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

[dragonazure.livejournal.com]

We rarely rent movies. If we like something enough to buy it, we buy it. Otherwise, we borrow it from the public library. A LOT cheaper than any subscription service, and its an OK route to go if you don't care about being FIRST! or seeing stuff in the theatre....

[cellio]

A lot of the appeal of Netflix for me is that I can manage a queue online and DVDs materialize in my mailbox without me having to take the time to go somewhere to look for a DVD. (Blockbuster is sub-optimal for the same reason. Granted that the library costs less. :-) )

Oh, and very little of my DVD-watching is in the "must be first!" space. So no problem on that front.

Edit: Hmm, I wonder if RedBox is a viable option...