How Are We Watching Our Movies?

[mavrach]

With Netflix and different streaming methods becoming more popular, has this changed anybody's viewing or purchasing habits?


For me I was spending too much money on DVD's. I've got over 1300, with over 100 unwatched at this point. My wife finally got me to cave a few months ago and go with Netflix, and that's worked out well for me. I hadn't rented in over a decade, so I thought I'd have trouble not owning the discs, and not having the comfort of just grabbing whatever disc off my shelf instead of waiting 2 days for it to come in the mail. Streaming fixes that but it's still far off from being the sole option.

Netflix has actually gotten me to watch more movies, because instead of letting a DVD rot on the shelf for months or even years for the ideal mood to strike me, I'm just watching the movie to move the queue along. That's what I feared because it might hurt the movie for me, but it's working well because I'm just diving in now. I'm still buying the movies I really like, but I'm buying much less now.

Netflix also lets me try riskier titles that I might not be willing to blind buy. That and I wanted to see Gymkata and there was no way I was going to pay for that.

As another cost-saving measure, we recently gave up extended cable, and instead got Hulu Plus through the PS3 for $8 a month. I'm not using it so much, and it overlaps Netflix for a lot of the TV. I see it has a load of Criterions, so no more need to go wild at Barnes & Noble sales anymore. Hulu is really our replacement for TV, and I guess I never realized I watched so little TV. I'll watch Letterman & Ferguson, but that's on basic cable. Outside that most viewing for me was falling asleep to whatever happened to be on Discovery or The Travel Channel, and that really wasn't worth what we were paying. Any worthwhile shows are on DVD so I can get those on Netflix and current stuff on Hulu. News is online and I have zero interest in sports. So Hulu will probably go soon too because honestly I'm just watching Tosh.0 and nothing else.

[JoshRode]

Hell, Letterman and Ferguson are on basic TV. Save more money and don't have cable at all (unless you live where the signal can't reach you). I used to buy movies a lot too, but Netflix has saved me from that. I used to watch the DVD they sent as soon as I got it but the last two sat around for a couple of weeks so I was thinking of dropping the DVD's anyway when they raised the price. The only problem is that Rurouni Kenshin isn't on streaming.

[molly1216]

i just finished inventory on my collection, where i once had 2000 i now have 1100
i will probably drop down another 100-200 but that's because i have nearly all the
titles i have always wanted to own. these days if i buy something it is generally a NEW title
that i liked and think i will rewatch..
or on the rare occasion an old title that has just been released.
i'd say in the last year i have only added about 18-20 titles.

MY watching is basically both netflix dvds and instant watch
and some back list titles from the library.
but if i COULD afford to buy all those titles on dvd, i wouldn't
it's basically just a stream of alternate programming since i don't watch TV on tv anymore.

my buying has decreased because the FLOOD of releases has slowed
my streaming viewing has increased because it exists and before it didn't

[the5thghostbuster]

Well, the problem at the moment with Netflix in Canada is that the selection is not yet as wide as the State's version, but bit by bit I have been using it to watch titles I have always wanted to but would be stuck blind buying (I live in a small town that is now down to one crappy rental store). I still buy quite a few DVDs and Blu-Rays (MST3K is a must, in case those episodes become discontinued in the future, and Doctor Who is a must own period), and my collection of discs is still around the 900s, but I have found I am willing to cull the collection more often these days.

[Steve T Power]

Blu-Ray and *ahem* other means...

[Dunnyman]

Blu-Ray and *ahem* other means...

Since going Blu, I've bought a lot less as they're pricier but I find I'm more selective and have a lot less "buyer's regret". For most recent flicks, it's Netflix streaming as I get a much cheaper idea of what I'm looking at. Instead of a blind buy and finding pure crap, if I like the movie a LOT, I'll go for the Blu if it's intense in the FX, cinematography, etc. If it's a basic comedy, a regular DVD will be fine. I already have about 500 dvd's and about 100 blu's, so storage is becoming an issue as well.
TV is different, I have no cable or satellite, I just snag new eps as they become available and throw them on my WDTV Live, much easier, plus, a number of BBC shows are easily found, like Being Human and CBC's Battle Of The Blades that I can't see on cable at all.

[Attrage]

I'm still old school, I guess. Streaming and downloading stuff just doesnt interest me, I like the tactile approach of owning a DVD or blu ray. My friends think I am quaint because I dont own an iPod, I still listen to CDs (though I recently caved and bought a cheap Mp3 player...but that was only to listen to while working out as my old Sony Discman got in the way a bit lol).