Netflix is another great New-World idea that should be exported to the Old World, and just like many other convenience or labour-saving services developed on this side of the Atlantic, Netflix follows the Mohamed-and-the-Mountain principle that can best be summed up as "Why go out for something when it can be brought to me?"
In all fairness to my hosts, there are good grounds for starting up a DVD home-delivery service. In Europe, where space is a scarce commodity, your local video shop is usually right round the corner, i.e. within walking distance. By contrast, in spacious North America the nearest video rental store is several miles away at best. And I'm all in favour of any idea that prevents people getting into their car.
But Netflix is far more than simply a virtual video shop with a huge catalogue. Rather than renting DVDs one at a time, you create an online wishlist of the films you want to see, and these are sent to you in the order that you determine. Once you have watched a film, you just replace it in the envelope it came in, and pop this in your mailbox. The moment Netflix receives it - usually the next day - they send the next one. As such you could get a new film every two days (in fact, many films can be viewed online, so you don't even have to wait for them to be sent to you).
Another difference to the conventional video-rental model is that you do not pay by the day. Because you take out a monthly subscription to Netflix, you can keep each film as long as you like - although that also means that you won't be able to get a new one either.
Having said that, subscriptions are also available for two or three DVDs at a time, a particular godsend if you have children or, as is also our case, your wife prefers love stories and you prefer science fiction.
In all fairness to my hosts, there are good grounds for starting up a DVD home-delivery service. In Europe, where space is a scarce commodity, your local video shop is usually right round the corner, i.e. within walking distance. By contrast, in spacious North America the nearest video rental store is several miles away at best. And I'm all in favour of any idea that prevents people getting into their car.
But Netflix is far more than simply a virtual video shop with a huge catalogue. Rather than renting DVDs one at a time, you create an online wishlist of the films you want to see, and these are sent to you in the order that you determine. Once you have watched a film, you just replace it in the envelope it came in, and pop this in your mailbox. The moment Netflix receives it - usually the next day - they send the next one. As such you could get a new film every two days (in fact, many films can be viewed online, so you don't even have to wait for them to be sent to you).
Another difference to the conventional video-rental model is that you do not pay by the day. Because you take out a monthly subscription to Netflix, you can keep each film as long as you like - although that also means that you won't be able to get a new one either.
Having said that, subscriptions are also available for two or three DVDs at a time, a particular godsend if you have children or, as is also our case, your wife prefers love stories and you prefer science fiction.
2 comments:
How much does a monthly subscription cost then?...
Two-at-a-time, the subscription we have, costs $14 a month.
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