Netflix Charging $1 Blu-Ray Premium
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James Joyner | Wednesday, October 8, 2008 |
It’s been rumored for months but Netflix has finally announced that they’ll start charging an additonal $1 a month to customers who want Blu-Ray movies. The Netflix Team emails:
As you may know, Blu-ray movies are more expensive than standard definition movies. As a result, we’re going to start charging $1 a month (plus applicable taxes), in addition to your monthly membership charge, for unlimited access to Blu-ray movies.
The additional charge for unlimited Blu-ray access will be automatically added to your next billing statement on or after November 5th, 2008.
While there’s been some gnashing of teeth about this prospect on the tech sites, complaining that Netflix is punishing early adopters, the rationale is reasonable enough.
The problem, however, is that a piddly portion of the movies and television shows we rent from Netflix are available in Blu-ray. That means the vast majority of discs we get are in standard definition. As you may know, standard definition movies are less expensive than Blu-ray movies.
So, really, they’re charging an extra buck for the possibility that they’ll send me hi-def movies, not the actuality of it.
About the Author: James Joyner is the publisher of Outside the Beltway and the managing editor of the Atlantic Council. He's a former Army officer, Desert Storm vet, and college professor with a PhD in political science from The University of Alabama. He lives just outside the Beltway in Alexandria, Virginia with his wife and infant daughter.
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But that is part of the "all you can eat aspect". If you go to an all you can eat buffet, you get to pick out what you want to eat and load up. If they then offer a "seafood" addition to the buffet, even if 90% of your plate is going to be non-seafood they will still charge the extra dollar.
What isn't clear from your post is if they are giving you a blu-ray-non-blu-ray option. If so, then what is your beef? If you don't think a dollar more a month is worth the limited number of blu-ray options, don't go for it. If you do, shut up a sit on the couch like a potato.
I don't even go for the basic netflix option because my local library had thousands of titles for free (actually, I pay $1 for the library card and part of my local taxes support the library).
I've avoided the problem to this point by being too cheap to have purchased a Blu-Ray player as yet.
John: Yep, we opted out. I don't mind paying the dollar, really, but the lack of product makes it not worth it.
Steven: I'm generally not an early adopter on these things, either. Moreover, Blu-Ray really isn't that big an upgrade. The picture is definitely better, although not as noticeable an improvement as, say, DVD vs. VHS or high-def vs standard, but the discs take forever to load and the selection is lousy.
IS Blu-Ray the next stop long this line, though? Do we see a time when instead of being the high quality option, it'll be the standard format?
If so, will they at that point lower the end user costs?
