Posted by Cp33 on 02/25/06 18:05

Goro wrote:
> However, I will say that I have been partaking of DVD downloads for
> quite some time and while it hasn't affected my DVD purchase habits at
> all, it has removed video rentals from my mindset entirely. At 6mbps,
> i can download a dvd5 in <2 hrs (i'm not sure exactly how long, but
> it's about that long); my 16x burner gives me media in about 5 min or i
> can just watch the .ISO on my computer for the "krappy" titles that
> aren't worht the $.20 media investment. At netflix, i can get a dvd9
> in 5-7 days.

Well, not everybody gets 6 mbps down stream rate. For example, the
popular Verizon DSL that charges $20 a month only gives you 800 kbps or
so. And even with cable modem, if everybody in your local area are
downloading, you won't get that kind of rates consistently.

> I'm looking forward to seeing a proper implementation of legal
> video/movie/tv show download system that gives high quality videos. If
> they can do it correctly (which is always in doubt), it really could be
> amazing.

Hollywood always wanted to limit your rental viewing to a certain
period, judging from what I have seen, read, and heard in the past
(e.g. the failed Divx rental system), if they can have it their ways.

> But the point i was trying to make was that Netflix is alienating their
> core evangelists thru their throttling process and making people WANT
> and LOOK FOR alternatives. I'm sure Netflix has a bunch of very bright
> minds working for them; it should be possible for them to come up with
> a way to provide excellent service and not take a loss, even to those
> "heavy users."

Well, I agree that they can do better than what I have encountered
lately with netflix.
Actually, I am willing to pay more a bit more for better services.
Don't really care about the price reduction from $20 to $18 or so.
However, the next step up is 5 disc out at a time and that's too much
for me. Don't understand why no 4 out at a time plan.

> FWIW, the thing that bothered me wasn't that i couldn't rent 500 movies
> a month, but that the turnaroudn time (for me, here in Arizona) was
> abotu a week, but unpredictably so. So, i could send a movie in on
> wednesday and not get one for the weekend.
>
> -goro-

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