Netflix

[Fretty]

Netflix just arrived in Canada yesterday.
I've been eagerly awaiting this and of course signed up right away.

I have a couple questions for those spoiled people here who have had it this whole time I've been without it (I'm looking at you, Americans!).

1) I noticed that the new release movies aren't so "new" even compared to video rental stores. How delayed are the releases on Netflix in comparison?

2) Does Netflix not carry any HBO TV series'?

3) Does Netflix have to strike a deal separately with each television company for each show? I've noticed that some shows are completely up to date (as in they have what was just aired on TV the night before) and some shows are full seasons behind or not carried at all.

4) Do they only put up shows for limited times before removing them and then adding them back to their library again after a long duration? If so, what is the average availability duration for TV shows and movies once they are added to the library?

5) If they are about to remove items from their library, is there a warning, countdown or removal date listed somewhere so I know how much time I have left to finish off a series before it's pulled?


I wonder these things because certain shows, such as Dexter, are not available. I then decided to look into other popular titles just out of curiosity, such as Glee (I've never seen it, but I know it's popular), The Dark Knight, Spartacus Blood and Sand and none of them were available. Yet they had some new shows, such as Running Wilde, which was just aired for the first time the night before on television. I'm trying to decide if my wait was worth it, or should I even bother subscribing to Netflix for the long run if I can't guarantee they will have what I'm looking for.

[Grieve]

I find they are pretty far behind in getting the latest releases. And the streaming library is even worse.

They definitely have plenty of HBO shows, though, and most can be streamed. I'm not aware of them ever pulling shows or movies they were once up there. Maybe they have a different catalog available in Canada?

I didn't know they had just gone live up there. Might be a good time to buy the stock, even though it's ridiculously high already.

[Slamz]

I don't know that they are behind on new releases... My Iron Man 2 Blu-Ray queue-up shows a 9/28 release date, same as Amazon. Although when I actually get it may have to do with how many other people already queued up ahead of me.

Not sure about HBO shows. If it's on DVD I would think they'd have it. They have Rome and Sopranos for sure. If you don't see them on your Netflix, maybe HBO just hates Canada.

I see all of Dexter as available.


Now if you're talking about Netflix streaming then yeah, everything you said is true. It's not really a good way to get new releases and shows appear and disappear apparently at random with no warning.

Netflix is really a DVD mailing service that happens to sometimes have some things available for streaming.

If the DVD mailing is the part that seems to be missing stuff, you might just chalk it up to it being new in Canada and they haven't built up their library yet. It's very rare for me to think of any show or movie that's out on DVD which I can't get from Netflix.

[Riz]

As Slamz said, they are not behind at all that I can see for the DVD mailings. That's still their primary business. I can get shows the day of release to DVD. I don't recall any physical media being pulled ever.

Streaming though, that can be spotty. Some things come and go, especially the Starz catalog, which changes. Lots of series to view there, and I haven't seen any of them pulled, but they aren't ever up to the latest. Good Dr Who viewing though...hehe.

[Breand]

Netflix just arrived in Canada yesterday.
I've been eagerly awaiting this and of course signed up right away.

I have a couple questions for those spoiled people here who have had it this whole time I've been without it (I'm looking at you, Americans!).

1) I noticed that the new release movies aren't so "new" even compared to video rental stores. How delayed are the releases on Netflix in comparison? Depends on the studio. Netflix has deals with some companies where they have to wait a month from DVD release to have it available. In return they get a bigger library from the studio and the ability to live stream more material.

2) Does Netflix not carry any HBO TV series'? They carry them all. not for instant viewing tho, at least not most them.

3) Does Netflix have to strike a deal separately with each television company for each show? I've noticed that some shows are completely up to date (as in they have what was just aired on TV the night before) and some shows are full seasons behind or not carried at all. I wasnt even aware they show up to date shows...maybe just in Canada. Usually it is based off of DVD boxed set release for those seasons.

4) Do they only put up shows for limited times before removing them and then adding them back to their library again after a long duration? If so, what is the average availability duration for TV shows and movies once they are added to the library? In my experience, once something is put up there, it never goes away

5) If they are about to remove items from their library, is there a warning, countdown or removal date listed somewhere so I know how much time I have left to finish off a series before it's pulled? see#4


I wonder these things because certain shows, such as Dexter, are not available. I then decided to look into other popular titles just out of curiosity, such as Glee (I've never seen it, but I know it's popular), The Dark Knight, Spartacus Blood and Sand and none of them were available. Yet they had some new shows, such as Running Wilde, which was just aired for the first time the night before on television. I'm trying to decide if my wait was worth it, or should I even bother subscribing to Netflix for the long run if I can't guarantee they will have what I'm looking for.

Sounds like your Canadian Netflix is very different from the U.S. Netflix then. We have all of those shows available, but we don't have access to brand new shows.

[Breand]

I just read an article on it (where the CEo calls Americans' 'self-absorbed', BTW) and the services are totally different from the U.S. They don't even do DVD by mail in Canada, which is the primary service in the U.S.

[Slamz]

I just read an article on it (where the CEo calls Americans' 'self-absorbed', BTW) and the services are totally different from the U.S. They don't even do DVD by mail in Canada, which is the primary service in the U.S.

Ohhh, well that would certainly explain things.

When we Americans talk about Netflix, we almost certainly mean the physical-DVD-by-mail system which has replaced the corner DVD rental store (as in a lot of these stores have literally shut down because so many people just use Netflix or the Blockbuster equivalent).


I would not pay very much for access to Netflix's streaming video library. The only reason I use it at all is because it's free with the DVD-mailer subscription.

[Grieve]

I only use the streaming version - I expect it to very quickly become more popular than the by-mail model, if it isn't already. Now that you can access it through so many devices (blu-ray players, xbox, wii, ps3, iPad, iPhone, iPod, AppleTV, etc), and with broadband becoming cheaper and faster, I'm sure it's their main focus right now. Much lower costs! Hopefully they will continue to make deals letting them add more streaming content.

[Slamz]

I use the streaming whenever possible. But I would guess maybe 1 out of every 10 things I want to see actually ends up being available on streaming, and sometimes by the time I get around to trying to watch them, they've been removed from streaming.

[Riz]

I almost never watch on disk. I stream 99% of my watching (on my iPad NO LESS! I'm such a fanboy).

[Zirak]

I used Netflix when they first came out and there was no monthly fee for getting discs from them. Once they went to a subscription service I dropped them like a hot potato. I don't rent enough movies to justify it. I also don't stream a damn thing - give me physical media or go away. And while you're at it - GET OFF MY LAWN!

[Vanraw]

Yea I read that Canada was streaming only. There is a large qunity of titles that are not avaiable streaming. But its becoming less and less. The interesting thing is you can "rent" stream of new vedio's from Blockbuster or Zune at the same time as the DVD is on sale.

The thing netflix did do with new releases, is they agreed to a 28 day delay with a couple very large studio's. Evidently the studios thought Netflix easy availability was eating into DVD sales. This was a restriction for both DVD and streaming. The odd thing is that the same studio's didn't restrict Block busters competing service. I thought this was unfare, but found that netflix agreed to it for some deal that made them more money / cheaper cost.

[Jakensama]

I just read an article on it (where the CEo calls Americans' 'self-absorbed', BTW) and the services are totally different from the U.S. They don't even do DVD by mail in Canada, which is the primary service in the U.S.

Haha I like the man

Hastings: How much has it been your experience that Americans follow what happens in the world? It's something we'll monitor, but Americans are somewhat self-absorbed.

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[Grieve]

Netflix signs expanded license agreement with NBC

The multi-year deal, which kicks off next week, allows the streaming of prior season cable and broadcast TV series new to Netflix members.

Netflix subscribers will be able to watch content like "Saturday Night Live," "Friday Night Lights," "Monk" and "Battlestar Galactica," the company said.

Huzzah! I still haven't seen the second half of the final season of BSG.

[Jakensama]

Do yourself a favor and just press the stop button about 20 mintues before the last episode is over and just pretend it ends there.

[Skelas]

God did it.

[Jakensama]

Skelas' mom is one of the final five.

[Fretty]

Thanks for the info guys. I didn't realize it was primarily a mail service, I thought they actually focused most on the streaming aspect of things. After seeing their (very small) selection of streaming videos I was quite disappointed. Even the new releases on there are quite old. They do have Mad Men though, which I just recently started to watch, so that's good at least. I guess once I'm done watching the latest season on there I will cancel the service before the free month trial has ended. Hopefully they put more focus on the streaming library now that they have opened it to Canada and offer that as it's only choice. I can't see how they plan to succeed in Canada for $7.99 a month and only offering about 40 movies and about 20 TV series'.

[Riz]

Wow...that Canadistan service must really suck.

[Skaag]

The papers in Ottawa claim that Netflix will start to offer the mail service later. The price will probably go up to US levels as well. But at the moment they do not have a large enough video library of hard copies to mail in Canada. Shipping across borders would not be cost effective, along with all the legal rights issues you have regarding broadcast across borders