Netflix, Blockbuster (and others) Online/Kiosk Discussion Thread - Page 98

Well, on my Pioneer Kuro Elite Pro-111FD, utilizing a PS3, I can't find a movie via Netflix streaming that produces a picture as good as non-HD cable, let alone BD. Maybe I didn't look hard enough, but then again, I usually make my video selections based on the movie content, and not based on the streaming quality. I never have a problem of chosing between content and picture quality with disc media.

You didn't look hard enough. I have around 100 titles in my streaming queue. For instance Torchwood(3 seasons). It is HD but not in 5.1DD+. (Stargate continuum is another but that does have 5.1DD+)The quality of that is far above SD cable quality. besides anything SD has no detail in the background. Even the Netflix HD streaming typically will have much more detail in the background than SD from DVD or cable.

There you go. Now you have to chose between picture quality and audio.

agreed. Even LOST and The Office look really great and the same if not better than broadcast - at least over good cable. Maybe not OTA.

Take a look thru Mikes thread at

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1297186

and try some .. you may be pleased ..

The next innovation Reed will introduce will be Blu-ster, when he splits Qwikster into a DVD- only service so that we can have separate logins and queues for BD versus DVD titles, then eventually Gamester will be born just for games. In the final death throes it will break down by genre and we will have comedyster and scifister and romancester.

LOL!
What, no pornster?

This is the most sensible article I've read on the whole debacle:

http://www.theatlantic.com/business/...e-dead/245303/

Thank you very much for posting that. I agree, that is the best article that I've seen on the subject yet.

Great headline too!

Followed by Deathster...when the company folds because of Mr. Reed's visions.

I don't know if I'll be joining Qwikster or not. I barely go through 2 discs a month from NF. I watch more streaming from them.

Splitting into two does make a little sense. Growth vs no-growth. Disc rental would have probably taken a hit anyway because the USPS is going to have to cut back service. And just think where the USPS would be if NF wasn't around. NF is their biggest customer. And, it's conceivable that somebody could buy the new streaming NF now that the "baggage" is gone.

larry

When was streaming ever free? I thought it always added at least a couple of extra dollars to the price?

I have no choice but to stay with Qwikster since Blockbuster and Redbox don't have all of the content than Netflix has on BD and Blockbuster is too slow in delivery. Although I am going to try to use Blockbuster for some of the new titles, if I can get there at 10Am when they open on release day. Otherwise Netflix has been great in delivering me new titles(Except for the Star Wars Discs) and old titles in a quick and timely manner. SO I expect it would stay teh same with Qwikster. Although I am not looking forward to managing two queues on two separate websites for Netflix and Qwikster.

Originally it was a free add-on for plans of 2 or more DVDs out-at-a-time unlimited.

But then that was a few years ago wasn't it? When did they change it? was that last year?
Eitherway it's still a good deal at the current price. I'm always finding HD content to watch from teh streaming service and the Disc service is still the best available.

I totally understand why they are doing this from a business standpoint, but from a customer-service standpoint it's a bit suspect. Simply put, no one likes going to two places to get something they used to get at one place. It's the same reason I avoid going to the food court when I go to the mall with my two daughters--they each want something different so I have to wait in two different lines. So instead I take them to a full-service restaurant so we can get everything at one place.

Personally I'll just be using Qwikster and my wife will be using Netflix streaming, so in one way this change will work for me--no longer will I be getting recommendations based on her viewing habits!

I agree that BB's delivery times are slower than NF's. I disagree, though that NF, or should it be QT, has more and better BD content than BB. Indeed, I think it is just the opposite. For example, NF stopped buying Criterion Collection BDs sometime ago while BB buys them all. What BD titles that you have received from NF would you have missed out on if you had been a BB subscriber, instead?

This shows a convergence of thought here. I watched the Showtime Pillars of the Earth using the streaming. Though dismayed by the VERY poor picture quality on my projected screen, I was caught up in the story. Perhaps as a quick and "dirty" means to an end there is a place for the service for some. I'm seeing a slow merger toward the middle on this subject. Agreement that the quality could be better, but in some instances that's acceptable.

Pillars of the Earth was SD....and not very good SD even by Netflix's standards. Hardly a good title to judge Netflix's quality by.

Netflix's streaming content quality is only as good as the encode, just like discs. If you can't get the bitrate into your home that allows for "full" quality, 99% of the time that's not a Netflix problem. I was watching something last night that I thought was SD but it looked very good and made me check the resolution to see if it was their 720p streaming.

larry

The point was that I was willing to watch crappy video to follow a decent story.

Good point. Spartacus was SD and looked awesome. There's also a big difference on quality if you are using a PS3 or Roku2 (getting a 1080p stream) vs. watching it on a **snicker** Wii with a 480i connection. The only other device I have here is an XBOX 360 and the 720p streams on it don't look nearly as good as the 1080p feeds on my PS3 do.

I think the point with Netflix quality, is there's a lot more variation on the devices and encodes available, so you get everything from VHS quality to...well....I won't say BD quality but it looks better than my HDTV feeds from FiOS (and I pay significantly more for FiOS than do for Netflix)

Just given the wide ranges of devices, encodes, and ISP speeds, there's a lot of variation on PQ.

Is amazon.com going to buy the digital business? That is some of the speculation behind why they did the split...

http://www.cnbc.com/id/44627898

Isn't he the only one with this speculation? It seems like everyone else thinks the Disc business will be sold.

Although if their stock keeps dropping someone might come in and try to buy up the company if enough shares are outstanding.

I'm sure if someone came along and tendered a good offer for NF shares, owners would be interested .. and yes, it would be the disk biz sold ..

The disc biz being sold is just speculation as well. I don't think it will be (at least in the near future), since the reasons for splitting the business apart make all kinds of sense besides to sell it off.

I doubt they're going to sell it when 15 million of their subscribers are still on a disc plan (at least that's the projection)

I don't think anybody would buy the disc business unless it was a "fire sale". Even then it would probably be a bad move. There's no growth left, USPS is faltering, and streaming is the future. At best it could survive as a place to rent discs with longer turn around times when they unload some warehouses to get rid of overhead. Their disc catalog is quite extensive and it would be a shame to lose access to it. I'm skeptical that their entire disc base will be converted to streaming in the future.

larry

I'm still skeptical when people state that streaming is the future?

Every format successor has been an (video/audio) improvement over it's predecessor: VHS to DVD, DVD to BD, (BD to 3D?)....

The only benefit in streaming from what I can see is convenience.

Until such time that everyone can turn on their TV and streaming device and at a minimum achieve BD video/audio quality levels without having issues with internet speed, bandwidth issues, etc, I'll continue to have my reservations in calling streaming the future successor to disc media.

The move to the cloud is much like the move to MP3 / etc, audio .. which was also a quality downgrade .. for the populace at large, convienience trumps quality .. a fact that many on AVS can't get their arms around .. and I don't say that in a mean way, and I'm not attacking your post ..

As well, a good connection and a PS3 on VUDU HDX can show you what streaming is capable of .. so the ability to get excellent PQ / SQ is available for a price ..

You know, the USPS may be the real factor in this debate .. if prices to mail go up dramatically, which seems to be the direction, then QS has no choice but to raise prices again .. the higher the price for disks/mailings, the more attractive streaming looks ..

Who knows, the USPS problems may be what really turns streaming really big time ..

Or, maybe the B&M video store will make a comeback ..