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Netflix-Relativity Deal: Another Nail in Blu-ray's Coffin
pcworld.com ^ | Jul 6, 2010 | Jeff Bertolucci

Posted on 07/07/2010 1:48:37 AM PDT by Las Vegas Dave

Tuesday's announcement of a content-streaming deal between Netflix and Relativity Media, the latter a Hollywood production company that makes mainstream flicks such as "Get Him to the Greek," "Grown Ups," and "Robin Hood," is welcome news for subscribers of the movie-rental service. It means that Netflix members will be able to stream Relativity titles to their TVs and computers sooner than before. Rather than waiting (in some cases) years after a movie's DVD release before they can watch the title online, members will only have to wait months.

OK, if you're the instant gratification type, that's still a long wait. But online streaming is moving in the right direction, and the Relativity pact is likely the first of similar deals between Netflix and Hollywood. Previously, recent films (such as the 2010 titles above) might have been entangled in long-term agreements with pay-TV channels such as HBO, Showtime, and Starz. The new agreement shortens the streaming delay considerably, albeit for a select number of titles.

Content Cornucopia

If you're not familiar with Netflix, here's how it works. Subscribers pay $9 per month to stream more than 20,000 movies and TV shows, and they can also rent one DVD at a time. For an extra $2 a month, they can get Blu-ray discs too. (Pricier options let them rent multiple discs at once.) Netflix has more than 13 million subscribers.

Netflix's two-tiered approach to movie distribution--discs and streaming--is appealing to consumers, most of whom probably have a DVD player as well as a streaming device, be it a set-top box, game console, Internet-ready TV, or Blu-ray player, in the living room. And while Netflix got its start by delivering shiny plastic discs via snail mail, it has made it clear that online streaming is the future.

(Excerpt) Read more at pcworld.com ...


TOPICS: Music/Entertainment; TV/Movies
KEYWORDS: hdtv
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To: krb

Yep, I agree that they botched the introduction of this medium to the market very badly. I just love it though, sometimes, such as while I was watching Avatar on Blu Ray, I have to pick my jaw up off of the floor from what I see on my screen.

Now if we could only get Hollywierd to make some good movies to watch...


41 posted on 07/07/2010 8:27:24 AM PDT by chris37
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To: Gondring

It’s GINORMOUS! :o)


42 posted on 07/07/2010 8:46:37 AM PDT by Jmouse007 (Heavenly Father, deliver us from evil and from those perpetuating it, in Jesus name, amen.)
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To: Uncle Miltie
Netflix downloads, blue-ray and dvds are indistinguishable on my excellent Panasonic G20 50”.

Either you're not seeing the difference in those three, or something is wrong. Blu-Ray should be noticeably better than the other two, and in my case (not a great Internet pipe) there's a dramatic dropoff from DVD to streaming.

MM (in TX)

43 posted on 07/07/2010 9:52:42 AM PDT by MississippiMan (http://gogmagogblog.wordpress.com/)
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To: Uncle Miltie
Netflix downloads, blue-ray and dvds are indistinguishable on my excellent Panasonic G20 50”.

Dunno about Net-Flix, but I notice the same thing as you on my 1982 Zenith. B-D I got a Blu-Ray for Christmas so I hooked it up to our biggest set. B-)
44 posted on 07/07/2010 10:03:15 AM PDT by Nowhere Man (General James Mattoon Scott, where are you when we need you? We need a regime change.)
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To: Uncle Miltie
Netflix downloads, blue-ray and dvds are indistinguishable on my excellent Panasonic G20 50”.

Dunno about Net-Flix, but I notice the same thing as you on my 1982 Zenith. B-D I got a Blu-Ray for Christmas so I hooked it up to our biggest set. B-)
45 posted on 07/07/2010 10:03:30 AM PDT by Nowhere Man (General James Mattoon Scott, where are you when we need you? We need a regime change.)
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To: Nowhere Man

Sorry for the double post, dunno how it happened.


46 posted on 07/07/2010 10:04:39 AM PDT by Nowhere Man (General James Mattoon Scott, where are you when we need you? We need a regime change.)
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To: Las Vegas Dave

Netflix has THE MOST annoying pop-up/pop-under ads ever. They are relentless.


47 posted on 07/07/2010 10:06:17 AM PDT by Constitution Day
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To: Jmouse007

The blu-ray nail in the coffin for me is the need to update my systems firmware to watch the ever changing format coupled with the fact that over 90% of my Netflix bluray rentals always had some serious glitch during the best part of the movie. Maybe it is my POS Sharp player but after about 6 months in I changed to standard DVD format and have no problems...


48 posted on 07/07/2010 10:28:01 AM PDT by shotgun
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To: MississippiMan

I think there’s some magic going on between the Panasonic Blu Ray and the Panasonic TV. The inbound signal from my old DVD player SUCKS when played through the new TV, but the inbound signal from my new Panny Blu Ray shows the same DVD in STUNNING quality.

My guess is that there is some rather tremendously capable video signal upgrade processing to make original DVD content more beautiful than it really has a right to be in its original form. My guess: some really smart / fast / well programmed CPU in there is interpolating and smoothing the datastream so that my eyes are well fooled.

I’m a photographer. I use medium format (120) Fuji Velvia (ASA 50) slide film. I’m extremely sensitive to how things look. For example, I have never seen an LCD that was acceptable, which is why I have plasma.

Is it possible to see the difference between DVD and Blu Ray coming through my Panasonic equipment? Yes, but just barely. I have to really look hard. Can I see the difference between a DVD and a Netflix download? Again, Yes, but just barely and I really have to look hard.

The difference is so small that I wouldn’t pay an extra buck for a Blu Ray compared to Netflix streaming. There is no effective difference to my eyes when enjoying the content.

With the show “24” streamed down from Netflix, it is like watching a TV show in a movie theater. REALLY sharper than any TV experience ever for me. But then, I never had (still don’t have) cable.


49 posted on 07/07/2010 11:25:08 AM PDT by Uncle Miltie (Arizona: Just doing the job 0bamacrats won't do!)
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To: shotgun

As to the quality of your Sharp blu-ray player I can not say,I own a SONY 550s and although it is, relativly speaking, an older player, there have only been 3 frimware updates for me and I am grateful for every one of them. On the positive side, you can update your Blu-ray player and that is an outstanding advantage; Sharp is standing behind their product and it sure beats having to buy a new player.


50 posted on 07/07/2010 11:36:42 AM PDT by Jmouse007 (Heavenly Father, deliver us from evil and from those perpetuating it, in Jesus name, amen.)
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To: Uncle Miltie

Thanks for your expanded comments. It’s now obvious that you’re not someone who just can’t see the difference. There are a number of such folks around. ;-)

I have a fairly new Panasonic Blu-Ray player myself, but now that I think about it, I don’t think I’ve ever played a DVD in it. I must do so right away to test the upconversion. Maybe I’ll see good results like you.

MM (in TX)


51 posted on 07/07/2010 3:31:04 PM PDT by MississippiMan (http://gogmagogblog.wordpress.com/)
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To: ProtectOurFreedom

Every single case has involved someone making copyrighted material available for upload. I have yet to hear of a case against someone who only downloaded.

Maybe I missed something, but barring that, it is all about allowing uploading.


52 posted on 07/07/2010 3:45:23 PM PDT by RobRoy (The US Today: Revelation 18:4)
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To: Moonman62

>>I have an upconverting DVD player and the results are pretty good. Titles are cheap and plentiful.<<

I used to be a real Audiophile, and then a Videophile. Now I care more about the content than the quality. Don’t get me wrong, quality matters, but if a person really appreciates a particular movie or song, they can appreciate it on a transistor radio or a 70’s 19” color TV.

My wife and I dumped Netflix about 4 years ago because there just wasn’t enough good stuff to rent that we had not already seen.


53 posted on 07/07/2010 3:47:47 PM PDT by RobRoy (The US Today: Revelation 18:4)
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To: MississippiMan

P.S. - THX is da bomb!


54 posted on 07/07/2010 4:00:13 PM PDT by Uncle Miltie (Arizona: Just doing the job 0bamacrats won't do!)
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To: MississippiMan

p.p.s. - I’m using the fast video wire, whatever that’s called....so it is pure digital signal transmission from Blu Ray player to TV, no muzzie analog.


55 posted on 07/07/2010 4:02:18 PM PDT by Uncle Miltie (Arizona: Just doing the job 0bamacrats won't do!)
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To: Uncle Miltie
p.p.s. - I’m using the fast video wire, whatever that’s called....so it is pure digital signal transmission from Blu Ray player to TV, no muzzie analog.

HDMI, I assume? BTW, I too have plasma as my main set. Some of the new LCDs and LEDs look pretty good, but plasma still wins for pure fidelity of image.

MM (in TX)

56 posted on 07/07/2010 4:14:30 PM PDT by MississippiMan (http://gogmagogblog.wordpress.com/)
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To: Nowhere Man
Dunno about Net-Flix, but I notice the same thing as you on my 1982 Zenith. B-D I got a Blu-Ray for Christmas so I hooked it up to our biggest set. B-)

Blu-Ray on a 1982 Zenith Standard Definition TV?

That is wrong on so many levels...

57 posted on 07/07/2010 4:39:23 PM PDT by GreenLanternCorps ("Barack Obama" is Swahili for "Jimmy Carter".)
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To: GreenLanternCorps
Blu-Ray on a 1982 Zenith Standard Definition TV?

That is wrong on so many levels...


Well, that is our main set, we bought it new in 1983, been in use everyday since then. It's an old System 3, came out in 1978. The previous models, Chromacolor II's are reliable too, some have been in use since the mid 1970's. I have an old Chromacolor model from 1970 as well.
58 posted on 07/07/2010 7:11:29 PM PDT by Nowhere Man (General James Mattoon Scott, where are you when we need you? We need a regime change.)
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To: Nowhere Man

Yeah, but it’s kind of like putting a Ferrari engine in a Trabant...


59 posted on 07/07/2010 7:50:35 PM PDT by GreenLanternCorps ("Barack Obama" is Swahili for "Jimmy Carter".)
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To: GreenLanternCorps
Yeah, but it’s kind of like putting a Ferrari engine in a Trabant...

That would be a cool thing just to do for "sh&*s & giggles." I thought the same thing when I wanted to try it on my old B&W Sony from 1964.
60 posted on 07/07/2010 8:28:34 PM PDT by Nowhere Man (General James Mattoon Scott, where are you when we need you? We need a regime change.)
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