Spike Lee movies underrated on Netflix?

Jim says: "Having just finished and enjoyed Inside Man, it occurred to me I've been neglecting Spike Lee's work of late. So I was checking out his Netflix page to see what I should rent next, when I was struck by how low his ratings seem. I guess they aren't too bad, but no movies crack four stars, and quite a few seem to hover between two and three. And Inside Man gets the best mark?"

However, I think: "Netflix displays the red stars you see according to how you rate. "People who rate like you" are giving him those ratings. When I look at his page, I see only two 2-star movies, the rest are 3, 3.5 or 4. I'm going to blog about this and see if anyone else sees it any differently."

Click on the photo to see a screen capture of my view of Spike Lee's page on Netflix.

Cheaper than Netflix

I just rented two movies for 54 cents, including tax, from Family Video, in High Point, NC. I drove by there tonight and noticed the store for the first time. Because of Netflix, I don't bother with video stores except for titles still available only on VHS, or if I need a specific title immediately.

This store gave me my first two DVD rentals for 50% off, which were regularly $1.00 for 5 nights. The first 30 days of my new membership, all my rentals are half off. The associate offered to give me a tour of the store. They rent kids' (limit 3) and educational videos for free. On Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, all new release rentals, about $2.50-3.50 for two or three nights, come with a free rental from the "almost new" section.

The downside is that it's still a video store, which means driving to and fro, and the location is about 15 miles from my home. The selection is well-organized, but still limited, so I didn't find any hard-to-find or out-of-print titles.

Still, because of the great customer service and low prices, when I can't wait for Netflix, I'll remember Family Video.

Not Starring

Not Starring is a database of "your favorite stars, and the roles they didn't get."

One of my greatest disappointments is that Daniel Day-Lewis turned down the role of Aragorn in the Lord of the Rings trilogy. He would have been brilliant. Way better than Viggo Mortensen. I guess Mr. Lewis had no desire to be richer and famouser.

The "red army of Netflix" enlists another fan

Steve Svekis of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel is a recent convert to Netflix fandom. Read more about what got him to make the switch. Bottom line? He hasn't "stepped into a video-rental store since."

If you can't see 1001, how about 50?

Perhaps I should re-name this blog after the 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die, since that's my current obsession, but there is no way I could meet my goal of seeing them all without my beloved Netflix. However, if you despair of seeing all 1001, or you have a short time to live (my condolences), the Sunday Mail has come up with a shorter list of only 50 Films You Must See Before You Die...according to "experts" of course. I have posted my checklist on Listology, where you can see that I have only nine more to go before I'm free to shuffle off this mortal coil (not that I intend to, of course).

Idaho has a new Netflix distribution center

Faithful reader Tourneyman1 says folks in Idaho had been getting DVDs from the Salem, Oregon distribution center with two days mailing times. Starting Jun 26 he's been getting them from a new Boise, Idaho shipping facility with one day delivery.

I've posted the address for the Boise facility on the list of Netflix distribution centers.

Fabulous photos of Netflix headquarters

Mike K of Hacking Netflix went to California and brought back some fabulous photos of the Netflix headquarters. He's not a spy, so all of the photos are legal. They wouldn't let him take any photos of the distribution center {sadness}. I guess that's why they won't invite me out there. They're afraid I would be all over that DC with my nano-spy-camera, giving away their secrets, like I have no self-control or anything. Anyway, head on over to Zoomr to see the collection.

It's been saved

Netflix says :

For titles that haven't been released on DVD yet or for which the release date is unknown, we offer the option to save them in the "Saved" section of your Queue.

Sometimes a title will disappear from your regular queue and show up in your Saved section. This could be because it goes out of print, or all the copies get broken or missing, or whoever holds the rights to it stops dealing with Netflix, etc. There are all sorts of reasons. Don't give up. I have seen them come out with a new edition shortly after.

I'm in the Eighties now

I'm using Netflix in my quest to see the 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die. I have put the movies in my queue in chronological order, and I have just started working on films made in the 1980's. I have already seen 816 of the 1001, and I have 147 in my queue.

New Blockbuster Online beta site

Chase of GeeksHideout blog pointed me to the beta for the revamping of the Blockbuster Online site.

Netflix domain name up for sale on eBay

Netflix.us is on auction at eBay with a starting bid of $500.00. The sellers claim it is worth ten times that. I wonder. It's worth nothing, if Netflix shuts them down. Seller is brand-spanking-new servo_webfx, with a feedback of six, and claims to be in Colorado.

Hacking Netflix interviews Netflix CEO Reed Hastings

Or, Mike K. talks to Reed H.

Mike got Reed to answer a couple of our questions, but I still ain't got no satisfaction. I'll translate for you. When Mike asks why doesn't Netflix reveal the formula behind "throttling," Reed basically answers that as long as happy customers outnumber unhappy ones, they don't have to tell you anything. He says it's a balancing act between protecting a trade secret, and giving subscribers "a sense of straight-forwardness."

You can read it all here.

You can bet Netflix will win

The online sports betting site, bodog, is taking bets on the outcome of the Netflix vs. Blockbuster Online patent lawsuit.

Netflix queue fodder from twofifty.org

If you are looking for movies to add to your Netflix queue, The Internet Movie Database is one of the best places to start, other than Netflix.com of course. IMDB maintains a list of the top 250 movies as voted by their users. I have seen 223 of them, but the list changes as the popularity of the films changes. As time passes, some drop off and others are added. I keep track of how many I've seen using a site called twofifty.org, which automatically updates the list as it changes. You can easily check off the ones you've seen with a single click. You can post comments on the movies, share your list on your blog, and check out the statistics on various movies.

Blockbuster Online promo code

Someone using the email address blockbustervideoonline at yahoo posted this one month free trial promo code on the netflix_complaints Yahoo! group:

No risk or obigation. Compare it side by side with Netflix.

www.blockbuster.com/trial

Promo Code: 40037

If you've never used Blockbuster Online, you should try it out. In some areas, the shipping is not as fast as Netflix, because they do not have as many distribution centers, and their selection is a little different. They don't always ship in queue order. Sometimes they ship from a video store. Although not as good as Netflix, they are a good alternative.

Skeleton climbing the Netflix building

P1010017
Originally uploaded by ~YYY.

I have no idea why.

The Netflix Challenge

Could you empty your maxed-out Netflix queue in only one year? Well, San Francisco Bay Area writer Bucky Sinister is trying to watch 500 Netflix movies (the maximum you can put in a Netflix Queue) in one year. As of this week he's watched 229, and needs to get the rest viewed by December 31. He's calling it the Q-500 experiment. You can also "play along" by joining his Netflix Friends list, swap opinions on films, or suggest a film for his queue. If you're crazy like me, you might try to beat him. Except I can't. I've seen 257 movies this year, but only 82 were from Netflix.

If you love them, set them free

Stoner alerted me to this article in the New York Times detailing one poor man's effort to detach himself from the clingy AOL. "When Vincent Ferrari, 30, of the Bronx, called AOL to cancel his membership last month, it took him a total of 21 minutes, including the time spent on an automated sequence at the beginning and some initial waiting in a queue."

In sharp contrast to Netflix, which makes it easy to cancel their service:

IF I were asked to think of an online company that provides exemplary customer service to its subscribers, Netflix, the DVD rental company, would come to mind well before AOL. When I took a look to see whether Netflix offered a way for a customer to cancel membership swiftly while online, I discovered that it provides a procedure — a click on a link, a click on a checkmark box, and one more click to complete — that would take no more than two seconds. No exit interviews, no last-ditch offers while I'm held captive on the phone.

Seeing how Netflix would be so protective of my time were I to leave makes me all the more unlikely to do so.

You should read the whole article. It's scary-funny.

Five things I hate about Netflix

1. I can't have a million movies at one time
2. I'm not their only customer
3. They don't have every movie and TV show ever made
4. They haven't paid me to write this blog :)
5. It's not free

Netflix Hearts HTML

Netflix Hearts HTML
Originally uploaded to Flickr by justinbaeder.

Justin says: "This Netflix sleeve from Alias Season 2, Disc 2 has -oops- <I>doesn't</I> instead of doesn't. I guess Netflix customers are geeky enough to understand."

What would you ask Reed Hastings?

Mike K, of the Hacking Netflix blog, is going to get a chance to talk in person to Reed Hastings, CEO of Netflix, next week, and he's soliciting questions from his readers. I reckon he'll select the best ones and publish the answers on his blog. Go on over there and put your question(s) in the comments.

Yogurt Flix

Stonyfield Farm - Future Flix
Originally uploaded to Flickr by AdamVandenberg.

Netflix font found on ice cream.

Hello, Trademark infringement!
Originally uploaded to Flickr by Vortech.

Two Flickr users have found a similarity between Stonyfield Farms yogurt lid and Netflix. What do you think? Is it trademark infringement to use the same font as Netflix and the word "flix"?

TradeFlix in beta

TradeFlix is a new peer-to-peer DVD trading service which is in beta. They go live in 100 days, but they are inviting beta testers to join now and invite their friends.

Update re: SilverScreenArchive, formerly ClassicFlix

11/14/2007 UPDATE: I have replaced all references to Classicflix in this post to SilverScreenArchive, which is their new name since October 2006.

I am really enjoying using SilverScreenArchive, which I joined back in March to use as a supplement to my Netflix subscription. If you would like to see the greatest classics of foreign and American film, this is your source. They have thousands of titles which are missing from the Netflix collection, because Netflix carries only DVD releases. SilverScreenArchive does something very helpful for the customer. They take movies which are only on VHS and convert them to DVD for ease of mailing, which makes movies available for rent which you can't get any other way. Since I am trying to complete the list of 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die, this is a big help.

They ship series discs in order, I haven't received any unplayable or damaged discs, and they've never made a mistake.

I have two challenges with using SilverScreenArchive, but these don't bother me enough to give up the service, because they still have movies I must see. Turnaround is slow. It can take about 4-5 days for them to receive my returns. They are in California, and I am in North Carolina. The fastest was 3 days once, and the slowest was 8 days once. As a result, even though I'm limited to 8 per month, I've reached my limit only once. Still, I get my money's worth.

The other challenge is that they do not ship in queue order, so there is no predicting what you'll get next. Blockbuster Online does the same thing. However, I never put anything in my queue that I do not always want to see, so that's not a big deal. It's just that there was a title at the top of my queue for three months that just now shipped.

Considering that they are a little mom & pop organization, they do a great job.

Update to Netflix and the set-top box

Hacking Netflix got up early this morning and found that Netflix has filed a SEC form 8-K in order to put a spin on the statement Eric Besner made about Netflix working on a set-top box to bring video downloads from the Internet to your TV.

When Netflix spokesperson Steve Swasey told Hacking Netflix that Eric Besner's comments were "Quoted out of context" he really meant that Eric was the one who gave away information without providing the proper context for his remarks. Netflix wants you to think that they aren't committed to providing the set-top box as the final solution for video downloads, because they want you to think they might have something else up their sleeve.

Animal lovers win dogfight with Netflix

Netflix has removed a controversial video from its library, on the grounds that it portrays actual dogfighting, which is illegal. According to the AP story,

"Los Gatos, Calif.-based Netflix removed Hood Fights from its library during the past week after customer complaints prompted a review of the objectionable content, said company spokesman Steve Swasey.

"We treated it like we would pornography," Swasey said. Netflix doesn't rent pornography to its nearly 5 million subscribers."

Well, Steve, since you say it's like pornography, I can't complain, because I am glad Netflix doesn't carry pornography.

This is a follow-up to my post about censorship. I do not think this is a case of censorship, because Netflix, as a corporation, has the same rights as any individual in America, to act according to their beliefs.

Via Hacking Netflix

My Favorite things about Netflix

Easy to use Website,
Easy to use service, and
DVDs are an easy to use medium
No commercials (unless you think banner ads are commercials)
No storage limitations
Easy to change your address, so your movies can follow you anywhere
No equipment to buy or lease (yet)
No contract
No installation (yet)
No cancellation penalty
Cancel anytime
Constant stream of movies coming and going
I get nothing but what I want
Less risk of getting a crap film
No schedules
No due dates
No wasted trips to video store for out-of-stock titles
No travelling to and from the video store
No forgetting what to rent
Biggest selection possible
No late fees
Learning about new films I didn't know existed
Keeps me within my budget
Free shipping and handling
Rapid turnaround
Clever envelope design
Clever distribution system
Widely loved by a great online community of fellow members
No porn
RSS feeds
Member reviews
Great recommendations system
It's not Blockbuster, Walmart, or Amazon
Easy to buy cheap DVDs
Easy to share movies, ratings, and recommendations with Netflix Friends
Gift subscriptions
Zillions of previews

Do you have a favorite thing about Netflix which I failed to mention?

Netflix Friends temporarily unavailable

The usually reliable Netflix site has been a bit wonky lately, what with ratings and Friends features going on the fritz. It's all temporary, and there's no reason to panic, as they've saved all your stuff and it will be back up "soon."

As Mike says, I hope this means they are making good changes.

Does Springfield, IL have a Netflix DC?

I have a reader who would like to have confirmation that there is a Netflix distribution center in Springfield, Illinois. If you can confirm this, post a comment, and Netflix will have a new subscriber, thanks to you.

Powerful Netflix addict in Baltimore

Hannah Byron, the director of the Baltimore City (MD) Film Office, is a powerful woman, responsible for getting movies, TV shows, documentaries, and commercials filmed in her fair city, and she's also a self-confessed Netflix addict. Read more about Hannah Byron and her job here.

Netflix and the Set-top Box

Hacking Netflix reports that VP of original programming Eric Besner was quoted out of context when he said that "Netflix is planning to introduce a proprietary set-top box with an Internet connection that can download movies overnight."

I'd like to know what the context of that comment was, and how it could possibly be interpreted any other way.

Whatever they do, I hope I can still get the same wide wide selection of movies on my TV for the same low price.

Read more about Netflix and the set-top box at VideoBusiness online.
Via Hacking Netflix

Blockbuster countersues Netflix

In response to Netflix's suit against them for patent infringement, Blockbuster filed a retaliatory lawsuit against Netflix, and hired some expensive lawyers to give a scary-sounding statement full of bold claims in order to prejudice any potential jury pool that Netflix is the bad guy, by using words like "monopoly" and "fraud." Only those lucky jurors will know who is doing right by the customers, and that will be based only on the information the lawyers and courts allow them to have, if it goes that far.

Read more at Reuters

Via Hacking Netflix.

Arkansas has a Netflix distribution center!

Frey let me know that Arkansas now has a Netflix distribution center, where there wasn't one before.

Another viewing milestone: 801 out of 1001

The greatest thing about Netflix is their enormously wide selection. They have something like 60,000 titles in their catalog. This big selection of movies gives me the opportunity to do something I could never otherwise have attempted: I am trying to watch ALL of the movies in the book 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die at least once. As of today, I have seen 801 of them! In February 2006, I posted that I had seen 704 of them, so I've seen 97 in the last four months. A year ago, in May 2005, I posted that I had seen 501 of them, so I've seen 300 in the last 13 months.

Here are some of my other viewing statistics:

• I have seen all of Leonard Maltin's 100 Must-See Films of the 20th Century
  
• I have seen all of the The AFI 100 Years, 100 Movies
  
• I have seen 243 theatrical movies this year
  
• I have seen 77 movies from Netflix this year
  
• I have 166 movies in my queue, 9 of which are in the Saved section
  
• I have rated 2,042 titles on Netflix, and Netflix has 140 recommendations for me.

What are your statistics? How many movies have you rented from Netflix this year? How many have you rated? How many recommendations does Netflix have for you?

Soused Cinema: Netflix Queue fodder for Drunks

If you are looking for movies which will inspire you in your drinking, filled with glamorous and humorous drunks, Modern Drunkard Magazine has a list of the "10 Best Drinking Movies Ever Made." Some of my favorites are on the list, including Charlie Chaplin's One A.M. and The Thin Man.

Iowa gets a new Netflix distribution center

I've just added Cedar Rapids, Iowa to the list of Netflix distribution centers, thanks to commenter Jerry.

If you live within 50 miles of that location, you'll receive one-day delivery from Netflix.

I do not know if this means the Des Moines center is closed.

Movie Fans Suspect Foul Play at the Post Office

A Branson, Missouri, man thinks that someone in his local post office shares his taste in films.

Robert Halamicek is one of two USPS customers in Branson who have reported that DVDs they rented from online video rental suppliers have arrived one or two days later than expected, with indications the package had already been opened.

Read more

Why DVDs will be around for few more years

Netflix CEO Reed Hastings has been saying for years that "DVDs will dominate for another decade," because the selection of movies available for Internet downloading and Video-on-Demand will remain small, as long as the studios license the content the way they're doing now. The studios have no financial incentive to allow more titles to be downloaded, because they make way more money from selling DVDs:

Studios make money when Netflix and other companies license their movies. But that amount pales compared to how much the studios make when consumers buy discs. Studios earn $17.26 for each DVD sold, but only $2.37 for a movie on demand and $2.25 per DVD rented, according to Tom Adams of Adams Media Research.

Read more via the International Herald Tribune.

"Pearls Before Swine" features Netflix

This Friday's Pearls Before Swine features a take-off on Apocalypse Now, courtesy of someone's overuse of Netflix.

Remind me not to do this again

I went to the movies twice this past weekend, because there were two movies out which I thought I HAD to see on the big screen: Cars and X-Men 3: The Last Stand.

Wrong.

Cars was good, but not great, but it was nearly ruined for me by SCREAMING BABIES. The audience was full of very short non-voters who were BORED, and parents were continuously dragging them out to the lobby and back again.

X-Men 3: The Last Stand wasn't ruined for me. I thought it was pretty good, but there was a woman behind me who had apparently NEVER SEEN AN X-MEN MOVIE BEFORE, because she was so SHOCKED that Magneto could CONTROL METAL. She LOUDLY expressed her surprise, amusement, and disappointment, ALL THROUGH THE MOVIE. She really belongs in a test screening or on some kind of prescreening panel, because the movie producers would LOVE her. There would never be any doubt whatsoever how she feels about the movie.

During a couple of the exciting fight scenes, folks were moving about, standing in between me and the screen, either going to or from the lobby, arriving late, or changing seats.

I should have waited for these movies to come from Netflix.

"Netflix Freak" is O'Grady's PowerPick

NetFlix Freak is a Mac OS X application for managing your rental queue that is a must have for fellow freaks. In addition to viewing and managing your rental queue, NetFlix Freak offers some features that aren't available on NetFlix.com.

Read the review here

Time travel and Netflix

In addition to finding Netflix "surpassingly cool," Glenn McDonald wishes he could use time travel to get the most out of his Netflix subscription. Read it

TiVo Announces Revolutionary New Service, TiVoCast; Bringing Broadband Video Content to the TV

ALVISO, Calif., June 7 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- TiVo Inc. (Nasdaq: TIVO - News), the creator of and a leader in television services for digital video recorders (DVR), today announced the launch of TiVoCast(TM), a revolutionary new service which will deliver broadband video directly to the television sets of TiVo subscribers. The TiVoCast service turns Web video into television by bringing top broadband content now only available on the PC to the TV set.

"The range and quality of broadband video is exploding on the Web, but it's not TV until it is on the TV," said Tom Rogers, CEO of TiVo. "With the TiVoCast service, we are once again transforming the television experience by bringing the rapidly expanding array of video content on the Internet into the living room."

"Television is still the preferred platform for watching video. The TiVoCast service captures mainstream and specialty-based content on the Web, delivering programming that is not otherwise available through the TV today and providing a wide variety of choice that will be of interest to all segments of the TV audience," said Tara Maitra, TiVo's Vice President and General Manager, Programming. "The TiVoCast service provides niche networks and broadband content suppliers, for which the economics of television distribution might not make sense, a way to connect with audiences in the living room via their favorite medium for watching video, TV and TiVo."

As part of the launch, TiVo announced that it has reached new agreements with leading video content providers including the National Basketball Association (NBA) and Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA), The New York Times, Heavy, iVillage and CNET among others.

Read more

Netflix-related domain names for sale on eBay

Seller Big Troll is offering several Netflix-related domain names for sale on eBay, such as eNetflicks.com, NetflixPro.com, MrNetflix.com, and HDNetflix.com.

Should we censor Netflix?

I found a discussion on a Vegan Web site about a movie Netflix is carrying which portrays a dogfight. Dogfighting is illegal in the United States, and terribly inhumane to animals. We have a God-given obligation to be good custodians of creation, and you can tell what's in a person's heart by how they treat their animals. I understand and appreciate using animals as servants or soldiers, to feed and protect us, but cruelty for entertainment is the product of a depraved society.

Animal rights activists on the Veg Pub site suggest persuading Netflix to delete the dogfighting title from their database. I say "go for it." Under capitalism, you can ask anyone to delete a title from their store because of your personal beliefs, and you can boycott anyone you like. That's how capitalism works. You are meant to vote with your dollars. It is not fascism or dictatorship for consumers decide where to spend their money, based on their own personal reasons.

But I see a lot of stuff on Netflix which offends me, like Michael Moore "documentaries," and Gaspar Noe movies, but I have never asked Netflix to stop offering them, because I am a believer in free speech. I don't want to tell you what you can and can't watch, because I don't want you telling me what I can and can't watch.

Even though we have the freedom and the right to protest any movie Netflix carries, we must exercise that right prudently. A world cleansed of all disagreeable content would exclude us all.

Update: the movie has been removed from the Netflix library, so the above link is broken.

How DVDs get to Netflix

From the New York Times

In the San Francisco area, Netflix trucks pick up returned DVD's from post offices by 4 a.m. each weekday morning and bring them to a warehouse in a leafy Sunnyvale office park. There, workers — mainly Asian and Latino immigrants — arrive on the brightly lighted warehouse floor at 5 a.m. to begin tearing open the red envelopes and putting the discs in mechanized sorters. By 10 a.m., the workers are stuffing new envelopes to be sent out again and the discs are back at the post office the same afternoon.

Netflix has 39 of these warehouses around the country, one in each major metropolitan area. Because first-class mail service takes only a day within a 50-mile radius, most customers get a new movie two days after dropping one in a mailbox.

Via Hacking Netflix

Blockbuster Online has lousy search

Which is what I've been saying, and so says this review of various movie options on ArsTechnica:

Trying to find my list of titles on the Blockbuster site proved a frustrating experience. Where Netflix helps out with spelling corrections along the lines of Google's suggestions, Blockbuster would simply not find anything if I fat-fingered something. I had to search for some Swedish movies under their English titles because "Search does not support accented or non English characters." And good luck finding It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World if you forgot exactly how mad the world is. Three or five repetitions put the title I wanted on page four of the search results, but Netflix nailed it as number one. Blockbuster's search function is simply nowhere near as sophisticated.

Read the whole thing.
Via Hacking Netflix

Where I get my movies, besides Netflix

I love Netflix so much, to the extent that I can take them completely for granted, like water in the pipes and electrons in the wires. Netflix continues to be amazing and reliable.

Because I've been hunting for the rare and out-of-print titles on the list of 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die, which Netflix doesn'thave, I tend to take for granted how many ARE available from Netflix. At the moment, they have around 800. The list changes continuously, because some drop off while others are added.

However, for the remaining titles, I have had to use other sources.

I have bought at least one title from each of the following, and received good service:

Xploitedcinema.com
AsianDB.com
superhappyfun.com
arabfilm.com
alapage.com (French language only)
lostsilver.com
YesAsia.com

And of course,
eBay
Amazon

I have rented titles from these online video stores:
Facets.org
Video Library
ClassicFlix.com
Nicheflix a la carte
Greencine

And of course,
Blockbuster

I can't guarantee you will have equally good service from any of these stores, so if you use one of them, and they abuse you, please post a comment here, so my readers will know to avoid them.

Please, if you know of a good place to find rare movies which isn't listed here, post a link in the comments!

Netflix makes me buy more movies

Having Netflix has increased my overall spending on movies. I didn't buy movies at all before Netflix, and I used to see movies on the big screen maybe once per month. Since I joined Netflix in January, 2004, I have increased my attendance at the cinemas to once a week, and I have bought 48 movies, on DVD and VHS. I have been spending so much time, energy, and money on my hunt for the 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die, the ones I can't get through Netflix, that I've spent less time watching the movies in my Netflix queue! That's wrong.

Has Netflix increased your spending on movies or TV?

Netflix buys Sherrybaby

Netflix is dropping another movie in an envelope and shipping it ... to theaters.

The online rentailer has made one of its biggest distribution deals to date, picking up rights to Maggie Gyllenhaal starrer Sherrybaby. The company will handle video distribution and has tapped partner IFC to manage theatrical.

Read more on Video Business Online (subscription required)

Kiosk burns DVDs on demand

Hewlett Packard was at a trade show in May, showing off their new Media on Demand kiosk, which allows DVD download or burning in 8-12 minutes in a variety of formats from iPod to HDTV. HP currently has licenses from Warner Bros. and Sony Pictures to burn movies.

Film fans, cast your vote!

Warner Bros. has consistently delivered high-quality DVD releases from its vast back catalogue and, together with Amazon.com, they’re giving cinephiles a stake in their future release slate with “DVD Decision 2006: 30 Movies in 30 Days,” a joint initiative offering movie fans nationwide the opportunity to vote online for the WHV library titles they want to next see released on DVD.

During the month of June, visitors to the Amazon.com web site will be able to vote for their favorite titles from a list of 30 films. At the end of the voting period, the ten movies with the largest number of votes will be selected as the winners. On August 8, the two companies will announce the winning titles and make them available for pre-order; five of the winning titles will make their DVD debut on December 5, 2006, and the remaining five will be released on January 2, 2007. All of the films will be digitally re-mastered and will contain added bonus features where available.

vote here on DVD Decision 2006

S&H Greenpoints is a Netflix affiliate

You can earn S&H Greenpoints by shopping at Netflix.

I'm sore and sunburnt

I have returned from my all-too-brief vacation to Ohio, where I spent a few of my nine lives and earned some gray hairs on the thrill rides at Cedar Point, "the roller coaster capital of the world."

However, it wasn't a total waste of time. I managed to squeeze in a movie. I recommend it to children of all ages. It's quite humorous.

Netflix Fan on vacation for three days

Hey y'all. I write this blog to share my love for Netflix, to interact with Netflix fans like you, to help you get the most bang for your buck, and to satisfy your curiosity about how Netflix operates. I appreciate all of you who have written to me with story ideas, questions, and to tell me you enjoy my blog. Big hugs to you all!

Since it's Memorial Day weekend, I'm going out of town to visit family, so I won't be blogging again until Tuesday. Monday is a postal holiday, so no Netflix for you!

The sad thing is, I'll be spending time with family INSTEAD OF WATCHING MOVIES. Talk about priorities out of whack! ;)

Set your calendar to remind you to check back with me on Tuesday for more Netflix gossip.

NPR visits Netflix

National Public Radio reporter Scott Horsley visited the Netflix distribution center in Santa Ana, California, and brought back a sweet photo of the zip code machine that Netflix uses to sort 17,000 mailers per hour, to speed things up for the postal service. He also reports on the following details of the Netflix service:

• Netflix is one of the postal services FIVE LARGEST CUSTOMERS

• Netflix ships and receives SEVEN MILLION DVDS PER DAY

• The Santa Ana distribution center processes 130,000 DVDs per day

• Membership is nearly 5 million

• Membership is expected to be 6 million by year-end

• Round-trip postage costs Netflix 78 cents per mailer

• Upon their return, Netflix movies are stuffed into a new envelope BEFORE THE ENVELOPE IS ADDRESSED, which solves the mystery of the see-through slot on the back. That barcode is definitely used to determine how to address the envelope according to who gets the movie inside next

• Netflix workers get a FREE DVD PLAYER and FREE NETFLIX SUBSCRIPTION

You can listen to the whole story here

SPOUT alternative to social aspects of Netflix

If you're looking for an alternative to the Netflix Friends (tm) feature, there is a site called SPOUT, which allows you to create a profile and share your movie-related thoughts with your people in the Spout community. It's also a shopping site, so each movie has a link to the Spout store.

You control who sees your stuff. You can create lists of movies, tag your movies, recommend them to others, and discuss them in the forums. It's still in beta, so it has bugs and shortcomings, like there's no way to rate or review movies, or browse tags.

I joined, but my only list is movies I'd like to see. Having rated over 2,000 films on Netflix, there's no way I'm going to take the time to rate those same movies on Spout, and they don't have a way to upload your data. I have my data in plain text on Listology, where it's easy to copy and paste a list. Spout doesn't have a recommendations engine, so there's no real incentive to take the time to rate movies.

netflix in the outbox

netflix in the outbox
Originally uploaded by bp33.

Would you trust the mail sorters at your workplace with your Netflix? I don't. I leave my outgoing Netflix in the USPS box.

DVD rental vending machine at Blockbuster Video

DVD rental vending machine
Originally uploaded to Flickr by goldberg.

Blockbuster Video in Tel Aviv, Israel provides DVDs using a type of vending machine.

Netflix installs new in-building wireless system for its workers

SAN JOSE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 15, 2006--LGC Wireless, the leader in advanced in-building wireless systems, today announced Fusion SingleStar, the first in a line of in-building wireless systems that support multi-frequency coverage. Based on its InterReach Unison(TM) line of active in-building wireless systems, Fusion SingleStar delivers multiple RF frequencies with the same industry-leading performance that has made LGC's Unison systems the most popular in-building systems in the world.


"We have a lot of mobile employees within our offices, so strong and consistent wireless coverage is very important to us," said Steve Swasey, director of corporate communications at Netflix. "The Fusion SingleStar system from LGC met all our needs. The system was extremely easy to install, and is a very cost-effective solution for us."

List of past Cannes Film Festival winners

DVD Ideas blog has compiled a list of past winners in various categories at the Cannes Film Festival, which starts this week, if you'd like to catch up.

Netflix and "perceived value"

Hunter McDaniel's comment on my previous post inspires me to look at the perceived value of Netflix versus other forms of entertainment. Hunter says "my brother-in-law pays $75 per month for a satellite package, and ends up mostly catching the last half of movies he has already seen 10 times. Nonetheless he thinks he's getting a good deal, and thinks he doesn't have enough time to get his money's worth out of an $18 NF subscription."

With Netflix, we think in terms of "perceived value," in other words, whether we are getting a good deal. With other things, like water, electricity, cell phone minutes, cable TV, we value these things according to how much or how little we need to use them. But with Netflix, the utility, and therefore, the perceived value, of the DVDs is connected to how many we can get and watch in one month. This makes us feel as though we need to increase utilization in order receive the value we think Netflix "owes us," which, as Hunter pointed out, is where the idea of "throttling" has its basis.

Netflix has other valuations, other than how many discs you get per month. I think Hunter's brother-in-law doesn't feel that he is wasting money on satellite TV, because "he has 500 channels." I don't worry about throttling, because "I have 60,000 movies" through Netflix. Netflix is the greater value to me.

Netflix and the "sunk-cost fallacy"

Summer has a bad case of Netflixia regarding the "Depressing 3-Week-Old Taiwanese Movie Rental" from Netflix. Summer says this feeling reminds them of the "sunk-cost fallacy," about which I know nothing, so I looked it up on Wikipedia. According to Wikipedia, "sunk costs are costs that have already been incurred and which cannot be recovered to any significant degree." The "sunk-cost fallacy," which is like "throwing good money after bad," is the irrational belief that you are committed to something merely because you've already spent money on it.

We think we can avoid the feeling of waste or loss by holding onto the movie, rather than returning it unwatched. This is irrational, because the money you spend on Netflix each month is a SUNK COST. No matter what you do, you cannot recover it. Whether you watch one movie or a hundred, you've spent the exact same amount of money.

If you do not utilize Netflix enough to equal the money you spent on it, in your mind, instead of trying to squeeze value out of your wasted subscription, don't waste it even more, by not returning your unwatched movies. Instead, cancel your subscription or reduce your plan to a lower level. Make sure the money you spend on Netflix matches your utilization level, instead of trying to make your utilization of Netflix match the money you spend.

Inspired by The Saddest Thing I Own blog.

Why Mark Glasser Cancelled Netflix

Mark Glasser, PBS blogger and "new media expert," writes:

"Sometimes I’m not the earliest adopter of new technology trends. I got a cell phone much later than my friends. I got Windows 98 in the year 2000. I got a DVD player only a few years ago, and only recently got a digital video recorder (DVR).

But perhaps I can be an “early opt-out’er,” a person who’s early to drop a technology that doesn’t serve them. In this case, the service is Netflix..."

Read more of Why I Cancelled Netflix, by Mark Glasser.

Please don't eat the Netflix

Reminds me of a movie

Originally uploaded to Flickr by yveva.

Revised settlement email notice

You are receiving this notice because you were a paid Netflix member before January 15, 2005. Under a class action settlement, you may be eligible to receive a free month of service or a free one-month upgrade from Netflix. You may recall receiving a similar notice in November 2005. Since that time, the parties have modified the settlement and have extended the time by which you may sign-up for the benefit. Most importantly, under the amended settlement, if you are an eligible former Netflix member and sign up for the free one-month membership, your membership will end automatically unless you choose to continue your service. If you are an eligible current Netflix member and sign up for the free one-month upgrade, your upgraded membership will return to your previous service level unless you choose to continue the upgraded service. Additional changes to the settlement are reflected in the Amended Settlement Agreement. If you wish to compare the Amended Settlement Agreement with the Original Settlement Agreement, the Parties have posted a comparison at www.netflix.com/settlement.

This settlement arises from a class action lawsuit entitled Chavez v. Netflix, Inc. that 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, and the Court has approved, a settlement that they believe is in the best interests of the Class Members. Under the terms of the amended settlement, Netflix will provide eligible subscribers with the benefit described below.

Current Netflix Members: If you enrolled in a paid membership before January 15, 2005 and were a member as of 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. The upgrade in service level will automatically end after one month and your subscription will return to the previous service level, unless you choose to continue at the higher service level and pay the regular subscription rate for that level after the upgraded month.

Former Netflix Members: If you enrolled in a paid membership before January 15, 2005 but were not a member as of 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. Your subscription will automatically end after one month, unless you choose to continue your membership and pay the regular subscription rate after the free month. If you do not choose to continue the service, you must return all rented DVDs within 7 days following the expiration of the free month or be subject to charge for the outstanding DVDs under Netflix's standard policy (currently, $20 per DVD).

The settlement was approved by the Court on April 28, 2006. These benefits will be provided after the Effective Date. As described in the Amended Settlement Agreement, the Effective Date depends on such factors as the pendency of any appeals and is therefore difficult to predict. Your eligibility for the benefits is based on your membership status as of October 19, 2005. Pursuant to the terms of the settlement, in addition to providing the benefit described above, Netflix will modify portions of its Terms of Use. Class Members are subject to the revised Terms of Use, available at www.netflix.com/TermsOfUse. Netflix also will refer to its Terms of Use in certain advertisements. Netflix has also agreed to pay up to $2,528,000, and the Court has awarded $1,387,138, in attorneys' fees and costs to counsel for members of the Settlement Class, including Class Counsel and counsel for all objectors, intervenors, and proposed intervenors, with an express reservation that an additional and enhanced fee may be awarded upon the final showing of the number of Class Members who timely and accurately complete the Claim Form Process. The Amended Settlement Agreement is available for review at www.netflix.com/settlement.

You have three options to respond to the amended settlement. You have until June 26, 2006 to make your decision.

Option 1. Sign Up For One Month of Free Membership or Free Upgraded Service As Part Of The Settlement

To receive the benefit, you must complete the online registration process no later than June 26, 2006, at www.netflix.com/settlement. By signing up for the benefit, you waive your right to bring a separate lawsuit against Netflix concerning the Claims Released By The Class (as defined in the Settlement Agreement found at www.netflix.com/settlement)..

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 Claims Released By The Class.

Option 3. Exclude Yourself From the Class

To exclude yourself from the class, you must mail a letter by June 26, 2006.. See Section VII.B. of the Amended Long Form Notice at www.netflix.com/settlement for information about the required contents of the letter and the mailing address. By excluding yourself, you preserve your right to bring a lawsuit against Netflix concerning the Claims Released By The Class. However, you will not get the benefit described above.

To receive your benefit, you must register by June 26, 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 Amended Settlement Agreement.

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

SRC: 20060511CAS2NREG
(c)1997-2006 Netflix, Inc. 100 Winchester Circle, Los Gatos, CA 95032
This message was mailed to [Netflix Fan]

Films seen in 2006

Today is the 131st day of 2006, and I have seen 200 films so far. I'm keeping track of them here on Listology. If you look at my list, you'll see that I use various sources, the most often being Netflix, of course. I've rented 61 from Netflix, 42 from Blockbuster Online (I quit them 4/14/06), and seen 20 in a theatre.

Let me share with you

Last night, I dreamed I had a video iPod, and I was watching my Netflix movies on it, and carrying it everywhere, and plugging into the big screen.

Since Warner Brothers is going to use BitTorrent to share content online, and ABC is putting their shows on iTunes, I'm all excited about the potential of getting my flix fix all different ways.

Where would I be without Netflix?

Or, How Netflix Changed My Life:

by Terence Flyntz

May 08, 2006

The way I see it, my life up to now can be divided into two time periods: B.N.F. and A.N.F., or Before Netflix and After Netflix. I honestly don’t know how I actually lived before the invention of Netflix and I don’t remember much about it, but I’m sure it sucked.

Read more...

Netflixia is back

Jason is having Netflix Guilt, which I discovered a coupla years ago was called Netflixia. It's what afflicts you when you can't seem to get around to watching that "great" movie, but you don't want to return it unwatched, because that's wasteful.

Hogwash!! I say send the darn thing back whence it came! One man's trash is another man's treasure. You're probably sitting on a movie that I'm waiting for. Get another one! There's thousands more where that came from. Why suffer over one movie now and then? They aren't funerals. You're allowed to skip them.

Inspired by Krook's Rag and Bottle

Reed Hastings to speak at UC Berkeley commencement

Reed Hastings, CEO and founder of NetFlix, will speak at the Haas School of Business commencement for students getting an MBA at 9 a.m. at the Greek Theatre at the University of California Berkeley on Sunday, May 21.

Another "Netflix Only" mail drop

May 3, 2006
Originally uploaded by Kym Rohman.

This one is in New York.

Netflix goes ghetto

Clint and Patacki have authored a Netflix comic, which contains foul language and crude humor.

An Open Letter to Netflix

Justin from Los Angeles was very angry that he didn't get his disc from Netflix, so he wrote this very funny Open Letter to Netflix. It starts like this:

Dear Mr. Netflix,

If you don't send me the season one discs of Entourage soon, I might just bludgeon your entire family with a garden rake.

Caution: contains foul language.

Revised settlement approved

San Jose Mercury News:

SAN FRANCISCO - A judge has approved a class-action settlement requiring Netflix Inc. to offer a free month of DVDs to 5.5 million current and former subscribers, resolving a case that prompted the online rental service to acknowledge it gives preferential treatment to its most profitable customers.

Netflix expects to begin sending out notices of the final settlement later this month.

When you receive the notice of the final settlement, you'll be able to opt out if you wish.
http://www.netflix.com/settlement
Via Hacking NetFlix

Jerry O'Connell dropped his Netflix

The Jerry O'Connell fansite scanned this photo from US Weekly magazine's July 4, 2005 issue. It shows Jerry O'Connell's Netflix falling out of his bag.

"In Calabasas, California, on June 12, Jerry O'Connell ran to meet girlfriend Rebecca Romijn (she was waiting in a car) and 'didn't realize they fell until she called out,' says an onlooker."

Past Tribeca Award Winners on DVD

DVD ideas blog has links to the Tribeca Award Winners which are on DVD.

Special Postal treatment for DVD rental returns

Netflix vs Blockbuster
Originally uploaded to Flickr by Elena777.

Seattle's downtown post office has created two drop boxes for online DVD rentals, one each for Netflix and Blockbuster Online. Amazing!

DVD-on-Demand via Amazon subsidiary CustomFlix

Via Video Business Online [subscription required]:

By Jennifer Netherby 4/24/2006

NBC Universal, A&E Home Video and PBS have signed with Amazon.com DVD publishing subsidiary CustomFlix Labs to make their niche TV content available for on-demand disc production.

Amazon VP of worldwide media Greg Greeley said Amazon is hoping to create a new way for studios to keep smaller titles from going out of print and bring out other films and TV shows that it wouldn't make economic sense to mass produce for a traditional release.

"What we're trying to address is the barriers they have for why they don't bring some of their great works to market," Greeley said.

Not only can Amazon make those programs and movies available when a customer places an order, Greeley said Amazon also can reach and target customers who might be interested in niche titles based on their previous purchases.

"This is a campaign by us to help unlock that long-tail selection of video content not available to customers right now," Greeley said, referring to niche product that tends to sell better online for a longer period of time, thus being dubbed long-tail.

This is exciting to me, because I'm on the hunt for some out of print titles. I hope DVD-on-Demand catches on with folks who own those titles, so I can see their movies, and they can make some bucks without signing away their rights to a distributor.

Netflix's Sunnyvale location

This is the Netflix distribution center located at 545 Oakmead Parkway, Sunnyvale, CA.

Originally uploaded to Flickr by jforsythe.com.

Netflix is a hit at Princeton

Via The Daily Princetonian
Netflix fills film void for students

"Often the turnaround is only two days," Netflix user Melissa Kessler '06 said. "I had doubts about the mailing process and picking it up at first, but it's pretty smooth. There's also no postage cost to return [the films]."

Netflix goes on the road

Via iFMagazine.com
NETFLIX ROLLS OUT A ROADSHOW SCREENING MOVIES AT THEIR ACTUAL FILMING LOCATIONS

THE SKINNY: Here's a novel concept: NETFLIX, the largest online DVD rental service, is launching a screening event in August dubbed the 2006 NETFLIX ROLLING ROADSHOW which will embark on a 10-city tour to screen 10 popular Hollywood movies at their original filming locations.

From THE SHINING to FIELD OF DREAMS, this look like it's going to be one cool screening program.

The coast-to-coast trek will be hosted by a celebrity guide as it brings these modern day classics to communities large and small across the United States. Each screening offers attendees the opportunity to participate in activities based on the featured film's specific theme, such as a subway scavenger hunt in New York City for WARRIORS. In some cases, screenings will include cast appearances and Q&A sessions following the screening. CLERKS director Kevin Smith and cast members are expected to attend the screening at the Quick Stop shop in North Jersey.

The schedule of films and locations is posted here.

Rent Classics from SilverScreenArchive

I've joined another online-DVD-rental-by-mail service. SilverScreenArchive is a member of the Zdag consortium of video stores around the country which use the Netflix business model to rent DVDs online. I joined them because they have an amazing collection of classic titles not available from Netflix. SilverScreenArchive carries titles from 1930 to 1970, over seven about three thousand of them, in three types: transfers from commercially released VHS to DVD transfers from non-commercially released VHS to DVD, and commercially released DVD's.

I've been using SilverScreenArchive for about a month now. Although there are no due dates, late fees, or added shipping costs, all of their plans have a monthly limit. I'm on the "Gary Cooper" "Orson Welles" plan, which is $19.95 $21.95 for 3-out, maximum of 8 per month unlimited. Turnaround is was slower than Netflix, but since they don't promise "unlimited" rentals that's not an issue.

11/14/2007 UPDATE: Per their request, I have changed all references to Classicflix in this post, to SilverScreenArchive. ClassicFlix, as described here, no longer exists. They changed their name to SilverScreenArchive in October, 2006. I've updated the info about the plans and titles, and removed the old logo.

Netflix testing lower price plans

Netflix has a 1-out plan at $9.99/month, "unlimited," but they are testing lower priced plans which are not unlimited, but rather have different monthly limits of 2, 3, or 4 DVDs. If you have been a Netflix customer before, you can't see the lower price plans unless you first delete your Netflix cookie and reload the Netflix.com home page. You may have to reload it several times until you get the lowest price possible, which is $4.99 at the moment. Then sign up.

Here is where your cookie resides on your Windows XP system:

C:\Documents and Settings\yourname\Local Settings\Temporary Internet Files

Your cookie will look like a plain text file, like this:

cookie:yourusername@netflix.com

That's the file you delete.

Patricohet's experiment with Netflix testng the lower price plans.

News highlights

HackingNetflix has caught a lot of good stories this past week. Here are the highlights:

Netflix's Q1 earnings report (10-k). Conference call transcript here. I read the transcript, and I'm amazed at the questions some of the analysts ask which reveal they do not do their research.

USA Today profiles Netflix CEO Reed Hastings

Evolution of the Netflix envelope design. Slideshow here.

New Netflix TV advertisements

New 30-Second Spots Extend 'Movie Waiting for You at Home' Campaign on
Network and Cable TV

LOS GATOS, Calif., April 20 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Netflix (Nasdaq: NFLX), the world's largest online DVD rental service, today introduced new creative that extends the brand's 'There's A Movie Waiting for You at Home' television advertising campaign. Three new 30-second spots that entertainingly highlight the ease and convenience of the company's subscription service will begin airing nationally on April 24, 2006.

A spot entitled 'Gangster' features actor Tony Sirico of 'The Sopranos'fame. Sirico portrays a gangster who comically 'encourages' a homeowner to sign up for Netflix. The homeowner's wife puts her two cents in, at her peril.

A spot called 'Office' features an exchange between two co-workers, one of whom is already a Netflix member. The member reflects that he probably has a movie waiting for him at home and he does indeed, as a gladiator is giving his wife a massage at that exact moment.

There is a second ending to the 'Office' spot that will be alternated throughout the flight to keep viewers guessing. The second ending reflects that a movie is waiting at home as a spy hangs suspended in the member's living room.

Who is Neil Hunt?

Originally uploaded to Flickr by rnair.

I spotted a photo of Neil Hunt on Flickr, and thought you'd like to know more about the guy. He is one of the Netflix executives you don't hear from much. He has been the Chief Product Officer at Netflix since 1999, in charge of the design and implementation of the Netflix E-commerce store.

He was recently on a BayCHI panel discussion, called "Beyond Search: Social and Personal ways of finding information." You can find audio and notes from the presentation at the BayCHI Web site. The panel included folks from Digg, Live 365, Pandora, and Del.icio.us. Neil Hunt talks about how Netflix gathers and uses ratings to recommend movies to users. He says, "We know that some users will rate a film highly even though they didn’t necessarily like it. Netflix surpassed a billion ratings at the start of 2006, and they collect 2 million ratings a day."

Neil Hunt is the only Netflix employee, that I know of, who is a member of the Netflix Operations discussion group on Yahoo!, but only as a private individual, not as a Netflix spokesperson. He has a personal Web site, but he doesn't update it often.

Just based on my impressions of him, he seems like he is really proud of Netflix and enjoys working there.

Happy 8th Anniversary, Netflix!

On April 14, 1998 NetFlix Inc., started the world's first online store to offer DVD rentals.

At the time it opened, Netflix carried more than 900 DVD titles, which was every DVD available. They rented titles for a period of seven days, at a rate of $4 or $5 + shipping and handling. The DVD format had been around for about a year, and there were only 400,000 DVD players sold in America.

Via InternetNews.com

Notes to Blockbuster

Originally uploaded to Flickr by Keyser Soze.

Are sometimes funnier than notes to Netflix. Too bad I discover these AFTER I cancel my BBO account.

I have quit Blockbuster Online

I have finally quit Blockbuster Online. I was on the 3-out plan at the promotional rate of $14.99/month. I started on January 14, 2005, when they had the 3-out plan at the promotional rate of $9.99/month, and my first month was free. I received the $9.99 deal for about three or four months, so you can see why it was hard for me to quit.

Because I'm using Netflix for my 1001 quest, I decided to use BBO like a normal person, for current movies and mainstream classics. Now I'm going to concentrate purely on the quest, so I should be zipping through the 1001 twice as fast.

BBO says my account info and queue will be saved for six months, in case I want to restart my membership with them. That's nice. Another nice thing about BBO, is that I can still sign in and see my account information even though I've cancelled.

Bootleg Netflix t-shirts back on eBay

Please do not bid on or buy the Netflix t-shirts currently being offered on eBay. These shirts, according to the photo, are identical to ones that were offered a few months ago, which turned out to be not as described. They are cheaply made counterfeits. They are also charging $7.95 for shipping, which is excessive.

EBay has a new feature which allows you to immediately and easily report fraudulent or misleading listings. Look for the "report this item" link at the bottom of the listing's page. After clicking on the link, you will be asked to pick the category of violation you think it falls into. Please join me in reporting these items to the eBay authorities.

242 to go

I have seen 759 of the 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die.
I have 193 of the 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die in my Netflix queue, including eight in the "saved" section.
I own 11 of them on VHS.
I know where I can rent about six of them on VHS.
That leaves 40 missing titles, which I will have to beg, borrow, or steal from somewhere.
The remaining films are going to be difficult to obtain. For example, Bruce Conner's Report, is a 13 minute film, distributed by Canyon Cinema on 16mm, for a rental fee of $40.00.
This quest is going to end up costing me a lot of dollars.
I may have to be content with beating Roger Ebert's record, which is 943.

Five Lessons From the Netflix Startup Story

Mark sent Hacking Netflix this great article by Jim Cook, one of the co-founders of Netflix, about Five Lessons From the Netflix Startup Story. If you're curious about how Netflix got started, and what sort of problems they faced, it's a fascinating read.

I joined Netflix as a subscriber and began blogging about them in 2004, after Netflix had already solved all of their problems, so I saw none of the trial-and-error aspects of the early business. They tried 150 envelope designs before they settled on the one we have now! They originally rented movies one at a time and had due dates and late fees. They were trying to replace the video store concept. It wasn't until they invented the queue and the subscription model that they really took off.

Netflix plugin for Beyond Media

SnapStream Blog is reporting that there's a Netflix plugin for your Beyond Media application, which allows you to view and interact with your Netflix queue on your TV, using your television remote control.

You can download the Netflix Plugin to your Beyond Media PC. Beyond Media is a program which "turns your PC into an all-in-one media center."

Make it a Netflix night

taco night
Originally uploaded by kidalan.

Netflix goes great with tacos

Too perfect to have been intentional

Too perfect to have been intentional
Originally uploaded by moderntenshi04.

What do you think, folks? Is this a "normal" break, or is it "too clean?"

If a human didn't break it with bare hands, then how was it broken?

Netflix sues Blockbuster for patent infringement

Does silence mean consent?

As Reuters is reporting, Netflix has finally decided to sue to defend its patented business model, the DVD-by-mail, rotating subscription, queue-building model. Why did they wait so long? Why did they let Blockbuster Online spend $300 million dollars rolling out their online rental model, without a peep out of Netflix? Someone can infer from Netflix's silence heretofore, that they had no intention of enforcing their patent. If Blockbuster goes down, so will dozens of other smaller DVD-by-mail firms who have followed their example.

I found out about this from HackingNetflix

I'm fixin' to quit Blockbuster Online

I joined Blockbuster Online for the one month free trial, and then they gave me several months of the 3-out plan for $9.99, so I didn't quit, even when that promotion ended and the price went to $14.99. I've been a member for about a year now.

However, Hacking NetFlix is reporting, and I received notice from Blockbuster Online, that BBO is finally ending the $14.99 3-out plan. I am going to quit a couple days before the price goes up to $17.99. For that amount of money, it is my opinion that Netflix is the better deal. My Netflix distribution center is in Greensboro, NC, where I live, whereas the Blockbuster Online distribution center is in Charlotte, NC. As for BBO shipping from stores, that hasn't been better for me. It's been worse, because the stores are farther away and take longer to respond. The in-store coupons are of no value, because the nearest Blockbuster Video has a lousy selection of titles.

IndiePix - burn-on-demand

IndiePix is a download-to-own service which allows you to burn DVDs of your downloaded films, so you can watch them anywhere. They distribute independent, classic, documentary, and other genre films, and they expect to be adding more titles continuously. You can also search for films according to which film festival had them. This looks like a cool way to get film festival content that is unavailable elsewhere. It looks like the films cost about $15-17.

'Sin City' in the Mailbox

'Sin City' in the Mailbox
Originally uploaded by thelifeofcy.

This Netflix art required skill and imagination. Thanks to thelifeofcy for the creativity.