Netflix to split streaming and DVD, renaming DVD to Qwikster

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September 19th, 2011 - Posted by Tasha

Over the weekend Netflix announced they will be separating their DVD-by-mail and online content streaming services and renaming their DVD business as Qwikster.com. This comes on the coattails of their recent decision to charge for their formerly free streaming service, thereby changing their entire pricing and plan line up and increasing prices up to 60%. Both announcements have stirred up plenty of controversy and speculation about Netflix, their customers and where the business is heading.

We still think Netflix offers a pretty solid value for unlimited online streaming at $7.99 per month. Although their streaming selection can be hit-and-miss and they don't provide original content, it's still a lot cheaper than paying for cable. And if you want to add 2 DVDs per month (no games though) to the unlimited streaming feature you'll still only be paying $19.98 per month, which is a decent deal.. The only downside is that sometimes you have to wait 28 days after a movie release date to rent it, and with their by-mail DVD plan you don't have the immediate gratification of walking into a store and swapping out your DVD for another one the same day. Still, having to wait 1 or at the most 2 days for a new movie by mail isn't bad.  And they have a 30-day free trial, so you can try out their streaming and their DVD-by-mail service for a month for free.

If you're someone who's more interested in receiving games and having access to movies as soon as they're released, Blockbuster might be more up your alley. Although Blockbuster doesn't offer online streaming and their disc plans are slightly more expensive than Netflix's, you can walk into a participating Blockbuster store and exchange the movie (or game) you just watched for a brand new one. You'll also have access to newly released movies, and the gamers out their will appreciate the fact that games are included.

Is Google's new online movie rental poised to end Netflix?

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May 12th, 2011 - Posted by Sarah

Will Android's new movie-rental service make dinosaurs out of online DVD rental?

A few days ago at Google I/O, Google's yearly developer conference in San Francisco, the company made public a new movie-rental service for the Android Market. It'll roll out soon to Market applications on Android devices: handsets, tablet computers, PCs, and laptops. Users will be able to stream these movie rentals from the cloud, making it easy to watch your favorite films on the go.

But is this the best movie-viewing deal? Android Market rental prices start at $1.99, but most titles cost $3.99 for a 30-day movie rental. But once you start watching your movie, the countdown begins: You have 24 hours to watch it before the rental expires.

This is in stark contrast to Netflix, whose online DVD service starts at $8.99 a month. But for $13.99 per month, you can get two DVDs at a time mailed to your front door with no monthly limit. Suppose you watch one movie a week (that's about four/month). You'd average a cost of $16 a month on your Android Market device. But with Netflix, you'd save 13%! Those savings only increase as you watch more movies each month.

So is this the beginning of the end for online DVD rental? Not by a long shot. Right now, these services are far more cost-effective than the Android cloud streaming. And most people would rather watch a movie on their big-screen TVs than on the tiny screen of a phone.

Stream Netflix movies on your Wii

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January 18th, 2010 - Posted by Caitlin

Netflix is adding Nintendo's Wii consoles to the list of devices that allow Netflix subscribers to stream unlimited movies and television episodes. If you're already a Netflix member but haven't already been taking advantage of Netflix's unlimited streaming content, the addition of the Wii makes it even easier to start. And if you're a Wii owner who isn't already using Netflix, now you have another good reason to consider subscribing.

To learn more about Netflix and other online DVD rental services, see our reviews and comparison chart.

Consumers still prefer DVDs over streaming video

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August 26th, 2009 - Posted by Caitlin

It seems logical to assume that over time, the popularity of DVDs would fade in favor of streaming video. But for the present, DVDs are holding strong. A new survey found that the majority of consumers would rather rent DVDs than stream movies over the Internet. Only 6% of respondents considered the streaming feature important. The researchers continue to believe that "a large percentage of the DVD rental market will move to digital in the long term," but the survey indicates that physical rentals will maintain popularity for longer than previously expected. The survey also found that 20% of those without a Netflix subscription plan to get one before the end of the year.

If you are considering a DVD rental service or an online movie streaming option, check out our reviews and comparisons of Netflix, Blockbuster and other online options.

The best con movies

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July 23rd, 2009 - Posted by Kent

We spend a lot of time on this blog talking about identity theft and other scams. While it's unfortunate that there are people who spend their lives thinking of ways to take our money, there's also something fascinating about these stories. Con games have made great subjects for movies, and it's possible that they even make us a little bit smarter about how these people work. Or maybe we're suckers for these movies for the same reason people are suckers for cons: everyone loves a good story. Here are five irresistible films about grifts, swindles, scams, and cons. Want to have your own con artist film festival? You can compare online DVD rental services right here on Next Advisor.

1. The Sting: It's hard not to love Robert Redford and Paul Newman as they plot their elaborate gambling con. Since they're grifting the gangsters, they're a rare bread of heroic con men.

2. The Spanish Prisoner: David Mamet's elaborate shell-game of a movie will have you guessing and second-guessing until the very end. Plus, it co-stars Ricky Jay, a professional expert on the art of separating people from their hard-earned (and ill-gotten) goods.

3. Paper Moon: This movie covers the small-time cons of an itinerant bible salesman and a young girl he can't quite get rid of. Between the obituary scams and the swapped dollar bills, there's plenty of emotional blackmail too.

4. House of Games: This list could be filled with nothing but David Mamet movies, but we'll keep it to two. House of Games layers con upon con. In fact it invented a scam that was later tried in the real world. Look for the "bill in the envelope" scene, created by Mamet's partner-in-crime, Ricky Jay.

5. Dirty Rotten Scoundrels: A twisted take on the con, this comedy stars Steve Martin and Michael Caine as a pair of seemingly mismatched swindlers. The film has plenty of twists and turns as it seeks to prove that "nice guys finish last."

Blockbuster deliberately withholding online rentals, or just a glitch?

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June 9th, 2009 - Posted by Caitlin

Last week, Consumerist reported on delays in Blockbuster's online rental service. A reader wrote in to explain that after returning DVDs to the store, they remained on his online queue for at least two days, which meant that new DVDs were not being mailed out as quickly as they should be. Shipping delays reduce the value of an online subscription service, since subscribers receive fewer rentals in the same length of time. Consumerist hypothesized that this is either the result of intentional throttling or an error in the system. Consumerist commenters also weighed in beneath the post to relate their own experiences with online DVD rental delays. Based on their anecdotes, it sounds as though heavy users, in particular, are generally better served by Netflix.

To learn more about Blockbuster, Netflix, and other online DVD rental services, see our reviews and comparison chart.

Netflix teams up with TiVo to stream movies

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November 3rd, 2008 - Posted by Caitlin

Netflix has added TiVo to the growing list of devices that subscribers can use to stream movies and television shows from Netflix to their televisions. Starting in December, Netflix subscribers who also have TiVo Series3, TiVo HD or TiVo HD XL will be able to stream over 12,000 different movies and TV episodes to their television.

To learn more about Netflix or other online DVD rental services, see our reviews and comparison.

Netflix teams up with Starz to provide more streaming content

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October 2nd, 2008 - Posted by Caitlin

The Official Netflix Blog announced yesterday that, thanks to an agreement with Starz Play, Netflix will now be making roughly 1,000 new movies and television shows available on demand. If you have a PC and a Netflix subscription, you can watch these movies online instantly. You can also watch streaming Netflix movies on your television if you have a Netflix Player by Roku. The LG BD300 Blu-ray Network player, which will be released in a few days, will also allow you to stream Netflix content to your television. And later this fall the Xbox 360 will be able to stream movies as well. Netflix also promises an option for Mac users to instantly watch movies on their computers by the end of the year.

If you are interested in learning more about Netflix or other online DVD rental services, see our reviews and comparson.

Netflix shipments are back on track

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August 18th, 2008 - Posted by Caitlin

After a three day shipping delay last week, Netflix is shipping DVDs at their normal pace once again. Any backlogged shipments should have been sent out on Friday. All customers whose shipments were delayed will receive a 15% discount on their next bill, and any new customers who were using the service on a free two-week trial basis will have their trial extended by a week.

For more information about Netflix or other online DVD rental services, see our reviews and comparison.

Netflix profiles feature will not be discontinued after all

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July 7th, 2008 - Posted by Caitlin

In mid-June, Netflix announced plans to eliminate a feature which allows multiple users within a single account to maintain separate profiles and movie queues. Disappointed customers responded by urging Netflix to reconsider this decision, and it has. A post on the Netflix Community Blog recently announced that the complaints from customers have persuaded Netflix not to discontinue the profile feature after all. This feature is valuable and useful to many users, and is unique to Netflix.

To learn more about online DVD rental services, see our comparison and reviews.