Netflix Unveils $7.99 Stream-Only Plan, Raises Prices on All Others!

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My family dropped our $15 Netflix plan early this spring due to lack of use, but when offered a free month to come back, we jumped at the lowest-priced plan. Since then, the only thing we got in the mail from Netflix was a Wii disk … and even that is of no use anymore!

So when I heard that Netflix was bringing a ‘streaming only’ plan to the US, I knew I’d sign up immediately. Today that plan arrived, with a $7.99 monthly rate (same as Hulu+). I got an added incentive to change plans quickly – Netflix simultaneously raised prices on everything else!

As noted in the Netflix Blog, you can simply head here and make your subscription changes. But when you click on that link, you will notice that the pricing reflects only the current rates. The blog entry notes the changes including the chart above, and says:

Second, we are increasing the prices on our unlimited plans that offer both watching instantly and DVDs by mail. On our two most popular unlimited plans – the 1 DVD out at a time and 2 DVDs out at a time – the price is increasing by $1 a month. We’ve also included below the changes on all the plans.

The increase is essentially $1 more per DVD out on your plan … except for the 2 DVD plan that is also only $1 more – a move I assume is meant to keep people on that popular plan.

What do you think? Given that the streaming library is … well, ‘lacking’ is the kindest word I could muster … will you stick with Netflix in spite of the higher prices, or will you move to Streaming only, or … ?

Source: Netflix Blog via Consumerist

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About the Author

Michael Anderson
I have loved technology for as long as I can remember - and have been a computer gamer since the PDP-10! Mobile Technology has played a major role in my life - I have used an electronic companion since the HP95LX more than 20 years ago, and have been a 'Laptop First' person since my Compaq LTE Lite 3/20 and Powerbook 170 back in 1991! As an avid gamer and gadget-junkie I was constantly asked for my opinions on new technology, which led to writing small blurbs ... and eventually becoming a reviewer many years ago. My family is my biggest priority in life, and they alternate between loving and tolerating my gaming and gadget hobbies ... but ultimately benefits from the addition of technology to our lives!

4 Comments on "Netflix Unveils $7.99 Stream-Only Plan, Raises Prices on All Others!"

  1. Jessica Fritsche | November 22, 2010 at 2:49 pm |

    You really think the streaming library is lacking? We have a TON of stuff that we have excitedly put in our queue at home. I thought it was a little lackluster at first but it’s really become robust, at least for me, in the past year.

    • Definitely it has improved a HUGE amount since it started!

      But do I see it as lacking? Yes I do – for a few reasons:
      – I would be surprised if the amount of movies to stream is 10% of the DVD library. That is de facto ‘lacking’. But there is more …
      – Netflix says “We are now primarily a streaming video company”, yet try to find a new release on the streaming service. Sorry – new releases = DVD … lacking.
      – 30+ year-old movies in the catalog should ALL be available streaming. Last week of October and I can’t grab the original Halloween to watch with my family … only on DVD? Lacking.

      Oh – and YES I do realize that most of the above is due to the movie companies, not Netflix. The result is the same, though.

  2. I’ll stick with the two-disk model until such a time as there is consistent quality (and quantity, as Michael points out) in the streaming functionality. Right now, the streaming version, at least on my 3-5 Mbps line, varies from “hey, that’s not so bad!” to “Ugh! That’s unwatchable!” I’d like it to get up to varying from “Hey, that’s not so bad!” to “Man, that is awesome!”. Right now, anything I watch on my iPad looks like, well, low-def, pixilated crud.

  3. RT @geardiarysite: Netflix Unveils $7.99 Stream-Only Plan, Raises Prices on All Others! http://bit.ly/aNhlwA

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