Netflix (DVD Delivery Discussion Only)

[ando]

Absolutely. Most of what they stream goes well with my knitting.

[Perkins Cobb]

Netflix streaming is great for playing films while I'm in the other room doing the ironing or whatever.

New marketing tagline!

[TechNoir]

I had three different copies of a title that were all broken in pieces in different places. They told me they could try to find another copy, but after the third time, I just gave up. Only time it ever happened, but I thought it was very odd just the same. With this new Dish/Blockbuster offer for $10 a month, I think I am going to jump ship.

[ando]

NetflixStreamers: check out 3 A.M. (Lee Davis, 2001) just added yesterday. Well worth a viewing. One of the best New York films I've ever seen. There are some rough patches, to be sure, but it's an impressive debut for the Spike Lee protégé (have no idea if he's related or what he's doing now). Spike does get in the way. Alot. But don't miss it. Don't know how I did.

[Perkins Cobb]

So as I continue to futz around with Netflix streaming, I am perplexed at what passes my picky image QC and what doesn't.

I've been watching some recent stuff in HD, especially movies that didn't get a Blu-ray release, on the theory that the Netflix stream should yield better quality. So far so good: Exam and Heartless looked great and played fine without any stuttering or other streaming-unique issues. Ditto for the whole run of Caprica.

However, the older titles I've sampled recently had a very slight jerkiness that made them, to me, unwatchable: Pony Express, Entertaining Mr. Sloane, The Crimson Cult, Inadmissible Evidence. I think all of these are part of the Epix package ... has anyone else noticed the same issue?

I'm assuming that if some Netflix streams look great and others don't, the problem is on Netflix's end rather than with my ISP or equipment ... but if I'm wrong and there's something I can do to fix it, please chime in.

[ando]

Hmmm. Burn, Witch, Burn's older...'62. Smooth - surprisingly so. On The Waterfront, no memorable jerks. Heh. I'll look out for them...

[Perkins Cobb]

I want to test some of these bad Netflix streams on somebody else's setup, and see if the results are any different via other devices or ISPs.

If most or all of the Epix stuff does suck on their end, that's a big deal, because it's the only chunk of relatively rare Netflix-exclusive films.

[Mr Sheldrake]

I haven't checked His Girl Friday recently but it is jerky for almost it's entire length. The middle section of Blithe Spirit as well.

[Roger Ryan]

I believe this has more to do with when the film was encoded for streaming as opposed to how old the film itself is. "Newer" films from a few years back that were among the first to be offered for streaming look pretty ghastly, from jittering every time the camera panned to an actual distorted image throughout the film. I'm not sure how they have their servers set up, but more popular films seem to steam better than less popular ones in terms of freezing and rebuffering.

[swo17]

Consider yourself lucky if Netflix rented you a copy of Tabloid during its first two weeks of release. It's now unavailable (can't even add it to your queue).

[Perkins Cobb]

Consider yourself lucky if Netflix rented you a copy of Tabloid during its first two weeks of release. It's now unavailable (can't even add it to your queue).

What the hell? It was definitely on there before?

[Bill Thompson]

Consider yourself lucky if Netflix rented you a copy of Tabloid during its first two weeks of release. It's now unavailable (can't even add it to your queue).

What the hell? It was definitely on there before?

Sadly this happens often. The extended edition of Return of the King was made unavailable a few months ago, and it shows no signs of returning any time soon. Same goes for Millennium Actress, Underground, Ordinary People, Wayne's World 2, The Dead Zone, and others.

[Perkins Cobb]

Bill ... Indeed, you're right. Netflix has begun to allow in-print DVDs to disappear from its site once they fall victim to theft or damage, choosing not to restock them even though the option is available. For instance, everything from the Anchor Bay Wim Wenders set disappeared all at once sometime during my absence from Netflix in August-September.

Six months ago, I predicted in a blog post that we would soon see "an epidemic of unavailable classics" on Netflix (I think I originally used the term "holocaust," and I wish I'd kept it), and I think that tipping point has arrived.

However: I've never seen a high-profile new release like Tabloid come and go from Netflix's disc catalog within two weeks. This may be some new kind of fuckery that swo has discovered.

[Brian C]

Is there any chance that this is related to McKinney's lawsuit?

[swo17]

Possibly, in that Netflix probably only bought one copy and made the mistake of renting it to her.

[Tom Hagen]

Not Wayne's World 2!!

[Props55]

I'm beginning to believe that Domino was dead on when he posted that he was considering no longer selling even titles that he detested. At this rate I half expect shitty Alpha titles to start going for premium prices on e-bay within the year!

[criterionsnob]

Is there any chance that this is related to McKinney's lawsuit?

That sounds possible. Is it still on iTunes in the US? It's currently still available on iTunes Canada.

[swo17]

If there were some injunction in place against the DVD release of this film, surely Amazon wouldn't be allowed to sell it right now?

[Perkins Cobb]

Blockbuster still has it, in my queue as a "Short Wait."

[tarpilot]

Does anyone know why my Netflix Instant viewing history now lists one entry for every time I've stopped watching something, even if it was finished later? It's Netflix Canada, if that matters



In my defense, I was watching at work and the university wireless is a bitch about even brief periods of inactivity

[Perkins Cobb]

If I may reluctantly interject a rare positive comment, I have discovered Lino Brocka's Insiang (1976) in Netflix's streaming catalog. They have no director listed and the wrong release year, so it's a bit hard to spot. The image quality sucks but I don't think a better copy is available anywhere else.

[Michael Kerpan]

I have discovered Lino Brocka's Insiang (1976) in Netflix's streaming catalog. They have no director listed and the wrong release year, so it's a bit hard to spot. The image quality sucks but I don't think a better copy is available anywhere else.

There is a DVD -- but its image quality also sucks. I definitely recommend that people check out this (and any other Brocka -- or Ishmael Bernal films they find -- anywhere).

[Perkins Cobb]

Unexpectedly, Netflix has slurped up Marriage Italian Style (DVD only) from my lengthy "Saved" list of unacquired recent catalog releases into my queue with an 11/29 debut date. Well, it's something.

[ando]

Thanks, PC, for the Insiang tip. Page One: Inside the New York Times (Andrew Rossi, 2011) in HD was added today. Looks promising.