Netflix (DVD Delivery Discussion Only)

[Perkins Cobb]

Anyone who streams a movie that exists as a Criterion Blu-ray deserves the 47-minute version.

[cdobbs]

Anyone who streams a movie that exists as a Criterion Blu-ray deserves the 47-minute version.

I like to think it's the HD streaming I don't deserve. A full movie isn't asking for much.

[Perkins Cobb]

cdobbs, you are adroitly side-stepping my attempt to insult you. Stop it!

[AlexHansen]

Are any of the Eclipse titles available on Instant? (Short) Waiting for the Nikkatsu noirs since the release date is getting a little old, so being able to stream them, or any of the others, would be nice.

[James]

Does anyone know how I can appropriately view Red Road on Netflix Instant Watch? When I hit resume (I had a problem with this stream in the past and want to see if I needed to rent the DVD or if there's a fix), it starts out in the proper aspect ratio, only to then switch to a stretched-out image with unnecessary black bars on the top and bottom of the screen.

[Roger Ryan]

Does anyone know how I can appropriately view Red Road on Netflix Instant Watch? When I hit resume (I had a problem with this stream in the past and want to see if I needed to rent the DVD or if there's a fix), it starts out in the proper aspect ratio, only to then switch to a stretched-out image with unnecessary black bars on the top and bottom of the screen.

Welcome to the wonderful world of Netflix Instant Watch's own unique 1.50:1 (or so) aspect ratio reserved for a select number of their films; it's not quite widescreen and it's not quite full-frame. None of the films presented in this format were shot with this AR in mind, but no matter: Netflix will take a pan-and-scan master and stretch it so it fits this heretofore unknown image ratio rendering these films unwatchable.

Best to go with the DVD.

[gcgiles1dollarbin]

Am I just kidding myself, or is Red Line 7000 ok w/ regard to AR? Should it be wider? And I'm the only one really really happy to see this late Hawks marvel? Probably not... So thrilled to see this and Moonrise and My Son John among other great neglected films. They all look pretty good on instant view, too.

[Perkins Cobb]

Okay, top this: Their file for The Lonely Passion of Judith Hearne is 40 seconds long. Just when it was starting to get good!

[Perkins Cobb]

Am I just kidding myself, or is Red Line 7000 ok w/ regard to AR?

No, it's a fail. Pretty much all of the Paramount rarities (unlike the MGMs) are turning out to be old full-frame transfers. Redline 7000 actually looks better than a lot of them, and yes, you can zoom it on your TV to approximate the OAR. But that's still not good enough. Get it right, or don't bother.

An interesting exception, though: An anamorphic 'Scope transfer of Michael Mann's long-missing-from-home-video The Keep went up today. First decent transfer I've seen among the new Paramount stuff. They must've been ready to pull the trigger on this for DVD or Blu.

[MyNameCriterionForum]

Mann's The Keep and the Malick-written Deadhead Miles now available.

[MyNameCriterionForum]

They're listing Trash Humpers as available starting 30 Nov

[gcgiles1dollarbin]

Am I just kidding myself, or is Red Line 7000 ok w/ regard to AR?

No, it's a fail. Pretty much all of the Paramount rarities (unlike the MGMs) are turning out to be old full-frame transfers. Redline 7000 actually looks better than a lot of them, and yes, you can zoom it on your TV to approximate the OAR. But that's still not good enough. Get it right, or don't bother.

Much obliged, Perkins. I couldn't find OAR information on the information superhighway or in reference books, and I thought just possibly Howard was being old school with the ratio. I watched it anyway. I got it wrong, and I bothered. But it was a blast, anyway. Kind of scary to see A.J. Foyt flip an old stock car at the end. Maybe TCM will broadcast it properly some day. Or maybe PFA will have a Hawks retrospective, if I'm lucky. Or maybe Gus Van Sant will do a frame-by-frame remake.
Cheers...

[Mr. Ned]

Mann's The Keep now available.

Whaaaat?! Dream come true! One of my most sought after movies; now I don't have to shell out piles of bills for a dusty VHS.

[Lemmy Caution]

Netflix raises prices, offers streaming-only option

By Charles Riley, staff reporter
November 22, 2010: 10:06 AM ET

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Netflix is raising prices on DVD rental plans, but will offer a new option that relies exclusively on streaming video, the company announced Monday.

The new plan, priced at $7.99 per month, allows customers to instantly watch unlimited TV episodes and movies streamed to a computer or TV. The option includes no DVD rentals, and will take effect immediately.

Meanwhile, Netflix (NFLX) is raising prices by $1 a month on its two most popular plans -- the one and two-DVD at a time options, which will now be priced at $9.99 and $14.99 per month.

Price increases are even steeper on plans that allow three or four simultaneous rentals. The three-DVD price will increase from $16.99 to $19.99, and the four-DVD plan moves to $27.99 per month from $23.99.

"We are now primarily a streaming video company delivering a wide selection of TV shows and films over the Internet," Reed Hastings, Netflix co-founder and CEO said in a statement.

While Netflix continues to ramp up the number of titles available to stream, not every program is available, a tripping point for users who prefer the instant streaming service, but want access to the entire Netflix library.

Netflix shares are up more than 200% since January, and rose nearly 8% in early trading Monday.

[Perkins Cobb]

"We are now primarily a streaming video company delivering a wide selection of TV shows and films over the Internet," Reed Hastings, Netflix co-founder and CEO said in a statement.

Mark my words: That, right there, is the end of the Golden Age of home video.

Watching movies at home in 2012 is going to look a whole lot more like watching movies in 1985 than in 2005. We'll all be streaming badly compressed files of the same goddamn pan-&-scan video masters we used to watch on TNT. Remastering, OAR, 16:9 enhancement, special features: all battles that were "won" during the DVD/Blu-ray era that'll have to be refought in the streaming era. And so far, we're losing.

[Donald Brown]

"We are now primarily a streaming video company delivering a wide selection of TV shows and films over the Internet," Reed Hastings, Netflix co-founder and CEO said in a statement.

Mark my words: That, right there, is the end of the Golden Age of home video.

Let's hope other companies emerge to fill the gap left by Netflix for those of us who prefer to watch from physical media.

[Borgnine]

Nice timing, just this morning I went to my queue to see the message that The Darjeeling Limited and Paths Of Glory are not available in your selected format (Blu-Ray). I guess this is their way of saying "yeah we won't be picking those up, but hey thanks for the surcharge you pay every month." I don't even care about the extra damn dollar, but you look pretty bad when you raise prices and take value away from me at the exact same time.

[Perkins Cobb]

I mean, they don't even have the most recent seasons of CSI and The Office on Blu. How are "normal" people not complaining about that? And I literally have no realistic brick & mortar rental options left. I dunno what I'm going to do, because I watch many more movies than I can afford to buy.

[knives]

Do you have a library or college nearby? That's definitely the cheapest option.

[Perkins Cobb]

Do you have a library or college nearby? That's definitely the cheapest option.

The NY Public Library has gotten its act together in a big way over the last few years in terms of DVDs, but they still only have a fraction of the catalog titles that Netflix (used to) carry. Criterions, Kinos, popular television shows, and mainstream recent releases are pretty well covered, but studio catalog titles and small labels are hit-or-miss. Any English-language horror/exploitation/cult stuff is rare. No Blu-ray at all. So it's a help, but I don't think it's going to save me from spending that bundle on OOP DVDs. EDIT: Oh, and the DVDs are often, predictably, scratched all to hell, and sometimes they're also ... yucky in fairly imaginative ways.

The NYPL is also tricky because it now charges a fine of $3 per day for overdue DVDs, so if you're too busy to really stay on top of your due dates, you'll end up wasting a fortune.

[domino harvey]

[MyNameCriterionForum]

Mann's The Keep now available.

Whaaaat?! Dream come true! One of my most sought after movies; now I don't have to shell out piles of bills for a dusty VHS.

I'm only halfway through it as I write this, but wow... terrible film

[Mark Metcalf]

I'm becoming very unhappy with Netflix, for raising prices, and for not stocking movies I'm interested in. Like those from Animeigo, Flicker Alley, Criterion, etc.

My Netflix queue of "saved" films (the ones Netflix doesn't currently offer) is at 103, muchlonger than my regular queue.

Is Blockbuster online better for stocking those new Criterions, Animeigo, etc?

[Perkins Cobb]

Is Blockbuster online better for stocking those new Criterions, Animeigo, etc?

Somewhat, yes. Don't expect to find everything, but they have The Blind Menace and the Allan King Eclipse set, for instance.

[redbill]

They just deleted Red Shoes, Black Orpheus and Black Narcissus on Blu-ray from my saved, saying they won't be available on that format.

Cronos got moved up though, Night of the Hunter still saved.