If youve been reading my articles youve noticed an evolution in my thinking about home entertainment, and especially in how I view movies. At the beginning of the year, I unplugged from satellite, because there are hundreds of channels, many of which offer movies that make you wonder how they got financing and were made. Also, I was spending about $1,500 a year, for nothing. Next, I struggled with video stores, their late fees, and the inconvenience of spending $2 in gas to check out a $4 movie. Now, Im experimenting with Netflix, the online and in-your-mailbox service that entitles you to see a certain number of movies for a flat fee. Right now, Im testing their free, two-week introductory offer at $14.95 per month. It enables me to get 2 videos at a time, and to keep them as long as I wish, providing my subscription doesnt run out. But, if I return them swiftly, theyll send me two more from a list that Ive submitted. Usually, according to them, it takes one business day for your next set of videos to reach you, once your last set has reached Netflix, and Im assuming that takes about a business day, as well. I calculate that I can probably get about two product turns per week, which means 4 videos, or about 15 per month. So, each rental costs about a buck, and maybe less. Netflix has 60,000 titles in its inventory, including an impressive list of foreign films and otherwise hard to find British TV serials, including some great spy dramas. If Im only interested in seeing a tenth of 1%, that should keep me going for about four months of viewing. Given my current state of entertainment fickleness, that would signify a long-term relationship! |
