Netflix Offering Free Streaming Movies

January 16th, 2007

MoviesWell, as a current Netflix subscriber, I’m totally into this development. Some additional details are at CNN Money. Here are some screenshots of the Netflix download page and the UI.

There are some details to pick at, such as Windows-only (I’m on a Mac), no downloads (it’s streaming), a time limit (6 - 48 hours a month, depending on your current number of DVDs at a time plan), and lesser quality, but there’s one key difference here: free. Hard to argue (or beat) free.

Regarding quality, these are movie rentals we’re talking about. For films where surround sound and great picture is a necessity (The Godfather) I usually buy the DVD or rent it. This streaming movie option would be reserved for those films that aren’t worth buying, or even worth renting, but I wouldn’t mind watching while I’m doing something else, as it doesn’t require my full attention. TV shows, for example, or movies that you could watch on an airplane. I mean, is it really necessary to watch How to Lose A Guy in 10 Days in surround sound and high definition?

I recently watched Idiocracy online and have watched some fairly lenghty videos at YouTube, so I could easily see myself using this service - especially for those “Remember this movie?” type moments.

Or, this could be a great to preview the first ten minutes of a flick before deciding whether or not to rent it.

Plus did I mention: free?

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  • This, I think would be absolutely fantastic for checking out TV shows, much more so than movies. Streaming an on-demand episode of a recommended series would be a great way to find out if you like it.

    My plan would give me 18hours worth of viewing per month, which is more than an entire season of a sitcom.

    I can also imagine myself revisiting old shows that I enjoyed, but not enough to invest in the DVDs, so long as the shows are in Netflix's library.

    They just need to hurry up and get that Mac version going.
  • Yeah, I didn't add up the hours (or half hours for some sitcoms). Good point.

    This might spur me to finally install Boot Camp and XP on my MacBook...
  • I just did the math again.

    18 hours is 25 complete ~42 minute programs, which translate to a complete season for any standard drama or two seasons of a sitcom per month.

    The main limiting factor would be the size of Netflix's library, which I hope will be vast and plentiful.
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