Snowed in with Netflix
Jan. 14th, 2008 08:42 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
llcoolvadNetflix just announced that the Watch Instantly program is now unlimited (assuming you're a subscriber, of course, and assuming you're not one of the lowest-tier subscribers). Watch Instantly is just what it sounds like — it allows you to stream a movie to your PC and watch it immediately, for no additional charge beyond your subscription. I thought it was a cool idea when they rolled it out last year, but found that the selection was somewhat...lacking. No new releases, no full seasons of tv shows (they'll let you watch MOST, but not all, of a season), and just not that much that I'd be interested in, so after watching one movie, I didn't use it again.
Today, reading the announcement, I thought maybe the selection might be a little better. They now claim "Over 6,000 full-length movies and TV episodes". I think when I tried it before it was something like 3,000. That's gotta be better, right? And hey, I just got a giant shiny new widescreen monitor that faces my bed! And it's my day off! And a snow day! The heavens have aligned correctly for me to finally try it out.
I've found a few titles I will indeed watch. Pan's Labyrinth, This is England, Letters from Iwo Jima, a couple of tv series. But honestly? Not that much, still! Here's the Top 50. Why haven't they added more? The studios must be so locked into deals with iTunes that they're unable to do more at Netflix.
Today I tried to watch Walking Tall 2 (I wanted something on while I did laundry, sue me) — but it was in French! Then I tried House of Cards (the British tv series) but I wasn't in the right mood so I pended it for later. Then I found a sort of mixed Sherlock Holmes movie ("Sherlock: Case of Evil"), which was interesting and fun in spots, and stars the VERY cute James D'Arcy as a very young Sherlock, but lord, Vincent D'Onofrio was terrible as Professor Moriarty — laughable, almost (on the other hand, Richard E. Grant was a welcome bright spot as Mycroft Holmes. He needs to be in every movie, I think).
Finally I found something actually good: "Maxed Out," a documentary about the personal debt crisis in America. Lots of stuff I didn't know (watching GW Bush smugly sign the bill making it very hard for middle income America to file for bankruptcy was just infuriating, especially when they tell you that the bill was written by MBNA, who is Bush's top contributor...), some stuff I did know, and several heart-wrenching tales of woe. Overall very good, in a very depressing The Country Is Doomed kind of way.
Oh jeez. In writing this up it occurs to me that I'm not supposed to watch streaming television or movies because of the writer's strike. Ooops! In my defense, I haven't visited a network site or downloaded a thing from iTunes since the strike started. And I used to! But I wasn't thinking of Netflix...shoot! My mother the proud Union member will be very disappointed in me. I guess I'll stick to On Demand. Or reading! Reading is good. Reading supports writers. There you go. Go read a book.
Today, reading the announcement, I thought maybe the selection might be a little better. They now claim "Over 6,000 full-length movies and TV episodes". I think when I tried it before it was something like 3,000. That's gotta be better, right? And hey, I just got a giant shiny new widescreen monitor that faces my bed! And it's my day off! And a snow day! The heavens have aligned correctly for me to finally try it out.
I've found a few titles I will indeed watch. Pan's Labyrinth, This is England, Letters from Iwo Jima, a couple of tv series. But honestly? Not that much, still! Here's the Top 50. Why haven't they added more? The studios must be so locked into deals with iTunes that they're unable to do more at Netflix.
Today I tried to watch Walking Tall 2 (I wanted something on while I did laundry, sue me) — but it was in French! Then I tried House of Cards (the British tv series) but I wasn't in the right mood so I pended it for later. Then I found a sort of mixed Sherlock Holmes movie ("Sherlock: Case of Evil"), which was interesting and fun in spots, and stars the VERY cute James D'Arcy as a very young Sherlock, but lord, Vincent D'Onofrio was terrible as Professor Moriarty — laughable, almost (on the other hand, Richard E. Grant was a welcome bright spot as Mycroft Holmes. He needs to be in every movie, I think).
Finally I found something actually good: "Maxed Out," a documentary about the personal debt crisis in America. Lots of stuff I didn't know (watching GW Bush smugly sign the bill making it very hard for middle income America to file for bankruptcy was just infuriating, especially when they tell you that the bill was written by MBNA, who is Bush's top contributor...), some stuff I did know, and several heart-wrenching tales of woe. Overall very good, in a very depressing The Country Is Doomed kind of way.
Oh jeez. In writing this up it occurs to me that I'm not supposed to watch streaming television or movies because of the writer's strike. Ooops! In my defense, I haven't visited a network site or downloaded a thing from iTunes since the strike started. And I used to! But I wasn't thinking of Netflix...shoot! My mother the proud Union member will be very disappointed in me. I guess I'll stick to On Demand. Or reading! Reading is good. Reading supports writers. There you go. Go read a book.
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no subject
Date: 2008-01-15 03:46 am (UTC)I know there are more PCs than Macs out there, but it seems odd to develop a technology that is so platform specific. I think it kind of defeats the whole "Web 2.0" concept.
no subject
Date: 2008-01-15 04:41 pm (UTC)Also consider most creative types in Hollywood are Mac users -- maybe that's why they're so het up about streaming, not only do they not get paid, they can't watch! Blast!
no subject
Date: 2008-01-16 01:21 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-01-16 01:35 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-01-16 01:21 am (UTC)I'm sure it's a purely fiscal reason, whatever it is. But it sure seems very short-sighted.