Well, we could pretty much see this coming: Netflix is no longer offering a combined DVD/streaming video package for $9.99. Instead, you can pay for either or both at $7.99 each.
Hm. It's not that $15.98 a month is a huge amount, so we could just keep getting both, but the video consumption patterns in my household have changed a lot in the several years we've been Netflix subscribers, so I'm not sure that makes the most sense.
Back in the day, you see, we used to get two DVDs at a time, and we'd watch a couple of movies a week on a regular basis. We were movie-watching fiends!
Then I started library school and wasn't around to watch movies as often, so we scaled back to one DVD, and would usually watch about one a week. That seemed to do OK, so we kept it even after I finished school.
Then we got a PS3, and started playing video games with the hours that would once have been prime DVD-watching time, and then the streaming video came out. These days, even if we want to watch something instead of play games, it's usually streaming video rather than a DVD.
When our one DVD does come, it often sits around for days before we get to it. I'm a little anxious about no longer having that option, because there are still things that aren't available to steam, but I think the most logical option at the moment is to drop back to the streaming-only subscription and see how it goes.
There are other places to get the content Netflix doesn't stream, and if we don't do that often, we may spend less than $7.99 a month on it.
I'm sure Netflix will not refuse our money if we later decide we want the DVDs after all, but I really think we might not even miss them much.
We shall see, I guess. It's all part of the grand adventure that is video access in this exciting age.
I note that not everyone is taking this so calmly. Apparently a lot of people are pretty peeved about the change in terms, but I guess my dwindling DVD use has made me less invested in the subject. Easy for me to say, with my game worlds to suck up all my stray attention!
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1 comment:
for 7.95, streaming video is worth it. When my wife and I watch a DVD, she usually falls asleep - maybe she could get her "fix" of Castle or an occasional soap. Maybe if we get a larger TV, she wouldn't fall asleep - I can hear and see that big screen High Def now :-)
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