Netflix coming to Canada

[Stewie]

So Netflix is coming to Canada this fall. I was really stoked about this but then started to look into the their actual catalog.

I was thinking they had most any tv series and any movies out on dvd but I found out that seems to not be the case.
For those of you using it do you feel it is worth it? Do you feel limited by the selection?

[Samwise]

It's worth it for the Instant (unlimited streaming video) selection alone IMO; it's better than having cable TV and costs about a tenth as much.  I'm surprised to hear there's stuff out on DVD that they don't have, because I don't think I've ever found that to be the case (maybe they have a separate inventory for the Canada branch and they're still building it up...?).

[MuffinMan]

Any articles I find and Netflix's own press release says it will be stream-only, at least to start.

[Samwise]

I get the sense that they'd eventually like to do away with the physical aspect of their operation over here too; they might figure that as they expand into new markets it makes more sense to just pour all their energy into the streaming side of things.  Like I said, the basic sub fee (I think it's like $10/mo, maybe less?) is worth it for that alone anyway.

[Merusk]

Yeah, totally worth it.  I think the US is limited on the streaming side because Hollowood doesn't want to stream new releases, fearing it will cut into sales.  However, since most new releases are shit anyway, this isn't a big deal to me.   I just like having access to a much larger library of TV and Movies without having to shell out for them OR spend money on something I might not like. 

Look at it this way, it's a replacement to the old video rental membership you had.  Blow $10 on "Judge Dredd" at Best Buy and you're pissed. Blow $2 on the rental and you're dissatisfied, but not totally boned.  Pay $10(us) a month for Netflix and that bad rental was only $0.33.  Less if you watch more than 30 streams a month.

[NiX]

So Netflix is coming to Canada this fall. I was really stoked about this but then started to look into the their actual catalog.

I was thinking they had most any tv series and any movies out on dvd but I found out that seems to not be the case.
For those of you using it do you feel it is worth it? Do you feel limited by the selection?

US will get it better, there's always licensing issues when coming up here. Just look at when XBOX released NetFlix. Canada got screwed hard on that one, something like 10 or so movies to choose from on launch.

[Stewie]

so when I go to netflix.com and I look at the "to watch instantly" titles across the top, is that the entirety of their streaming content or a sampling of each category?

[Samwise]

A very small sample, assuming you've got the same library I do.  I don't know if there's even a way that you can view their entire library on screen.  Try searching for, say, Spartacus, and see if they have it.

[Cyrrex]

...and if it returns the result "Spartacus - Blood and Sand" then consider that you've just hit the bloody jackpot and that Netflix has just paid for itself for a good two years.

[Samwise]

...and if it returns the result "Spartacus - Blood and Sand" then consider that you've just hit the bloody jackpot and that Netflix has just paid for itself for a good two years.

This.  I watch a LOT of stuff on Netflix these days, but Spartacus was worth the subscription all on its own while it was on.

[Ginaz]

Theres a lot of additional regulatory rules in place wrt telecommunications and media in Canada, all of which usually involve the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission, CRTC.  The CRTC usually wants a certain amount of "Canadian content" which means it doesn't want only American programming offered.  I don't know if thats the case here or not, though.

[Ginaz]

...and if it returns the result "Spartacus - Blood and Sand" then consider that you've just hit the bloody jackpot and that Netflix has just paid for itself for a good two years.

This.  I watch a LOT of stuff on Netflix these days, but Spartacus was worth the subscription all on its own while it was on.

If they have this I'll, they'll definately be getting my money. 

[naum]

so when I go to netflix.com and I look at the "to watch instantly" titles across the top, is that the entirety of their streaming content or a sampling of each category?

Still missing a lot, including most new releases.

However, find it worth the cost simply due to all the TV series available (Office, Futurama, Law & Order, IT Crowd, Monty Python, Sarah Conner Chronicles, Firefly, Last Airbender, etc.…). Some TV series not available like Seinfeld, Simpsons, etc.…

But I dig watching old movies — just saw *Advise and Consent* with Henry Fonda from 1962 — cool flick. Plus a bunch of other Frank Capra flicks that I hadn't seen.

Also, quite a number of foreign movies available — recently watched *The Girl With the Dragon Tatoo* (good flick too!).

[caladein]

The only word of caution I have with Netflix Instant Watch is to not bother with most foreign-language films/animation.  (Oddly enough, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo has been at the top of my instant queue since it came out, and I just haven't bothered trying it out.)

I usually have to bounce between Boxee, Windows Media Center, the website (in Firefox), and my Xbox 360 to find a method that doesn't crop subtitles or otherwise render them illegible and frequently all of them do in different ways .  At this point, I've mostly given up on anything subtitled via IW and just added them back to my DVD queue.

[naum]

I usually have to bounce between Boxee, Windows Media Center, the website (in Firefox), and my Xbox 360 to find a method that doesn't crop subtitles or otherwise render them illegible and frequently all of them do in different ways .  At this point, I've mostly given up on anything subtitled via IW and just added them back to my DVD queue.

Works fine on Wii.

Though you don't have a choice of languages/styles/audio (like you would on DVD) — you get what you get.  In some cases, it delivers dubbed English in lieu of subtitles. 

[Morat20]

So Netflix is coming to Canada this fall. I was really stoked about this but then started to look into the their actual catalog.

I was thinking they had most any tv series and any movies out on dvd but I found out that seems to not be the case.
For those of you using it do you feel it is worth it? Do you feel limited by the selection?

Worth it for the instant queue, as long as the content is close to what we get. Since we got the Xbox (and my son figured out his Wii can do it), we hardly ever actually use cable.

He's spent the summer watching Last Airbender, Invader Zim, The Office, Futurama, and god knows what else. My wife and I have been working through Weeds and Doctor Who.

Their movie selection on instant queue is good, if dated (the older it is, the more likely it's going to be on there) but their TV selection is pretty current. They're maybe a season behind, if that, on what you can buy at the store.

[Samwise]

Their movie selection on instant queue is good, if dated (the older it is, the more likely it's going to be on there) but their TV selection is pretty current. They're maybe a season behind, if that, on what you can buy at the store.

I think they're slowly trying to change that.  Spartacus was getting pushed to Netflix as each episode aired, as is Pillars of the Earth (I think).  And "Zombieland" was available on Instant almost as soon as it came out on DVD.

[Quinton]

What's the video quality of the streaming media like?  Resolution?  Encoding?  Look reasonable on a modern 1080p HDTV?  Anyone tried the PS3 client?

[Samwise]

I'm using the PS3 client.  My only complaint is that it doesn't let you pick the resolution; it goes for the best quality that your bandwidth can cram in.  (I would rather be able to throttle it back so I can play TF2 while my wife streams a movie.)  Not sure exactly what resolution I'm getting but it looks as sharp as anything else we ever watch, and noticeably better than watching Hulu via PlayOn.  The interface is pretty nice too.

[MahrinSkel]

I'm using the PS3 client.  My only complaint is that it doesn't let you pick the resolution; it goes for the best quality that your bandwidth can cram in.  (I would rather be able to throttle it back so I can play TF2 while my wife streams a movie.)  Not sure exactly what resolution I'm getting but it looks as sharp as anything else we ever watch, and noticeably better than watching Hulu via PlayOn.  The interface is pretty nice too.

If you use a Linux-based gateway (a PC bridging between your network and your outside connection), you should be able to limit the bandwidth for the PS3's IP to something that leaves you enough for good gameplay.  I got so tired of my 16 year old leaving Limewire running and dogging out everything else, I limited his system to no more than 1/3 of the pipe each way.

--Dave

[Samwise]

Yeah, one of these days I'll invest in a fancy router that has that as a built in feature so I don't need to mess around with setting up another PC.

[Cyrrex]

What's the video quality of the streaming media like?  Resolution?  Encoding?  Look reasonable on a modern 1080p HDTV?  Anyone tried the PS3 client?

Most of what you stream is in standard definition, but there's a fairily good potion of it that is streamed in HD (assuming your bandwidth can handle it).  The overall quality is nothing to complain about, I'd say.

[caladein]

Since I have a truly hopeless connection (~1Mbit/s), the only thing I could add is that it's the best quality among the streaming services I use a lot (Hulu, PBS, USA, ESPN3) and aside from a consistent initial hiccup a few minutes into a video it's totally stable.

[NiX]

It's here and they're offering a 1 month free trial. Selection is limited, but decent enough.

[Miasma]

I guess there was some minor controversy about them hiring actors to pretend to be huge fans at some public event.

[NiX]

Cool with me!

[Strazos]

Holy shit Samwise, thanks for reminding me of Pillars of the Earth. I had forgotten it got a TV adaptation...like my favorite book ever possibly.