OT: Streaming Netflix

I have been using the little red envelopes for years, but recently got curious about streaming instead. Anybody use that? Satisfied? Prefer to red envelopes?

After talking to a Netflix employee, I got the following impression:

  1. I have to buy a "streaming Netflix player/plug-in" -- he thought - ??

  1. There is "unlimited" watching.

  2. But there will not be as much content available as with the DVDs.

Doesn't sound like the world's greatest deal, so why do people opt for it?

TIA

HB

Reply to
Higgs Boson
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$40 to $150

Yes

True.

NO COMMERCIALS!!!

Way, Way cheaper than cable

Hi Higgs,

Have had it for years and love it. Everything is out of date though. Love watch TV series without the commercials.

You need to get a ROKU or Amazon box to play it and a wired or wireless connection to your Internet.

You can also watch on a Windows computer.

-T

Reply to
Todd

Just hook up an old PC to your TV and you are good to go.

There was a long discussion about this a week or so ago.

It is the perfect use for one of those XP machines that are heading for the landfill. It is true that there is more on DVD but I bet that will change.

Reply to
gfretwell

|I have been using the little red envelopes for years, but recently got curious about streaming instead. Anybody use that? Satisfied? Prefer to red envelopes? |

I get the DVD service and love it. I still don't know how they can afford such cheap prices, given Hollywood royalty costs.

I had a chance awhile back to check out Netflix streaming service and was unimpressed. I didn't recognize the movies listed on the front page. When I searched for a few things I might be interested in, they weren't there.

So I think it depends on what you watch. If you're happy watching any old thing but like to see a lot of TV, it will probably seem a very good deal. If you like to see "art house" movies, good foreign movies, recent

*good* movies, movies that have won awards at Sundance, etc, then I'm guessing you'd be very frustrated with the streaming offerings. I find that I can get nearly anything on the DVDs, but it seems that the way they afford to give you an all-you-can-eat streaming menu is because Hollywood only approves the dregs, which are no longer making money elsewhere, to be streamed.

(Also, of course, you'd want to make sure you have a fast enough connection without any surprise overage fees that might kick in. Watching TV online takes a lot of bytes.)

Reply to
Mayayana

To add to and clarify the answers you've already received to your question 1: You do NOT have to buy a "Netflix player/plug-in" if you intend to watch their streaming service on a tablet or computer - as long as that device has access to broadband internet. You can watch using any www browser on either a computer or a tablet. Additionally, there are free apps you can download to your Apple or Android tablets that provide a slightly more polished interface than just a web browser interface. If you want to watch streaming Netflix on a TV, you may need to purchase either a set-top box or a dongle that plugs into an HDMI socket on your TV unless you already own a TV, DVD player, or entertainment/game box that is Netflix capable.

I'd strongly suggest that you browse the Netflix streaming catalog to help make your decision which (or both) services to subscribe to. In my case, there is partial overlap (some things are available on both services, some only on DVD). I subscribe to both, but the streaming service more than pays for itself because I only have the 1 at a time DVD subscription and on the nights when the disc is in transit to or from the warehouse, I watch something streaming. Therefore, because of my personal interests and tastes, I essentially have unlimited access to the entire Netflix catalog for the price of a 1 at a time DVD + the streaming service = $16.46/mo including taxes. Compare that to the cost of even a single "premium channel" subscription with cable, satellite, or FIOS TV service. My two queues compliment each other and never contain the same titles. Sometimes a title on DVD gets added to the "instant watch" list - at which time I move it over from the DVD queue to the "my list" streaming queue.

Hope that helps.

Reply to
Peter

Many blu-ray players do netflix plus hulu and others. In the $50-$60 price range. Then you gte two for one.

Reply to
jamesgang
[snip]

I remember being surprised to find out that some people thought the OS they got on their PC was an inseparable part of it.

Also, it could be 3 more years before you have trouble getting software for XP.

Reply to
Mark Lloyd

On Tue, 22 Apr 2014 09:13:32 -0400, "Mayayana" wrote in

+1 on that. Also, I've read that the streaming movie selection is pathetic compared to the DVD selection. I assuming that NetFlix is pushing streaming so it can get away from postage; but I would rather pay more and keep the DVDs.

I've read other complaints like that.

Reply to
CRNG

No. As has been discussed ad nauseum, the lack of future support for XP means it is vulnerable to exploits. Standard anti-virus, anti-malware software won't protect it. Your home network is only as secure as its weakest link.

Or it could be now, or even a couple of years ago. It depends on what any particular software provider decides to do.

In short: XP boxes shouldn't be run on a network that connects to the internet, unless you are actively soliciting having your network and data compromised.

Reply to
Moe DeLoughan

| In short: XP boxes shouldn't be run on a network that connects to the | internet, unless you are actively soliciting having your network and | data compromised. |

You shouldn't take Microsoft's scare-tactic marketing too seriously. Many attacks are 0-day -- there's no protection for them. Which is to say that Vista/7/8 is probably even less safe in many cases, because it will be targetted. AV software will still be updating definitions, XP or not. And there's no reason the XP machine needs to be networked in the first place. It only needs to be connecting to Netflix.

I hope to never have to leave my XP machines behind in the forseeable future. I haven't lost a bit of sleep over Microsoft's arm waving.

Reply to
Mayayana

Seems a bit of an over-reaction. Antivirus software is still available for XP and will be for some time to come. It's true MSFT isn't going to issue any more security updates for XP, but not sure how big of an issue that really is. Most of the holes that are exploited are new ones that are found in new software releases. XP has been out for a long time, the security issues found have been fixed. And most hackers are going to be spending their time looking for ways to screw the most systems, not a rapidly decaying segement of the old PCs out there. So, I'm not sure there is a big worry there for the typical home user. Even with Win 8 and the latest antivirus software, there is no guarantee that it won't be susceptable to some virus attacks. Look at the virus software tests that PC Mag and similar do every year and all the antivirus software misses some of them.

To be sure, I would not be looking at XP for a new application, but I wouldn't be panicing either.

Reply to
trader_4

Most security breaches are what you download and open. If this is just a streaming box, you will not be opening attachments The software firewall, behind a hardware fire walled router makes an XP system pretty much invisible to the internet ... unless you download a program that opens that door.

Have Steve Gibson take a look at your system and see what he thinks (CRC.COM shields up)

Reply to
gfretwell

Per snipped-for-privacy@aol.com:

Keeper!....

Thanks.

Reply to
(PeteCresswell)

I cancelled mine. The best shit is only on DVD. I am happy with Hulu+ for streaming. I use a ROKU player since I also stream Amazon Prime.

Reply to
G. Morgan

We've had Netflix streaming for along time. The movie selection isn't bad but it isn't great. It's well worth the $9/mth. There are some really great series:

Lillyhammer, Breaking Bad, Rectify, and a bunch of others.

Streaming Netflix can turn you into a couch potato if you let it. Another good streaming video provider is Amazon Prime and with it you get free 2 day shipping for items bought on Amazon. It is one of the best deals out there. If I had to chose one or the other I'd take Amazon Prime.

Now we just have a HDTV antenna and the two streaming video services.

"Crackle" is free and worth looking into too.

formatting link

Nah....Netflix's a great deal but I heard today they are raising the price for new subscribers.

Reply to
gonjah

1+ on Amazon Prime.
Reply to
gonjah

I think this is the future of television for those who are not just using rabbit ears. Now that content producers can sell directly to consumers, who needs cable companies and networks. The guys who own the fiber and the wire will just be selling bandwidth and the content will be a separate commodity.

The only real question is whether the infrastructure can handle that much bandwidth.

I remember when I was in the biz and they were just starting the fiber backbone that became the data path for the internet, we thought that if everyone just had a T-1, it would be more data than they could ever use. That is a very slow DSL connection today. (1.4 mbs). Now people expect at least 10x that..

Reply to
gfretwell

I tried looking at a little red envelope. After about 20 minutes, I got bored.

So I went to a bigger red envelope. Even then, 30 minutes was about as long as I enjoyed it.

But then I went down to the stream. That was interesting for 120 minutes, especially the crayfish.

Reply to
micky

Amazon Prime, fireTV and a Comcast-fast internet connection.

Reply to
Marc

I can tell you aren't from the South.

Reply to
Ron

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