Comments on The Official Netflix Blog: Today's Release

This list problem has been raised in this blog a n...

2007-11-12T08:18:00.000-08:00

This list problem has been raised in this blog a number of times: the best way around it is to go to the page for the movie itself and add it to your lists from there. Look in the left column for a link to add the movie.

I am getting frustrated with the lists. I have had...

2007-11-12T08:07:00.000-08:00

I am getting frustrated with the lists. I have had over a dozen movies that I cannot add because they have the same name. A couple of times I got lucky and it added the right one. But I figure the first couple of times "well it's just this one I can't get". Now that it has been happening very frequently it has become a bigger issue for me; I would like to ask that you program a way that it will show both movies by the same name. Even if I have to add them both then delete one to get the one I want, this is becoming very frustrating. Thanks for addressing the issue. Thanks again! Matt

@Baff (and other Mac/Linux users) - I certainly di...

2007-10-09T08:06:00.000-07:00

@Baff (and other Mac/Linux users) - I certainly didn't mean to belittle your plight. I know I wouldn't be too happy if I were on your side of the fence, and I don't blame you for wanting to continue bringing up the issue from time to time. I've been known to do that myself occasionally (bring back mini-reviews!). I was simply trying to head off the inevitable barrage of newbies berating Michael about something that: a) Netflix doesn't have a lot of control over, and b) isn't under his purview anyway.

Sorry that people are annoyed by the mac crowd whi...

2007-10-08T22:43:00.000-07:00

Sorry that people are annoyed by the mac crowd whining. To be honest though, I would gladly give up the entire Community section (as cool as I think some of the features are), in trade for Watch Now on Mac.

Sure, Apple and the movie companies are partly to blame. I started having a lot less pity for Netflix though once they started using this feature as a main part of their ad campaign.

I fully intend to continue pestering Netflix about it until they fix the problem, one way or another.

ugh, just read this thread. you know, sometimes it...

2007-10-08T15:39:00.000-07:00

ugh, just read this thread. you know, sometimes it's the small things that count. please add back the feature that lets us change our Friends' names as they appear to us. I want my mom to appear as "Mom," not by her first name. you know what I mean? might seem a small thing, but I used that feature regularly. some of us are more interested in keeping things orderly than in all the work you're doing to turn the site into a sort of social networking site (no offense - I just want my Friend info!) thanks.

Baff, finally got round to reading your excellent ...

2007-10-08T12:53:00.000-07:00

Baff, finally got round to reading your excellent TV info, which made my 'good-natured'/'smart-alec' ribbing seem most discourteous (but you surely know that whoever's always the first to stick their hand up in class has to get clobbered for it occasionally!). Really nice job, and thanks. Was planning to get a high end LCD Sony, and this was just the encouragement I needed.

@Eric. Thanks for acknowledging us, and I think we...

2007-10-08T11:12:00.000-07:00

@Eric. Thanks for acknowledging us, and I think we're all equally sick of hearing the complaints when the problem is currently beyond Netfix' control. A tiny crumb of compensation would have been nice to cover the rather large (in my case 30 hrs) disparity between your bang for-the-buck and ours, but since it's really a Mexican stand-off between Apple and the studios I can certainly understand that Netflix doesn't feel that it's they that should be doing the compensating. It's lousy, but whatyagonnado besides stamp off in a huff and lose all the great stuff Netflix actually does offer us at a very fair price.

A small but, I hope, fair and balanced vent is allowed, right? Apart from getting us yet further off topic........

Since we're already wildly off topic, I thought I'...

2007-10-08T07:58:00.000-07:00

Since we're already wildly off topic, I thought I'd point out something that I noticed in the Watch Instantly section this weekend (with apologies to Linux/Mac users). It looks like at least a few TV shows from last season are already available for instant viewing, including 30 Rock and Heroes. In addition, the first two episodes of Heroes from this season are available as well.

Michael, this seems to be a significant upgrade in the quality of material available for instant viewing, and I'm guessing it took some sort of special agreement with NBC to get this season's episodes of Heroes available already. Will there be some sort of announcement about what that agreement is, and what its scope will be? My friends and I are all extremely excited about these new offerings, and I can assure you that those of us who weren't previously maxing out our instant watching time probably will be now.

Disclaimer: before non-Windows users start a flame war about not being able to use this feature, please go read the August post entitled "Instant watching on Mac, Firefox, and more" to learn why Netflix is currently unable to support other platforms.

@baff - Nice breakdown of LCD vs. Plasma. I'm gla...

2007-10-08T07:35:00.000-07:00

@baff - Nice breakdown of LCD vs. Plasma. I'm glad to see that others are as obsessive about researching technology purchases as I am :)

One addition I'd like to make to your research is that if you don't mind your TV taking up some extra space, DLP is a great option for larger TVs (and still smaller than traditional rear-projection models), and old-fashioned CRT models, though bulky (and if you can find one), still offer better picture quality at lower prices than LCDs. I have a 30" Widescreen Toshiba that does 1080i (so 30 Hz instead of 60), and I love it.

re: New NotesMichael posted about this a while bac...

2007-10-08T06:41:00.000-07:00

re: New Notes

Michael posted about this a while back, but I don't remember which post it was. Basically, a note is considered "new" if it was written within a certain time frame (and regardless of how many times you may have read it). I don't remember what the threshold is, but I think it's about 60 days.

Ahh, looks interesting, too bad I am on a Mac.

2007-10-07T23:19:00.000-07:00

Ahh, looks interesting, too bad I am on a Mac.

Dana Carvey. See link next to Community Blog.

2007-10-07T22:48:00.000-07:00

Dana Carvey. See link next to Community Blog.

What is "Netflix now playing"?

2007-10-07T22:25:00.000-07:00

What is "Netflix now playing"?

Not quite sure what to make of "Netflix now playin...

2007-10-07T20:51:00.000-07:00

Not quite sure what to make of "Netflix now playing".... But you guys sure can't be accused of getting stuck in a rut!

:(

2007-10-07T20:12:00.000-07:00

;P

2007-10-07T17:22:00.000-07:00

"Oh, something I forgot".Yea, we were about to ask...

2007-10-07T17:14:00.000-07:00

"Oh, something I forgot".

Yea, we were about to ask : what about the connections? ;)

Oh, something I forgot.ConnectionsHDMI: This is "b...

2007-10-07T16:35:00.000-07:00

Oh, something I forgot.

Connections
HDMI: This is "best" method for connecting to your TV. Everything is handled in 1 cable and it supports the highest resolution.
Component: This is the 2nd best. It supports the highest resolution too, but it does it with 5 cables (3 video, 2 audio) instead of 1.
DVI: HD connection useful for connecting a computer to your TV.
S Video: Not as good as the above, but better than what is below.
Composite: Do not confuse this with component. This is not very good quality, though it is fine for connecting a VCR which isn't good quality anyway.
Coaxial RF: This is pretty low quality, only good for connecting a VCR. Do NOT connect your cable box/HD receiver to your TV with Coax. The Coax coming out of the wall into your cable box is not the same (that coax can be connected directly into your TV if you don't have a box).

Since its been pretty slow in here the last week, ...

2007-10-07T15:58:00.000-07:00

Since its been pretty slow in here the last week, I thought I would take this time to pass on a bit of what I learned about HDTVs when I decided to buy one about 5 months ago. I'm sure things have changed a little, but probably not too much since I did my 100+ hours of research.

Plasma vs. LCD
LCD: Cheaper, does better in bright rooms due to a less reflective screen, and whites look better. Has issues with fast moving objects blurring, and blacks not so black.

Plasma: Better blacks, can see details in dark areas, and no motion blur. Costs more, most (but not all) Plasmas have highly reflective screens which can be a problem in bright rooms or rooms with lots of windows, and has issues over 6,000 feet. Only available in 37+ inches (37" Plasmas are rare, 42" is the smallest that most stores carry). Burn-in was an issue with older Plasmas, but unless you intend to leave the same image on your TV for weeks at a time, I wouldn't worry about it on recent Plasmas.

720 vs. 1080 resolution, and viewing distance
1080 is the best resolution you can currently get (and likely to stay that way for a long time to come), but
most people will notice little difference between 720 and 1080 (standard definition (SD) is 480). 6 feet away is about the maximum distance you can tell the difference on a 32" TV. 7 feet for a 37" screen, 8 feet for 42", 10 feet for 50", 13 feet for 60". If you sit further away than these numbers for these screen sizes, you will be very hard pressed to notice any difference. My TV is a 42" 720 which I view from 7 feet (which is close enough to see the difference). For the first month I did notice the pixels when I was looking for them, but even then I didn't regret getting 720 instead of spending $500 more for 1080. The last few months I haven't noticed the pixels at all (when watching HD content).

Anti-Glare Coating
This addresses the main problem for plasma TVs. I only know of one Plasma TV (a Panasonic) that offers this option currently. Its adds about $100, but well worth it if you want a Plasma and have lots of windows or light sources. This option will likely become more common in the future.

60Hz vs. 120Hz
This addresses one of the main problems for LCDs, motion blurring. 120Hz significantly reduces blurring, and might stop it completely. The problem is that 120 Hz is only offered on some 1080 TVs, so you have to pay for both to get it. In general, a 120Hz LCD will cost more than a comparable Plasma.

My Recommendations
Which brand is the best can change a bit from year to year. Since each maker releases their new models at different times of the year, it can even change a little bit from month to month.

LCD: If you are looking to get an HDTV smaller than 42", LCD is really the only option. If your main use for the TV is going to be for video games or watching TV shows (which tend to be fairly bright), then LCD might be a better choice even at larger sizes. LCD TVs are getting better at displaying shades of black every year so they may eventually get to Plasma levels. From reading tons of comments from actual owners: On the cheaper end, Toshiba is currently a good brand with fewer complaints. On the higher end (1080 & 120Hz), Sony seems to be the way to go (I've seen complaints about their cheaper models, but their top end models are some of the best LCDs).

Plasma: If you want a 42"+ TV, then I would recommend plasma. In the end its what I chose to go with, and I have not regretted it. For heavy movie watching (or sci-fi TV shows), I consider plasma to be the way to go because of the superior blacks. Looking at gray splotches on an LCD is just not acceptable to me (if you are not sure what I am referring to, watch a movie on a computer LCD screen and observe the lack of detail in any dark scene( though current LCD TVs won't look quite that bad)). LCDs are supposed to be better for gaming, but I have no complaints about how games look on my Plasma. On the cheaper end, Panasonic is the way to go. I went with the TH-42PX75U 42" 720p, but if you are at all concerned about glare, I recommend the TH-42PX77U (my father got this TV and put it in a room that is almost solid windows and it looks great). On the higher end (personally I didn't consider it worth the money, but if you've got the cash and want the absolute best), I suggest going with Pioneer (IMO, 10-20% better for $1000 more).

The AVS forums are a great place to read people's opinions on just about any TV, movie player, audio equipment, etc.
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/forumdisplay.php?f=9/

HD-DVD vs. Blu-Ray vs. upscaled DVD
There are differences in what options HD-DVD and Blu-Ray movies can potentially offer, but I won't bother getting into them, since what matters to most people is the video/audio quality. For all practical pursoses, they are equal in quality. As it stands, it is not clear which format will win the war (some believe both format will survive, but I am skeptical). Currently Blu-Ray is winning the war (twice as many Blu-Ray movies sell vs. HD-DVD), but the war certainly isn't over yet. This hasn't changed much in the last 9 months despite HD-DVD players being significantly cheaper than Blu-Ray players. The war will almost certainly go on for at least another year before one of the formats can safely be declared the winner.

The good news for people who are nervous about choosing sides: Upscaled DVDs look pretty good. Those with decent DVD players that upscale to 720 or 1080 can hold off on upgrading to HD-DVD or Blu-Ray for a while without giving up too much video quality.

Personally, I chose to get a Playstation 3 (which plays Blu-Ray movies) since I am also a gamer and it doesn't cost much more than a plain Blu-Ray player. I had also considered an XBox360 which has an add-on that plays HD-DVDs, but many say that the Xbox is too noisy and disrupts movie watching.

Well, I hope someone will get some use out of my experience and research here. Happy movie watching!

(That was longer than I thought it would be)

Becky, (and apologies to others for hogging space)...

2007-10-07T12:13:00.000-07:00

Becky, (and apologies to others for hogging space) to answer an earlier question first ("I hope you aren’t holding off on making lists and reviews just because you don’t like how ranks are jumping up and down."), the answer is no, since the only jumping my own rank had been doing was upwards; and anyway, if our egos are so fragile as to be be upset by such a trifle, then the real problem obviously lies considerably deeper and is considerably more serious than our mere 'review rank'!

As to the excellent points you make here, I repeat that I'm happy that it's working so well for you and for so many other people, but my own investment in time has always been to read deep into the reviews, which gave me a remarkably good sense of a movie, since people tend to say as much about themselves as they do about what they're reviewing, so you soon get to know who to listen to and who not to - end result : very few 'clunkers'.

And that same slightly obsessional streak (which I sense you might share?!) was causing me to spend way too much time checking out 'faves' and deciding who to save and who not to; and it was frankly driving me a little nuts. As well as the idea of people sizing me up in the same way, even if they ended up 'faving' me, as several did. So, seeing as how it was spoiling my enjoyment of surfing the site and had caused it to become a source of tension rather than relaxation, I decided that I had to opt out completely. Which is a shame, because I used to really enjoying writing reviews (generally too long, as you'll have guessed), but had come to feel that there was now an implied imperative for me to do so, which stopped it being fun any more.

But not to worry, there are 6 million other humming minds out there to tap into, and you'd never have got any anime suggestions from me anyway; no, not even one ever!.

No, You guys aren’t the only ones, and I understan...

2007-10-07T10:18:00.000-07:00

No, You guys aren’t the only ones, and I understand where you are coming from.

And yes, it was easy enough to find all the movies we could squeeze into the queue before… Thing is… its not so easy to find things outside the norm. (our individual norms that is)

For example: People who live in big cities or collage towns get a higher exposure to foreign films, art house stuff, independent and less commercial stuff. They have more access and exposure, more interesting theaters, book and video stores. There’s a higher chance then, that if you find one of them that’s similar to you, that they can clue you in on what is really good in these categories, maybe steer you away from the clinkers.

Likewise people who have a lot of experience with the classics, or anime, or whatever category you may be interested in but don’t want to waste a lot of rentals on blind experimentation. How useful would lists of dvds for children organized by a child’s development or by lesson taught, be to other parents, new parents for example?

Or if you find someone who is a very good match to you, who watches and enjoys much the same stuff… There might be a good chance they could alert you to something that might otherwise stay off-the-radar, or warn you off that oh-so-hyped-blockbuster that for you, would just be a bust.

Netflix may get pretty good at guessing what you might like, but only if it follows patterns you’ve already established. My hope is that as the community features are refined, they will help us to more easily break patterns… and to more enjoyably broaden our horizons.

I never had a problem finding great movies either, unfortunately I also never had a problem finding great stinkers as well… More of the former and less of the latter would be a welcome trend.

I just hope one of you aren’t the guy who could clue me in on the best in Anime for example. Seems that category is over-populated with people who are only capable of mindless gushing over absolutely anything… totally expected, but totally useless.

That’s where I’m coming from…

Becky Glass

@anon Oct5, 11:50amI've never had the slightest tr...

2007-10-07T00:03:00.000-07:00

@anon Oct5, 11:50am

I've never had the slightest trouble finding great movies, whether on Netflix or elsewhere.

I was starting to think I was the only one! My queue was already full before all of these new things, but if others need/want/use them, then great!

@Ang. I believe there have to be a pre-set number ...

2007-10-06T22:17:00.000-07:00

@Ang. I believe there have to be a pre-set number of flags (one per account) to get a non-review automatically removed.

And since this is such a common problem, maybe Netflix should add a "report DVD problems" link just above the review box. The non-reviewer would then get the problem resolved, Customer service wouldn't get an earful about it, and we wouldn't have to waste our time reading and flagging these things all the time.

Thanks for the suggestion, Baff, but no, a complet...

2007-10-06T17:33:00.000-07:00

Thanks for the suggestion, Baff, but no, a complete stranger out of the blue, albeit with exceptionally good taste (j/k). It's certainly not a big deal for me, but it might be for some people if there's leakage through the cloaking device.

About a week ago I flagged a review as "not a revi...

2007-10-06T16:29:00.000-07:00

About a week ago I flagged a review as "not a review" because the person was complaining about a broken disk and he included his phone number in the review. It's still there. Does there need to be a certain amount of "not a review" flags before it's removed or are they all being looked at by a live person and then he or she decides if it should be removed? Just wondering what the rules are.