Netflix Instant movies?

[Libby Pritchett]

So I haven't done Netflix in about a year, but we're getting ready to sign up again probably in the next few weeks. We just got a new tv that is interneteady, so we can watch Netflix directly on there without having to wait for discs to be mailed.

For those of you who do this, I have 2 questions.

1. How do you feel about the selection of movies and tv shows? I tried to look up a few that I could think of, and I was disappointed that some things weren't on there. Do you find that they add new things often? i know when I did it before, the instant stuff was a very small section. I'm just wondering if they've beefed that up since that's an option that more and more people are using.

2. How many discs do you get in your plan? I used to always do the 3 disc out at a time thing, but if we're getting instant downloads, I don't know that we NEED that many. We do watch a lot of movies though, and Jeff is having surgery at the end of the month. So, he'll be laid up on the couch a ton. So, I don't want us to be sitting here with nothing to watch. Just not sure if the 1 disk at a time thing will be enough.

Thanks guys!

[Darcy Baldwin]

The selection can be slim for instant viewing. It really depends and it doesn't always switch often. I'd still go for the 2-3/mo plan so that you can get exactly what you want, and use the instant viewing for if you're waiting.

For the most part, the instant view isn't for brand new movies/shows. So you're move likely to find a movie has been out a few months an then it shows up on instant play. I just put a ton of things I love in my queue...and then browse the queue to see if something I want to watch is on instant play. Then I browse the new release once a week or so to see if something new has come up. You can put up to 500 movies in your queue..so you're bound to find some things that are already instant play

And yes, we've hit that wall repeatedly LOL

[Jengerbread88]

It may just be the sort of films I'm into (horror, foreign, etc), but I always find something to watch on Instant Play.

While it doesn't change often, Starz Play does have some newer options (while not necessarily new) that are only available for a limited time (Taking of Pelham 123 sort of new... not like... Letters to Juliet new).

I only do one disc at a time, but I'm horrible about sending mine back within a reasonable amount of time. If I were ONLY on DVD, Netflix wouldn't be worth it for me, but I have been able to watch so much stuff on Instant Play that I definitely find the price worth it. I watch one movie or two TV episodes per night. I was able to watch every season of Law and Order SVU (1-10, since 11 isn't available yet), plus all 3 seasons of Arrested Development and 3 seasons of my favourite show ever, the IT Crowd. So I feel like there is a variety in television, but I guess it really depends on what you're watching.

My biggest disappointment thus far is that neither The Brady Bunch or Boy Meets World are available on Instant Play. But then again.... I'm not sure there is much demand for them! Lol.

[jenn7]

I just got a one month free trial thing for my friends and family. Want me to send it to you?

[Libby Pritchett]

Oh I LOVED both Brady Bunch & Boy Meets World! LOL I would totally watch those!

We want to catch up on some tv shows that we havent' watched before... like I want Jeff to watch 24, the Office, How I Met Your Mother, etc. But we also want new movies, too. Sounds like I should go for at least 2-3 movies out at a time just to be on the safe side cause we watch a lot. When I lived in Arkansas, it took an extra day to get my movies because the distribution center there sucked. It's bound to be better in Wichita. LOL

[Libby Pritchett]

Oh that would be awesome, Jenn! Thanks! You have my email addy, right?

[NeverendingJen]

We just went from 2 discs to 1 per month since we watch more on instant than on disc. You can always start with 2-3 discs a month and then downgrade if you find it is too much.

[nikkiARNGwife]

We love the instant play...they have some kind of deal with Starz too so if a movie is playing on Starz it's also on the Instant Play section. It is mostly older movies, but occasionally a newer one will show up...I think they do a really good job of adding new stuff pretty much weekly...it's awesome for kids shows.

I think their TV series selection is MUCH better. We've been watching some shows that we missed when they were on air. I've watched the entire Season 1 of Dexter in 2 days on my iphone lol!

We really like it...we have a bluay player in our bedroom that streams netflix and then we have the Wii in the living room for the kids.

We have the 2 movies/month membership..but truthfully, we watch the on demand WAY more than we do the actual DVDs anymore.

[LibbysMommy]

My girls both love the iphone app - LOVE it!! Claire gets her Dora fix anytime and she loves that. I watch the instant play every. single. day. I agree with Nikki - it's great for catching up with shows you may have missed the first time around. I plan on watching Dexter after I finish up Friday Night Lights. We hardly ever have a need for the discs anymore (we're down to the 1 disc plan now) because we watch so much instantly.

[Traci Reed]

Instant Watch is great for TV programs We do 1 at a time + the instant watch

[aggiefamily]

For us it is worth it for the children's movies and cartoons. The boys have an endless supply of Spongebob.

[Sharon Kay]

It seems to change some on a month or two month cycle...it seems. At the moment I have 3 out at a time but will be changing to 2 at the end of this billing period. Actually what I did for this summer when we had more time was to have BOTH Netflix and Blockbuster ... got disks from both ... gave us quite the variety.

[meems]

I love the Instant Watch but I am also very behind in the world of entertainment as I rarely watch primetime TV and I hardly get out to see movies. I do the 2 discs at a time, 1 for me, 1 for kidlets.

[lovely1m]

I get 3 discs at a time, but have been meaning to up it to 4 for months. I watch a disc a night at work. We are getting a Wii for Christmas, so I will do more instant then, but a lot of the TV shows I have wanted to watch lately are on instant. I totally lurve my netflix.

[nikkiARNGwife]

DH and I were talking about how different things are for our kids than they were for us...I mean we're from the generation that didn't even have VCR's til we were practically teens...but it's funny how one day we'll tell our kids "when we were your age we had to go to a video STORE to rent our movies...we had to walk like 4 miles...in the SNOW..with no shoes on!" lol!

[aggiefamily]

So true Nikki! They probably can't imagine a world where everything wasn't instant.

[crecia27]

It has come a long way since they first introduced instant play. From what I've read their hands are tied by the networks as to when they can release it on instant - the networks /movies want their DVD sales $$

I never thought to let my kids watch the iphone app, that is going to be a lifesaver at baseball games!!

[nikkiARNGwife]

Originally Posted by aggiefamily

So true Nikki! They probably can't imagine a world where everything wasn't instant.

Avery is already like that...if he happens to want to watch something that isn't on our DVR or on netflix he cannot understand why I can't just push a button and make it play lol He thinks everything is "instant" already.

[*Celeste*]

our blockbuster closed. so we've been toying with this. i think we'd go one disk a month.

[Kat Stokes]

Originally Posted by crecia27

It has come a long way since they first introduced instant play. From what I've read their hands are tied by the networks as to when they can release it on instant - the networks /movies want their DVD sales $$

I never thought to let my kids watch the iphone app, that is going to be a lifesaver at baseball games!!

I hope this works for you! I tried doing it with our youngest at our last baseball game and Netflix wouldn't connect and play a movie/show.

We get 1 movie a month. I (we) tend to watch more reality tv - and kids shows... but I do love access to movies whenever I want.

And really... PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE add Mickey Mouse Clubhouse to the play list... I am soooooooooooo tired of explaining to the youngun' that Mickey Mouse just can't be played on any tv at any time..... LOL!!!

[lovely1m]

Originally Posted by nikkiARNGwife

Avery is already like that...if he happens to want to watch something that isn't on our DVR or on netflix he cannot understand why I can't just push a button and make it play lol He thinks everything is "instant" already.

My son is like that when we go visit other people, what do you mean you can't put Charlie and Lola on whenever I ask for it??? lol

I do have Sprint for my phone though and Disney is one of the free Sprint TV channels. So he can watch that anytime on my phone. Its awesome.

[nesser1981]

Can I just saw the instant play for Netflix was a LIFESAVER when Keira was in the hospital. It gave me something to do if she was watching the hospital TV or vice versa.

I have a streaming disc for our Wii and PS3. I haven't activated the one for the Wii yet, but when we can our basement completely ready the Wii will be down there in the playroom/office/workout area, so I'm sure we'll use it alot.

We get 3 discs at a time and when we're in the mood we get through those pretty quickly.

[gabbygirl]

I love the Netflix instant streaming. I tend to watch more TV series on the streaming than movies. Right now I'm watching the Nip/Tuck series. We also do three movies out at a time and take full advantage of that too. We're not that big on going to the movies so this works out perfect for us.

[Stacey42]

We have it for the Wii and DH watches it on his laptop all the time. Mostly we watch old tv shows. I've got about a dozen Dr Who episodes from 70's I am working my way through, plus Futurama. DH is currently watching My Name is Earl. The kids watch various things but not often, Scooby Doo movies & sometimes Rugrats but mostly the stuff they like watching is too new for Instant Watch.

We get 2 movies a month because most of the kids' movies are not on Instant Watch

[meems]

I've decided that my fave Netflix activity is to just add stuff to my queue. Stuff I will probably never watch. And yet I have difficulty deleting them off my queue (even after watching it). Kind of reminds me of another hobby I used to have

[Stacey42]

Meems... I left this thread and went and added about 10 things to my queue.

[Darcy Baldwin]

Originally Posted by meems

I've decided that my fave Netflix activity is to just add stuff to my queue. Stuff I will probably never watch. And yet I have difficulty deleting them off my queue (even after watching it). Kind of reminds me of another hobby I used to have

HA! And sort of like that library habit, huh?

[Darcy Baldwin]

Originally Posted by Stacey42

Meems... I left this thread and went and added about 10 things to my queue.

Ours is full. I have to find stuff to delete

[Angie4b1g]

Originally Posted by nikkiARNGwife

Avery is already like that...if he happens to want to watch something that isn't on our DVR or on netflix he cannot understand why I can't just push a button and make it play lol He thinks everything is "instant" already.

A couple years ago we stayed in a hotel and my son was completely outraged that I wouldn't turn Blues Clues on for him. LOL

[lovely1m]

Originally Posted by meems

I've decided that my fave Netflix activity is to just add stuff to my queue. Stuff I will probably never watch. And yet I have difficulty deleting them off my queue (even after watching it).

lol...I recently decided that Netflix knows me better than I seem to think it does and have since deleted off all movies from my queue that were rated below a 3 for me.

[Julie Billingsley]

We had the 3 discs at a time plan and just recently switched down to 2 at a time because it's fall and we'll do more tv watching than movie watching, plus we watch a fair amount of instant watch so we don't need the discs. In fact, the more I think about it, I might switch down to the 1 at a time. It's pretty rare we even watch 2 movies a week on disc.

[Angie4b1g]

Originally Posted by meems

I've decided that my fave Netflix activity is to just add stuff to my queue. Stuff I will probably never watch. And yet I have difficulty deleting them off my queue (even after watching it). Kind of reminds me of another hobby I used to have

Hahahahahaha.

[Julie Billingsley]

ha. Just switched to the one at a time plan. I talked myself into it. We need to save money.

[crecia27]

Originally Posted by Julie Billingsley

ha. Just switched to the one at a time plan. I talked myself into it. We need to save money.

I tried to talk my husband into getting rid of DirecTv and just sticking with Netflix for a year or so to help pay of debt. Judging by the strange shade of red he turned I decided to cut back elsewhere!

[Julie Billingsley]

Originally Posted by crecia27

I tried to talk my husband into getting rid of DirecTv and just sticking with Netflix for a year or so to help pay of debt. Judging by the strange shade of red he turned I decided to cut back elsewhere!

LOL! No getting rid of Directv here either. However, I gave them a call and mentioned that I was disappointed they didn't reward long term customers with awesome deals. So the guy reduced our fees by $5 a month for a year. Maybe that isn't a lot to some people but it's basically a month free! I was happy!

[Jengerbread88]

Originally Posted by meems

I've decided that my fave Netflix activity is to just add stuff to my queue. Stuff I will probably never watch. And yet I have difficulty deleting them off my queue (even after watching it). Kind of reminds me of another hobby I used to have

I do this. I have about 300 things in my Instant Queue I think. Then I scroll through it and go "Eh, don't want, don't want, don't want" and end up watching something suggested to me that isn't in my queue. Not really sure why I put the stuff in there, but I know I'm not going to take it out. Lol.



Also, Libby, I know for the Office they have both American and British on Instant Streaming.