Last spring I subscribed to Netflix. My intent was to replace library late fees and Redbox with a budgetable expense. Also, it would open me up to previously unavailable movies. This was a partial success. While I'm happy with my choice (even after they jacked the monthly rate), it fell short in a couple ways.
First, this did not stop my wife from grabbing from Redbox. Redbox rents you a move for a buck then charges you seven or eight. How? Simple. We can never, ever, ever, return a move on time. Ever ever ever. Can't happen. So, we get socked with most of a months Netflix charge for one move.
Second thing is the non-movie choices we found. Over the past nine months, we've watched many movies and TV shows I'm not blogging about. Soap, The Return of the Pink Panther, documentaries, all sorts of stuff. It's been great.
The third thing is Wii access. The decision to subscribe stemmed from their support for the Nintendo Wii. I won't watch too many movies at my computer. Now, rather than grabbing a library DVD and sequestering myself into my bedroom, I have to fight the boys (and wife) for control of the Wii. This has been a problem. I can't always wait until they go to bed because I get up way earlier than they do.
All in all, a good move on my part. You may notice, however, that I reviewed four fewer movies in twelve months than I did in ten months back in '09. But then again, I got to see episodes of The Greatest American Hero and The State. That's cool too!
Now, I need to say that I'm a little bit disappointed by the Netflix collection. The DVD collection, while extensive, is by no means complete. No Six Million Dollar Man? Tron? Very little by Russ Meyer? A lot of stuff available on the Internet Archives aren't available for streaming. Netflix says they want to be known as a internet streaming company more than as a DVD delivery service. If so, they have some work to do.
I've made a decision on how to solve one problem. I will invest in an internet device for my bedroom. I am waffling between the Roku HD and XD. I'll let you know how that goes.
No comments:
Post a Comment