This film has a very long wait at Greencine, Nicheflix, and Blockbuster Online.

Dragon*Con 2005 notes

I've returned from Dragon*Con. Had a good time. Out of the 68 screened, I managed to see 54 short films and one feature length. You can see the list of films I viewed here. My pick for the best, which also won the Best in Fest Live Action category and the Best in Fantasy category, is Apartment 206. Another that you might want to seek out is The Mysterious Geographic Explorations of Jasper Morello (2005), winner of the Best of Fest (Animated) and Best Animated Fantasy & SciFi awards.

The Dragon*Con Independent Film Festival is turning into quite a serious show. I love the mix of genres in both Animated and Live Action (Fantasy, Comedy, Horror, Science Fiction, Parody, and Thriller). The festival screened films 24 hours a day, with few repeats, which is why I missed a few. I met film makers from Australia and Italy. I got a chance to tell them about Netflix and encouraged them to see if Netflix would distribute their films, because short films are seldom seen in theatres.

I ran into a couple of evacuees from Louisiana and Mississippi. I was amazed they made it to the convention and were having a good time, despite their problems back home.

The convention offered free preview screenings of Eternal and Hellbent, which I couldn't attend.

Dragon*Con 2005

I won't be watching DVDs this weekend. I'm going to watch movies "live."
I am going to Dragon*Con in Atlanta, GA, for the 19th Annual Dragon Con Independent Short Film Festival. I expect to return to blogging about Netflix on Monday, September 5.

Have a happy Labor Day weekend! The USPS is closed Monday, so Netflix will be slammed on Tuesday and Wednesday. Expect delays.

Netflix Shipping Time Analysis

via Planet Mike:

When you subscribe to Netflix, you get an email whenever their shipping office receives a DVD you've shipped back, or when they ship a DVD to you. So, since I felt that the service was slowing down, I decided to do a analysis of the times to see if the service really was slowing down. The Netflix Shipping Time Chart basically tells me that their service hasn't slipped too much lately, it's always not been as good as I think it is. Although October 2004 through December 2004 were really good! Feel free to send me your thoughts and opinions of Netflix.

See his chart here

Netflix wannabes use Rentshark

Wanna start your own Netflix clone? RentShark Online Rental Software allows you to start your own rent-by-mail business, renting DVDs, CDs, Video Games, and Books.

GameZnFlix Unveils $8.99 Plan and Lowers Prices

From the press release: "FRANKLIN, Ken., Aug. 30, 2005 (PRIMEZONE) -- GameZnFlix Inc. (OTCBB:GZFX), an online provider of DVDs and video games for rent or purchase, today announced its new $8.99 and $12.99 per month plans. In addition, the company's most popular plan, 3-out at a time, has been lowered to $16.99. All plans offered by the company include no late fees and no shipping charges.

'Our members have been asking for more flexibility in our plans,' said Donald 'Chip' Gallent, president of GameZnFlix. 'We already offer a more flexible inventory by stocking both DVDs and Games -- now we're giving them more plans to accommodate their needs.'"

Blockbuster wins The Times and Democrat comparison

The Times and Democrat of South Carolina compared Netflix with Blockbuster, and the wrong company won :). The review is written by a guy who likes collecting DVDs and going to the store, so he likes the in-store rental and sales coupons, and says,

The only two improvements I think that could be made are:

1. Include some way to combine my in-store renting habits with my Blockbuster Online habits in a better fashion than two free in-store rentals per month.

2. Show the price to keep the movie in the form of a sticker on the case of the rental box.

A map to the most buried of cinematic treasures

SCOTT FOUNDAS, writing for the LA Weekly, knows how to find the movies that just aren't available anywhere else. Movies that are not available on DVD or out-of-print on VHS in the USA, or have never been to a theatre near you, and never will. These are the links to the sources he suggests:

Turner Classic Movies has the MGM archives
Fox Movie Channel has the 20th Century Fox archives
Facets Multimedia has an archive of out-of-print VHS and rents by mail
Film Movement distributes exclusive films on DVD by mail
Five Minutes to Live does DVD-R
Roberts Videos does mail-order
Super Happy Fun has mostly foreign titles
Masters of Cinema keeps track of release dates

You can read the article here to discover how and why these are the great sources for rare cinema.

Stewie Griffin is Saddam Hussein!

Stewie Griffin is Saddam Hussein!
Originally uploaded by witz.

Netflix is hosting an exclusive sneak peak of the Family Guy animated movie. Thanks to Witz for Flickring this. See it here.

New Jackson, MS DC

Mark, on the Yahoo! Netflix Operations discussion group, has received envelopes showing that Netflix has opened a new distribution center in Jackson, Mississippi.

You'll see Blockbuster Online at MTV's Video Music Awards

At MTV's Video Music Awards, "The performers, presenters and Diddy will each receive a $26,000 gift basket courtesy of the network. Included in the goody bag: an iPod shuffle, a two-night stay at The Inn at Palmetto Bluff in South Carolina, a two-year VIP Blockbuster Online membership, a Dooney & Bourke travel bag, Jose Cuervo limited-edition tequila and an Americana Couture T-shirt bejeweled with Swarovski crystals."

What I'd like to know is, what's a VIP membership to Blockbuster Online?

Via PennLive.com

Postal workers charged with theft of Netflix DVDs

Via the Detroit News:

Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Gorland, chief of general crimes in Detroit, said her office has prosecuted two postal employees in the last year for stealing DVDs from the Internet video rental company Netflix.

"The Postal Service takes very seriously the theft of all mail. It is a zero-tolerance policy," Gorland said, "whether it's coupons or checks."

More than 690 million pieces of mail handled by the U.S. Postal Service travel across the country every day.

William Wrack admitted to stealing more than 400 DVDs over a three-month period worth $8,840 that were destined for delivery to about 122 customers in southeast Michigan. He pleaded guilty in May was sentenced by U.S. District Judge John Feikens to two years probation and ordered to pay $1,100 in fines and costs.

Peerflix promo: rent 100 titles free

Peerflix is running a new promotion:

Upon registering, receive 100 trade credits allowing you to receive 100 movies from another Peerflix user - free. Take a look and let me know what you think. You must go through this link only.

Netflix=film school

Ryan Dacko says:

...you can learn filmmaking from actual professionals in the industry by watching 50 different DVD commentaries and behind-the-scenes features. By taking notes and cross referencing them with a few books out on the market, you basically can put yourself through your own film school at your own pace for just a one-month $17 membership to Netflix - it sure beats $12,500 for one semester of the New York Film Academy. What follows is the advice from Robert Rodriguez: "now take the money you would have spent on film school and then make a movie with it."

via filmthreat.com

That's what I'm sayin'

Wots in my man pur... er I mean Messenger Bag

Wots in my man pur... er I mean Messenger Bag
Originally uploaded by Joits.

This is not my bag, but I would be very proud if the contents of my bag included Netflix. Which it does, several times a week. This photo is part of a Flickr group called What's in my bag

I've quit Greencine, again

I last re-joined Greencine this Summer when I started the decade of the Sixties on my quest to see the 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die (in chronological order). Greencine was unable to fulfill my request for The Music Room [Jalsaghar] (1958) , Last Year at Marienbad (1961), and Breaking the Waves (1996) after months of waiting, and my billing anniversary approached, so I quit. I'll have to find another source for those titles.

More new Netflix distribution centers

Commenters on Hacking Netflix have seen envelopes for the following heretofore unknown Netflix distribution centers:

Little Rock, AR
Brockton, MA
Wichita, KS

NETFLIX CHOCK FULL OF "COURAGE & STUPIDITY"

Yes, I stole their headline, 'cause it's funny. Now I'm going to steal their story. Film Threat reported on July 25 that "Courage & Stupidity," a fictional retelling of the making of "Jaws," has become the first short film ever to be offered as a stand-alone rental through NetFlix."

Read their review

E! Interviewed James Rocchi

Although this interview from E! Online is as old as dirt, but I think it's interesting to note what the official Netflix reviewer says about his role on Netflix.com:

A: "I think that reviewing films on the site is completely separate from the bottom line -- we run positive and negative reviews of films because we care about movies and want folks to be able to read historical and critical information about them; we also run customer reviews as well, both positive and negative. In terms of the overall feel of the site, I think its much preferable for Netflix to care about movies and articulate opinions about them than it is for us to grit our teeth and say "It's great. ... It's great. ... It's great...." about every movie we carry. And, I'm also not kidding myself. Do I think my negative review of Independence Day will keep people from renting it? Absolutely not. Do I like to think that after reading that review, someone might think about why someone might have disdain for Independence Day? Absolutely."

Q: Although I never rented it from Blockbuster, a friend of mine claims that "Last Tango in Paris" was edited for rental in that store--a critical scene (you know the one) was allegedly cut. Does Netflix.com let it all hang out and give the viewer the real deal or what?

A: We at Netflix don't carry "adult material" -- which is to say, porn. But when it comes to a saucy narrative film, like, say Crash or Quills or Henry and June or Last Tango in Paris, we offer the version the studio puts out, every time, no qualms or caveats.

New Netflix distribution centers discovered

There are (new?) Netflix distribution centers in San Bernardino, CA and in Springfield, IL, as discovered by contributors to the Yahoo! Netflix Operations discussion group, according to the addresses on their return envelopes.

The Movie Dude

The Movie Dude is a Greasemonkey script you can use to crosslink movies between sites such as NetFlix, IMDb, Yahoo, Blockbuster, Rotten Tomatoes and Roger Ebert.

Netflix wins Flickr tag fight

Go to flickr Tag Fight. Insert one tag per field, ie: Netflix vs. Blockbuster. See who wins. Because you know this indicates which is the best online DVD rental service EVER.

Netflix is Too Pretty For Math

The sister-girls at Too Pretty For Math blog, have written some Netflix HaiQueue. Here's a sample:

The Upside of Anger
Surprisingly great
movie. Costner stoned is the
best part of it all.
- Cindy

Read more

Amazon Light 4.0 no longer links to Netflix

This is a follow-up to this January post. Amazon sent a letter to the author of Amazon Light 4.0, requesting that all links to Netflix be removed.

Reed Hastings and his bike

I almost killed a Kennedy
Originally uploaded by jurvetson.

I'm not a fan of Netflix only. I'm a fan of Reed Hastings. Here he is on a mountain-biking excursion with some famous folks.

To Join Or Not To Join Price Clubs

The CBS news Early Show got this story from Real Simple magazine [subscribers only].

Online DVD clubs

You should join if: You rent more than 52 DVDs a year; you're often late returning rentals; or you have trouble finding the movies you want at the local store. You make your selections online and the service mails your DVDs. You simply return via mail using the postage-paid envelopes.

Options:

Netflix is one of the most popular DVD clubs. It's the least expensive. A fee of $10 a month lets you rent one DVD at a time and keep it as long as you like. For $15 a month, you get unlimited two-at-a-time rentals. Real Simple believes though that you really need to rent 40, 50, 60 or even 72 DVDs for these memberships to be cost effective. www.netflix.com.


Blockbuster Online is another option. You pay $15 a month. To be cost effective, you need to rent at least 60 DVDs a year for it to be cost-effective. Blockbuster Online allows you to rent three movies at a time and keep them as long as you like. www.blockbuster.com.

Netflix Subscription for 3 months for $30 on eBay

eBay: Netflix Subscription (item 5607915791 end time Aug-25-05 07:34:00 PDT). That's $10/month for the 3-out plan at the "buy it now" price.

LLOYD CLOCKS IN ON DVD

Shorts, features unavailable for nearly a century
By Scott Hettrick 8/12/2005
Via DVD Exclusive Online:

"Talk about overdue.

Almost the entire collection of shorts and feature films of cinematic comedy legend Harold Lloyd finally will be released on DVD--some of them virtually unavailable on home video, TV and even movie theaters for nearly a century.

The Harold Lloyd Comedy Collection, a three-volume, seven-disc set coming Nov. 15 ($89.95), includes 12 feature films and 16 shorts, all digitally remastered, restored and rescored, with optional original organ scores for three of the silent features that have never been heard.

In addition to hours of bonus features on each disc chronicling Lloyd's career and personal life, a stand-alone disc of bonus features includes home movies and more than 100 3D photos taken by Lloyd of Marilyn Monroe and landscapes as well as 3D photos of Lloyd on the Golden Gate Bridge and the Eiffel Tower. Lloyd-like framed 3D glasses are included.

Producer Mark Gordon describes plans for the remake of Lloyd's most famous film, Safety Last!, which is in development."

Direct-to-videos rising straight up

Because DVD is a high quality format being adopted by more and more people, the audience is becoming broader and more diverse. Netflix enables everyone to find movies that fit their unique taste. We don't all have to like the same things anymore.

Netflix is becoming a major distributor of independent films, releasing them first and exclusively on DVD. It used to be that direct-to-video films had a bad reputation as being lower quality, but as more and more artsy-fartsy films go straight to DVD, that reputation is changing. If they can release their films on DVD, filmmakers don't have to worry about making big boxoffice movies for the mainstream. They don't have to compromise their artistic vision in order to find an audience, so the financial risks are lessened.

Via The Los Angeles Times

Red Room DVD

Australian DVD store Red Room DVD combines Blockbuster's "no late fees" (after 14 days you pay for it) with the Red Box kiosk concept. They have a slick, flashy Web site. It has all the downside of a store: limited content, having to physically pick up and return your discs, and due dates, but with the video shelves replaced by a kiosk.

I'm looking forward to a "kiosk" (on my desk) which will burn DVDs on demand from an unlimited supply of content delivered by the Internet.

Netflix First presents five films from Magnolia Pictures

I received the following in an email from Netflix:

As part of the Netflix First program -- which gives you early access to unique independent movies, documentaries and more -- we're excited to tell you about these five films from Magnolia Pictures, now available exclusively on DVD for Netflix subscribers:

Bollywood/Hollywood (add to top of your queue) This sly send-up of Indian movie musical conventions follows a handsome young hero (Rahul Khanna) at odds with his traditionalist family over his plans to marry a Canadian pop star (Jessica Pare). Will he give in and choose a mate more suitable to his family's high standards?

Oliver Stone Presents:
Bang Rajan (add to top of your queue) Oliver Stone helped bring this oft-forgotten story -- about a small band of 18th century Thai villagers who stood their ground against the invading Burmese army -- to U.S. theaters. Armed with only machetes, the brave few were up against an army of 100,000.


On the Run: Trilogy 1(add to top of your queue)The first film in director Lucas Belvaux’s award-winning trilogy traces the path of prison escapee Bruno (Belvaux), who sets out to exact revenge on those responsible for landing him in jail. But as he hunts down his enemies, he must also avoid capture by troubled cop Pascal (Gilbert Melki).


An Amazing Couple: Trilogy 2 (add to top of your queue)Belvaux's second film finds successful businessman Alain (François Morel) spiraling into an unknown abyss, sure that he’s gravely ill. When his behavior becomes more bizarre with each passing day, his wife (Ornella Muti) hires Pascal to look into his comings and goings -- which only makes matters worse.

After the Life: Trilogy 3 (add to top of your queue)This final installment of Belvaux’s dramatic trilogy tells Pascal’s story from his own perspective as he struggles to relate to his morphine-addicted wife (Dominique Blanc) and to capture a prisoner on the loose.

A list of all TV shows available on DVD

Here's another handy Web site to help you fill your Netflix queue. The futon critic, which claims to be "the web's best primetime television resource", has a list of all TV shows available on DVD.

Aleratec DVD/CD Disc Repair Plus

Discs that won't play because of fingerprint smudges or even peanut butter can be cleaned with simple soap and water. What about badly scratched discs that skip, freeze, or stutter, and still won't play after you've tried cleaning them?



I wonder if Netflix would mind us using a device like this Aleratec DVD/CD Disc Repair Plus, instead of waiting for a replacement to arrive in the mail?

Hacking Netflix has a story on scratched discs from Netflix today.

Netflix now makes full rental history available

Used to be that you could get only the last 3 months of your rental activity by email from Netflix. They've since changed it, but I discovered the change only today.

From the Netflix FAQ:

Q: Can I see a list of all the movies I've rented?
A: You can view all movies rented within the past 3 months on the DVD Rental Activity page.
To see a list of all the movies you've ever rented, click on the Send Full Rental Activity button at the bottom of the DVD Rental Activity page. We'll send your entire movie rental return activity to the email address we have on file for you.

Despite its Recent Declines, Renting a Video is still America's Favorite Way to Watch a Movie

According to this report by Research and Markets, titled The Future of Video Rental: A Strategic Analysis of the US Market:

Traditional video rentals in the US plunged more than 20% from their 2001 peak to 2004 and retailers are scrambling to adapt. Can stores get revenue growing again with subscription plans, games sales, rentals and expansion of their share of the robust DVD sales market?

With this report find out:

- How big can the subscription rental business become?

- What will be the impact of online rentals, VOD and movie downloads?

- Can used DVD sales carve out a significant chunk of the business?

- Can video stores capture a significant piece of sell-through in the years ahead?

- How big a factor will games be in the future of video stores?

- What would be the impact on the business of Hollywood's sales to Blockbuster? To Movie Gallery?

Despite its recent declines, renting a video is still America's favorite way to watch a movie, as evidenced by the comparison of annual rental turns vs. box admissions, video sales and VOD/PPV rentals below. By building on existing strategies and undertaking new ones, video rental stores can reinvent themselves yet again.

Topics covered include:

- History

- The Subscription Revolution

- The Rental Store of the Future

- The Changing Retail Marketplace

- New Technology: Threats & Opportunities for Retailers

- Video Rental's Impact on Studio Economics

- Findings from the AMR Video Model

For more information visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/c22516

Research and Markets
Laura Wood
Senior Manager
press@researchandmarkets.com
Fax: +353 1 4100 980

Exclusive pics of TiVo Download

Engadget has "Exclusive pics of TiVo Download." Where's the Netflix?!

It looks like they're letting you download the same stuff that Netflix offered Mike to rent on a "sneak preview DVD."

Update: Now that the Associated Press has picked up the story, it's no longer gossip and has crossed over into news:

"TiVo has struck a deal with the Independent Film Channel to transmit several of the cable channel's shows through a broadband connection as part of a trial program. A group of customers were asked to take part in the test and those who chose to participate will begin receiving the IFC shows next week, said TiVo spokesman Elliot Sloane.

Content on demand has long been a holy grail for Internet and cable companies as they try to create the next generation of television. No one yet has found a way to overcome key technological hurdles, such as finding a speedy way to pump two-hour movies through broadband, or convince Hollywood that it can profit from Internet broadcasts."

Via the Raleigh (NC) News & Observer

Netflix Addict 0.5 is now available for download

Netflix Addict 0.5 is now available for download. This version includes access to Netflix RSS feeds and several bug fixes and performance improvements. Be sure to upgrade from any older versions.

Netflix Addict is an open-source application released under the GPL. It is a platform independent application written in Java. Netflix Addict is a client that allows users to access and manage their Netflix account. It provides capabilities similar to Netflix Freak which is currently only available to Mac OS X users.

Features
Ways to reorder your rental queue: Drag and Drop, Shuffle, Reverse, Move Title to Top/Bottom
Add multiple titles to rental queue at once.
Delete multiple titles to rental queue at once.
Fast search of titles available from Netflix.
Access to Netflix RSS feeds including, Recommendations and Top 100.
Single window access to all queues.
Import and view entire rental history.

More Praise for Netflix

Bil Herron writes:

By now it seems everyone has raved about Netflix, but I just had a surprisingly excellent experience with them so I thought I'd share.

As you can imagine, having the the US Postal Service as the major link in your logistics chain can lead to some lost packages and missed deliveries, and a potential source of a lot of customer dissatisfaction. And in fact, this past week I had one such lost dvd problem.

So what happens when Spiderman 2 never arrives at your domicile? Within two clicks I had another copy on its way and that was that. Two questions (no typing!) and that was that. Very easy. Good Netflix.

Via A Cry for Help

Walletbuster Video

Walletbuster Video
Originally uploaded by  Smaragd.

"Welcome to Walletbuster Video. See this $18 DVD? We'll let you borrow it for a few nights for slightly less than it would cost to purchase it for yourself. And have we told you about our great new program which will make your rentals negligably cheaper, so long as you rent at least twelve movies every week, without exception? Oh, and if you're one of those people who returns movies on time, now you get to pay the late fees for the people who don't! That's right, we're raising prices on the responsible people in order to accommodate the irresponsible ones!"

Too true!!

King Kong news

After a very long wait, Netflix has the original King Kong (1933) available to save to your queue for release on DVD on November 22.

Netflix also has the 2005 remake of King Kong which will be in theatres December 14. Of course, all you can do at this point is save it to your queue, as the release date for DVD is still unknown.

Here it is, August, and already people are posting Netflix Member Reviews for the new King Kong, even though no one, not even director Peter Jackson, has seen the completed film. Some are using their Member Review as a type of message board, voicing support for the movie, claiming to have seen it already(?!), or condemning it without having seen it at all!

New Netflix Shipping Center in Dayton, OH

Hacking NetFlix reader Zach is reporting that there's a new Netflix distribution center in Dayton, Ohio. If you live in Southern Ohio, Kentucky, or Southern Indiana, this should speed up shipping times for you.

This may mean they re-opened a shipping center that was previously closed, because Listology's Netflix Tracker already had Dayton on the list as being combined with Indianapolis, IN/Bowling Green, KY/Louisville, KY. Are there still centers in those cities?

What happens to your queue if you cancel Netflix?

I emailed Netflix customer service with this question, since I couldn't find the answer using online help. This is the reply I received today:

Dear Becky,

Thank you for contacting Netflix.com customer support!

If you rejoin within 2 years of cancellation your rental queue will be restored automatically.

If you have any further questions or concerns, please feel free to contact us.

Thanks,
Jo-Lynn,
Netflix Customer Service.

Tivo fixin' to offer downloadable content?

Looks like Tivo is preparing to offer downloadable content, according to changes to their privacy policy. This could be related to the deal they made with Netflix last year. Perhaps Netflix will be providing some of the content to be downloaded?

Via PVRblog.

Get a free DiscHub for signing up with Netflix!

Sign up at the DiscHub site.

I usually stack my Netflix DVDs on the TV, where they often fall off and then are in danger of being stepped on, or eaten by my dog. I should probably use DiscHub, a scratch-free storage option for Games/DVDs/CDs.

Notice: I haven't received any promotional incentive for this post.

Blockbuster to raise online rental prices

Via Yahoo! News

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Blockbuster Inc. (NYSE:BBI - news) on Tuesday said it was raising subscription prices for its online service as it expands the business that competes with Netflix Inc. (Nasdaq:NFLX - news)

The monthly price for a plan that lets customers have three movies out will increase to $17.99 from $14.99 as of Aug, 19.

Delicious irony.

The best way to cancel

You should use this method to cancel any online DVD rental subscription service, not just Netflix. I know that Netflix gives you seven days to return your outstanding rentals, but sometimes they do not receive all your returns. I suggest cancelling in three steps, to be sure you do not get charged for failing to return something after you've cancelled.

1. Empty your queue.* This stops them from shipping anything else.
2. Return everything you have out. This shouldn't take more than a week.
3. Check the Netflix site to make sure they've received them. Save the confirmation emails.
4. Cancel!

That's the only way I know of to prevent this sort of thing from happening.

All cancellations are effective immediately, and there are no refunds for unused portions of your billing cycle.

* Netflix saves your queue if you cancel, but not if you empty it first. If you really, really love your queue and want to keep it, upload it to Listology.com first. You'll need to add it in manually if you ever re-subscribe.

Netflix fixin' to move to new, bigger headquarters

MercuryNews.com | 08/02/2005 | What's Up with That?

Where it is: 14300 Winchester Blvd., Los Gatos

What it is: New Netflix headquarters

What's going on: Construction is on track for Netflix to ring in 2006 in its new 80,000-square-foot building, the first phase of a project that eventually will have a second building the same size. Sobrato Development Companies also is building 290 apartments on the site; they'll be done in about a year and half.

Netflix spokesman Steve Swasey said the three-story building is designed with the movie-rental company's open corporate culture in mind. In other words, don't bother looking for the lavish executive offices -- the big cheeses will be in cubicles just like everybody else.

``We are a Silicon Valley company that's very creative and innovative and collegial, and we don't want to lose that as we grow,'' Swasey said. ``The way you keep that is to tear away all the superfluous stuff.''

The cube-dwellers will have plenty of room to collaborate in 44 conference rooms. For private phone calls, there will be ``touchdown rooms'' with a phone and a desk.

``It's like a nice, spacious, sit-down, luxurious phone booth,'' Swasey said.

The current headquarters on University Avenue in Los Gatos has about 200 employees. The new building will have room for about 320.

Via Hacking Netflix.

Netflix on her cat!

Mickey hearts Netflix
Originally uploaded by SueBanks.

See Stuff On My Cat for the inspiration behind this photo.

Video-game rental sites put to the test

The Orange County Register reviews online video-game rental sites GPlay, Gamelender, RentZero, GameFly, and Intelliflix regarding selection, customer service, and delivery. Read it.. I didn't see a clear winner. If you've tried any of these, which would you recommend?

Don't panic...I'm back

It's just a coincidence that Mike at Hacking Netflix and I had back-to-back vacations from blogging AND that we both spent our time off camping, he at the beach, and I at the Grand Canyon.

I'll be posting more fresh gossip and news about Netflix as soon as I unpack!