For all you Netflix lovers out there, I have it as well. So I’m not some uninformed basher about this streaming service! For $8 per month, Netflix allows you to stream movies and TV shows ranging from romantic comedies to independent movies to anime!
And if you’re one of those people who like to try things before you buy, Netflix is one of the most popular sites with this feature. They have tons of promotions (if I used my Visa card number to create a Netflix account, they would give me two free tickets) and they’re really quite enticing.
So what’s so bad about it? Well, here’s the breakdown:
The Good
If I want to kill an hour or so, I don’t want to spend it by waiting for a movie to download online; I want to actually watch it! Netflix, however, is really accessible and convenient (you can watch it on your PS3, Xbox 360, Wii and PC) and downloads moderately fast (better than most online streaming sites).
Plus, you don’t have to feel guilty about having a large collection of TV shows and movies; you pay a set amount and you can cancel at any time. No biggie… right?
The Bad
Actually, the selection in Canada is below par. Although they do have some new movies and some excellent shows, they’re always behind on their episodes. They only have the first season of Community, and since it’s such a great show, I could not wait for Netflix to update it years later. So I had to go to another site to access more episodes; I think this kind of defeats the purpose of Netflix, don’t you think?
Although it’s understandable that Netflix can’t update extremely fast; people still want to sell DVDs and whatnot, and I’m pretty sure they make more profits from those than they do from Netflix.
Another point to make is that several users can use the same account at the same time, yet watch different things. They probably didn’t make their service exclusive to only one console and one IP address, but they made it easy to share the same account. If my friend and I wanted Netflix, we could split the fee and share an account. That’s $8 they’re losing; imagine that times… however many accounts there are on Netflix!
And if I want to watch the same thing with a friend who isn’t next to me, I don’t want to time it on our own (think about bathroom breaks, etc.). If Netflix were to change this problem, then they should ensure that one account plays the same movie/TV show for every platform.
Also, the quality of the content tends to get super blurry at times, and I have an HD TV! I know high definition isn’t the most important thing when watching something, but it’s an added bonus.
So, is it better than...
TV? Depends what you like. I’m not a huge fan of scheduled TV (when I miss one episode, I give up on the series altogether), but you do get the latest episodes. Plus surfing the channels can lead me to really pleasant surprises, like movies I’ve never heard of before I saw it on TV!
Movie Channels? They’re a bit pricey when you want to add it on top of cable TV, but they have new releases and play the same movies at different times. I’m going to say no to that one!
Pay-Per-View or Rentals? It’s cheaper to go with Netflix, but again you get the new releases with this alternative. I’m going to say yes.
The Library? Yes and no. You don’t have to wait for holds on some of the newer releases (200+ holds for the first couple of months), but they do have more selection. Plus a library card allows you to get books and CDs. Netflix is super limited.
Other streaming services such as Hulu? At the moment yes, because those services aren’t available in Canada. But I’m sure that Hulu has a lot more selection! Any Americans here that can state a verdict?
Downloading/Torrenting? I don’t know if anything will ever top this; you get a huge selection (thousands of versions of the same movie) and most of the time the download speed is reasonable. So, sorry Netflix, but you’ve been beaten. However, the legality of doing this is questionable.
Final Verdict
So, should you buy Netflix? I don’t think so. Not unless the Canadian version increases their selection. The American one is better, but it’s still lacks compared to other alternatives. And although it’s convenient, you lose quality. Plus ~$12 per year for a library card, or $0 for torrenting is better than $8 per month (which is $96 per year).
Unless you’re sharing the account among family, friends or relatives; there are cheaper alternatives out there. You can totally bash me if you’d like, but at the moment it’s frustrating when they only have three episodes of Sherlock when they’re starting their third season!