Netflix policy changes re DVD rentals

[DynoDon]

I also noticed in the last several weeks the disks aren't coming as usual, I would send my disks back to Netflix on Saturday they would receive them Monday morning an send my next disk out that morning and Tuesday I would receive my new ones, It's Thursday and I still haven't gotten my disks, Called the post office and they say it isn't there fault that it is Netflix, Man at the post office also says he has been getting his disks late too, Maybe Netflix is trying to piss off their customers so they will drop their dvd service.

See my previous post. The USPS has kept quiet about this change. I only found out by accident from a blog about the change.
http://www.thomhartmann.com/users/ozark-matt/blog/2015/01/post-office-ended-overnight-...tomers-screwed
Post Office Ended Overnight Delivery - Netflix Customers Screwed - See more at: http://www.thomhartmann.com/users/ozark-matt/blog/2015/01/post-office-ended-overnight-....6AmoTuNb.dpuf

[newpball]

It will take at least 10 years, if not more in N.America. The current infrastructure can't handle the extra traffic, and won't be improved overnight. Existing laws would also need to be changed to make high-speed Internet service more available and affordable to consumers since competition and innovation are stifled by current policies favoring the phone/cable/Internet local monopolies that dominate the industry.

Is there enough bandwidth for streaming 4K? I've heard satellite doesn't have the capacity. If not-where are you going to get 4K content?

I have heard rumors that 10 years from now 4K content will be delivered by stagecoach at stuffy old engineer certified 7.5 IRE extra reduced white and black level interlaced 29.97fps, 30% title safe, 20% action safe anamorphic 4:3 windowboxed format. But don't pin me on it!

[_Al_]

newpball - you act in smartass way, have some truth in a sense that it is going where it is going, ...., but it is the same like with the food, you can buy whatever box of food you can, for cheap, certainly in US, but to have an access to "real" food, you have not. Simply we live in modern times so to speak, but local clean food is hard to get. Same with the movies. Have you ever think, that Netflix or others have limited stuff on the menu? Perhaps in the future you'll be stuck to watch only what somebody else offers you to watch and your kids will be smuggling "real" stuff on their SD cards. I'd like to be wrong in this case. Paranoia?

[llrj67]

newpball. I have to agree with you. Streaming is the way to go, as evidenced by trying to watch a tv show on demand the other night. It was nice enough to stutter and pause every few seconds so we could get a good long look at individual frames. Then it was nice enough to offer to let us reboot the box so that we could continue enjoying our wonderful viewing experience.
I can see why you would choose this over watching a dvd that has never presented me with those problems. Except maybe when rented from the library.

[Mrx15]

I also noticed in the last several weeks the disks aren't coming as usual, I would send my disks back to Netflix on Saturday they would receive them Monday morning an send my next disk out that morning and Tuesday I would receive my new ones, It's Thursday and I still haven't gotten my disks, Called the post office and they say it isn't there fault that it is Netflix, Man at the post office also says he has been getting his disks late too, Maybe Netflix is trying to piss off their customers so they will drop their dvd service.

See my previous post. The USPS has kept quiet about this change. I only found out by accident from a blog about the change.
http://www.thomhartmann.com/users/ozark-matt/blog/2015/01/post-office-ended-overnight-...tomers-screwed
Post Office Ended Overnight Delivery - Netflix Customers Screwed - See more at: http://www.thomhartmann.com/users/ozark-matt/blog/2015/01/post-office-ended-overnight-....6AmoTuNb.dpuf

Thanks for the info DynoDon. That's similar to what I heard from a Netflix customer service rep when I talked to them on the phone, but differs from what my local USPS postmaster told me. She (the latter) said those sorting/distribution centers had been closed down for quite awhile, so any difference should have already happened, awhile back. However I haven't noticed any difference until earlier this month when one of my incoming DVDs took 4 days to arrive. Previously it was almost always overnight delivery. Indeed I have just received a couple of Netflix DVDs today that were shipped to me yesterday. So maybe it's not a totally lost cause yet. I'll have to reserve judgement for a month or so.

IMO it's still not clear whether Netflix or USPS is responsible for the possible slowdown. Each blame the other. I tend to think it's a break in the formerly good relations between the two. They used to cooperate. Now maybe someone in their managements offended someone else in the other group, with a negative ripple effect. Typical beaurocratic bungling.

[tarzan54]

After calling Netflix's shipping department they blame it on a change that USPS made but Netflix is working on it to get it fixed, The thing I don't understand is that when I send my disks back Netflix gets them the next day (1 day), The problem seems to be getting the disks sent from Netflix to the customer.

[johns0]

There's a type of streaming that won't affect isp bandwidth,it's run through the tv box and that's the way streaming will do away with disc rentals.

[Mrx15]

There's a type of streaming that won't affect isp bandwidth,it's run through the tv box and that's the way streaming will do away with disc rentals.

By analogy, if you order a dozen roses or a box of chocolates, can they stream it to you? Not unless teleportation or time travel has become a reality, doubtful despite the popularity of Dr Who. There's nothing like having the real thing in hand!

[johns0]

Your analogy is way off,you never rent flowers or chocolates and if you noticed most rental stores are closing down,people who want the real thing will buy it if needed.

[usually_quiet]

There's a type of streaming that won't affect isp bandwidth,it's run through the tv box and that's the way streaming will do away with disc rentals.

It won't affect ISP bandwidth, but like others here have found, my cable TV providers apparently runs out of channels to use for streaming when demand is high. It has gotten really bad of late. It is impossible for me to use "On Demand" on the hour or half hour during prime TV viewing hours.

[johns0]

Sounds like you have a cheap isp who doesn't have enough resources to keep up with demand.

[usually_quiet]

Sounds like you have a cheap isp who doesn't have enough resources to keep up with demand.

We were discussing on demand streaming via cable TV, although my provider, Comcast, is both the largest cable TV provider and ISP in the US. They have 29% of the U.S. pay TV market, and about 36% of broadband subscribers. Their network is part fiber and part coax. They have all the resources in the world, but still can't keep up. Coax is the bottleneck.

[DynoDon]

All I can say is that all 6 discs in Jan have arrived later than the Netflix queue stated. This hasn't happened in the past 8 years after hundred's of discs. This USPS change has been in the works for a couple years.

http://news.yahoo.com/postal-cuts-slow-delivery-first-class-mail-141723847.html

[DJ66Books]

Netflix has done a major change since the beginning of 2015 on me. DVD rentals took 4 days to send to me the first two weeks of 01/2015. NOW, everything I sent back was received the next postal day. My last mailing back was on 1/16/2015. They were received on time and mailing went out on the 20th, 3 disks. Reported on the 23rd that not one was received, and to send duplicates of each. On Monday the 26th supposed new shipments went out for today's delivery. Well nothing has shown up. 2 weeks without a rental.

Please note: I have never had a issue with Netflix until now. I will call Netflix shortly to express my concern about "What's up with the DVD Rental!"

I will call the States Attorney of my state to file a complaint against Netflix if this isn't corrected, for breaking their contract with me. I urge anyone if they have had the same problems to do the same.

DJ

[newpball]

I will call the States Attorney of my state to file a complaint against Netflix if this isn't corrected, for breaking their contract with me.

Oh boy!

And what contract? They return you last months payment in full and terminate you.

Keep complaining and Netflix will be even more encouraged to shut down this whole snailmail service for good!

[DJ66Books]

Simple to all, please call Netflix, if you can not get your DVD by mail resolved, where they can mail you a DVD and you can not receive in a major city the next day. This is a problem, not on your part but there's, period. DVD by mail is something Netflix is going to have to resolve in 2015. I'm not very pleased in what they are doing, and you should be in the same boat, ship, plane, internet provider, with me.
DJ

[newpball]

DVD by mail is something Netflix is going to have to resolve in 2015.

You may be right about that, but I fear you might not like the solution.

[tarzan54]

I'm in the same situation, DVDS being sent back to Netflix received in 1 day but DVDS being sent to me take 3-4 days, Doesn't sound like it is the USPS doing it, Maybe Netflix is doing it on purpose to limit how many DVDS it sends out too cut back on postage expense and save money.

[johns0]

Sounds like you have a cheap isp who doesn't have enough resources to keep up with demand.

We were discussing on demand streaming via cable TV, although my provider, Comcast, is both the largest cable TV provider and ISP in the US. They have 29% of the U.S. pay TV market, and about 36% of broadband subscribers. Their network is part fiber and part coax. They have all the resources in the world, but still can't keep up. Coax is the bottleneck.

Providers can have as much bandwith to support proper broadcast but some like to cheap out and limit the bandwidth used to make more money with more customers.

[newpball]

I'm in the same situation, DVDS being sent back to Netflix received in 1 day but DVDS being sent to me take 3-4 days, Doesn't sound like it is the USPS doing it, Maybe Netflix is doing it on purpose to limit how many DVDS it sends out too cut back on postage expense and save money.

Seriously, nobody understands that delivery to a place that receives thousands of packages a day is obviously more frequent and quicker than delivery to a home address?

[johns0]

Nope.

[hello_hello]

I'm in the same situation, DVDS being sent back to Netflix received in 1 day but DVDS being sent to me take 3-4 days, Doesn't sound like it is the USPS doing it, Maybe Netflix is doing it on purpose to limit how many DVDS it sends out too cut back on postage expense and save money.

Seriously, nobody understands that delivery to a place that receives thousands of packages a day is obviously more frequent and quicker than delivery to a home address?

On the other hand, why couldn't deliveries from a place that sends thousands of packages a day be quicker than deliveries from thousands of individual addresses?

[newpball]

I'm in the same situation, DVDS being sent back to Netflix received in 1 day but DVDS being sent to me take 3-4 days, Doesn't sound like it is the USPS doing it, Maybe Netflix is doing it on purpose to limit how many DVDS it sends out too cut back on postage expense and save money.

Seriously, nobody understands that delivery to a place that receives thousands of packages a day is obviously more frequent and quicker than delivery to a home address?

On the other hand, why couldn't deliveries from a place that sends thousands of packages a day be quicker than deliveries from thousands of individual addresses?

Because mail does not go directly from origin to destination, it goes through distribution centers, traffic is optimized based on volume and service levels.

[hello_hello]

Seriously, nobody understands that delivery to a place that receives thousands of packages a day is obviously more frequent and quicker than delivery to a home address?

On the other hand, why couldn't deliveries from a place that sends thousands of packages a day be quicker than deliveries from thousands of individual addresses?

Because mail does not go directly from origin to destination, it goes through distribution centers, traffic is optimized based on volume and service levels.

So when an organisation receives thousands of packages per day, they go through distribution centres in an optimised way based on volume, but when the same organisation sends thousands of packages per day they're only handled by un-optimised distribution centres without consideration for volume? Is that correct?

You might have to explain how distribution centres optimise traffic based on volume and service levels. I realise net-neutrality is an issue but I had no idea postal-neutrality was also a problem.

[newpball]

Seriously, nobody understands that delivery to a place that receives thousands of packages a day is obviously more frequent and quicker than delivery to a home address?

On the other hand, why couldn't deliveries from a place that sends thousands of packages a day be quicker than deliveries from thousands of individual addresses?

Because mail does not go directly from origin to destination, it goes through distribution centers, traffic is optimized based on volume and service levels.

So when an organisation receives thousands of packages per day, they go through distribution centres in an optimised way based on volume, but when the same organisation sends thousands of packages per day they're only handled by un-optimised distribution centres without consideration for volume? Is that correct?

The volume and direction of traffic is what matters. On the one extreme we have Netflix receiving thousands of packages and on the other we have Joe Blow getting perhaps a few a day. The number of packages to Netflix gets more and more concentrated going closer to the destination while from Netflix the flow gets more and more spread out. You can think of it in terms of pressure.

These are basic concepts in networking, they work for water, electricity, train schedules and the internet. Why do you think there is something like Akamai technology? For the same reason US mail uses distribution centers. To optimize mail traffic flows!

[hello_hello]

You can think of it in terms of pressure.

I could but I think that'd be silly.

I post something to "huge corporation". It goes to my "local" distribution centre, off to a destination distribution centre, then it's delivered. All those individual packages originating from multiple "local" distribution centres somehow ensure mine arrives speedily. I assume something must happen at the destination distribution centre involving pressure build up I don't understand.
"Huge corporation" posts a thousand packages. They go through the first distribution centre without an extra pressure efficiency increase even they were all sent together, then they're redirected to various "local" distribution centres and..... something slows them down....

Sorry, but you'll probably have to explain how distribution centres operate in reasonable detail before I'll understand the effect of concentration and pressure build up.

These are basic concepts in networking, they work for water, electricity, train schedules and the internet. Why do you think there is something like Akamai technology? For the same reason US mail uses distribution centers. To optimize mail traffic flows!

If anything, the purpose of Akamai is the exact opposite of what you're saying. Akamai has thousands of servers world wide caching and delivering their customers content.
When applied to networks, the "pressure" you refer to is generally called congestion.
You'll need to explain the electricity analogy. I get that initially it's very high voltage (pressure) and at the consumer end it's much lower voltage, but is it also travelling along the wires more slowly?

[newpball]

That's alright, nobody can understand everything.

It must be some conspiracy that Netflix can deliver a package faster to you than that you can deliver it to them.

[hello_hello]

That's alright, nobody can understand everything.

I was hoping you'd understand enough to explain it properly, given it was your claim.

It must be some conspiracy that Netflix can deliver a package faster to you than that you can deliver it to them.

I understand enough to realise you seem confused. The original statement was:

I'm in the same situation, DVDS being sent back to Netflix received in 1 day but DVDS being sent to me take 3-4 days

You replied:

Seriously, nobody understands that delivery to a place that receives thousands of packages a day is obviously more frequent and quicker than delivery to a home address?

[tarzan54]

Originally Posted by newpball
Seriously, nobody understands that delivery to a place that receives thousands of packages a day is obviously more frequent and quicker than delivery to a home address?[/QUOTE]

Really, Nobody is going to believe it is faster to ship one way then the other using the same shipping company but it is happening.

[Mrx15]

Same here. When I return a DVD they get it the next day. When they send me a DVD, I do *not* receive the next day. My analysis also supports the idea that this is Netflix's fault, not USPS. But I'm going to put it on the back burner for another month or two. If they improve, I'll probably stay, otherwise leave.

That's disappointing but not end of the world. There are other movie sources. Maybe local video rental stores will make a comeback. That was the real heyday with free popcorn at checkout!