Throttling, Starring Netflix
I'm an avid movie watcher, so naturally I subscribe to a dvd service ...in this case, Netflix. I used to go the movies alot, but I can't say that I prefer it over watching a movie at home. I really don't see the advantage of "the shared experience". All the people just prove to be an inconvenience, something that you have to tolerate in order to see the movie ...which in so many cases you can't enjoy because of the big head sitting in front of you, or the inconsiderate asshole who insists on answering his mobile, or the the kid constantly kicking the back of your seat, or the guy crunching on his popcorn, or the women with that most unfortunate perfume, or just the annoying practice of people whispering to each other during the feature. Long story short, I haven't been to a movie theater (or complex) in well over ten years. I simply wait for the dvd ...since it's only a few months (as opposed to "years") from screen to dvd.
With my Netflix account (3-at-a-time), I watch between 15 and 21 movies a month, (depending on how quickly I view them and get them back in the mail to exchange for the next title on my list). I not only watch the blockbusters, but all those minor titles that I wouldn't have gone to the theater to see, or that I possibly might have overlooked altogether if I didn't have such a large database to peruse and choose from.
Now, on an avid cinefile like myself who sometimes, most times, watches around 20 movies a month, Netflix doesn't make much profit ...when you factor in the postage that [they] pay both ways on each of these dvds.
To counter this, Netflix "had" engaged, (and I think sometimes still do), in a practice called throttling. That is where they give preferential treatment (with regard to who gets the available titles, expecially the new releases ...and who gets to wait) to those with the lower rental activity. In addition to the throttling, they've even discontinued processing shipments on Saturdays (which is a valid mail day) in an attempt to slow down the turnover, reducing the number of rentals per month, and therefore, increasing their profit on each individual account.
There was a successful class-action law suit against Netflix for this very practice of throttling. Since their agreement states "Unlimited rentals", there should be no restrictions or actions that restrict renting as many titles as you want as long as you are within the parameters of your plan (three out at a time, four out at time, etc.). The courts agreed.
As a result of this suit, Netflix, allegedly, no longer throttles, but I suspect that there are still practices in which they engage that are intended to draw out the turn-around time. Case in point; when I put a disc in the mail on a particular "mail" day (in time for pickup on that day), Netflix receives, processes, and mails out my next selection on the following day. Sometimes, a disc doesn't show up in their system until the day after that. This doesn't happen all that often, and can always be attributed to a "glitch" in the mail service. It's funny, however, that this only happens when my number of rentals starts to approach 20 - 21 discs over the last thirty days.
With my Netflix account (3-at-a-time), I watch between 15 and 21 movies a month, (depending on how quickly I view them and get them back in the mail to exchange for the next title on my list). I not only watch the blockbusters, but all those minor titles that I wouldn't have gone to the theater to see, or that I possibly might have overlooked altogether if I didn't have such a large database to peruse and choose from.
Now, on an avid cinefile like myself who sometimes, most times, watches around 20 movies a month, Netflix doesn't make much profit ...when you factor in the postage that [they] pay both ways on each of these dvds.
To counter this, Netflix "had" engaged, (and I think sometimes still do), in a practice called throttling. That is where they give preferential treatment (with regard to who gets the available titles, expecially the new releases ...and who gets to wait) to those with the lower rental activity. In addition to the throttling, they've even discontinued processing shipments on Saturdays (which is a valid mail day) in an attempt to slow down the turnover, reducing the number of rentals per month, and therefore, increasing their profit on each individual account.
There was a successful class-action law suit against Netflix for this very practice of throttling. Since their agreement states "Unlimited rentals", there should be no restrictions or actions that restrict renting as many titles as you want as long as you are within the parameters of your plan (three out at a time, four out at time, etc.). The courts agreed.
As a result of this suit, Netflix, allegedly, no longer throttles, but I suspect that there are still practices in which they engage that are intended to draw out the turn-around time. Case in point; when I put a disc in the mail on a particular "mail" day (in time for pickup on that day), Netflix receives, processes, and mails out my next selection on the following day. Sometimes, a disc doesn't show up in their system until the day after that. This doesn't happen all that often, and can always be attributed to a "glitch" in the mail service. It's funny, however, that this only happens when my number of rentals starts to approach 20 - 21 discs over the last thirty days.
Getting a new release of a popular title can be a headache ...you may have to wait for up to a month 'til there's an available copy. However, I've discovered, quite by accident, a way to get a copy of a new release on the very day of release.
If you have no available titles in your queue -- (by available, I mean in stock and available to be mailed out to you) -- and the next selection is a title that's not yet released, but will be released "tomorrow", [they] will send you that selection for receipt "tomorrow". And since it hasn't yet been released, there will undoubtedly be a copy available. This way, I always get first crack at a new release.
The key is that you have to make sure there is a returned disc in the system. If you're banking on them receiving your returned disc on that day before, it may not show up ... especially if your disc rental activity is high. The disc doesn't show up in their system until the follow day ...the day of the release, and you get lost in the deluge of all the subscribers that are requesting that title and, since you are a high-volume renter, you get passed over. The only way around this is to allow an extra day for the return of the disc, with nothing in your queue available to be sent out. If they receive it the "next" day, it'll just sit there. If they "hang onto it" for the extra day, it will still be positioned to get that first crack at the "new release".
I may be "shooting myself in the foot" by revealing this, but most people keep lists filled with available selections, so, even if the "new release" were next on the list, Netflix would pass over it on that "day before release", and select the next available disc in the list. Also, it's unlikely that these people would be willing to remove all the selection in their respective queues, and then have to put them back later ...although there is purportedly software that someone has developed for just this very purpose.
If you have no available titles in your queue -- (by available, I mean in stock and available to be mailed out to you) -- and the next selection is a title that's not yet released, but will be released "tomorrow", [they] will send you that selection for receipt "tomorrow". And since it hasn't yet been released, there will undoubtedly be a copy available. This way, I always get first crack at a new release.
The key is that you have to make sure there is a returned disc in the system. If you're banking on them receiving your returned disc on that day before, it may not show up ... especially if your disc rental activity is high. The disc doesn't show up in their system until the follow day ...the day of the release, and you get lost in the deluge of all the subscribers that are requesting that title and, since you are a high-volume renter, you get passed over. The only way around this is to allow an extra day for the return of the disc, with nothing in your queue available to be sent out. If they receive it the "next" day, it'll just sit there. If they "hang onto it" for the extra day, it will still be positioned to get that first crack at the "new release".
I may be "shooting myself in the foot" by revealing this, but most people keep lists filled with available selections, so, even if the "new release" were next on the list, Netflix would pass over it on that "day before release", and select the next available disc in the list. Also, it's unlikely that these people would be willing to remove all the selection in their respective queues, and then have to put them back later ...although there is purportedly software that someone has developed for just this very purpose.
posted 15 December 2007
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