A Netflix Community

This is a semi-official (and experimental) Netflix forum, but I do not work for Netflix, so do not take any of the following as official. I am reasonably comfortable with its accuracy though.

Where can I get help with Instant Watch?

Why do some movies cost money on the Roku?

What happened to the old "Releasing this Week" page"?

Why aren't new releases available for Instant Watching?

How can I know when Instant Watch titles will be removed?

Why do Instant Watch titles expire?

How do I make a purple link to a Netflix movie appear in my posts?

How do I set the privacy on individual titles?

Do I need to return a movie to same distribution center that sent it?

Why doesn't Netflix allow more than 500 discs in my queue?

Why isn't my next movie always mailed out the same day?

Why doesn't Netflix allow 1/2 stars in ratings?

How can I view Instant Watch movies in Firefox?

When can we expect Instant Watch on Mac/Linux/PS3/X360?

Why do my reviews/friends/whatever keep disappearing and reappearing?

Why won't Netflix accept my review?

Why doesn't Netflix have that movie I want?

Why doesn't Netflix offer 6 or 7-day processing/shipping?

Anyone know about this Blockbuster exclusive nonsense?

I have the most incredible idea that would make Netflix better.

Does Netflix use "throttling"?

What ever happened to that class action suit from a few years ago?

I want to talk to someone at Netflix about a problem I am having.

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Where can I get help with Instant Watch?

Your best bet is probably to contact Netflix by phone.
You might also be able to get some help by looking though the Instant Watch Help group. Remember to thank those who try to help, they are volunteer community members, not Netflix employees.

Why do some movies cost money on the Roku?

Those are not Netflix Instant Watch titles. Those are Amazon VoD (Video on Demand) titles. Netflix does not charge extra for any of their downloadable movies.

What happened to the old "Releasing this Week" page?
Update: On May 9th, Netflix added sliders to the new page to show movies added in the last week/month.

Netflix retooled it, but the original page still exists. However please be advised that Netflix, at their own discretion, may remove that page at any time. There is also an RSS feed that gets updated with the same titles.

Why aren't new releases available for Instant Watching?
Studios do not allow Netflix to acquire/buy those rights right away at release time. Studios know their profit margin and it wouldn't give the studios more profit to allow Netflix & other "streaming" services to acquire them. So it's not up to Netflix, its simply how the studios work.

Instant Watch titles come and go, how can I know which ones to watch before they are removed?
Check this thread for info on Instant Watch expiration dates.

Why do Instant Watch titles expire?
"The Starz deal is a rolling window kind of thing. Movies turn up on Netflix when they are licensed for the Starz cable channel, and they disappear when they go from Starz. When the Netflix/Starz deal started, a bunch of movies were near the end of their Starz window and have been dropping off as new movies came online. The total number stays about the same, so whatever new content Starz adds over the next month will replace the movies that are dropping off. Looking at a holiday TV schedule http://www.deseretnews.com/article/1,5143,705265879,00.html shows that Starz is playing "The Santa Clause 3" a lot, which just came up as an instant choice."
"The non-Starz movies are licensed directly by Netflix, if we think its worth it, some of them get renewed when they get to the end of their license term, this is why the site may say its going away then change its mind... It's all about spending a limited budget on things people want to watch."

How do I make a purple link to a Netflix movie appear in my posts here?
  • Go to the movie's page on Netflix and copy the link (http://...)
  • In your post here, highlight (drag your mouse over) the words you want to be purple (i.e. the movie title)
  • Click the Add Hyperlink button (the chain links in the toolbar along the top of the posting box)
  • Paste in the link you copied in step 1 into the pop-up window
  • Click OK

How do I set the privacy on individual titles?
Check this thread for a Step by Step Guide to Privacy.

Do I need to return a movie to same distribution center that sent it?
No matter what the envelope says.... it will likely get shipped to the address listed on the barcode which is the same as the address listed on the envelope. USPS often ignores the Nearest Shipping Center line. If you want to be sure it gets sent to the local center.... you must cover the envelope bar code with black marker and cross out the distant address. Then write the local address on the envelope. The alternative is to send your dvds back two to an envelope and toss the extra envelopes for the distant dvds you receive.

Why doesn't Netflix allow more than 500 discs in my queue?
The relatively small number of people that need more than 500 slots doesn't warrant the time/effort/cost of making the necessary changes when you're looking at the Big Picture of more than 8 mil. members. Workarounds are to add movies to a custom list or to a queue on a secondary profile.

Why isn't my next movie always mailed out the same day they received my last movie?
If a movie isn't available locally, the request may be transferred to another shipping center -- since they are in the process of handling their own local customers, this request usually gets handled in the next processing cycle (but sometimes they can handle it the same day) -- and of course, shipping from a non-local distribution center may also result in longer delivery times. In addition, occasionally a shipping center may experience a high volume of processing and simply not have enough hours to handle all the requests before the shipments must be delivered to the post office. Also, sometimes Netflix has your movie, and before they envelope it they see it's cracked/damaged & they cannot send out to you.

Why doesn't Netflix allow 1/2 stars in ratings?
When they tested 1/2 stars in various markets the number of ratings actually plummeted because people got all confused/overwhelmed/intimidated/whatever. Tragic, but true.
(I continue to hope they will make it optional though.)

How can I view Instant Watch movies in Firefox?
Go to this thread for details on how (Windows only).

When can we expect Instant Watch on Mac/Linux/PS3/X360?
Intel Mac: probably around Nov 2008 (definitely this year)
PowerPC Mac: unknown (probably never)
Linux: probably mid-2009
PS3: unknown (maybe never) but they are working on it
XBOX 360: November 19, with Xbox LIVE Gold membership
Stand alone set-top box players: On May 20th, the Netflix Player by Roku was released for $100, more expected in Fall 2008. (Remember: "Members with a Netflix plan that includes unlimited instant watching may associate up to 4 unique devices with an account during a twelve month period." If you aren't sure, you may want to call Netflix and see how many computers you have activated in the last year.)

Those with Intel Macs can install Parallels and purchase/install Windows to watch movies now. There is a similar workaround for Linux.

For more up to date details about Mac/Linux/PS3/X360, check out The Long Answer.

Why do my reviews/friends/whatever keep disappearing and reappearing?
The data is spread across a lot of servers. One server queries other servers to see if they have any relevant data. If it doesn't get a response fast enough, then it just sends you the data it has. During busy times, data can seem to mysteriously vanish, but its all still there.

Why won't Netflix accept my review? I keep getting a "review submission error".
There are some words that Netflix won't accept in a review. Most of them are obvious, but check this thread for more details.

Why doesn't Netflix have that movie I want?
There are several possible reasons:

A) The copies they had got damaged and the movie is now out-of-print so they can't replace them.

B) The manufacturer hasn't made enough copies to supply Netflix yet.

C) If the movie hasn't been released on DVD in North America (Region 1) it isn't possible for Netflix to acquire it. A lot of foreign movies are still to be released in North America and it is impossible to predict which movies will be released when - if ever.

D) Netflix isn't aware of the title, but you can let them know about it here: Title Request Page
(You should include a link to the IMDB page for the movie so they know exactly which title you are requesting.)

Why doesn't Netflix offer 6 or 7-day processing/shipping?
This would significantly increase the work force and overhead costs for Netflix which in turn would increase the Netflix subscription prices for everyone. (If you really want more movies, you can upgrade your subscription and it will work out about the same.)

Anyone know about this Blockbuster exclusive nonsense?
Weinstein has an agreement w/ Blockbuster for "exclusivity" - and BB has to fund about 75% of any movie Weinstein wants to make for a period of about 5 years.
However, there is a law that allows any DVD you BUY to be RENTABLE.
So NF can go out and buy copies and then rent to you, the customer:)

I have the most incredible idea that would make Netflix so much better.
Please, feel free to post your idea in this forum. It will be seen by people at Netflix.

You can also send the idea directly to Netflix, but you won't get any response and no feedback from the rest of the community.

Does Netflix use "throttling"?
Depends on how you define it.

No. ("Netflix does not single out individual members and assign them to a 'throttle list'.")

Yes. ("In determining priority for shipping and inventory allocation, we may utilize many different factors, including without limitation, the number and type of DVDs you rent through our service, the subscription plan you select, as well as other uses of our service by you.")

Frequent renters get moved to the end of the line every day. If it is a busy day, their movies might not get done soon enough to get in the mail that day. Basically, people who only get a couple movies/week (or less) get priority over those who try to get their movies back in the mail the same day they receive them. It may be frustrating for frequent renters, but it is largely a fair system.

What ever happened to that class action suit from a few years ago?
Here is Netflix's official Settlement page. "Class members who timely and accurately completed the Claim Form Process will be contacted via email on or before November 29, 2008 regarding the procedure for receiving their settlement benefit."

I want to talk to someone at Netflix about a problem I am having.
You can call Netflix and talk to someone in Customer Support.

Tags: faq, self help

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Is there any way we can separate the original posting (the FAQ) from the discussion about changes etc? It's not that I have anything against the discussion (quite the contrary, it improves the FAQ), I just think that a "standalone" FAQ, updated regularly, of course, would be a stronger document. And is there any way to make a "sticky", so the FAQ is the top posting permanently? I think it deserves that.

Once again, thank you for your work, Baff.

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Anyone know about this Blockbuster exclusive nonsense? I was reading an article on MSNBC I think about how Blockbuster was getting an exclusive on Jackass 2.5. I am definitely not willing to go to Blockbuster to get it, but then I saw it at Netflix. Next thing I know I see a commercial on TV that says Legend of the Black Scorpion is going to be a Blockbuster exclusive, and I just added it to my Netflix queue. What gives?

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The exclusive only extends to in store rentals at Blockbuster. Grindhouse: DeathProof and Grindhouse: Plant Terror were also exclusives but are at Netflix.

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Jackass 2.5 was an instant watch exclusive.

All the exclusives I have seen so far are really just temporary things for advertising purposes. They don't amount to much.

It doesn't mean a lot, but Netflix claims 90,000+ titles and Bluckbuster claims 80,000+. Most of the difference are obscure titles.

Blockbuster even carries some of the titles that Netflix produces/distributes/whatever through Red Envelope.

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PLEASE limit responses to wording and accuracy. There are many other threads to rant about these issues.

Does Netflix throttle some users?

It depends on how you define throttling. Netflix does not single out individual members and assign them to a "throttle list", it simply prioritizes its customers each day at each distribution center depending on various factors and serves them in order. This may mean that some discs may not be available locally by the time the distribution center reaches some customers. Customers with fast turn-around times (those who are thus already receiving the greatest values from their Netflix accounts) will frequently find themselves near the bottom of the list and may experience the effects more often. In addition, because Netflix knows that a customer's behavior and thus prioritization is unlikely to change significantly, they can estimate the time it will take for demand for recent titles to reduce enough before lower-prioritization customers will be able to receive the title, thus yielding "Very Long Wait"s for high-demand titles for people with fast turn-around times.

Netflix never artificially delays anyone's processing or shipment. There are two primary reasons why a movie shipment might get delayed. If a movie isn't available locally, the request may be transferred to another shipping center -- since they are in the process of handling their own local customers, this request usually gets handled in the next processing cycle (but sometimes they can handle it the same day) -- and of course, shipping from a non-local distribution center may also result in longer delivery times. In addition, occasionally a shipping center may experience a high volume of processing and simply not have enough hours to handle all the requests before the shipments must be delivered to the post office -- in this case, any uncompleted requests will be processed the next day.

Some people believe that Netflix's use of the term "Unlimited" in advertising and in service plan names provides an expectation of service which is not achieved by Netflix's actual service. This is usually due to an unrealistic expectation of what any shipping business can achieve and a failure to read and understand Netflix's Terms of Use (which every customer must explicitly agree that they have read before they can join). The vast majority of Netflix users are pleased with the level of service they receive.

In the past, Netflix had not been clear on explaining their processing policies (a common practice for a competitive company with proprietary business operations and procedures to protect). In recent years, in part in response to an as-yet-unsettled class action lawsuit, Netflix has greatly improved the amount of information they provide on their procedures.

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From Netflix's Help pages (February 29, 2008):

Q: What is “throttling” and does Netflix “throttle” its members?
A: Throttling” is not a term we use at Netflix, but is used by people who incorrectly believe Netflix intentionally tries to reduce the number of DVDs a Netflix member who is a frequent renter receives, by delaying his or her DVD shipments or returns.

Netflix does not do this.

This confusion may have arisen from two scenarios in which infrequent renters may get preference over frequent renters.

The first scenario is if a customer requests a DVD, and their local distribution center does not have enough copies to satisfy demand, but there are other copies of the title available to the customer from another distribution center. In this scenario, the DVD is generally shipped to the customer from the other distribution center the following day. We do this in an effort to deliver the DVDs listed highest in the customer’s Queue. Other factors being equal, these “cross shipments” happen more often to frequent Netflix renters. Cross shipments only happen if the local distribution center is short of the desired title; cross shipments are never artificially generated to slow a frequent renter.

The second scenario is when there is more demand for a title than we have copies of that title. On those occasions, we ship the available copies to the subscribers who, other factors being equal, have been renting less frequently. The subscribers who do not get their first choice will generally get their next available choice sent that same day from their local distribution center, and there is no delay incurred.

Returns are promptly processed as they are received, and there are no preferences in how they are processed.

For more information about shipping and receiving DVDs, please see our FAQ on “How does Netflix process and ship DVDs” and our Terms of Use.

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From Netflix's Help pages (February 29, 2008):

Q: How does Netflix process and ship DVDs?
A: We receive rental returns Monday through Friday, except holidays, via the United States Postal Service. We process nearly 100 percent of returns the same day we receive them. When we check in a return, an e-mail is automatically and promptly sent to you to let you know that we have received your DVD. Our goal is to ship you the DVDs listed highest in your queue from the distribution center closest to you so that you get movies quickly. Generally, on the same day that we receive a DVD from you, we will ship the next available DVD from your queue. We will send you an e-mail letting you know when we have shipped your next DVD, including the anticipated day of delivery.

In our unlimited plans, we do not establish a monthly limit on the number of DVDs you can rent. However, as a result of your viewing habits and our operational practices, the actual number of DVDs you rent in any month may vary, and you may experience differentiated service during the course of your membership. Also, such service may be different from the service we provide to other members on the same membership plan. The type of differentiated service you may experience includes, but is not limited to, (i) the shipment of your next available DVD occurring at least one business day following return of your previously viewed movie, (ii) delivery taking longer, as the shipments may not be processed from your local distribution center and (iii) the movies you receive coming from lower in your queue. For example, your next available DVD may not ship until at least one business day following our receipt of your returned movie. This can occur when your top choices are not available to you from your closest distribution center or the number of shipments to be processed by the distribution center on that day has been exceeded. When one or both of these conditions exist, your DVD will likely ship on the next business day and may come from an alternate distribution center.

These effects will not occur unless we are faced with limited inventory at your local distribution center or when the number of shipments to be processed by that distribution center on that day is exceeded. In determining priority for shipping and inventory allocation, we may utilize many different factors such as the number and type of DVDs you rent through our service, the subscription plan you select, and other uses of our service by you. For example, if all other factors are the same, we give priority to those members who receive the fewest DVDs through our service.

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From Netflix's Terms of Use (February 29, 2008):

In determining priority for shipping and inventory allocation, we may utilize many different factors, including without limitation, the number and type of DVDs you rent through our service, the subscription plan you select, as well as other uses of our service by you. For example, if all other factors are the same, we give priority to those members who receive the fewest DVDs through our service. The type, number, mix and weighting of the various factors impacting shipping and inventory allocation will change from time to time and will be made in our sole and absolute discretion. As a result of your viewing habits and our operational practices, the actual number of DVDs you rent in any month may vary, and you may experience differentiated service during the course of your membership. Also, such service may be different from the service we provide to other members on the same membership plan. The type of differentiated service you may experience includes, without limitation, (i) the shipment of your next available DVD occurring at least one business day following return of your previously viewed movie, (ii) delivery taking longer, as the shipments may not be sent from your local distribution center and (iii) the movies you receive coming from lower in your Queue more often than our other subscribers. These effects will not occur unless we are faced with limited inventory at your local distribution center or when the number of shipments to be processed by that distribution center on that day is exceeded. In our unlimited plans, we do not establish a monthly limit on the number of DVDs you can rent.

Other factors that may affect delivery times, include, but are not limited to, (i) the distance between the distribution center from which your DVD was shipped and your delivery address, (ii) the timing of your placement or adjustment of movies in your Queue, (iii) circumstances impacting delivery by the U.S. Postal Service, and (iv) any unplanned downtime of our computer systems.

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Added (a small snippet anyway).

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Obviously, use however much you want, but I do think it's important to get the word "throttle" in a question somewhere. It's a huge issue to some people, generating intense flame wars on this forum and others, and that's what FAQs can help with.

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Yes, I added that too.

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Seeing it now. Thanks!

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