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28 Day Wait to Watch New Release Movie Rentals Through Netflix
Posted by Craig Kessler on January 12, 2010 at 2:30 am
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REDDITNetflix, the leading mail-in movie rental service that delivers millions of movies right to fans mailboxes every day, has recently formed a contract with Warner Brothers regarding its newest releases. Awhile back we announced how there was a deal in the works between Netflix and Warner Brothers regarding the newest movies. Well that deal has been set and now will go into effect for Netflix customers.
The details of the contract are that customers will now have to wait 28 days from the day of the movie DVD release before they can get them from Netflix. This may alter the renting experience for a lot of customers, some who may get very frustrated with the long wait and who could possibly be looking for other options. The benefit for the parties involved is that Warner Brothers wants customers to buy the expensive DVD’s in stores, benefiting the studio’s pockets, and in return will give Netflix a cheaper per unit price on discs. Essentially, it lowers Netflix’s overall costs of obtaining the discs from Warners Bro to rent out to me and you. From a business standpoint, I see how it makes sense. The only ones who may have an issue unfortunately are the customers, the ones paying Netflix these monthly fees. This will also give Netflix more incentive to tap into the digital streaming market, which has yet to be fully explored.
I completely understand why the companies did this because the ‘bottom-line’ is really all that matters. Honestly, I don’t think in the end customers will care at all. The reason is because it sometimes takes a long time to get a brand new DVD as it is. I am currently waiting to receive Inglourious Basterds from Netflix for close to 2 weeks now, but because there is a “very long wait,” it may be a full month before I get the movie to watch on blu-ray. Netflix only has so many DVDs in their warehouse and obviously the newest ones are have the most demand. In fact I think the big shots behind Netflix are cracking a bottle of bubbly on their yachts right now because they basically just made a boat-load of money for really not changing any of their policies. Customers are still going to have to wait for DVDs, and customers will not flee because Netflix is awesome. It’s completely changed how I watch movies, and I’m sure many more feel the same way.
With their ever growing online streaming video catalog and the ability to now utilize the service through the PS3 and soon to be Wii, if anything, they will only get more customers. This is a genius deal for Netflix, and a stupid one for Warner Brothers, who made a last ditch attempt to gain more DVD sales, in a slowly dying industry.
Viva la Netflix!
What do you think of the deal? Would this make you mad enough to leave Netflix?
18 Comments
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this will be the day i cancel my service
Candice´s last blog ..Up In The Air
@Candice Really? What will you switch to then?
This won’t change my habits at all. Movies go in the queue and I order them regularly and then watch whatever I get. There is so much content available that I never really worry about release dates anyway.
I guess if I was the type of person who has already seen everything then getting new releases immediately would matter but really how many people in the general public are like that? I doubt this will be that big of a deal.
One thing I will say is that I will not be more likely to buy a DVD/Blu-Ray title because of the policy. There just isn’t enough value in buying the discs these days.
Shadowhelm´s last blog ..Mystery Image – Solved
@Shadowhelm Agree, I actually use Netflix more for older movies I haven’t seen anyways. I also would not buy a new DVD because of this. I actually joined Netflix so I could stop buying DVDs all together.
@Everyone,
I think this deal is in Netflix’s favor. They have already destroyed all their competitors. They are the cream of the crop in a market where they clearly dominate. Lowering costs is a great move for them. People have no choice but to still use them, as they clearly have the best service still. So they lowered costs, and will not really hurt their subscriber base. Well, atleast I think they won’t. Now, they can focus on getting New releases to stream. That is the next frontier in this market. Will be interesting to see how it plays out
then maybe this will help people get back into the stores in order to rent a newer released movie. If someone has never seen the hangover, why would they want to wait an additional 28 days in order to receive it from netflix. I know i wouldn’t
@Adam Has nothing to do with rentals, has to deal with the fact that Warner Brothers would rather people buy their movies so they can make more money.
I know that Netflix is the best, but I’ve stuck with Blockbuster Online. As for this delay, I can see why they would do this, but that’s extremely unfair. Blockbuster doesn’t do that.
@Nick Blockbuster also doesn’t have the same leverage.
I’ve found that Blockbuster has a much longer “wait” anyway for new releases… even without this policy in place. I rarely have trouble with Netflix and their selection is better than Blockbusters, too.
That said I don’t really have the subscription so that I can see things the day they come out. I just use it to watch movies.
Nathaniel Rogers´s last blog ..What’s your latest hunch…
@Nathaniel I don’t have any experience with Blockbuster’s online service but from what I hear Netflix definitely has a much bigger selection. Netflix has movies you have to wait regardless of this, and like you I have it more to watch movies I haven’t seen. Tend to be older movies or newer movies that were small and weren’t showing in my area so the demand is not high for them.
Just back from the video store where I was shocked to discover nearly every one of the movies near the top of my queue (and not yet available to netflix customers) were on the shelf and ready to rent.
Netflix says it’s all about streaming.
My wife and I spent twenty minutes looking for something to stream before settling on half of an old SNL collection. Mostly, what we found available were direct-to-dvd movies that Netflix predicts I’d rate two stars (or less).
Netflix says it’s all about streaming.
I’ve got a beautiful projection system with a giant pull down screen, an incredibly sharp picture and amazing sound. Streamed videos have a gauzy look . . . except scenes in low light. They look downright eerie. Tolerable but only for movies that aren’t intended to visually stunning.
And Netflix tells me it’s all about streaming.
I have 7 disks at home. I pay more than $600 a year. And yet there I am at the video store looking for something to watch. Why?
Because Netflix says it’s all about streaming.
It is. My money streaming out with less and less bang for my buck streaming in.
Clearly I’ve got too large a plan. If it’s all about streaming then I should settle for the smallest package that includes unlimited streaming and use the money I save to rent the movies I want from the video store.
I used to love Netflix.
And then it became all about streaming.
I completely understand why the companies did this because the ‘bottom-line’ is really all that matters. Honestly, I don’t think in the end customers will care at all.
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