Netflix Price Change Official, $1 per month more for BDs

[Hammer99]

Just got this E-mail:

As you may know, Blu-ray movies are more expensive than standard definition movies. As a result, we're going to start charging $1 a month (plus applicable taxes), in addition to your monthly membership charge, for unlimited access to Blu-ray movies.

The additional charge for unlimited Blu-ray access will be automatically added to your next billing statement on or after November 5th, 2008 and will be referenced in your Membership Terms and Details. If you wish to continue getting Blu-ray movies for $1 a month more, you don't need to do anything. If not, you can remove Blu-ray access anytime by visiting Your Account at the Netflix website.

If you have questions about this change or need any assistance, please call us anytime at 1-888-638-3549.

-The Netflix Team

[Adboy151]

I don't like it -- but it's not a huge increase. NOW just make sure you stock titles better, since I'm chipping in that dollar.

I expected a $2 increase. Basically it would go back to pricing similar to their pre-July '07 rates.

I'm at three-at-time right now and I was planning to go down the two-at-time next week before my billing cycle anyway.

[kefrank]

I think I'll be opting out. There are way too many SD DVDs in my queue of movies that won't see the light of day on Blu-ray for a long time, if ever. While it's only a dollar, every dollar counts these days.

[pro-bassoonist]

Not really a factor for me. Hopefully this change would also improve availability of older and new titles.

Pro-B

[XavierMike]

Just got this as well. I'll pay, but I want better selection of titles.

[Vipper II]

I don't mind paying as long as they improve the availability of BDs in my neck of the woods. Too many of the ones in my queue are "very long wait" for longer than they should be.

[bookcase3]

Originally Posted by Adboy151

I don't like it -- but it's not a huge increase. NOW just make sure you stock titles better, since I'm chipping in that dollar.

+1. A dollar won't kill me, but if I'm paying more, I expect more. Translation: not every BD should have a "very long wait" next to it.

[Hammer99]

Originally Posted by Vipper II

I don't mind paying as long as they improve the availability of BDs in my neck of the woods. Too many of the ones in my queue are "very long wait" for longer than they should be.

Really, where do they ship to you from? I get mine (in Parkville) from Gaithersburg, and I don't have many long waits at all (got Zohan & Happening yesterday)

[applesandrice]

A buck extra each month isn't horrible, but since Hollywood Video began their "Free Blu-ray Rental" promotion I've been tearing through their stock and have pretty much had the same disc from Netflix sitting unwatched on my coffee table for a couple of months, now. (My apologies to whoever is waiting for "The Lives of Others" . . .)

[GizmoDVD]

What's there cheapest plan besides $4.99 a month if I want to do the Netflix streaming for when the update hits the 360.

[JayDerek]

Originally Posted by pro-bassoonist

Not really a factor for me. Hopefully this change would also improve availability of older and new titles.

Pro-B

exactly. Hopefully the extra $$ will go towards stocking BD in all their distribution sites. I hate finding when my discs need to be shipped cross country

[edstein]

Originally Posted by GizmoDVD

What's there cheapest plan besides $4.99 a month if I want to do the Netflix streaming for when the update hits the 360.

You can stream now. Get the Playon software. Works pretty good on both the 360 and PS3.

[Vipper II]

Originally Posted by Hammer99

Really, where do they ship to you from? I get mine (in Parkville) from Gaithersburg, and I don't have many long waits at all (got Zohan & Happening yesterday)

Actually, now that I think about it the waits aren't usually too bad. I think I just wanted something in return for the extra dollar and went to that first.

[BuckNaked2k]

So what happens if you get 1 BD and the rest SD in any given month?

[brianluvdvd]

Originally Posted by BuckNaked2k

So what happens if you get 1 BD and the rest SD in any given month?

Then you paid an extra dollar for that one BD.

I just got the email. This doesn't bother me at all. I never have any long waits for BDs unless it is one that just came out and I don't mind waiting a week or two for traffic to slow down. I just hope they drop this as BD prices drop.

I am still amazed at the amount of HD-DVDs I am still able to get from them.

[RM811]

Originally Posted by applesandrice

A buck extra each month isn't horrible, but since Hollywood Video began their "Free Blu-ray Rental" promotion I've been tearing through their stock and have pretty much had the same disc from Netflix sitting unwatched on my coffee table for a couple of months, now. (My apologies to whoever is waiting for "The Lives of Others" . . .)

What promotion is this? I have not heard about this before.

[Hammer99]

Originally Posted by BuckNaked2k

So what happens if you get 1 BD and the rest SD in any given month?

If I'm reading it right, you'll get charged $1 more per month as long as you leave the "Your Account" settings to include BDs, whether you rent any or not.

[Cosmic Bus]

Went ahead and dropped Blu-ray from my account. Even though it's only a dollar and change, the extra cost isn't worth it to me since I've only gotten two BD releases from them since they started carrying them and had just three or four in my queue that are almost always long waited for my area.

[applesandrice]

Originally Posted by RM811

What promotion is this? I have not heard about this before.

I don't know if there's been an actual thread for this or not, but Hollywood Video (the participating stores, anyway) hase been offering free Blu-ray rentals for at least the past two months. Pick out a Blu-ray disc, take it up to the counter, they scan it and get your membership info, then you take the disc home and watch it (or not). Bring it back within the 5-day rental period and pick out your next title.

We've got a store about a mile and a half from our house and so far I'm up to more than 20 free rentals with this.

[mattysemo247]

Originally Posted by applesandrice

I don't know if there's been an actual thread for this or not, but Hollywood Video (the participating stores, anyway) hase been offering free Blu-ray rentals for at least the past two months. Pick out a Blu-ray disc, take it up to the counter, they scan it and get your membership info, then you take the disc home and watch it (or not). Bring it back within the 5-day rental period and pick out your next title.

We've got a store about a mile and a half from our house and so far I'm up to more than 20 free rentals with this.

That explains why all the ones in my area went out of business, they forgot how to bring in revenue

[rfduncan]

Originally Posted by Adboy151

I don't like it -- but it's not a huge increase. NOW just make sure you stock titles better, since I'm chipping in that dollar.

I've noticed that they have been adding Blu-ray titles as they're released. Seems like they have every Blu-ray that's been produced so far... I'm getting Shrek 3 today actually.

I don't mind at all considering 98% of what I get there is Blu-ray anyway. I just cut back from 4 a month to 3 so I'm still not paying as much money!

[applesandrice]

Originally Posted by mattysemo247

That explains why all the ones in my area went out of business, they forgot how to bring in revenue

This is purely anecdotal and totally off-subject, but I asked one of the managers at my store if this promo had caused much of an increase in Blu-ray rental activity and she indicated that it hadn't made much difference.

[[DT]]

Originally Posted by Adboy151

I don't like it -- but it's not a huge increase. NOW just make sure you stock titles better, since I'm chipping in that dollar.

I expected a $2 increase. Basically it would go back to pricing similar to their pre-July '07 rates.

I'm at three-at-time right now and I was planning to go down the two-at-time next week before my billing cycle anyway.

I agree with everything you said and coincidently we were just talking about backing down to a fewer-at-a-time plan (from 3). We wind up with 3 sitting around for days at a time.

I was actually a little surprised - if they would have done this up front it would seem more like a planned business model vs. after the fact where it feels like us BD owners are having to deal with the turndown in their revenue.

[Jericho]

Originally Posted by Hammer99

Really, where do they ship to you from? I get mine (in Parkville) from Gaithersburg, and I don't have many long waits at all (got Zohan & Happening yesterday)

Ditto, no real problem getting stuff from Gaithersburg

[Willh51]

Not a real problem...but all the Blu-Rays in my queue have "very long waits," except Young Frankenstein which I actually got last week. I'm not going to be happy if I keep having to switch to requesting the dvd to avoid a 1 month wait.