GeekSugar

Netflix Quits Qwikster, Remains One Company

Kelly Schwarze — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 10:05:10 PDT

The public outcry over Netflix's recent decision to split the company into two entertainment services must have been heard, as today Netflix has decided to abandon the two-company idea and remain one entity.

Last month, Netflix announced the company would be splitting itself; Netflix would remain for all streaming purposes, while the new Qwikster entity would serve all DVD subscription customers. The websites and all details of user accounts like entertainment queue, passwords, and billing would, inconveniently, exist on their own.

Netflix admitted that it "underestimated the appeal of the single Web site and a single service." Customers will continue to log in for both streaming and DVD subscriptions through the Netflix website. The recent price increases of $8 per month for each service remain. Qwikster may still be used as a video game rental service, though that decision is still to be determined.

Netflix Alternatives to Online Streaming

Kristy Korcz — Fri, 23 Sep 2011 03:11:43 PDT

Netflix recently shocked its customers by announcing that it would split its streaming and DVD rental company in half, essentially forcing customers to deal with two separate subscriptions - Netflix for streaming, and newly founded company Quickster for DVDs.

Netflix's recent price bump may have angered customers, but this move has sent loyal movie watchers over the edge. GeekSugar Twitter users have said that they're ready to cancel both subscriptions completely, relying on other forms of streaming to get their entertainment fix. If you're cutting ties with Netflix (and Quickster), here are some alternatives to try.

Hulu Plus - The $8 monthly subscription fee for Hulu Plus allows access to the most current episodes of TV shows and has an even larger catalog of movies available than its free Hulu counterpart. Available via iOS, Android, select gaming consoles, Samsung TVs, and computer systems.
Blockbuster Total Access - Pricing models give customers the option to rent DVDs for home delivery with a subscription plan for $10 or $15, choose to rent DVDs without subscriptions, or stream films online on demand.
Epix - A joint venture between movie studios Viacom, Paramount, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios, and Lionsgate, Epix offers 150 movies; though, it can only be accessed through an existing cable subscription.
Amazon - The online retailer recently signed an agreement with CBS making shows like Star Trek and The Tudors available instantly on the site. Over 8,000 video titles are available instantly via Amazon for a fee.
Walmart VUDU - Walmart's own streaming media service, VUDU, is accessible online or through VUDU-enabled devices like certain HDTVs, Blu-ray players, or PlayStation 3. Customers do not sign up for a subscription, but rather pay per film viewing. Rentals begin at $3, with new releases starting at $4 and higher for HD-quality streams; many movies can be purchased for unlimited viewing for $15.
Facebook - Though currently limited to select options like Doctor Who episodes and The Dark Knight, we'll stay tuned for more streaming developments from the social network in the future.

Watch the Same Movies and TV Shows Your Friends Are Watching Within Facebook

Kristy Korcz — Thu, 22 Sep 2011 11:21:25 PDT

Watching TV is about to get a bit more social. If you've connected your Facebook account to sites like Hulu and Netflix, you'll soon be able to watch TV and movies right in Facebook with a few links. For example, if one of your friends is watching Glee on Hulu and shares this activity on Facebook, you'll be able to click on their update and watch the same show within Facebook thanks to some new players that these companies are building with Facebook's open graph.

Netflix Splits Company and Introduces Qwikster

Kelly Schwarze — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 11:43:53 PDT

Netflix cofounder and CEO Reed Hastings issued an apology for customer confusion over its new pricing structure and announced a major change to the company's DVD service. In a few weeks, DVD users will welcome to their lives Qwikster, Netflix's rebranded mail service.

The CEO wrote: "We feel we need to focus on rapid improvement as streaming technology and the market evolve, without having to maintain compatibility with our DVD by mail service . . . streaming and DVD by mail are becoming two quite different businesses, with very different cost structures, different benefits that need to be marketed differently, and we need to let each grow and operate independently."

Netflix and Qwikster will not be integrated; each website will be completely separate from the other. As a subscriber to both services, any changes to an account will need to be made to each website. If you want to remove a movie from your DVD Qwikster queue because it was just added to Netflix's streaming service, sign in to Qwikster and make the change.

Qwikster will also have an option to upgrade to a video games option, letting customers rent games for Xbox 360, Wii, and PS3. The Qwikster website is set to go live in a few weeks. Current DVD subscribers do not have to sign up again for the Qwikster service; it will soon just show up on a billing statement as a charge from Qwikster instead of Netflix. Does Netflix's split affect your account? Do you plan to stay with either Qwikster or Netflix streaming?

Netflix CEO Says Sorry, Introduces DVD Service Changes

Emily Co — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 11:20:51 PDT

Many customers were upset about the price increase of Netflix plans announced back in July; Netflix stock prices followed consumer sentiments and subsequently tumbled. This morning, the company's CEO, Reed Hastings, admitted to subscribers that he "messed up" and introduced a new change to the DVD service that he feels might appease those who are still resentful.

Apparently, the firm is separating its DVD and streaming services and rebranding the DVD rental service under the new name "Qwikster." What this means is that there will be separate sites for the streaming service, which will still be under Netflix.com, and the DVD service, which will now be under Qwikster.com. If you subscribe to both services, you'll have two different accounts and will have to redo certain actions like adding in your credit card information twice and rating movies on two different accounts. Hastings says the benefits to this new change include the option to rent video games under Qwikster, and both websites will be easier to use as they each are focused on only one product.

It seems many customers aren't fans of the new changes and are voicing their discontent on the blog post that announced the company's latest move. Netflix user Dustin Glass writes in response, "Breaking up DVDs and streaming into two completely different websites makes for an awful user experience for people who subscribe to both services."

What do you think - does the new Qwikster service seem like a good idea?

A Streaming Media Customer's Guide

GeekSugar — Tue, 26 Jul 2011 14:36:23 PDT

Walmart announced today its streaming media service, VUDU. The company bought VUDU in 2010 and has finally integrated the HD digital media rental company into the Walmart website.

The service is accessible through the VUDU page on Walmart's website or from VUDU-enabled devices like certain HDTVs, Blu-ray players, or PlayStation 3. Customers do not sign up for a subscription, but rather pay per film viewing. Rentals begin at $3, with new releases starting at $4 and higher for HD-quality streams; many movies can be purchased for unlimited viewing for $15.

With companies like Walmart racing to produce popular streaming video service, customers have a wide range of products and pricing plans to choose from, including the following:

Netflix - With access via gaming consoles, TVs, iPhones, and Android smartphones in addition to computers, the popular classic doesn't look to be going anywhere despite the competition and controversial new pricing structure.
Hulu Plus - The $8 monthly subscription fee for Hulu Plus allows access to the most current episodes of TV shows and has an even larger catalog of movies available than its free Hulu counterpart. Available via iOS, Android, select gaming consoles, Samsung TVs and computer systems.
Blockbuster Total Access - Pricing models give customers the option to rent DVDs for home delivery with a subscription plan for $10 or $15, choose to rent DVD without subscriptions, or stream films online on demand.

For those who love the freedom of choice, check out more streaming options after the break.

Netflix Alternatives: 5 Ways to Rent Movies Online

SavvySugar — Fri, 15 Jul 2011 03:05:29 PDT

It's a huge bummer that Netflix will raise its fees. Many plan to cancel or downgrade their subscription. Netflix claims that it's raising its membership price to $16 a month for unlimited streaming and one DVD out at a time to stay competitive in the market. However, it still seems like they offer the best deal out there. Check out the rest of Netflix's pricing breakdown, and take a look at these alternatives if you're looking for a change.

Hulu Plus: For $8 a month, Hulu Plus offers over 33,000 episodes from current and classic shows in high definition for view on your computer, smartphone, tablet, or gaming console. While the service provides hundreds of movies and documentaries, you're mostly looking at independent, lesser-known titles rather than mainstream films. In addition, Hulu Plus members still have to watch ads, because the company claims that helps keep monthly fees down.
Blockbuster by Mail: The service supplies one disc out (DVD, Blu-ray, game) at a time for $12 a month with no due dates or late fees. The company claims it provides new releases 28 days before Netflix and Redbox, and you can send the movie back by mail or switch it out for another rental at a Blockbuster location. Blockbuster On-Demand has a limited amount of instant play movies for free. The majority cost $3 and up per movie, which can really add up.
Redbox: For $1 a day per movie, you can reserve a movie or game you want to rent, then go to the selected Redbox kiosk to pick up the rental. This might be a great idea if you find yourself renting less than eight movies a month from Netflix. Another option is you could use Redbox for your DVD rentals and Netflix for your instant play rentals. However, Redbox renters beware: the movie is due by 9 p.m. the next day, so if you don't return it, you will have to pay an additional dollar.
Amazon Video On Demand: This is a free service that requires you to purchase most of the streaming video rentals independently. If you are a member of Amazon Prime, you have unlimited, commercial free access to thousands of movies and TV shows, but again, most of the content requires purchase. Amazon Video is a good competitor for iTunes, because the videos are streaming rather than require a download.
iTunes Store Video Rental: In the iTunes store, movie and TV show rentals can be purchased. While the videos do require a download as opposed to being streaming, the video and sound quality is much higher than the other counterparts. You can watch the video via your computer or upload these rentals to your apple devices. One deterring feature is when the rental period has elapsed, even if you haven't had a chance to watch the video, it will disappear from your iTunes library.

Netflix to Increase Prices, Thousands Voice Upset

Emily Co — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 00:15:14 PDT

Seeing as the price for the online movie and mail-order DVD subscription Netflix plans are going to increase by 60 percent, many people took to social media platforms to voice their upset. Before the price hike, the company charged $10 for unlimited streaming and one DVD mailed at a time, but it is now planning to raise the charge to $16. Here are some of the comments by angry customers who expressed their outrage to the company's Facebook page:

"I came up with a solution. We're going to cancel our subscription to Netflix and check out DVDs from our local public library. It's free, easy, and quick. We can reserve DVDs online and have then sent to our local branch!"

"This is gonna be a boon for Redbox. Unfortunately, Netflix and I will have to part ways . . . "

"For anyone that doesn't understand why so many are upset about $8/mo, for many of us that's our entertainment budget. Can't afford groceries, much less going out to movies. This is a sucker punch to loyal customers who were just trying to hang on anyway. No one else gets away with price gouging during tough times, why should Netflix?"

"Knew this was coming. The portfolio of streaming programs/movies is very limited and is always older. So the only way to get recent content is via DVD. Not sure about y'all, but I am off to Red Box, its cheap, its convenient and it doesn't make me feel like I am being fleeced! Bye Bye Netflix!"

There are over 14,000 dissatisfied comments on the firm's wall, and some of them are claiming that Netflix is deleting their comments. Obviously the public is very upset, and personally, I'm considering switching out of Netflix myself, or at least, downgrading my package so I'm not paying more than double what I used to pay. If you're a Netflix user, how are you dealing with the rise in prices?

Source: Flickr User kristipwrs

A Breakdown of the New Netflix Pricing Structure

Kristy Korcz — Tue, 12 Jul 2011 13:07:12 PDT

Attention Netflix users: your movie addiction may be getting a bit more expensive.

Earlier today, Netflix announced a price increase to its DVD/streaming combo plans, essentially separating them into two different plans altogether. Netflix says that it has to raise prices in order to stay competitive in the market, but mostly because the company didn't realize there was still such a high demand for DVDs. But since not all titles are available for streaming, it makes sense that movie watchers would still need to send out for a disc every once in a while. The changes will affect current Netflix members beginning Sept. 1, while the new pricing structure will be available for new members immediately. Check out the pricing and plan breakdowns below.

Unlimited streaming - $7.99
Unlimited DVD, one DVD out at a time - $7.99
Unlimited DVD, two DVDs out at a time - $11.99
Unlimited streaming and DVD, one DVD out at a time - $15.98

What do you think of the new Netflix plans?

Women Like Netflix More Than Hulu Plus

Kristy Korcz — Tue, 12 Jul 2011 04:42:21 PDT

A recent study from Mashwork shows that women use Netflix more than Hulu Plus. According to the study, 48 percent of female respondents use Netflix, while only 24 percent use Hulu Plus. Though there are pros and cons of each (including catalogues, commercials, and quality) both services truly allow TV and movie fans to save a few bucks on a cable subscription since you can get your favorite shows on your computer, mobile device, and even gaming consoles. In fact, 51 percent of study respondents (men and women) say they use both Netflix and Hulu Plus and are planning on cutting the cord on cable.

Below, we'll cover the benefits to each service, and be sure to tell us which you use in the comments below!

Hulu Plus

Hulu Plus is a subscription service ($8 a month) that lets you watch Hulu content via an Internet connection, WiFi, and 3G on your:

iPhone and Android devices
iPod Touch
iPad
PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360
Samsung Internet TVs and Blu-ray players
Mac or PC

Get current episodes of shows and access to a huge library of past seasons and series. It's like the Hulu you know now, only with more ways to watch. Although you pay a monthly subscription to get access to TV shows, you will have to wait until the day after the show airs on TV to watch (sometimes longer), and sit through a block of two commercials a few times during your show. You can also watch select movies via Hulu Plus, and even behind-the-scenes clips from your favorite shows.

Get the scoop on Netflix after the jump.