Netflix BD disc rental discussion thread

Same recent experience for me as well.

In case others didn't see the press release of yesterday, Netflix has entered in to a partnership with LG to build a video download box.
Perhaps they have cut-down on the amount of copies per title in anticipation of this?

Yep, same experience here. Every movie I want to see has an unacceptable wait, even some that were in my queue prior to their release date. Netflix is rapidly becoming a waste of money for HD viewers, especially Bluray. I have complained several times with little result. Next step, cancellation. Any recommendations for an alternative service with good HD availability?

I have had better luck with HD-DVD from Netflix but it seems like all the discs I receive need to be cleaned before I can play them without, or with minimal, skipping on my Tosh A30 (with latest firmware). The last movie to arrive, Hollywoodland, was physically squeeking when handled and literally split into two discs 5 minutes before the end of the movie!

Personally I've downgraded to 2 a month for this very same reason. I had Blood Diamond in my queue for 5 months before finally giving up. The only discs I ever have any luck getting are SD-DVD's. I'm considering doing Blockbuster ONLY because they have a store very close to me.

Same with me. I'm down to 2 at a time. Top 12-15 on my que are very long wait.

I'm going down to 1 at a time. Maybe even to zero. I hate netflix service.

I don't have a high turnover either. I keep the movies about a week.

Same experience here.

Are they throttling? I'm going to try taking my queue down to about 8 movies to see if I can force them to send the movies I want.

Joe

I tried that too Joe, no help. They just send you zip.

+1. Zip for me too. Oh well.

Solution:

Find a really good local video store, preferably independent, and spend money at that store.

Unless we all want discs-by-mail to be our only rental option...

No thanks, Timwit. I believe in economies of scale. The Netflix model is not at fault, we just need another class action to improve their responsiveness for HD customers

Same experience here. However I got so fed up with it I called and bitched about it (not that I expected this to do much) and they did give me 1 extra rental for free for 2 months. So I am paying for the 4 out at a time, but getting 5 at a time for the next 2 months. Helped ease the pain a little. You guys should call either way and let them know they need to stock more HD titles. If enough people call, who knows may help out.

If the Blockbuster near me stocked Blu-ray, I would go that route, but they dont so I guess I got to put up with it for now.

+2

Wow, the Warner hubbub definitely overshadowed this. I'm guessing they'll start off with DVD, then maybe expand with HD. The only way to get full DVD quality and better to the masses is with a STB to provide a buffer/cache. Only those with top tier DSL or cable and FiOS could real time transfer even DVDs, and only some FiOS can do HD stuff.

Looks like they're making announcements as CES.

My experience is the exact opposite. I've rec'd, watched, and returned all of those movies except HP, Hot Rod, and Stardust (not interested in them).

I just sent War back this morning sent RE back on Friday and plan to watch RE Extinction tonight (all three Blu-Ray).

I'm on the 5 out plan and have over 460 movies in my queue. I have a pretty good turn over rate and have never been throttled.

Don't know why Netflix experience is so drastically different then every one else.

I dumped Netflix a month ago.They just don't stock enough HDM.

Wow, you appear to be one of the lucky ones. I however am not willing to try 5 a month to see if my luck changes . Keep watching those hi-def films .

JohnG, how long have you been a Netflix member?

5 out at time is a necessity for me to see the movies I want.

I have a 12 year old and a 6 year old with different taste/allowed to watch movies. Also they are not allowed to watch movies Mon-Thurs. The 12 year old will average 4 movies a month. The 6 year old will watch 1-3 a month (had Rat. for about a month and a half before it got sent back and was watched every weekend multiple times by the 6 year old).

The wife gets to pick her chick flick which will sit around for a week before she thinks about watching it and once she starts it takes a week for her to finish it. (Since Mila stars in RE I told my wife it counted as a chick flick).

This leaves me two movies. I try to watch mine the day I get them and send them back the next day to keep my titles rolling in. So I'll watch 3-4 titles a week.

My hope is that with Warner's announcement NF will stock more Blu titles by dropping the red thus increasing our availability.

2/2003

Started out with 3 at a time for a couple of months then switched to 5.

Yeah, its rather bad these days trying to get a HD movie from Netflix. Just like the thread over on the HD-dvd area, most seem to have a problem getting movies. I was able to get one blu-ray out of them last month. I have done fair with HD-dvd. I'm sure everyone gets the same excuse if they call. Netflix appears to mostly blame the studios saying they are only allowed to buy a certain amount.

Well whatever about that excuse, but its almost useless for HD and especially blu-ray. I certainly hope they will improve over time but I have a feeling it won't be very quick. I noticed they don't even list some new HD titles. Personally I think they just aren't buying enough.

You're right, you do need . Happy viewing.

Where is the source for this speculation as to the blame for lack of blu-ray on Netflix?

I think they are behind in DVD and HDM -- as I see more long waits now than before in both media.

However, I have seen this in the past. In a month or so they will probably catch up to demand. I think they wait for demand to creep up, then start ordering more stock.

The source is me calling (and others) complaining that blu-ray movies just sit in the queue and never move. I called yesterday for the first time, and I've been a member just about as long as they have existed. That's what they told me, Netflix was only allowed to buy a certain amount because the studios wanted people to buy and not rent. Another person said they claimed could only buy 2,000 of any one HD movie.

Of course they also told me about the increase in demand as a reason. It started with me about 2 months ago and got worse lately, and I"m not throttled. They gave me a discount for a few months, since I'd been with them a long time and had to get movies from BB, that I'd had in netflix for weeks, and a few over a month.

They did start moving some as available after I called, but doubt it lasts. Whoever I talked too did say people should call and complain, so they would know people aren't happy. Of course they also said Netflix will try to gradually get into HD more.

Bummer. At least the Hollywood Video down the hill on Burnside (I live in PDX) stocks a decent HD section. I'll check it out as an option. Too bad it's such a dump

Joe

I've had the same problem with BD discs being slow to ship. I also ran into the same problem with two DVDs, apparently they were a BB exclusive for several months right after release.

I also ran into another problem. I was on the 3 at a time plan and felt that in order to get my money's worth I needed to view at least 6 movies a month. I had worked through all the old DVDs I had wanted to see and also all the older BDs and with the unavailability of newer titles and the limited number of up coming releases that I really wanted to see, the 3 out plan wasn't worth it so I switched to a 1 at a time one.

I also found that having to watch at least 6 Netflix movies a month cut into my reading time, plus severely impacted the time available to watch movies in my collection. And SWMBO also demanded the TV to watch those programs she was interested in.

The BB store here in town is less than a mile a way and it does carry BD. I've been monitoring it to see how well they get new releases. So far the jury is out but this remains a viable option.

You can try blockbuster total access. The blu ray online wait is very long too but at least I can bring the envelope to the store and get blu ray movie there.

Like the rest of you, my BD (and HD DVD) waits at Netflix have only gotten worse lately. I think the major problem is, last I heard, HDM only represents 1% of total rentals at Netflix. So I think they have very little motivation to make it any better. Maybe the resolution of this format war will make things better in the long run.

You think Netflix is bad, I was using Blockbuster and I put a movie in my queue two months before it came out so I would make sure to get it when it came out. And when the movie came out, it said it stock, so I'm thinking I'm going to get my movie anyday. I did not get the movie, so I wrote them, and guess what they said to me, we don't want to make you wait to get the movie from another warehouse. It may take 3 to 4 days to get it, so were going to your next movie in your queue and skip over your first choice. Thats great, I had no other movie in my queue and when I went back in to see if the movie was in stock, it said VERY LONG WAIT. I cancelled my membership that day and joined Netflix, no problems so far.

Blockbuster used to be a good option. I signed up when it was $17.99 for 3 movies and unlimited in store exchanges. Then they made you pay more to keep the unlimited exchanges and then they raised it another $10. So I have gone from $17.99 to $34.99 in less than 6 months. It is no longer worth the price. And like Sax said, the wait wasn't any better. I rarely got BDs in the mail and at the store they only had one copy of most movies, so I usually couldn't get them right away at the store either. I would not recommend Blockbuster anymore.