Monday, January 10, 2011

Quick Rant: Netflix

By looking at the title of this blog post you may think that I am not a fan of the movie distribution service known as Netflix. But, that couldn't be further from the truth. I love Netflix, in fact most of my movie watching is capable to this amazing company.


So, what is my beef?

Well, as many of you may have noticed over the course of this blog - and hell, even by the title of the blog itself - that I do not have the capabilities to see each and every movie I would want to see in the movie theater - it is just impossible. I might get the chance to see a handful in the theater each and every year - which is why my selections to see those movies must be the absolute best films.

So, like I said above, the rest of the films I want to see come to me like magic through the mail and land in my mailbox - four at a time each and every week. Which is absolutely amazing.

Again, what is my beef?

Well, over the course of the past few years (my facts on this are not accurate, so please don't punish me for that) Netflix has apparently made a deal with some companies to hold off on sending customers such as myself newly released movies until about a month after they have already been released.

I have heard a few different reasons for this - to help with DVD sales and/or help with purchasing rentals through your television box. Either way, this is starting to piss me off.

I already have to wait through the movies entire run at the box office to not see, while everyone else is ranting and raving about it. Then, I have to wait for it to finally become available on DVD. Now, for a number of movies I now have to wait even longer.

Sure, it's only a month - but another month for some films can be an eternity. I had to wait for Inception and now it looks like I will be waiting for The Social Network. I have heard great things about these movies and I have put in my time waiting - why must I wait longer?

I hope there is eventually an end in sight where I, like almost everyone else, is able to get one of the new releases during the month it i actually released. Is that too much to ask?

3 comments:

  1. It's a way for the studios to make money since they think they are losing money from digital downloads on iTunes and such. But the 28-day window could be shrinking soon as studios begin to realize what a blessing digital moviewatching is to their business.

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  2. Yeah, I don't think it's Netflix's choice in this matter. Likely a contract negotiation that they lost. Directv sure markets the hell out of that competitive advantage/disadvantage, but hell, I ain't paying $5.00 to watch a new release via Directv. I can wait. Never bothers me, though, as I usually see 80% of the new releases that I want to in theaters.

    Of course, that's likely about to change, what with a newborn in the house. We'll see...

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