Netflix price change

[cellio]

So Netflix just raised my subscription fee 60% (effective September 1). They did this by splitting streaming and DVDs into two separate plans, each costing $8/month, instead of bundling streaming with DVD plans as they do now. They argue that the price increase is due to the high cost of (and demand for) streaming (see recent news about them and Sony, for instance), but if so their pricing doesn't make sense. They didn't raise the price of the current streaming-only plan, and they are now asserting that DVDs cost $8/month to support (for one out at a time) instead of the $2/month suggested by the current pricing model. My current plan is $10/month for streaming + one DVD at a time. If streaming is $8 of that, then they have just raised DVD-rental fees 400%. (Ok, less half the overhead of having a customer account -- but I'm betting that's pennies a month.)

I, unlike others, am not looking for an alternate streaming service. Netflix has the largest streaming catalogue out there (though it has many deficiencies) and it already works for me. I want easy DVD rental because of those gaps in the streaming catalogue. What alternatives do I have for that?

Comments

[goldsquare.livejournal.com]

In my case, I use Dish Network for television, and it comes with free on-demand. Free is cheaper than what they have.

I'll be reconfiguring some hardware, and giving that a try. And there is still a Blockbuster nearby that has DVDs for a dollar a night, as well as Redbox for recent movies.

I only recently got Netflix (June). I'm horrendously dissatisfied with sound and picture quality, as well as having Sony movies yanked just as I started the service.

My solution probably doesn't work for you. But it's what I am going to try, before essentially paying nearly twice what I pay now.

[cellio]

That's unfortunate timing. :-( I've had Netflix for a couple years and have generally been loving it. One thing I love(d) about it is that I don't really have to think about DVDs vs streaming much; I watch whatever I want via streaming, always have one DVD from them, and I'm good. I watch 2-4 DVDs a month. The new pricing model forces me to evaluate these as separate propositions.