Netflix Turns Focus Back to Disc

[octagon]

Originally Posted by The_Donster

I definitely like the convenience of walking out to my mail box instead of standing in a line at the Red Box kiosk. Every time I'm at my local store I see a line and just want to shake them and scream, "Haven't you ever heard of NETFLIX?!?!? They deliver straight to your house and there is no time limit or sir charge!"

There's a place for both, I think. Managing a NF queue is pretty simple but Redbox is nice for impulse rentals too. Not 'impulse' in the sense that I walk up to a kiosk cold (I can't imagine browsing one of those things, those people drive me nuts) but more like 'I kinda feel like some explosions today' or when a thread mention puts a title on my radar that day. A couple clicks later it's waiting for me.

I wouldn't want to rely on Redbox exclusively but it's nice to have the option.

[The_Donster]

I run into that quite a bit octagon. Between the forum and when I'm watching a trailer I have plenty in my que. I tend to put the DVD and one's I've watched at the bottom though. I'm so behind on current stuff that I don't want to be bogged down.

[krazeyeyez]

I do the combo... still blind buy the occasional blue.... rent from red box... and rely on amazon/netflix streaming to find those hidden gems old otherwise miss. Mostly anime and foreign flicks.

[Dusso Janladde]

Originally Posted by SixSpeedSamurai

Its not about quality whatsoever. It's about money. The studio makes a lot more from physical media sales than from streaming. Also, as much as I love Blu-Ray, the majority of the public don't care enough, streaming quality is good enough for them.

Blu-ray won't really take off like DVD did until a major, must-own blockbuster is released on Blu-ray only, no DVD. I'm counting on James Cameron to do this for the Avatar sequels, he definitely has the balls to do it.

[rickah88]

Originally Posted by Dusso Janladde

Blu-ray won't really take off like DVD did until a major, must-own blockbuster is released on Blu-ray only, no DVD. I'm counting on James Cameron to do this for the Avatar sequels, he definitely has the balls to do it.

Blu-ray was never meant to "take off" like dvd. The dvd format had everything going for it, and basically fell into a 'perfect storm' for it succeed so quickly. The blu-ray format had no such advantage, even worse several disadvantages...namely a direct competing format and a nation that was dealing with a struggling economy.
It's amazing that blu-ray has achieved this much, while having to overcome so much.
As for Camerona and Avatar, he has no say on what format receives his movie. That will be up to the studio.
As for BD-only material, you need look no further than any 3D title out there.

[Steedeel]

Originally Posted by Dusso Janladde

Blu-ray won't really take off like DVD did until a major, must-own blockbuster is released on Blu-ray only, no DVD. I'm counting on James Cameron to do this for the Avatar sequels, he definitely has the balls to do it.

That won't help. Bluray won't take off anymore now. I wish that wasn't the case, but it is. Dvd and bluray are both classed as the same thing, Optical media. one supports the other. Things seem to have settled into a pattern, where big tent-pole films do well on bluray whilst chick flicks, comedies or indie films seem to be just as popular on dvd.
Over the next five years or so, I fully expect streaming services to completely eradicate optical media for rentals. Like I have said previously, bluray to buy will hopefully have a long life. What I hate is the fact that bluray could become so niche, that we all keep looking over our shoulder, worried that it will cease to exist. Rather than have 4k on bluray (high bit rate 4k, yes please!) I fear we will be offered 4k streaming (in my opinion this will more closely resemble 1080p HD, and even then, not bluray.)

People, in general, have no class IMO and always edge towards cheap and nasty rather than quality. A fact that has always baffled and amazed me. Now if that is due to economics, that of course is fair enough. I fear, however, even in a thriving economy, the sheep would choose cheap over class.

[yellowcakeuf6]

I've noticed a rise in the number of discs in my queue (both DVD and Blu-ray) that are listed as Long Wait and Very Long Wait. Has Netflix been turning away from disc rental by not stocking as many discs as are apparently needed to fulfill resonable customer demand? I had a DVD of a famous classic in my first position for 4 months listed as Very Long Wait before they finally listed it as no longer available. It seems it's not looking too good for disc renters.

[img eL]

Let Netfilx know that you would like disc's, demand it. Netflix would lose there advantage over other streaming services without DVD & Blu ray rentals

[The_Donster]

I'd also recommend calling them personally and speaking to them about this. I've noticed it on the newer titles. Where my frustration lies is that movies that are now on BD aren't being upgraded. Still, my que is full enough to keep me occupied for some time.

[yellowcakeuf6]

Yes, the Blu-ray issue you speak of is hard to understand sometimes. Some of the titles I've noticed are several years old and still not available on Blu-ray at Netflix.

[rickah88]

Originally Posted by yellowcakeuf6

Yes, the Blu-ray issue you speak of is hard to understand sometimes. Some of the titles I've noticed are several years old and still not available on Blu-ray at Netflix.

It all depends on what deal Netflix signed with that particular movie's studio. Now that Blockbuster is totally dead, I don't even know why Netflix still has the 30-60 day wait period with some studios. I guess when they signed those deals, there was no wiggle room, in the event Blockbuster went under.
I just wish the disc/stream split would've happened a few years ago. Let someone who cares about discs, run the disc business, and let someone else run the streaming business. Obviously the disc business was how Netflix built itself from the ground up, and it's still a big money earner. While Streaming it hot item right now, it too, will probably level out due to a few things beyond Netflix's control:
1) Network infrastructure
2) Other big companies getting into the streaming business
3) Rising costs of studio deals.

Discs are not going anywhere anytime soon, as it's still a very cheap and viable platform. Also look no further than Netflix's exclusive shows, they are all getting released on disc eventually.

The US is enjoying the streaming boom, but like anything that is "all you can eat", it won't last long once data caps become more widespread. We are already seeing, to some degree, with mobile carriers and certain internet providers. You can't just have everyone get "as much as you want for free" forever...somebody has to foot the bill....and $8/month is not footing the bill. Not even close.
I don't even want to think about data transmission once/if 4k becomes a household name.

I never have less than 40 BDs in my queue at any given time, being on the 3-disc plan...so until Netflix ceases all disc operations, I'm good to go!

[slick1ru2]

Netflix alone streamed more movies in less than the first 9 months of this year than the entire peak year for disc rentals (all sources) which was 2007.

In 2012 there were less than 500k b&m rentals, just over 500k mail rentals and 750k kiosk rentals.

By mail disc rentals were down 20% over the first 9 months of this year. Brick and mortar rentals down over 13% in the same period. 58% more movies were streamed by Netflix alone than rented by all sources over that time period.



http://m.homemediamagazine.com/renta...-renting-31959

Note, I contacted the author, add 000 to the end of those numbers. So less than 500 million brick and mortar, just over 500 million mail rentals, etc. I thought something was wrong, lol. Its like reading a company spreadsheet but they always ad a comment about the scale on the bottom, he didn't.

[Wendell R. Breland]

Appears they forgot about Redbox which rented almost 200 million disc in the 3Q alone.

[slick1ru2]

Originally Posted by Wendell R. Breland

Appears they forgot about Redbox which rented almost 200 million disc in the 3Q alone.

Million?

http://www.bizjournals.com/losangele...d-to-drop.html

I wrote that guy, told him his numbers are suspect, in the article I posted.

[rickah88]

I had the biggest BD upgrade ever on my Netflix queue yesterday. 2 dozen titles upgraded to BD. Keep it up Netflix!

[The_Donster]

Hmmm...sadly nothing on my list upgraded.

[blonde_devil]

It's funny - Netflix never did the disc thing here in Canada and the 2 main guys who did (Blockbuster and Rogers) went out of business. We do have Redbox popping up all over the place but for a lot of people, you go back to smaller video stores to rent discs like in the old days. I am not certian if there is even a company doing this in Canada anymore.

[rickah88]

Originally Posted by The_Donster

Hmmm...sadly nothing on my list upgraded.

These were a lot of smaller label films...which, I hope, is a sign that Netflix is getting more BDs from these smaller studios. There are some great films, that I'd never see if not for Netflix and their disc rental.

[atomik kinder]

Originally Posted by slick1ru2

Netflix alone streamed more movies in less than the first 9 months of this year than the entire peak year for disc rentals (all sources) which was 2007.

In 2012 there were less than 500k b&m rentals, just over 500k mail rentals and 750k kiosk rentals.

By mail disc rentals were down 20% over the first 9 months of this year. Brick and mortar rentals down over 13% in the same period. 58% more movies were streamed by Netflix alone than rented by all sources over that time period.



http://m.homemediamagazine.com/renta...-renting-31959

Is this full movies or TV episodes? I mean, if you watch something for five minutes, does it count as one? I don't know how many times we have gone to watch something only to turn it off after a few minutes because it was terrible.

[slick1ru2]

I wonder how many of those upgraded discs were available streaming in HD. Like a sign of things to come. I am really surprised what old tv shows are available in HD streaming. I was introducing my daughter to older tv shows of the 50s through 70s. Emergency!, Andy Griffith, Leave it To Beaver, etc and they looked so good, I check and sure enough all are streaming in HD, obviously remastered with no flecks or other film type artifacts you'd expect from titles that age. There is also much more detail than they originally had, they look like remastered movies of the era. They look better than when originally aired!