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Posted by Derek Janssen on 02/12/06 02:19
Sam Rouse wrote:
>
>>>>>.... I'm assuming they meet the volume requirements for the
>>>>>rates quoted and the pieces qualify for the single ounce rate.
>>>
>>>>That second part is probably the issue. Although I'm not familiar with
>>>>Netflix mailers, a DVD plus a fairly flimsy cardboard sleeve weighs
>>>>about 35 grams, which would put it just over the limit.
>>>
>>>Which would add 48 cents to the round trip cost.The mailers I have
>>>seen are more like paper than cardboard. In as much as a DVD itself
>>>about 0.6 ounces, I suspect NetFlix has speced their mailers to remain
>>>under the limit while limiting loss thru breakout of the contents.
>>
>>Back before the national-scale '01 rehab, they used to use cardboard
>>mailers:
>>I can remember them experimenting with five or six unworkably elaborate
>>--and expensive--safe-mailing ideas (how about a plastic envelope with
>>foam inserts?) before settling on their current short-sheeted paper
>>envelope that keeps the disk in place, with no room for movement or
>>damage, and still keep within letter-weight limits.
>>
>>Which postage issue might also explain the "Hey, why don't they rent
>>2-disks together anymore?" complaint of several years ago...
>
> Yup. Since they're now getting a lot of their discs made specifically for them,
> I wish they'd convert the double discs to flippers, but I imagine that the
> studios would charge some kind of royalty or other price uplift that would still
> make it unprofitable.
Actually, most of their "specialty" conversions have been for converting
flippers (eg. TV collections) to single disks--
Presumably, to reduce the risk of customer scratches.
> It's also worth pointing out that in the beginning, their only distribution
> center was in San Jose, which meant 2 and sometimes 3 days in transit each way,
> even here on the northern left coast. It still seemed like a good deal,
> compared to the local alternatives. These youngsters don't know how good they
> have it - "why, when I was your age...." :)
I suspect half of them don't, and the other half are still living in
'99-'00:
Back when the service was just starting to become more popular than we
thought DVD's were going to be, but the one distribution center was
causing the service to become a train wreck--New titles OOS for
literally months, half your queue consisting of "Very Long Wait"'s, and
it was cool to be Really Angry About Those Mean Netflix People...
Nowadays, the regional multi-centers reduce wait time *and* up the
available stocks for each region, you barely see a "Short Wait" on your
queue for more than a week or two, and some of the old veterans just
can't get used to not having as much to whine about anymore.
Derek Janssen
ejanss@comcast.net
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