# So what do you think of Netflix's new pricing? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 12, 2011, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-do-you-think-of-netflixs-new-pricing/588769 "2011-07-12T18:17:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Omega\_Glory](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/7c8e57/32.png) [@Omega\_Glory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omega_Glory)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2011, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-do-you-think-of-netflixs-new-pricing/588769/41 "2011-07-12T22:35:01Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > So right when the ISPs agree to a ludicrous guilty until proven innocent system, Netflix increases it’s prices. Hmm. What’s this about? I was considering upgrading to the one DVD a month plan, but with the upcoming increase, it would be cheaper for me to just buy the few movies I would have rented from Netflix. ---
**Author:** ![JoelUpchurch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f05b48/32.png) [@JoelUpchurch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JoelUpchurch)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2011, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-do-you-think-of-netflixs-new-pricing/588769/42 "2011-07-12T22:59:22Z")
My billing date is the 27th. Does this mean I can wait until Sept 26th to drop the streaming or do I have to cancel the streaming on the August 26th to avoid the additional charges. ---
**Author:** ![JoelUpchurch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f05b48/32.png) [@JoelUpchurch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JoelUpchurch)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2011, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-do-you-think-of-netflixs-new-pricing/588769/43 "2011-07-12T23:25:42Z")
My billing date is the 27th. Does this mean I can wait until Sept 26th to drop the streaming or do I have to cancel the streaming on the August 26th to avoid the additional charges. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2011, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-do-you-think-of-netflixs-new-pricing/588769/44 "2011-07-12T23:34:38Z")
I hate the selection on streaming, but then I realized I got a DVD from Netflix months ago and haven’t watched it. Maybe I should just cancel! ---
**Author:** ![LurkMeister](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/3da27b/32.png) [@LurkMeister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LurkMeister)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2011, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-do-you-think-of-netflixs-new-pricing/588769/45 "2011-07-12T23:48:48Z")
I don’t do any Netflix streaming at all, so I changed my service to DVD only. Now I’m trying to figure out if I’ve been overpaying, since the last I can remember being told was that free streaming was included in the $14.99 + tax I was paying for my 2 DVD at a time subscription. ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2011, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-do-you-think-of-netflixs-new-pricing/588769/46 "2011-07-12T23:58:38Z")
I stream a moderate amount of time and have been holding on to a copy of _Princess Mononoke_ for months. So I should just cancel the DVD service. But it is so potentially useful I’m loathe to do so. I guess I’ll make a decision in September. ---
**Author:** ![PandaBear77](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/edb3f5/32.png) [@PandaBear77](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PandaBear77)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2011, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-do-you-think-of-netflixs-new-pricing/588769/47 "2011-07-13T00:09:06Z")
If we keep Netflix at all, we’ll ditch the DVD option and just do streaming. I’m very tempted to check out Amazon prime. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2011, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-do-you-think-of-netflixs-new-pricing/588769/48 "2011-07-13T00:28:11Z")
Yeah I am also confused as to what to do. I get 1 DVD in the mail…and I’ve been taking advantage of the Blu-Ray discs. But since it’s baseball season, I hardly watch TV anymore let alone movies. I like the idea of Netflix and I like both the streaming and DVD content…but Amazon Prime looks tempting…I probably will just hang out and not do anything. Because I am rich. ---
**Author:** ![Erdosain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/erdosain/32/7284_2.png) [@Erdosain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Erdosain)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2011, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-do-you-think-of-netflixs-new-pricing/588769/49 "2011-07-13T00:31:05Z")
> [@PandaBear77](#): > > If we keep Netflix at all, we’ll ditch the DVD option and just do streaming. > > I’m very tempted to check out Amazon prime. Amazon Prime doesn’t give you any free stuff to watch, does it? I have Amazon Prime but I still had to shill out a couple bucks to watch ONE Breaking Bad episode. ---
**Author:** ![D\_Odds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/d_odds/32/2882_2.png) [@D\_Odds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Odds)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2011, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-do-you-think-of-netflixs-new-pricing/588769/50 "2011-07-13T00:46:14Z")
I mentioned in other Netflix threads that the studios were squeezing Netflix. They are upset that Netflix is making money that they think the individual studios should make. I disagree with anyone faulting Netflix. Netflix is trying to provide as much as it can and are only limited by what they are allowed to show. They got Starz years ago at a lowball price and that is going to be much more expensive. The studios don’t like streaming (and also are not fond of the rental business) and would prefer if Netflix is out of the business so that they can (theoretically) earn the money directly. Yet none can offer that same level of service. Consumers be damned. ---
**Author:** ![D\_Odds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/d_odds/32/2882_2.png) [@D\_Odds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Odds)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2011, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-do-you-think-of-netflixs-new-pricing/588769/51 "2011-07-13T00:48:56Z")
> [@Erdosain](#): > > Amazon Prime doesn’t give you any free stuff to watch, does it? I have Amazon Prime but I still had to shill out a couple bucks to watch ONE Breaking Bad episode. Last I checked, Amazon Prime has free shows, but I didn’t see anything not offered by Netflix, it was harder to access and search on my TV, I had no way to add favorites, and it didn’t keep track of what episode I was on. I never tried it from a computer. ---
**Author:** ![jasg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f0a364/32.png) [@jasg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jasg)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2011, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-do-you-think-of-netflixs-new-pricing/588769/52 "2011-07-13T01:24:16Z")
> [@sparky\_1](#): > > The problem is, I don’t think Netflix has much say on what streams and what doesn’t. They are very much at the mercy of the studios, who in turn don’t have a freak’n clue and still seem opposed to digital content. > [@BigT](#): > > So right when the ISPs agree to a ludicrous guilty until proven innocent system, Netflix increases it’s prices. Hmm. > [@D\_Odds](#): > > I mentioned in other Netflix threads that the studios were squeezing Netflix. They are upset that Netflix is making money that they think the individual studios should make. I disagree with anyone faulting Netflix. Netflix is trying to provide as much as it can and are only limited by what they are allowed to show. I’d bet that this all comes down to business relationships between all 3 parties. The ISPs are terrified of becoming ‘dumb’ pipes and agree to the piracy system and may be offering more $ for content to maintain their role as content delivery - which is threatened by Netflix. So now Netflix has to pay more for content too. ---
**Author:** ![Stormcrow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/0ea827/32.png) [@Stormcrow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stormcrow)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2011, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-do-you-think-of-netflixs-new-pricing/588769/53 "2011-07-13T01:59:34Z")
Well, I just switched to streaming only. That’ll last until I’ve watched what I want to watch and then I’ll cancel that. That means Netflix is getting $10 less a month from me. ---
**Author:** ![Fair\_Rarity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fair_rarity/32/153_2.png) [@Fair\_Rarity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fair_Rarity)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2011, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-do-you-think-of-netflixs-new-pricing/588769/54 "2011-07-13T02:29:50Z")
I will either be canceling altogether or going to streaming only. I can barely afford it now, so it’s too much of an immediate increase for me. While I still think it’s not a bad value, proportionally it’s a lot. And whether it’s Netflix’s fault or the studios’, it doesn’t give me the extra $60ish/year, when my library is awesome and I can get anything I want for free. Yes, it’s not as quick as Netflix, but I also can check out multiple things at a time, get something new while still retaining a previous rental. I prefer to get my entertainment from legit sources, but if studios want to make it harder for me, well, i’ll find a way. I’m not going to buy more dvds. I bought ONE new dvd this year. I find that all these restrictions just punish the people who are complying with the rules (ie charge Netflix more for rights). I lived most of my life just fine with dvds popping up in the mail. I’ll survive without them. If my finances change or their prices change, I’ll do it again, but you’d think someone would have realized a 50% increase was going to drive loads of people away. And i will give them credit for giving ample notice, unlike Mozy, whose rate change happened just 3 days before my payment was due and I had to scramble to find an alternate. ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2011, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-do-you-think-of-netflixs-new-pricing/588769/55 "2011-07-13T02:30:21Z")
I think I may cancel the entire service. I have a collection of thousands of DVDs and can do without new ones for quite a while. There aren’t a lot of choices on the streaming service at present (I understand that some studios have been dropped entirely, at least for the moment, due to disputes). And there are more and more things online like Hulu and YouTube. Also, I have a list of 42 movies that have been on my queue’s “saved” list for 4 years and the list rarely moves. I think I’ll print out the list, wind down my rental queue, and junk the service for at least a year. Then maybe I’ll sign on, get the movies I missed for a year and sign off again. Who knows what new video delivery system there will be in a year? ---
**Author:** ![EvilTOJ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee59a6/32.png) [@EvilTOJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EvilTOJ)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2011, 12:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-do-you-think-of-netflixs-new-pricing/588769/56 "2011-07-13T12:14:09Z")
Looks like streaming on Netflix and The Pirate Bay for anything I want to see that came out in the last year. I still have the last disc I rented, it’s been sitting on my desk for months so streaming is good for me. Red Box is crap, IMO, not worth setting up. ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2011, 12:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-do-you-think-of-netflixs-new-pricing/588769/57 "2011-07-13T12:33:17Z")
A friend pointed this out to me on Facebook. It hits the mark pretty well, in my opinion. [Groundhog Decade Hollywood is about to repeat the catastrophic mistakes of the music industry](http://www.slate.com/id/2298871/) ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2011, 12:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-do-you-think-of-netflixs-new-pricing/588769/58 "2011-07-13T12:36:12Z")
Apparently those of us here who were upset by this news aren’t alone. [ > [@](#): > > Subscribers rankled by the latest price increase vented their outrage in comments on Netflix’s blog as well as its Facebook page, where there were nearly 17,000 comments, mostly negative, by late Tuesday. > > Many of the posters were vowing to leave Netflix to try out rivals such as Apple Inc., [Amazon.com](http://Amazon.com) Inc. and [Hulu.com](http://Hulu.com), which is currently looking for a buyer. Some of the critical remarks likened Netflix to greedy oil and cable companies, while others blasted it for betraying loyal customers who had been recommending the service to their friends and neighbors long before it became a household staple. ]([http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US\_NETFLIX\_RATE\_CHANGES?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2011-07-13-06-29-31](http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_NETFLIX_RATE_CHANGES?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2011-07-13-06-29-31)) ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2011, 12:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-do-you-think-of-netflixs-new-pricing/588769/59 "2011-07-13T12:49:03Z")
> [@Munch](#): > > A friend pointed this out to me on Facebook. It hits the mark pretty well, in my opinion. > > [Groundhog Decade > Hollywood is about to repeat the catastrophic mistakes of the music industry](http://www.slate.com/id/2298871/) This is an excellent essay. He does indeed understand what’s going on very well and he articulates the problems clearly and succinctly. > [@Bill Wyman](#): > > The trouble facing the movie industry right now is the same one the music industry had to confront 10 years ago. This is the summing-up sentence I referred to above: > > _The easiest and most convenient way to see the movies or TV shows you want is to get them illegally_. ---
**Author:** ![MegaBee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f0a364/32.png) [@MegaBee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MegaBee)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2011, 12:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-do-you-think-of-netflixs-new-pricing/588769/60 "2011-07-13T12:57:56Z")
I switched to “streaming only” as soon as the option became available. I’ve never gotten a DVD from Netflix. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-do-you-think-of-netflixs-new-pricing/588769.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-do-you-think-of-netflixs-new-pricing/588769.md?page=4)