Is the timed-contract thing and the (what seems to me anyways) dwindling amount of streaming material due to how much Netflix can pay producers (so they pay more for longer contracts, or is there just a set time no matter the fee)? What is it like $7 or $8 a month? I'd be willing to pay as much as $15 (for streaming alone) or so a month if that meant they could get new movies and shows and bring back others they used to have (House, Dexter, Babylon 5, etc). There's already plenty I watch on there, especially the sci-fi stuff (Star Trek, Doctor Who, Farscape, etc) and with no commercials I definitely think it's worth a few bucks every month. But like I said, not sure how it all works, but if doubling a monthly payment would mean a bigger streaming library, I'd be all for it.

I believe Netflix's contracts are set up where they pay a one-time annual rate licensing fee, rather than, say, a per-view fee. Most of the time this may work in favor of the ones supplying the films, since most of their individual offerings put up on Netflix probably aren't viewed that much. But other things can interfere with the contract...like with the Starz contract, individual companies could try to pull their movies out of the deal/off of Netflix, like Sony Pictures did for a while when they did their own re-negotiations with Starz.

The Starz contract was, imo, what helped Netflix a lot early on. It was for 30million a year. But they now want something more like 300million a year, along with other specific conditions, and the contract fell through.

Quote from http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/story/2011-09-01/Starz-quits-talks-to-renew-Netflix-streaming-deal/50224638/1 about one of the things Starz wanted:
"Instead of making their content available to any Netflix subscriber paying just $8 per month, Starz executives wanted viewership limited to people paying at least $16 per month for a package that bundles DVD rentals with Internet video."

From the public response to Netflix trying to raise/alter their pricing tiers etc, I'd say most customers aren't willing to pay more for more...at least not on the internet. I would be, but....oh well.

Yeah, I was glued to my TV for a few seasons, with that show. Good stuff. Glad you're enjoying it!

Just started last night and i'm on episode 8 right now! Did you watch all the seasons? I read that season 5 is the most critically acclaimed of them all.

I'm going to check out Bones and Prison Break later.

Speaking of which, I recently noticed Doctor Zhivago's on the instant streaming. There be a classic.

I watched through season six. Early in season7 I couldn't take the ever-growing preposterous (even for the series, heh) plot stuff and slowly stopped watching. Never saw season8.

Did you see the 24 movie that took place between season 6 and 7? It's not on Netflix though.

Have you seen Prison Break?

I'm on episode 9 of Season 2 of 24. This show is amazing.

Netflix streaming has been neutered, as others have said a lot of the good shows have been taken off. Dexter was the saving grace of NetFlix but they removed it. There's still some good 80's movies on there though, as well as some solid documentaries.

Is it that Netflix just decided it has been on there long enough so they removed it? Or was the contract for the show up?

I was under the impression that producers (or whoever has the authority) were not renewing contracts with Netflix in the hopes that people would buy the (newer perhaps) shows and movies on DVD/BluRay, rather than watching them on Netflix, thus make more money.

That sums up instant stream fully and completely
And this my friends is why I think the rise in prices is a load of crap.

I thought Dexter was?

Oh, and my school counselor is Matthew C. Hall's (Dexter) mom.

Just got this myself. Been catching up on all of the comedies that I have missed, as well as a few movies. Can't complain about the selection, but it's nothing too amazing. Liking the service itself though. Beats cable, if you ask me.

Watched the entirety of Samurai Champloo yesterday. Yeah, it was a slow day . . .

Pretty sure House is on there...

win

I've been using Netflix to catch up on some Tv series mostly. Just finished watching all 3 seasons of Robin Hood (BBC series) It was all going so well into Season 3 when they messed up the ordering the episodes. It completely confused me when they started referencing scenes I couldn't remember and then suddenly forgetting them, really killed that last season of me disregarding the final two episodes.

I'm at the end of Season 2 of 24...Amazing show is amazing.

There is actually a lot of great programming on Netflix, sometimes you just have to look for it.

Examples:
Sons of Anarchy
Battlestar Galactica (Both versions plus the 1980 one)
Ancient Aliens
Stargate sg-1, Atlantis, & Universe
Doctor Who
Robinhood
Camelot
Trailer Park Boys

There are also some great movies.

Don't get me wrong I think they need to negotiate and make their DVD collection available on streaming. I really don't get the difference if we can get it via DVD why can't we stream it? Hell I would be willing to pay 20 dollars a month if that is what it took.

Breaking Bad and Walking Dead are some good ones. Nearly all or maybe every season of South Park. Netflix streaming is perfect for college students.

House isn't on there.

24 is amazing!

They added Archer Season 2.

Looks like they recently added a batch of new streaming content, including Doctor Who Season 6.

They have a bunch of good series, but as far as I know HBO has never put any of their series up for instant streaming. Based on the price of buying them, I'm sure they don't want to cut into that revenue.

You can watch them online on Xfinity's site, but only if you're subscribed to HBO via Comcast/Xfinity's to begin with, so only good for customers who want to catch up on what they missed or rewatch. But yeah, I haven't seen any of their shows streaming online outside of that, yet.

But you do see Top Gear, and that's all you really need.