Beat the studios' trap with Netflix!

You know how they like to release more than one version of a film on DVD, like a special extended edition, commemorative anniversary re-releases, director's cut versions, etc? It's to trap you into buying the same movie again and again. You can save money by using Netflix for the basic movie content. If you want the special features, or packaging, or director's cut, whatever, then you buy it.

Netflix does carry a few director's cut versions, special editions, and extended editions.

Happy New Year! Spring Festival（春节）节

2006 is the Year of the Dog, which began Sunday, according to the Lunar Chinese Calendar. Since giving gifts in Red Envelopes is customary at this time, why don't you give Netflix?

I ordered a movie from the new Netflix store, and it came in a plastic envelope like this one.

Learn more about the Chinese calendar.

Netflix is perfect for you, if...

Netflix is perfect for you if:

...you do not have the same taste as everyone else
...you don't like commitment
...you hate deadlines
...you love movies
...you like getting mail, not bills
...you live in a remote area
...you love tv shows, but not commercials
...you keep odd hours
...you're on a budget
...you hate long lines
...you live alone
...you're a parent
...you're on the road a lot
...you can't remember the name of that great movie you've been meaning to see
...you live with other people
...you never have any stamps or envelopes in the house
...you have a DVD player

Netflix has Bubble

Bubble is the Steven Soderbergh movie which is breaking new ground with a simultaneous release on DVD, cable TV, and in theatres.

Amazon to offer video downloads soon?

Via Ars Technica

Variety pulls together (subscription required) reports from a variety of movie industry sources who say they have been working with Amazon.com to set up online delivery of movies for an end-of-April launch, and although Amazon spokespeople refused to comment on the story, the multiple sources lend credence to the scoop, and it all makes too much sense not to be true.

Read more

Nobody Wants Your Film

Nobody Wants Your Film, an experiment in independent filmmaking using viral marketing, is now available for download for $3.99.

AFI Top 100

I have finally seen all of the AFI top 100 movies, thanks to Netflix!

70-80% of Netflix rentals are long tail

70-80% of Netflix rentals are long tail by ZDNet's ZDNet Research -- New York Times posted an interesting fact about Netflix's long tail share -between 70 and 80% of NetFlix rentals come from the company's back catalog of 38,000 films rather than recent releases.

How to make custom lists on Netflix

Netflix creates a list of your "favorite movies" automatically using the movies you've rated 5 stars, and then occasionally features a member's favorites in some places on the Web site. If your list isn't featured this way, you can still create a custom list of favorites, according to your own criteria, but first you must review at least two movies on Netflix.

To review a movie on Netflix: go to the movie's listing and click on Member Reviews. Then click on the Write a Review button. After you've done this for two movies, you will have a link on your Netflix home page for Your Reviews and Lists. On each movie listing page, there will be a link for Add to Custom List.

If you want to edit the Nickname that appears with your review, or edit your lists, click on Your Reviews and Lists in the Guides section on the right side of the Netflix home page. There, you can change your nickname, edit or create lists, change your Bio, change your Privacy Setting, see which movies you've reviewed, etc. Then you will have a profile which looks like this: For more information, go to Netflix help with Your Reviews and Lists

Reed Hastings' politics

For those of you who do not believe Reed Hastings is a good Democrat, you should know he supports the Preschool for All Ballot initiative in California.

Read the Press release

Netflix has a snazzy new investors' Fact Sheet

Don't squint. You can download the entire Netflix investor fact sheet here.

Netflix Q4 2005 Results & Webcast Notes

Mike listened to the Netflix Q4 2005 Results & Webcast and took notes.

Netflix is up to 4.2 Million subscribers!

As predicted, Netflix is reporting that subscribers increased 60 percent year-over-year to 4.2 million.

Other highlights from Netflix's Q4 2005 Financial results:

• Net subscriber additions were a record high for both the quarter and the year.
• Churn declined to a record low of 4.0 percent.
  
• Revenue was $195 million.
• GAAP net income was $38.1 million, which includes the benefit of realized deferred tax assets of $30.2 million.
  
• Income before income taxes was $9.1 million.
  
• Non-GAAP net income was $41.4 million. Non-GAAP net income before realized deferred tax assets was $11.3 million.

Download the PDF here.

The Flight of the DVD

This brilliant, adorable diagram by Nigel Holmes which he created for Stanford Magazine (of the Stanford University Alumni Association) shows in great detail, step-by-step, exactly how Netflix works. Click on it to see a larger version. I wish I could have a poster-sized version of this.


I found the link to Stanford Magazine's otherwise unremarkable article in the Institutional Investor.

Netflix will support both HD-DVD and Blu-ray formats

Via HackingNetflix

As predicted, Netflix will support both HD-DVD and Blu-Ray. They never really had to choose which format to support, did they? They will rent whatever the studios and filmmakers make available and whatever subscribers want.

Netflix distributes The Puffy Chair

Netflix is getting deeper into the film financing and distribution business with independent filmThe Puffy Chair. Not only are they going to have the film to rent online, but they are also releasing it theatrically and in stores.

Read more about it in the Hollywood Reporter, via Hacking Netflix.

I'm in the Seventies now

I'm going through the book of 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die watching all the movies chronologically, whenever possible. I have just finished with the Sixties, pretty much. I had to skip a few which aren't on DVD yet, but I'm hunting them down on VHS. I've seen 667 of the titles in the book. Nearly 350 of them came from Netflix.

Netfix typo

Typing "Netfix" instead of Netflix is a common mistake, but it can lead you to Netfix, one of those Web sites which takes advantage of people who make a mistake when typing a URL. You're looking for Netflix, and you type "Netfix" by mistake, and boom, you land on the wrong Web site. At least it's not one of those that hijacks your computer, eh? I didn't click on the site anywhere, so I can't guarantee it won't install spyware on your PC, but it is covered in ads for all sorts of DVD stuff. Mind how you type!

Also:

Netfix(TM) is a German trademark for a fabric used in protein electrophoresis.

There's a spyware-remover that claims to remove the "Netfix" cookie. Sorry, guys, but there isn't one. The funny thing is, they consistently misspell the Netflix name everywhere on their site. Like they really don't know. Would you trust them to remove spyware from your PC?

Australian Netflix clones

Via djp72.net:

Quickflix Over 15,000 titles
Homescreen Over 14,000 titles
Big Pond Over 16,000 titles
Webflicks Over 17,000 titles
DVDjam
v2direct Over 23,000 titles?!

Surprising that not as many titles have been released on DVD in Australia as in the USA. Netflix has 55,000. Maybe the missing titles are all American reality TV shows.

NETFLIX NAMES TARHEEL AS NEW COO

The new COO of Netflix is a Tarheel who used to work in Greensboro, NC, where this humble blog originates.

LOS GATOS, Calif., January 18, 2006 – Netflix, Inc. (Nasdaq: NFLX) today announced the appointment of former U.S. Postmaster General William J. Henderson as chief operations officer of the world’s largest online DVD rental service. He assumes his new role on January 23 and succeeds Tom Dillon, who is scheduled to retire in April.

In his new role at Netflix, Mr. Henderson will be responsible for managing and evolving the technology, automation and distribution operations that underpin the company’s rental business. He will report directly to Netflix Chairman and CEO Reed Hastings.

“Bill Henderson is about the only person on the planet who looks at our volume of mail as a trickle,” said Mr. Hastings. Netflix ships over one million DVDs a day from 37 distribution centers across the U.S.

“Bill is the perfect person to ensure that our operations are inextricably linked with every aspect of the business and that our service levels are a linchpin of the Netflix customer experience,” Mr. Hastings added. “We’ll look for him to extend our current competitive advantages in this area, particularly as our mail volume increases with our forecasted growth to at least 5.65 million subscribers this year and 20 million by 2010-2012.”

Of Mr. Dillon’s pending retirement, Mr. Hastings said: “I know I speak for the entire company in wishing Tom the very best as he moves into the next phase of his life. To say that he contributed mightily to our success does not do justice to the impact Tom had on us professionally and personally. We’re all indebted to him.”

For more information, visit www.netflix.com.