Netflix

[Bozza]

Anyone else got involved in the new UK Netflix service?

£5.99 a month for unlimited streaming from a sizeable, and growing, library of films and TV shows - to PCs, Macs, iPhones, iPads, AppleTVs, 360s, PS3s, Wiis and presumably those horrible Android things too.

You can choose from different qualities of video based on your connection, and the HD stuff is pretty impressive from the playing I've done.

Also, for a few quid with someone like Unblock Us - unblock your favourite video and social websites your UK Netflix account will give you access to all of the US Netflix content too.

https://signup.netflix.com/ - and you can try it free for a month before committing, but £5.99 a month seems a no-brainer to me.

 

[Titanic]

How much of this can you watch before you start getting warnings about your 'unlimited' broadband service?

 

[Virgo's Haircut]

Had it for a few days. Liking it so far. Plenty of choice.

 

[Bozza]

How much of this can you watch before you start getting warnings about your 'unlimited' broadband service?

No idea - I've never had a warning from BT and I reckon we're pretty heavy downloaders

 

[shaolinpunk]

I'll stick to LoveFilm. The quality of streaming isn't as good as Netflix, but it does game rental, which is half the reason I do it

 

[Monkey Man]

I've been a LoveFilm customer for a few years and was happy enough. Then, when I had to get a new debit card because of a security breach, I missed a payment. I sent back the DVD I still had, after receiving a pretty OTT letter from a credit agency, and have since received an even shittier letter, all red type and capital letters, demanding money I don't owe (£10!).

I replied, saying that I'm switching to Netflix.

 

[Billy the Fish]

I've been thinking about subscribing to Lovefilm, but this netflix sounds interesting. Does anyone know what they're like with new releases and back catelogue of old films? When I've looked at these things before they tend to have deals with some studios but not others

 

[Simster]

I shall probably be all over this in the coming months, yes. However, I still have a ton of films to watch before I start spunking money on this service.

 

[sten_super]

It already looks like Lovefilm have altered their pricing structure as a result. We have Lovefilm, and I pay £8.16(??) for 4 discs a month (max 2 at a time) plus 4 hours of online viewing (which I never use, as I don't have any of the necessary equipment to stream straight to TV). However for £9.99 I can apparently get unlimited discs (max 2 at a time) and unlimited streaming. Unlimited streaming by itself is apparently available at a special launch price of £4.99, which sounds a great deal.

 

[clippedgull]

Not impressed. Poor quality streaming on my 20meg connection. Can't get it to stream HD at all! This is despite getting HD with zero problems from BBC Iplayer.

VPN connection to the US site works ok using UK log in details. Will give it the free month to nose around, but will probably cancel a day or so before the end.

 

[tinx]

unfortunately my Internet TV doesn't currently offer Netflix so until this happens I am sticking with Lovefilm for streaming.

 

[Bozza]

It already looks like Lovefilm have altered their pricing structure as a result. We have Lovefilm, and I pay £8.16(??) for 4 discs a month (max 2 at a time) plus 4 hours of online viewing (which I never use, as I don't have any of the necessary equipment to stream straight to TV). However for £9.99 I can apparently get unlimited discs (max 2 at a time) and unlimited streaming. Unlimited streaming by itself is apparently available at a special launch price of £4.99, which sounds a great deal.

By all account the Lovefilm streaming is absolute gash quality.

Not impressed. Poor quality streaming on my 20meg connection. Can't get it to stream HD at all! This is despite getting HD with zero problems from BBC Iplayer.

VPN connection to the US site works ok using UK log in details. Will give it the free month to nose around, but will probably cancel a day or so before the end.

Have you selected HD in your preferences and selected content that is available in HD?

I've been impressed from the few bits I've looked at, but I'm not anal about this stuff - I'm largely happy to just watch something for what it is, rather than keep trying to assess the picture quality.

 

[tinx]

It already looks like Lovefilm have altered their pricing structure as a result. We have Lovefilm, and I pay £8.16(??) for 4 discs a month (max 2 at a time) plus 4 hours of online viewing (which I never use, as I don't have any of the necessary equipment to stream straight to TV). However for £9.99 I can apparently get unlimited discs (max 2 at a time) and unlimited streaming. Unlimited streaming by itself is apparently available at a special launch price of £4.99, which sounds a great deal.

I have the 9.99 2 discs at a time package which is great as I can get through about 8 or so discs per month plus the streaming which is pretty good value, I have cancelled my sky movies as a result as this gives me plenty of films to watch.

 

[tinx]

By all account the Lovefilm streaming is absolute gash quality.

Its not that bad, perfectly watchable on a 42" plasma. Its not HD or anything but certainly doesn't ruin the film with the quality it is broadcast at.

 

[Meade's Ball]

I saw the Netflix guy selling on BBC Breakfast's 7.50 business slot the other morning. They raised the point of hugely upsetting a lot of their American market by raising prices on their disc rentals enormously, or summink, but he claimed that is all behind them now. There was an unholy smugness about him and i didn't trust at all. Also, i have a good friend who is a manager at Binkbox, one of their key rivals. Blinkbox has been part-bought by Tescos, so they're looking to go big. I used to write the odd review for them too, so i wish them the utmost success.

http://www.blinkbox.com/

 

[clippedgull]

Have you selected HD in your preferences and selected content that is available in HD?

I've been impressed from the few bits I've looked at, but I'm not anal about this stuff - I'm largely happy to just watch something for what it is, rather than keep trying to assess the picture quality.

Yes, selected the HD option, and looked for HD stuff. I must admit that I do like excellent picture quality which the iMac delivers superbly via Iplayer and rips of my Blu-Rays. I wasn't expecting 1080p but maybe I have just been spoilt.

 

[shaolinpunk]

Its not that bad, perfectly watchable on a 42" plasma. Its not HD or anything but certainly doesn't ruin the film with the quality it is broadcast at.

This

I streamed plenty of things over the Christmas period and never found the quality distracting, it would just be nicer if they streamed higher definition stuff (obviously). Surely that's only a matter of time if they want to stay ahead of Netflix

 

[beorhthelm]

streaming services is all well and good if you have an expensive unlimited broadband package. My missus has taken to using iplayer, just using that low quality service eats up my cheap arse service, 15GB for £15, HD would probably double it.

 

[Arthur]

Been with Netflix for a couple of weeks now and whilst the quality of stream is pretty good the selection is pretty poor, especially from a film point of view.

For example I fancied watching Goodfellas over the weekend, didn't have it. Then I thought I'd give the Lord of the Rings ago, none of them! So I paid more attention to what they actually did have and I couldn't find anything that recent or to be honest that good.

See Lovefilm is only £4.99 a month (so cheaper than Netflix) and looking at their website their selection of films is allot better. Going to give them a go as well as it's also a free months trial and to be honest even if I keep both on it's still cheaper than adding the movies to my Sky package.

 

[Aseros]

IP Masking for US content; much better selection.