So there are 3.4 million of us, but the assumption is that we’re all dorky suburban moms of a certain age and “set in our ways”. :dubious:
The typical attitude (exemplified in this article) when I mention my disc queue in any online discussion is as though I had said I was going to rent something on VHS from Blockbuster, and watch it on my 19-inch Zenith console TV. To the contrary, I use that disc queue to get Blu-rays to watch on my 60-inch 4K TV, with subwoofer and surround sound.
Why is that the clueless thing to do, but staying within the confines of whatever Netflix offers for streaming is the smart and hip way to go? (I do also have a Netflix streaming plan, FWIW.)
If one is intent on only streaming content, it looks like the next disc on my queue goes for $14.99 on iTunes. I pay $14.99 for a month of Netflix discs, two at a time, which means if I’m watching them quickly I might see a dozen or more in a month. Even if I’m busy and letting them lie around a bit, I’m still getting six or eight for that fifteen bucks.
So…what am I missing here? When I made this point on one forum, the guy who was snarking at me said “the cool kids” would just pirate the content they wanted. But couldn’t they do that for Netflix streaming content as well? Why is it cool to pay 12 bucks a month to get that content instead of pirating it, but paying $15 for discs that span a much wider universe (though sadly not absolutely everything) is dorky and lame?
I’m guessing here, but it just sounds like a sad attempt to be cooler than you.
ie “I use the new way, you use the old way, therefore I am cooler”.
I also see this with people (teens mostly) who rant about conformists, but IMO be it a suit and tie or an Ozzy shirt and torn jeans we all wear uniforms.
Originality is a big topic too…" I was wearing/doin/listening too, XYZ before it was cool.
Try to take it in stride. A buddy of mine gave me shit about my flip phone (I’m 50 he’s 30) I introduced him to my tube amps for guitar. The damn flip phone is futuristic compared to vacuum tube tech. (tube tech is what? 1920’s-30’s era)
Just taking a wild guess like everyone else: I don’t think I’m cooler than you but I pretty much only buy discs (usually DVDs, since I still haven’t opened the bluray player I bought in the past year or so; see I’m definitely not cooler) or do the Redbox thing, as it’s occasional and those $1.50 (max, since I usually have a coupon) rentals are just about instant and infrequent enough that I have no need to subscribe to anything. Streaming covers pretty much everything else. Maybe the cool kids only stream but somehow I doubt it. Maybe just the ultra-cool.
Because people are dumb and it is a great service. Streaming doesn’t have recent movies usually so this is the only way besides buying it or pirating it (which I suspect most of the people who mock it do).
That said, to the generation behind mine DVDs already feel old fashioned so I get it. It’s wrong but I get it.
I liked the DVD service for its better selection. The main reason we stopped is we got tired of dealing with scratched discs.
Netflix is very good about replacing a scratched disc, but it is still a hassle.
I go to the library. If they don’t have the DVD I want, they can order it from any library in the state and I can pick it up within 2-3 days. And, oh yeah, it’s free. Don’t know if that’s hip or unhip, but it works for me.
Disc by Mail seems the way to go for movie fans since it offers the greatest selection. Although there’s some very good content, streaming feels more like “Put something on”. So I can’t blame anyone for using the disc service. I guess it’s “old tech” though so ha-ha or something.
(We stream, by the way, since my wife is definitely a “put something on” sort of viewer for the noise if nothing else)
DVD quality also sucks, I remember when it was the cat’s meow, but that cat died with HD. BluRay however is different, and I would consider getting one for a special movie where I want full quality, though that is not 4K either, so again streaming may be better even with compression, but it’s not far and away better as it once was when 1080p was the top of the line.
The fact is that, at Netflix, some of their movies are only available on DVD. You CAN’T stream them so, if you really want them, you MUST get them on DVD via mail. Have the naysayers considered that?
It’s often the way when it’s a tech that the snarky person used to use.
I use an MP3 player for running, because phones seem too bulky to me when doing exercise. Also it’s convenient to use something that I don’t care about dropping or even losing.
But to some people, who may have used an MP3 player say 3 or more years ago before moving to just using their smart phone, I might seem bizarrely old-fashioned or ignorant of technology, particularly if they don’t know my reasons.
Likewise with netflix DVDs.
(Yes I know smart watches have become a good option for music while exercising, and I’m considering it)
You remember that scene in Back To The Future where Marty tries to impress those kids how to play an “old school” video game? And instead of being impressed they respond with: “You have to use your hands? Lame!”
It’s not just a matter of bandwidth. Some movies are only available on disc. Others may be available on disc or streaming, but it can cost quite a bit to stream a recent movie. And of course the DVD-by-mail service has a huge back catalog.
Yeah, that’s the main thing. If you’re a movie buff, you’ll want the disc service for this reason. I’m not, so I don’t. (I’m firmly Gen X, but I somehow skipped DVDs and Blu-rays and went straight to streaming when I started picking up watching movies again.)
This. I just got there, and it’s still pretty unreliable where I live. Shit, I’ll still by DVD’s, have never done the Netflix mail/rent thing. I would feel like I then need to watch it (though I think you can keep them for as long as you like, just can’t get new ones without returning them.
My Wife and I just don’t ‘plan’ our TV watching. Have never followed a particular show or series. Maybe through in a DVD, or just see what’s on. Shrug.
We also don’t get mail service at our house. So it would create extra trips to the post office or UPS store.
We have perfectly good broadband, and we do have streaming Netflix also (although we don’t have cable or satellite), but there’s a lot of stuff you can only get on disc or by paying an arm and a leg on iTunes.
I am definitely a movie buff, but my wife actually uses it mostly for TV shows. There are a lot of series that are on DVD/Blu-ray but not on Netflix streaming. This is true for older stuff (she’s currently revisiting “Dawson’s Creek”) but also more recent shows on Blu-ray like “Homeland” and “Game of Thrones”.
Snark for the customers isn’t justified, but Netflix’s disc-by-mail business has been steadily declining since 2006 or so. Khoi Vinh makes a strong, smart argument for physical media, but also clearly outlines why the service is possibly less than 10 years away from completely disappearing. (For one thing, production of physical discs is probably going to significantly dwindle or completely disappear.)
I read an article a couple of years ago that said that while the Netflix streaming service had millions more customers, it was either losing money or just breaking even, while the DVD-by-mail service was substantially profitable. So even though the legacy service got no love (particularly from Netflix management), it was actually propping up the whole company.
