Got Netflix? I HAD to have this new add-on!

[HistoryWes]

I have had the Roku player for about a year now and I LOVE it. It's like having free cable. There are tons of great shows to watch, including a lot of recent movies. The player has all the connections you could want, including HDMI so you can get HD depending on your Internet speed (which is why I use a wire instead of wireless 100mb vs. 11mb). Hope you enjoy yours as much as my family enjoys ours.

[Nate the great]

Originally Posted by ilovejedd

Since ever? I'm not exactly sure since I've only been with Netflix for 4 years, but from the time I've been a member, they've been shipping on Saturdays. Basically, if the post office is open, so are they...

That's odd, becuase I've been a member for a year and a half and yesterday was the first time I ever saw a ship notice on Saturday.

[ilovejedd]

Originally Posted by Nate the great

That's odd, becuase I've been a member for a year and a half and yesterday was the first time I ever saw a ship notice on Saturday.

Just timing issues, perhaps? Sometimes, Netflix might delay shipment, too, if you get a lot of DVDs per month.

[brecklundin]

Originally Posted by Gideon

I'm dropping cable in a couple of weeks for an entirely computer based system (well, mostly - but I doubt I'll use the 360 much for movies once the TV is connected to a computer.)

I picked up a MacMini and upgraded the RAM (RAM is CHEAP right now) and use an external hard drive with it.

Using Plex (as PilotBob suggested) I access Netflix (2 movies at a time setup but mainly for instant streaming), Hulu, Daily Show, CNN, MSNBC, Colbert Report, a bit of Food Network (no Good Eats, regretably) plus anything else I might have stored on the computer (I tried backing up all my DVDs but it got too time consuming). I then have the MacMini also working as a streaming computer so I can access my music collection anywhere, or watch things on my laptop as well (I watch stuff when I go to bed mostly). Sometimes I'll rent a movie from iTunes or buy a TV show. I generally avoid buying video files however, since the DRM is an issue (not going to pay the same price for something I can't watch on other things, etc)

I've not turned REAL TV on in months, even though I'm still paying for it (roommate uses it) - it's been great. I don't watch a ton but this gives me what I DO watch.

I did exactly that, have even been toying around with the idea of a MiniMac for a video player on the TV, I forget how many years back now, making do with what was to be had on the network sites and believe it or not the Winamp ShoutcastTV stuff. Once I found Netflix we started that and when they added unlimited Instant Viewing that sealed is in there. BTW, NF just made an agreement with ABC in addition to the Showtime & CBS stuff they already have so it will be interesting to see how that plays out.

Of late, to be honest, I haven't been watching much of anything. I did enjoy "The Ramen Girl" the other night, though I renamed it "The Karate Kid with Noodles"

Now that I have the better half sold on Roku, NF, Hulu and I have started playing with the PC version of Boxee it is pretty great.

Around here we tend to enjoy a lot of the BBC content more than the US stuff. Maybe because every time I enjoy a series on US TV, it gets cancelled.

Originally Posted by Nate the great

Does anyone know when Netflix started shipping on Saturday?

Yeah, NF has been doing Saturday processing from 'selected' processing centers for a while now ( I think it began a good 4-6 months back). As I recall, it's still sort of an experiment in order to, oh heck who knows the real reason, but it is nice in that we get more movies each month if we want them. I am really close to my area processing center so I pretty much get my movies next day anyway, still it adds a few movies a month if we want them. But I am not certain if the Saturday processing has been expanded to all processing centers yet.

The only thing I wish NF would let us do is throttle back movie shipments yet retain Instant Viewing. Might be something to do with how their service is classified legally and contractually preventing that. I know we could drop to one movie with unlimited streaming but I feel it's fair to pay what I agreed to for service and not constantly switch things.

[brecklundin]

Originally Posted by ilovejedd

Just timing issues, perhaps? Sometimes, Netflix might delay shipment, too, if you get a lot of DVDs per month.

Pure FUD...I have had NF forever and well, never have they delayed my deliveries. The Saturday thing is a test program and only being groomed at selected centers.

When we are really in video mode we watch 1-2 DVD's/night and keep a 2-1-2 sort of rotation on our viewing and have it setup so we always get 2 DVD's on Saturday. Plus we can watch 60+ hrs of Instant View/week during certain periods...we basically use the heck out of the system and never once were there any issues with delivery. We can even have the Roku going in the living room and I might have a show on my laptop at the same time. If you are not aware you can have as many instant view sessions as you have DVD's at once in your plan. That makes the service even better yet, if you have a large enough pipe at home to handle multiple streaming sessions. Though the months we use that much video are not that often, just usually when I am kinda house bound for a while. I find I need the distraction when the pain meds are not working.

I have read a lot of PO's are overwhelmed with the sheer NF volume which is likely where the delays happen for some folks. There is a trend in many PO's where they just keep a bin dedicated to NF video's.

[ilovejedd]

Originally Posted by brecklundin

Pure FUD...

Not FUD. It's in their terms of service. Still, you'd have to be really abusing the system for a while. For example, 3 DVD shipments in a week. If you have the 3-at-a-time plan, that's 36 DVDs a month.

Interesting bit about the Saturday. I didn't know other areas didn't have it. In Los Angeles, it seems like we've always had it.