This is the world we live in:
I got an email from Netflix letting me know, just in case we might be interested, that they've added the 4th season of Breaking Bad to their streaming video lineup.
In fact, we are interested. As they no doubt know considering we watched all the previous seasons this way.
Then we can immediately turn on the TV, and the PlayStation, which plays games that look like movies and also transfers video through the internet at our whim.
So we live in this world in which a company knows what we want, tells us when it's available, and we can be looking at it two minutes later, in between playing video games.
Yeah, it's weird. Convenient, though!
Showing posts with label Netflix. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Netflix. Show all posts
Sunday, July 15, 2012
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Pick Your Video
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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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!
.
Monday, November 22, 2010
OMG Netflix Price Increase!
Today in media consumption:
The price of my Netflix subscription is going up by a dollar a month (for one DVD at a time plus unlimited streaming video from the watch-instantly selection).
I'm totally going to still pay it.
There's also a new alternative subscription that's a dollar cheaper, but includes no DVDs (still with unlimited streaming video).
We watch a ton of stuff on streaming video, and less and less on DVD, but I'll keep the DVD option since there are still things we can't get on the instant watch queue. It's interesting how the way we see movies and TV shows is changing so fast.
.
The price of my Netflix subscription is going up by a dollar a month (for one DVD at a time plus unlimited streaming video from the watch-instantly selection).
I'm totally going to still pay it.
There's also a new alternative subscription that's a dollar cheaper, but includes no DVDs (still with unlimited streaming video).
We watch a ton of stuff on streaming video, and less and less on DVD, but I'll keep the DVD option since there are still things we can't get on the instant watch queue. It's interesting how the way we see movies and TV shows is changing so fast.
.
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Continuing to Lend Other Peoples' Stuff
The Netflix-in-libraries story is continuing to move about on the web. An interesting little round up is on the scholarly kitchen, which has plenty of choice quotes.
Aunt B linked to it with her own choice quote: "I see the whole Google Editions made some of you think audacious enough violations of copyright are fine."
The short version is, there remains a good deal of doubt about the overall awesomeness of this practice from a legal standpoint, even though it's clearly pretty great if you just want to expand your collection access.
Believe me, I'm all about access!--but also, not getting sued.
I might have some more thoughts, except that I now have both allergies and a cold, and I'm so stuffed up I can barely breathe. Good times.
.
Aunt B linked to it with her own choice quote: "I see the whole Google Editions made some of you think audacious enough violations of copyright are fine."
The short version is, there remains a good deal of doubt about the overall awesomeness of this practice from a legal standpoint, even though it's clearly pretty great if you just want to expand your collection access.
Believe me, I'm all about access!--but also, not getting sued.
I might have some more thoughts, except that I now have both allergies and a cold, and I'm so stuffed up I can barely breathe. Good times.
.
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Lending Other People's Stuff
iLibrarian points to a post on Tame the Web about an academic library where they're using a Netflix subscription to provide their students and faculty with access to videos.
My immediate question--one also asked by several commenters--was "is that legal?"
Apparently the library in question has never concealed its institutional identity and has not had any complaints from Netflix about the practice, and while the user agreement does not specifically cover library use, it hasn't been specifically forbidden.
So one of those gray areas, perhaps: it's legal until someone tells you to stop.
I don't know if my library administration would be into it, just in case, but there's no denying it would be a really handy resource for library use. Less so in the case of a medical library, until Netflix starts carrying the popular Video Atlas of Human Anatomy, but there are certainly health-related films that might be of interest in various courses, not to mention that sometimes people may enjoy watching some non-course-related materials to give their brains a break.
Just get a viewing room with a TV and a Netflix box of some sort, and let people watch whatever their educational or entertainment needs dictate! A huge video collection available on demand for a reasonable monthly fee, without the need to devote huge portions of the budget to it, or to worry about processing, storing and circulating a bunch of DVDs. I like it!
Maybe Netflix should think about offering institutional subscriptions. I suppose they'd have to work out the agreements with all the film companies too, though, so maybe it's not worth the hassle to them.
Copyright: my old archnemesis.
.
My immediate question--one also asked by several commenters--was "is that legal?"
Apparently the library in question has never concealed its institutional identity and has not had any complaints from Netflix about the practice, and while the user agreement does not specifically cover library use, it hasn't been specifically forbidden.
So one of those gray areas, perhaps: it's legal until someone tells you to stop.
I don't know if my library administration would be into it, just in case, but there's no denying it would be a really handy resource for library use. Less so in the case of a medical library, until Netflix starts carrying the popular Video Atlas of Human Anatomy, but there are certainly health-related films that might be of interest in various courses, not to mention that sometimes people may enjoy watching some non-course-related materials to give their brains a break.
Just get a viewing room with a TV and a Netflix box of some sort, and let people watch whatever their educational or entertainment needs dictate! A huge video collection available on demand for a reasonable monthly fee, without the need to devote huge portions of the budget to it, or to worry about processing, storing and circulating a bunch of DVDs. I like it!
Maybe Netflix should think about offering institutional subscriptions. I suppose they'd have to work out the agreements with all the film companies too, though, so maybe it's not worth the hassle to them.
Copyright: my old archnemesis.
.
Monday, August 2, 2010
Video! Video!
Stephen's Lighthouse passes on the news that Netflix will finally be providing its rental-movie goodness in Canada, but, in what might be a sign of the future of rental-movie goodness, only in download format. No DVDs by mail in north North America.
Is the end of Zombie Shakespeare? I mean, DVDs?
I must say that ever since we achieved the magical combination of PS3 and Netflix streaming video right to the TV, we have watched a lot fewer DVDs. Our streaming options are limited at the moment only by the fact that Netflix's own streaming options are limited.
Some things we must still request in physical form if we want to see them.
And a lot of what is available to stream is kind of bad. Still, it's entertaining to flip through the many choices. It's like having a bunch of bad cable channels!
For someone who's had nothing but basic cable for years, this is exciting stuff.
.
Is the end of Zombie Shakespeare? I mean, DVDs?
I must say that ever since we achieved the magical combination of PS3 and Netflix streaming video right to the TV, we have watched a lot fewer DVDs. Our streaming options are limited at the moment only by the fact that Netflix's own streaming options are limited.
Some things we must still request in physical form if we want to see them.
And a lot of what is available to stream is kind of bad. Still, it's entertaining to flip through the many choices. It's like having a bunch of bad cable channels!
For someone who's had nothing but basic cable for years, this is exciting stuff.
.
Thursday, December 4, 2008
Netflix! Apples! It's So Perfect
Long has my wretched life been made sadder and grimmer by the knowledge that Netflix's "play instantly" feature (using which one can stream certain movies and television shows to watch on the computer) did not work on Macs.
I want to stream video content on my computer at no extra charge! Why, oh why, is life so cruel?! Why is the Mac so despised?! Or ornery---I heard it was actually an issue with Apple not bothering to play well with others.
Either way, it was a sad state of affairs that deeply inconvenienced me personally.
But now, today, I received word that instant play is available for the Mac! This is a joyous day. I have downloaded the software, and it all appears to be in working order, and I can watch movies instantly without needing to have the discs mailed. More fabulous value from my Netflix account!
Bless you, Netflix and Apple.
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