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Netflix Prices Went Up Again – I Bought a DVD Player Instead

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Re: Netflix Prices Went Up Again – I Bought a DVD Player Instead

#21

Post by donohoe »

Not a lawyer but... if you have the DVD its legal to make a backup digital copy.

I am thinking the same thing. Most recent movies are available for under $20 per DVD - and there are tons of deals.

You can get the 4 lego movies for $5 on DVD on Amazon right now. A "Tom Cruise 10-Movie Collection" is $12. You get the idea.

Get the DVD. Make a legal backup. Keep the physical DVD in storage.

You now "own" the movie (or TV show), not a "license".

In my neighborhood you will often see people selling DVD collections where you get 10-20 discs for $10 or less - varies. I'm sure that is the case elsewhere.

NAS + Apple TV with Infuse app installed = Better than Netflix (and others) imho.

(Note: I do recommend the one-time lifetime license for Infuse app = $99.99)

Reference:

- "Backup DVD Copies Legal Says Electronic Frontier Foundation" https://www.eff.org/effector/16/7#I

- "2026 DVD Digital Copyright Laws in US, UK, Japan, Australia..." https://www.winxdvd.com/resource/dvd-copyright-infringement-...

Re: Netflix Prices Went Up Again – I Bought a DVD Player Instead

#22

Post by commandlinefan »

My father passed away last year from complications due to Alzheimer's, but for years before he died, he struggled to work streaming services and modern "smart" TVs. We got him one of the few models of DVD players that we could actually still find and a lot of used DVDs because he _could_ use those.

OP here might be misremembering DVDs, here: the physical media skipped or froze intermittently and the players themselves were finicky; we ended up replacing it about three times in just as many years. Streaming services are overpriced, but they do _work_ consistently.

Re: Netflix Prices Went Up Again – I Bought a DVD Player Instead

#23

Post by craftkiller »

At this point, I'm surprised the streaming services aren't grandfathering people into their current plan+rate like the cellular networks do. It would encourage people to keep their subscription active to keep their rate rather than cancelling it and signing up again when there is a specific show they want to watch, while also avoiding the price increase frustrations.

PS: Thanks for the reminder about the price increase, just cancelled my netflix.

Re: Netflix Prices Went Up Again – I Bought a DVD Player Instead

#24

Post by stratts »

Beyond the pricing part of it, just having media that isn't dependent on an external device is so nice.

But for TV series in particular, watching on disc is quite clunky after a decade+ of streaming services, and DVR boxes prior to that. I'll buy them in principle, but ultimately they end up ripped and viewed via Jellyfin.

Re: Netflix Prices Went Up Again – I Bought a DVD Player Instead

#26

Post by Unbeliever69 »

Netlfix raises its prices for the second time in years. Prime Video ads are so invasive that I honestly can't watch any video without turning it off immediately (I refuse to pay for the ad free tier), and now I'm seeing very long ads in the middle of YouTube videos.

Two months ago I just stopped watching streaming services all together. The friction of enshitification reached such a boiling point that I lost all joy in watching anything. I cancelled those services I personally paid for and stopped watching those that I don't. My life improved in clear ways. I began reading for pleasure again. Each night at 10pm I sit down in my reading chair, get comfy and read 2 chapters of: one book for enjoyment and one book for learning. It didn't hurt that the first book I read was Atomic Habits! I noticed that my sleep schedule and quality of sleep improved. I've also been more dedicated to my passion projects as well. You don't really realize how invasive these things are until you remove them from your life. I had already given up all social media except Reddit a couple of years ago. Even now I stay away from hot bed subreddits (typically news oriented ones) to preserve my mental health. From 2010-2018 I actually did a test to give up a smart phone in favor of a flip phone, but that became untenable.

So thank you to all the enshitified streaming services for helping me restore balance in my life.

Re: Netflix Prices Went Up Again – I Bought a DVD Player Instead

#27

Post by benoliver999 »

bko wrote: post #20

I was wondering if there is a DVD service similar to Netflix when it first came out. And of course there is, but pricing seems high! DVD Inbox and Cafe DVD is $20/mo for 2 discs at a time, with unlimited discs and a 5 day guarantee. 5 days to get your DVD doesn't seem great. They have cheaper plans but limit the number of DVDs you can take out. Netflix was revolutionary because they shipped very eagerly and they char…

There's one in the UK too, Cinema Paradiso. The prices are also quite high.

Also, the turnaround times were really slow. Slow mail perhaps, but at the same time it's kind of in their interests to not turn things around so fast.

In the UK, letters get a lower priority than packages which doesn't help.

Re: Netflix Prices Went Up Again – I Bought a DVD Player Instead

#28

Post by dylan604 »

sergiotapia wrote: post #10
WCSTombs wrote: post #4

Public libraries can also be a great source for DVDs and Blu-Rays!

Libraries are one the most beloved things america really got right. Such a great value and use of tax money.

If everyone used the library as much as people say they are great, their shelves would be empty. Libraries have to be some of the most underutilized services.

Re: Netflix Prices Went Up Again – I Bought a DVD Player Instead

#29

Post by TheDom »

satvikpendem wrote: post #9
WCSTombs wrote: post #4

Public libraries can also be a great source for DVDs and Blu-Rays!

Also add Libby, Hoopla, Overdrive, for books and other media, which are also free from the library.

I recently discovered Kanopy and was surprised by the amount of A-tier movies you can stream there for free with a library membership (SFPL in my case)!
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