RichC2

Yeah, unfortunately it can't really be helped. If they plan to add any new content, some old has to go to free up funds, or else they'll just be paying to renew licenses over and over again.

RoyalTea

I don't understand why people get upset over the idea of Netflix not having streaming rights in perpetuity. That being said, I wish there was a little more transparency. Seems like the "available until ..." date on Netflix doesn't appear until a few days before the title expires.

hanshotfirst1138

Well, I think if they want to sell us on the disc-less world of "the cloud" when Netflix can take things down before I'm finished with them, it can't help but feel frustrating. It's way too much naïveté to hope that they'll just have everything in perpetuity, but doesn't make it any less annoying when they take stuff down.

LorenzoL

I don't get upset for taking shows and movies away, I get upset about the lack of "transparency" in which ones will disappear because we usually don't find out until a few days before.

RichC2

The disc-less world of "the cloud" isn't Netflix alone. You can go purchase whatever movie or TV show you want. I don't think anyone expected a $8/mo service to be the end all for "the cloud". I would appreciate it if they published the expiration dates again, but the backlash they get when those show up actually was a pretty good reason to get rid of them in the first place. It'd still be preferable to have them back though.

Once Netflix starts offering $30 and $40 tiers with premium movies and permanent libraries, then it can be seen more as an end all. Until then, we have ways to access most movies and tv shows out there, you just aren't going to get it at a dirt cheap rate. It's actually one of the reasons I so highly recommend the Roku 3 - type in a movie or TV show and it takes you to it, some places that will have it as part of a service to stream if available (Hulu, Netflix, Crackle, Amazon Prime), and if they aren't available, places where you can own them permanently (Vudu, Amazon Instant, etc; ).

Just like song rotation on the radio, VOD, TV show syndication (where a group of episodes gets shown over and over for a few weeks), HBO movie rotation, etc;

mike1977

This is why I don't want their disc by mail to go away!

Long live the physical format forever and ever...where they can't yank your ability to watch something!!!

mhg83

I would like to see data for shows that get pulled and how much the Piracy of said titles goes up. I would love for Netflix to one day off a multi-tier service. I wouldn't mind paying $30-$50 a month to get more shows and movies.

So how exactly does Netflix decide which shows and movies stay and go? I'm guessing they look at how many people watch the program and if popular enough renew the licence when it expires?

JTH182

Just heard they're going to start testing 2 tiers of service: $6.99 to be able to stream one movie at a time, and 9.99 to stream more. I Like it since I never stream more than one in our house at a time.

EDIT: just read the $6.99 offer is only for standard definition. LAME.

Groucho

You can do that NOW. Just stream via an a la carte service like Amazon.

My Other Self

I'm sure this is going to piss a lot of people off. Netflix had a relatively good 2013 after nearly suffering a very damaging 2012.

RichC2

The current "test" plans are 1 stream, SD-only, for $6.99, 2 HD for $7.99, 3 HD for $9.99, and 4 HD for $11.99.

Dexter season 5,6,7,8 were added yesterday. It's best to ignore them, but they're there now.

Other additions today include:
American Psycho (2000)
Spaceballs (1987)
Big Trouble in Little China (1986)
Raging Bull (1980)
As I Lay Dying (2013)
All the Boys Love Mandy Lane
Drinking Buddies (2013)
Hotel Rwanda
Akeelah and the Bee
Amelie
Amityville Horror I, II, III
The Apartment (Jack Lemon one)
April Fool's Day (1986)
Breakfast at Tiffany's
Bull Durham
The Chinese Connection
Changing Lanes
Catch-22
Days of Thunder
Duplex
Escape from Alcatraz
Ghost
Ghost Dog
Good Burger
Grand Canyon
Grand Theft Auto
The Grapes of Wrath
Harlem Nights
Jacob's Ladder
Mouse Hunt
Mommie Dearest
A Mighty Heart
Murder, She Wrote (Season 1 - 12)
The Ninth Gate
Narc
Never Back Down
Novocaine
Paulie
Penelope
Planes, Trains and Automobile
Saved!
Scrooged
Sex Drive
Reindeer Games
Some like it Hot
Star Trek: The Motion Picture
Talented Mr Ripley
Thelma and Louise
Thing Called Love
Tora! Tora! Tora!
What's Eating Gilbert Grape
West Side Story

And plenty of others new/returning.

LorenzoL

I'm sticking with my current plan. I share my plan with my parents only so there's no need to another HD stream.

Any other TV shows that have been added? I'm going to revisit Murder, She Wrote. I haven't watched that since it was broadcast and I'm wondering how it holds up.

RichC2

Alfred Hitchcock Presents Season 1, Cake Season 1, Dexter 5,6,7,8, Dino Squad ssn 1 and 2, Masterpiece Mysterday! Endeavour SSn 1, Property Wars Ssn 1, Maron Ssn 1, Being Human Ssn 5, Dick Van Dyke SHow Ssn 1, Shameless (UK) Season 5, The Incredible Hulk Season 5, Family Guy Season 11.

...so not really a whole lot.

LorenzoL

Thanks! I'll check out Dick Van Dyke Show.

RichC2

Jack Reacher (Tom Cruise, 2012) was added today.

printerati

Nice, don't recall seeing this one listed in the "Coming Soon" section of the Roku's Instant Watch Browser channel. Despite the reviews, I'm curious to see how they went about interpreting the novel.

DJariya

Really? With all the new scripted TV on the networks and cable coming out in 2014, you want to watch that?

LorenzoL

Yeah. I used to be caught up with newer shows but I'm finding now, I'm more interested in older shows. I'm only watching 2 shows in real time right now (Brooklyn 99 and Back in the Game). The rest, I can wait. I'm probably one of the few people who hasn't watched Breaking Bad or Game of Thrones yet.

LorenzoL

False alarm as they haven't taken down Frasier. Time to finish off season 5 and the latter seasons...

Geofferson

Starting today, Netflix started offering director commentaries as an audio option on House of Cards episodes. I haven't listened to any yet, but that's pretty cool.

http://variety.com/2014/digital/news...-1-1201024408/

mhg83

That's awesome! I would pay a few dollars more if they started adding special features to titles.

mhg83

Yeah I remember awhile back when Netflix allowed you to see how long a show has till expires, Cheers and Frasier licence doesn't expire for crazy amount of time like 5-10 years.

davidh777

I don't see why that's funny. Dick Van Dyke is on my to-watch list because it's supposed to be a great show. So we're only supposed to watch new stuff or we suck? Now I just feel lame for having finished Buffy season 4.

mhg83

This.

I still have never watched a Twilight Zone episode, never finished Six Feet Under, Battlestar Galactica, The Wonder Years, etc etc. All of which I see an appeal to watch even if they are old shows.

DJariya

I wasn't intending it as an insult. I was just surprised that Lorenzo would rather watch a show from over 50 years ago than say Nikita, Arrow, Strike Back or the new season of 24. I mean to be perfectly honest, if I was seeking to watch something older, Dick Van Dyke wouldn't be first on my mind. I know that thousands of hours of new stuff comes out each year and it's almost impossible to keep up with everything new.

Cool beans if Lorenzo has an appreciation for older stuff.

Hell dude, I just bought Beverly Hills 90210 the complete series on DVD last month that I hope to revisit soon, maybe this summer.