Author Topic: Netflix DVDs?  (Read 549 times)

Ben

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Netflix DVDs?
« on: August 22, 2019, 09:30:41 AM »
Any of you still use the Netflix DVD service? How long is it taking DVDs to reach you?

While still in CA, I noticed my service slip from "next day" to a couple of days. Here in ID, it has been a minimum of 4-5 days from when I dropped the previous DVD in the mailbox. I can't believe there's not a distribution center, if not in Boise, at in least Salt Lake City, which would be similar distances to distribution centers near me in CA.

Just wondering if it's some "rural thing" or if Netflix is slowly letting the DVD side slip away. It would be a bummer. As I've mentioned here before, I like old movies, and it's still incredibly difficult to find them on any of the streaming services, with all of them focusing on "original content". At this rate I'll need to buy the DVDs for any classics I want to see.

Of note is that I've noticed on Amazon, that DVDs are now often much cheaper than than the digital version of many movies. You would think that would be going in the opposite direction.
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WLJ

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Re: Netflix DVDs?
« Reply #1 on: August 22, 2019, 10:05:58 AM »
I usually have a 2-3 day turn around time but some take ~4-5 days. I guess it depends on the location of the warehouse they had to pull it from. On avg I go through maybe two sets a week.
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MillCreek

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Re: Netflix DVDs?
« Reply #2 on: August 22, 2019, 10:12:35 AM »
I read somewhere in the business press a couple of years ago, that Netflix is really shrinking down the DVD exchange service and there are relatively few distribution centers left any more, leading to much longer exchange times.  Streaming seems to be the wave of the future, and I would not at all be surprised if Netflix DVDs go the way of Blockbuster.
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WLJ

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Re: Netflix DVDs?
« Reply #3 on: August 22, 2019, 10:16:09 AM »
I read somewhere in the business press a couple of years ago, that Netflix is really shrinking down the DVD exchange service and there are relatively few distribution centers left any more, leading to much longer exchange times.  Streaming seems to be the wave of the future, and I would not at all be surprised if Netflix DVDs go the way of Blockbuster.

Problem is that there's a lot of stuff on DVD that's not available for streaming
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griz

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Re: Netflix DVDs?
« Reply #4 on: August 22, 2019, 11:26:01 AM »
Another old DVD'er here.  It does take longer now.  The last one I sent in Saturday morning so it would have arrived at their center on Monday.  They sent the notice Tuesday and it was delivered Friday.  Not counting Sunday that's five full days.  That's typical, if I mail it late it adds another day. 
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MillCreek

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Re: Netflix DVDs?
« Reply #5 on: August 22, 2019, 11:35:06 AM »
Problem is that there's a lot of stuff on DVD that's not available for streaming

This is exactly what I point out to my wife when she criticizes me for getting something from the $3 DVD bin at Walmart.  I have a ton of stuff on DVD that eventually became available on streaming, but I would have to pay extra for it per viewing. The bargain bin DVD is cheaper.
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Ben

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Re: Netflix DVDs?
« Reply #6 on: August 22, 2019, 11:43:31 AM »
Problem is that there's a lot of stuff on DVD that's not available for streaming

Yeah,  I put a half dozen John Wayne WW2 movies (not available for streaming on my services) in my DVD Queue to watch/rewatch, and at this rate it's gonna take half a year to view them.
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HankB

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Re: Netflix DVDs?
« Reply #7 on: August 22, 2019, 11:58:08 AM »
I think they used to ship the next DVD as soon as the post office got yours (if you put the DVD case in the cover so the bar code would show for scanning) but now I think they wait until the DVD arrives at their facility and is processed.
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Ben

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Re: Netflix DVDs?
« Reply #8 on: August 22, 2019, 12:00:45 PM »
I think they used to ship the next DVD as soon as the post office got yours (if you put the DVD case in the cover so the bar code would show for scanning) but now I think they wait until the DVD arrives at their facility and is processed.

Yes,  I noticed that too. I always make sure the barcode shows, and in the past, have often gotten a "We've received your DVD" notice literally the same day I dropped it in the mailbox. No more. It is often 2-3 days later, if the send me a notice at all.
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griz

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Re: Netflix DVDs?
« Reply #9 on: August 22, 2019, 01:05:32 PM »
Sort of a side note, but more and more titles seem to be listed as "availability unknown", which means they don't actually have it at all.  I fear the DVDs days are numbered.
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