Well another round of service updates makes it time to reevaluate how I’m getting my television and videos. For the longest time I was getting 3 discs from Netflix, I wouldn’t make good use of them every month but I would go on a few fits of watching that it made it worthwhile. Then Netflix added streaming to its regular service which once I was able to connect effectively was nice. The streaming doesn’t have everything that I wanted to watch as far as movies or television shows, maybe generously a quarter of the things and typically just the older stuff, but it was convenient. So when Netflix upped its rates I was slightly irked but realizing I didn’t need so many discs I dropped down to one disc at a time.
Now, Netflix is splitting its service into streaming for a fee and discs for a fee which of course adds up to more than my current fee:
Your current $9.99 a month membership for unlimited streaming and unlimited DVDs will be split into 2 distinct plans:
Plan 1: Unlimited Streaming (no DVDs) for $7.99 a month
Plan 2: Unlimited DVDs, 1 out at-a-time (no streaming) for $7.99 a month
As much as I knew this would be coming in some way I’m still perturbed. The main problem is that although I don’t watch those new discs regularly I do occasionally like it as an option. If they had more content available via streaming this wouldn’t be as big of a problem but they don’t. Due to costs the assumption is they’re trying to steer people away from the actual discs but it would be nice if they threw in a couple discs a year (or something) to existing users until they get their catalog up.
What I’m going to do is admit that I don’t actually use the discs often enough to rationalize the cost. And if I ‘need’ to watch something unavailable I can for the most part get it via another service streaming. This is quicker and allows more flexibility than the discs and based on sample costs ($.99-1.99 episode and $3.99-4.99 for a new release) seems to be cheaper if I really only do it sporadically. Where this doesn’t work is for catching up on more recent series, it’s just not cost effective with costs per disc/episode.
So the plan is to wait that out, things change right? I’ve got enough backlog of things that are streaming (Weeds, Friday Night Lights, Battlestar Gallactica) that I can hold out for now on the others (Mad Men, The Wire, Deadwood). There is also unfortunately the potential for some things to be removed from streaming (which I learned the hard way rewatching Veronica Mars which lost its streaming license in the midst of Season 3).
There are a few other services that I’m keeping an eye on, that so far don’t quite meet my needs either. As much as I can remember not wanting to pay for cable I may buckle on something else, but not yet:
- Amazon/Blockbuster streaming – These are both available as a per episode/movie option on my TiVo and what I expect to utilize to fill the gap.
- Amazon Prime – Basically like current Netflix where you pay an annual fee and get discs shipped and some options on streaming but to my knowledge has less of a selection.
- Hulu – Some stuff is free online but there’s also fee based Hulu Plus which has more current television that I don’t see this so much as replacing Netflix as possibly replacing cable at some point if they get their options up.
- Apple/iTunes – To be honest I know they have a tv option but I don’t know how it works/works with iTunes, though as most folks are already plugged in to iTunes this is an option for single episodes/movies though not as easily integrated with the physical tv.
- Video Stores/Kiosks – There’s still one of these in Safeway and I know people who still go to a store so that’s theoretically an option.
I guess until then I should try to catch the last Veronica Mars episodes before I cancel discs with the rate increase scheduled for September. What are you doing?
Steve Carell takes a nice turn as a foundering newly separated man. The relationships in this film are all funny and dramatic and complex but none is more fun than watching Ryan Gosling try to share the tricks of his trade on being a ‘real man’.
