If you are a parent, you either have already dealt with the issue of safeguarding your child from inappropriate content, or you will after receiving a rude awakening, when your child stumbles upon something that potentially prematurely takes away their innocence. As parents, we are becoming accustomed to dealing with parental control settings on our internet connection and our cable or satellite TV subscription. But streaming is a whole new issue that we may not have a lot of information on. The streaming providers below have been researched in-depth in order to determine their "family friendly" rating.

Of course the best parental control available are parents themselves, and this review is a good reminder that we need to be personally involved in the lives of our children and monitor their choices. We need to manage the exposure our children receive from uncertain venues such as the internet, including social networking, as well as television and cell phones, in an age-appropriate fashion. However, as busy parents can attest to, it certainly is helpful to get help from the trusted services we subscribe to.

Netflix

This streaming provider has decided not to get into the pornography business, so it gets an immediate thumbs-up for this decision. It does include a rudimentary parental control option. In your account, you can select "change parental control settings" and select what ratings level to filter. It does take 8 hours for the new rating selection to take effect, so parents need to stay vigilant during that time frame. This is a global block to the entire account, so if you decide to indulge in a movie, there is an 8 hour window where your kids can access the same ratings you do. There is also the ability to see what anyone on the account has viewed, so you are able to "ask questions" after the fact.

However, several parents have lit up the message boards requesting more flexibility in the ability to filter content, especially based on individual devices or sub-accounts. In other words, the family TV needs to be sacred (whether it's the Roku box, gaming console or internet-enabled Blu-ray player that facilitates the streaming), and so does Jr's iPad. Another idea was to be able to filter out all content within certain ratings unless a pin # was entered. There are some films that are "Not Rated" that are clearly inappropriate for children.

Netflix allows it's community to rate and review the movies in its library, which is also a plus.

Netflix family friendly rating is "good".

Hulu Plus

This provider does not have customizable parental controls. However, in order to view "mature" Hulu content (rated R or TV-MA), the owner of the account must be at least 17 years old, and the viewer must be logged into the account to access mature content. This is an account that, simply put, requires parental oversight. It should be noted that internet-savvy children can get around this to create an account. For family friendliness, it is rated "good" with the caveat that the parent must be involved with viewing choices.

Vudu

This provider has two safeguards in place that rate it "great" in terms of family friendly. Parents are able set limits on what their children can browse, rent, purchase or play, based upon ratings. They also provide good instruction on how to set parental controls on various devices. Once purchased by WalMart, Vudu has discontinued "Vudu After Dark."

ITunes

This provider also receives a "great" rating in terms of child safety. Parents are able to define content that is even displayed in the iTunes Store for their children. You can also opt to disable content available in podcasts, radio, shared libraries, or the iTunes Store. If a user tries to access content that is not in the allowable category, a pin number must be entered. Because content is rented or purchased through the iTunes store, this adds an extra layer of safety. For Apple TV owners, you can also set controls for services like Netflix or YouTube.

Amazon Instant Video and Amazon Prime

In order to rent or purchase digital media, you must have access to an Amazon account with a credit card. Parents also have an entire history of anything rented or purchased. This is the ultimate of parental controls, albeit after the fact. The problem comes with Amazon Prime members who have access to the unlimited streaming library. The Amazon message boards state that they have no solution to block streamed content that is inappropriate to children. Family friendly rating – "fair".

Roku

Roku is not a streaming provider, but a streaming media player. As such, it is as the mercy of whatever provider you select for your entertainment. However, you can create a 4-digit Roku Channel Store PIN that restricts new channels being added to your Roku Player. Family friendly rating is "good".

Netflix just announced their new “Watch Now” feature allowing subscribers to view their movie rentals streamed to them over the internet. This was a direct response to Blockbuster’s Total Access program which allows their subscribers to return and get new movies from local Blockbuster stores, a feature Netflix could never compete with. Blockbuster’s franchise is simply too big. However, as the internet speeds up and more people are connecting their TV to their PC, streaming movies is becoming the future.

Streaming movies is a service also offered by companies like Apple and Amazon, so Netflix is certainly in the first to do this, but they are the first company to stream movies in conjunction with renting DVDs. Subscribers can watch an hours worth of video per dollar their subscription costs. So, the $17.99 plan will get you 18 hours of movie watching through Netflix.

So what’s the big deal about streaming movies anyway? Who would ever want to watch a full length movie on their computer monitor? Well, technology is finally catching up to make this a possibility. First of all, broadband internet speeds are only getting faster. Second, more and more consumers are finding ways to hook their computer to their television, even wirelessly. So, video on your computer doesn’t need to be confined to your monitor.

And what does all this mean for the movie and DVD rental industry, and more importantly the consumers? Those who are depending on DVD rentals to make money better start finding a way to stream their movies to their customers. Consumers are beginning to want their videos and movies On Demand and as technology grows, the demand for immediate gratification will also grow.

For all the consumers out there, you may not be quite ready for streaming video just yet. Current offerings from DVD rental companies may suit you just fine. If that describes your needs, then you’re still in the majority. Streaming video isn’t as popular as traditional online DVD rental services that have been offered by companies like Netflix, Blockbuster and GameznFlix. The shift to streaming video will be slow, but it will happen. Don’t worry, you won’t have to switch until you’re ready.

What can we expect in the near future?

Most films have been released for 2010, but I thought I would take time to highlight 10 little-seen gems that you can get right now off Netflix. You’ll save money and find some terrific films if you use my list to fill your queue.

10) Mysterious Skin– My favorite director (Gregg Araki) and his best movie ever. Mysterious Skin is about two boys linked together by a horrible childhood trauma. At turns graphic, disturbing, yet filled with beauty and hope it’s one of the best films of the decade. Joseph Gordon Leavitt (no longer that kid from 3rd Rock from the Sun) is nothing short of amazing.

9) Dead Man’s Shoes– Paddy Considine is excellent in this brutal revenge drama from director Shane Meadows. The film is about a brother’s quest for revenge after his mentally challenged brother is brutalized by some Midlands thugs in the squalid UK countryside. Some critics mistakenly called this an art-house torture porn, but it’s light years better and more compelling than anything the overrated Eli Roth could ever come up with.

8) Frailty-Frailty is a horror gem starring and directed by Bill Paxton. A grisly tale of a seemingly loving father who believes he and his sons are the hands of God. He searches out people he believes to be demons and cuts them to pieces. Fine period detail and acting, especially from the young boys, Frailty is about religious devotion run amok and turned into madness. A must see.

7) In Bruges – In Bruges has the best screenplay of last year and some of the best acting of Collin Farrell’s career. Clever and brutal, funny yet extremely violent, it’s the film Guy Ritchie keeps trying to make, and one that keeps eluding him. One of the best films of last year.

6) Smiley Face – Director Gregg Araki’s last film is a very funny stoner comedy starring the awesome Anna Faris. Sublimely silly movie that went direct to DVD, even though it’s much funnier than many comedies that get theatrical releases these days.

5) Rules of Attraction – A sharp and sharply funny look at some nasty spoiled college students courtesy of author Bret Easton Ellis and writer/director Roger Avary. This is probably the best of the Ellis film adaptions to date (American Psycho with a terrific Christian Bale is another must see) and despite its lothsome characters, I loved every shocking and entertainig moment of the film.

4) Sex Drive – The teen sex comedy gets updated with hilarious results. Amazingly this was a box office dud but it was easily the funniest film of last year. The leads are likable and amusing and James Marsden all but steals the entire movie as the homophobic older brother bully character. Seth Green lends strong support as a sarcastic and smarmy Amish know it all. RUMPSRINGA!

3) Mirror Mask– Alice in Wonderland meets The Wizard of Oz by way of Neil Gaiman. MirrorMask is a thrilling and well-acted fantasy film meant for teens and adults. The worlds created are wholly original and star Stephenie Leonidas is perfect as the punky Emo goth who wants to run away from her creepy circus existence and gets more than she ever bargained for.

2) Cashback – Original and visually stunning comedy/drama about a young man who breaks up with his pretty girlfriend and learns he has the ability to stop time. His insomnia produces a chance for him to paint random subjects with time frozen and the film could be creepy in the wrong hands, ends up being delightful and something worth seeking out. All props go to the director for making a low-budget feature look like something with a bigger budget.

1) This Is England – Writer/director Shane Meadows returns with an autobiographical look at his childhood and his alliance with a young gang of skinhead thugs. Well-acted, at times hard to watch, and thoroughly compelling, This Is England may be about the UK but its themes of racial intolerance and hatred could take place anywhere in any country at any time. It could have been called This is America. The movie is brilliant, blistering stuff.

I've come late to the Blu-ray party. Like most HD junkies I was waiting for the fight between HDDVD and Blu-ray to be won, which it was in convincing fashion in 2008. Now that I've arrived at the party with martini in hand, I'm happy to be here . What I've ended up with is an LG BD300 Blu-ray player with built in Netflix streaming capabilities. If you've dismissed Blu-ray or streaming video you owe it to yourself to investigate this. What's sitting in my entertainment center now is proof positive that we've reached an age where even stupid people can be dangerous with technology.

First, Netflix has always seemed like an alien concept to me . I hate using snail mail. Now don't get me wrong, I think that the US Postal service is the best bargain to be had on the planet. Paying someone a few dozen pennies to hand carry a piece of paper across the country is an incredible deal. However, it's the main reason that I never signed up for a Netflix account. It seems like a tremendous hassle.

However, the built in Netflix streaming capabilities in the Blu-ray player had me intrigued . Since my XBOX is not on my main television, I didn't go that route after it was implemented last month on XBOX live. The surprise was how easy of a set up this entire outfit turned out to be. It's proof positive that even the world's most tech-ignorant goon could be dangerous with technology.

First, the greatest invention in the history of humankind to this point is HDMI . Had I been the guiding hand in the evolution of man, I would have skipped the wheel and gone straight for HDMI. For every woeful man that has spent a substantial portion of his life moving entertainment centers and spending hours untangling wires, rerouting speakers, and basically contemplating suicide because of it, HDMI is wonderful. One cable. Video. Sound. Perfect. I'm not sure that there's any real quality improvement in the picture over the old DVI format, but the hassle factor is beyond measure.

Lets walk through the steps of setting this monstrosity up.

I removed my progressive scan upconverting standard DVD player, leaving the HDMI cable in place . Replacing it with the Blu-ray was simple. The total time it took was a couple of minutes running the power cable and the LAN cable (to use the streaming Netflix features).

Providing network connectivity was the next step. No LAN interface in my living room and no wireless support on the Blu-ray player meant that I had to get a Netgear Powerline network extender into an outlet near my TV. The Netgear device was simple to install. There's no software required for this, just simply plug the transmitter into a power outlet near the router, hardwiring it with a LAN cable to an open router port, then the receiver into a power outlet near the TV and run a LAN cable into the back of the Blu-ray player. The wireless extender required absolutely no soft set up. They automatically connected to my network and were up and ready to go. In fact, I use the term "transmitter" loosely. Both boxes are identical, whichever one you plug into the router becomes the "transmitter". The initial investment was in the Netgear XE104 that functions using the power circuits in your home.

Once I booted the Blu Ray player it had some trouble finding the network when I went to the Netflix option in the root menu. This was resolved easily enough by going into the network set up and re-affirming it as a "dynamic IP." I'm assuming this just forced the DVD player to renew it's IP address. As soon as I had network connectivity, it instantly informed me that there was an update to the Netflix software and it took less than a minute to download.
I took the plunge and went online and signed up for the Netflix 2-week trial on the $ 8.99 plan, the lowest unlimited plan they offer. Even though the first two weeks are free on the trial, it did require credit / debit card info. It also requires you put the Netflix device ID of the Blu-ray player in when you sign up online. Very simple, as soon as the Netflix update downloaded it gave me the ID on screen. Within seconds of entering the ID into the Netflix website the player informed me that it was authorized.

The $ 8.99 plan entitles you to put up to 9 films in your Netflix queue , 6 of which can be streaming picks. Only selected titles are available for streaming to your device, and almost none are new releases, however this plan allows you to do mail and / or streaming in any combination. There are still thousands of streaming titles. Once you complete the sign up, you can add any "instant titles" into your queue and they show up immediately in your DVD player Netflix menu. From the player's menu you can also remove the films from your Netflix queue instantly or hope between multiple features on the same title. It's really incredibly cool.

Overall, from not having the seals on the boxes broken to set up and ready to go was about 15 minutes. Another noteworthy plus on the LG BD300 is that it that my Toshiba LCD picks up the fact that the Blu-ray player has been turned on and automatically changes the input setting on my television over to it. I found this particularly interesting because the this was not the case with my LG upconverting standard def DVD player, hooked up to the same input and using the same HDMI cable.

The difference between the upconverting 1080P standard DVD and the Blu-ray is considerable . The Hi-Def picture is better than you get through your cable or satellite provider (most networks aren't broadcasting 1080p yet anyway). The first disc we watched in Blu-ray on our 52inch Toshiba LCD was The Dark Knight , and it was stunning. The IMAX sequences, mainly the long cityscapes, were mind-bogglingly sharp. It's really a perfect first choice film to start with.

Pixar's Wall-E was another mindblowingly sharp presentation . It's odd nowadays that when you sit down and watch a film like Wall-E , you're watching a product that in spite of being called a "film" actually had absolutely no film involved. Straight digital transfer to a 1080P picture that is sharper than the 3rd blade of a brand new cartridge in my Gillette Fusion Razor.

With the lessons of XBox Live / Netflix issues expressed in the article referenced above, I did start to become somewhat concerned about the picture quality of the Netfix streaming. And sure enough, the first film into my queue, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind , wasn't giving us HD quality.

Here it came as described, the "cheesecloth" quality video, suddenly I was watching YOUTUBE on my big screen TV. It was quite disappointing. Then about 30 minutes into the start of the film, we lost connection completely. I was getting steamed about my stream. I went back the DVD player HOME menu and re-entered my Netflix queue and tried to resume Spotless Mind where we left off. Then, suddenly poof, the signal meter zipped all the way up informing me that I was getting full HD quality. We watched the rest of the film and the picture quality seemed ok.

Subsequently though, every title we picked looked like hell. After doing some research I found the several tech sites like Endgadget pretty much said the Netgear XE104 generally could not handle the bandwidth of an HD signal and in average operating conditions tested by the reviewers usually didn't even manage the bandwidth for standard def quality.

Further investigation led me to the XDH111, Netgear's latest and greatest powerline Ethernet adapter tested to and advertised to handle the bandwidth of an HD signal. The practical advantage of this was that not only did I get to upgrade to a better product, but it was $ 10.00 cheaper at Fry's Electronics than the substandard XE104 was at Best Buy, where it was originally purchased. Fry's in store had it for $ 119.99. The cheapest I could find online was $ 113.99. Good old Fry's Electronics.

The XDH111 improved the situation immediately. The signal meter shot to it's highest for the first HD title we streamed and to the top level of the standard def level on the non-HD titles. The Hi-Def titles look amazing over the Netflix streaming, but the standard def titles still seem just a tad soft even though the signal meter on the player is showing the best signal. I'm going to experiment by moving the location of the Netgear station to a different location in my house on the same electrical circuit as the player – fortunately, I have some options here because I have hardwired Ethernet jacks at several locations in my home.

Stupidly, when I built the house 5 years ago, I never considered needing an Ethernet jack behind my TV . I mean, after all, game consoles would never offer online play and there's no reason to have a PC in my living room … Ugh, what an idiot I was.

As for Netflix, even though new releases are mostly not available for streaming, there is one huge piece of the Netflix instant queue that I immediately zeroed in on: TV Box Sets galore. I could get classic and new Doctor Who , 30 Rock , The Office (both the UK and US versions), Charles in Charge , Heroes , The Tick (the live action series) …. you name it, and there it was instantly watchable on my TV. In my eyes, this calls for installing a bedpan and refrigerator in my living room couch. For $ 8.99 per month this is potentially the bargain of the century (next to the US Postal service). In fact, I just enjoyed watching the pilot episode of The Tick , which I hadn't seen since, well … since the damned thing first aired. I also noticed the they had Heroes Season 3 available for streaming even though it's not available on DVD yet and the season's not over. The most recent episode is just about a week or two behind.

I guess I'm still of the opinion that Netflix by mail is going to be a tremendous pain in the ass , but we'll definitely be giving that a shot with newer releases.
I have to say that now's the time. Blu-ray is a phenomenal thumbs up. Oddly enough though, I would have to say that this whole streaming Netflix feature may be more valuable than the disc player itself. It's nice to have both. If you have FIOS or a Wideband Cable connection (Docsis 3.0) you should be set. I have neither right now, but I'm still able to get HD quality across, but I imagine we're on the cusp of the bandwidth no longer being an issue for HD streaming. Time to sell your children off for scientific experimentation and finance yourself a Blu-ray Home entertainment system.

On a side note, there were some moments where the investment in a PS3 was considered rather than a standalone Blu-ray, but in all honesty, I'm not sure I would want to give up the Netflix option, especially with the small number of PS3 exclusive titles that intrigue right now. Also, it's another check mark on the list of horrific mistakes that Sony continues to make with the marketing of the PS3. Netflix wanted deals with Sony and Microsoft. They didn't give a flying flip how they got their content into the home. Sony's John Koller basically told them to take a flying leap. "Our customers want to own the content," he commented. What the hell?

Well, with the $ 10.00 I saved upgrading two products levels higher on the Network Adapter I was able to pick up Evil Dead 2 on Blu-ray on sale for $ 9.99. Thank you Fry's Electronics! I'm dining with Bruce Campbell tonight.

For full reviews and opinion, visit www.deviantknowledge.com .

So, you are the proud owner of a home theater system. You may have been enjoying home theater and its benefits for several years, or you may just have had it installed, perhaps with extras such as surround sound or 3D TV. Now of course, you just need to have something to watch.

There are plenty of viewing options out there. The two main satellite channels – Direct TV and Dish Network – between them offer hundreds of channels, including all the sports channels a person could want, as well as dozens of premium movie channels such as HBO and Cinemax.

There is another easy and inexpensive way to watch movies on your home theater system. If you – or perhaps your kids – have an Xbox 360 gaming system connected to your home theater system, you have a virtually unlimited selection of movies and other programming at your fingertips. An Xbox allows you to play the latest games, with sophisticated special effects and realistic sound; it also allows you to watch films, through the on line service Netflix.

Netflix is a subscription based service that has taken a lot of the movie rental business from Blockbuster by simplifying the entire process, so that everything is done on line. You choose your film, Netflix mails it to you; you send it back when you have watched it – simple. You can watch all the movies you want for a monthly fee that is as low as around $10 a month. More expensive plans offer the option to rent several films at a time; and the company has no late fees.

Included in your monthly fee is the ability to stream films to your TV to watch – as many as you like. Netflix offers literally thousands of titles, ranging from new releases to classics and foreign films. There is also a great selection of recent and classic TV shows and documentaries.

Netflix offers several ways of streaming movies through your television, one of which is an Xbox 360, so if you already have an Xbox 360 connected up to your TV, you are ready to sit back and enjoy a movie. The process is fairly simple even to those of us who are technology challenged and you don’t need to buy any expensive or often confusing equipment.

Streaming Netflix movies through your Xbox 360 really is a convenient and easy way to enjoy newly released films, as well as those old films that everyone loves. And if you don’t have an Xbox 360? Buy one – your kids will thank you.

Most American’s like me love TV. It is an integral part of our daily life. I come after work and the first thing I do is sit in front of the TV, it helps me relax after a stressful day at the office.

The problem that I am having is that U-verse (from AT&T its like cable) is so darn expensive. Since I love TV so much I have the “Crème de la Crème” of TV packages. I get HBO, Showtime, Starz, Cinemax and Encore plus like 300 other channels. Now some of you might think this is excessive, why would I need something like that? Yes, most of it I don’t watch but there are channels that my family watches so it is worth to have all of them. But is it really?

With so many commercials out about Netfilix, I thought I would give it a try. Their product was always reviewed well. They made the rental process for DVD’s a no brainer with most rentals to your home in about a day. Their newest feature, online streaming to your computer or TV, is what made me decide to give it a try. The price was the best part. It costs $9 a month with 1 DVD rental at a time and unlimited amount of streaming.

To see if Netflix could replace my U-verse, I decided to break my families TV watching into 3 categories; Movies; Network TV and Alternative TV.

Movies

Being a huge movie buff I found the selection on Netflix to be on par with what U-Verse on demand has to offer. They both have some that each does not have to offer. Netflix currently has Starz On Demand (I hear that they might drop this) so everything that I could watch on U-Verse I can watch on Netflix. In this category I think they are dead even but since the pricing for Netflix is so much less. I would have to say Netflix is a better value for me.

Network TV

Now with Netflix you’re not able to watch any current episodes, this is a big downside for them. However they offer a huge selection of TV shows on demand. My personal favorites are the Office and 30 Rock. With some of the TV shows like Dirty Jobs you are only able to watch a select few episodes. The reason why they do this I don’t know, so I would have to say that this is a downside for them. In cases like this you could always rent the DVD to watch all the episodes. Netflix takes the cake here, it still adds tremendous value by giving me hours of TV content at a low price. Yes, I cant watch all the episodes but with still basic U-Verse I can DVR them.

Alternative TV

My wife loves to watch MTV, probably one of her favorite channels. Unlike the network TV content, which they stream quite a bit of, Netflix offers little if any streaming content of MTV or VH1. Yes, they do offer some of the Discovery Channel shows in streaming but for my wife this isn’t that important to her. In this category there is more value to keep U-Verse then Netflix.

When the trial period for Netflix ended I decided to keep it. I also decided to cancel my “Crème de la Crème” of TV packages. I have gone to the lowest one possible, a $41 savings after the Netflix subscription. That is a 21% savings from what I was paying before.

Blockbuster Online decided to alter and modify my existing movie rental contract, which initially allowed me unlimited rentals and exchanges at the store for a fixed price. On October 17, when I walked into the store to exchange a video the store rep told me I had met my limit for monthly exchanges and would have to pay over $2.00 per movie on any additional exchanges. The manager came out and agreed it was bogus and fraudulent, but said he couldn’t change it.

Upon looking at Blockbuster Online they have since phased out unlimited rentals altogether on their website, but such was in operation when I was sold the contract by the Blockbuster representative.

I phoned the competition at Netflix who told me they only lowered their prices, unlike Blockbuster who has since significantly raised their prices. The idea according to my research is for Blockbuster to put the competition out of business for a short while by their online services, than alter their contracts after the competition has been eliminated – kind of like an anti-trust price gouging operation.

The Netflix website contract for similar services, which verbally the rep on the phone said there would not be any price increases……says otherwise. Read the fine print online and you will see a contractual stipulation stating “changes to terms of use.”

Changes to Terms of Use

Netflix, Inc., reserves the right, from time to time, with or without notice to you, to change these Terms of Use in our sole and absolute discretion. The most current version of these Terms of Use can be reviewed by clicking on the “Terms of Use” located at the bottom of the pages of the Netflix Web site. The most current version of the Terms of Use will supersede all previous versions. Your use of the Netflix Web site or continued use of our service after changes are made means that you agree to be bound by such changes.

This is the new corporation nation which cares not for consumers but financially raping and taking advantage of us. I say let’s protest!

Write your Better Business Bureau and Congress representatives and cite these unethical billing practices and procedures. What we tolerate will dominate. Close the floodgates before capitalism overtakes we the people and honesty and integrity entirely leaves the marketplace.

Do you have any idea what are parents had to go through back in the day just to rent a movie? They had to trudge five miles through eight feet of snow to the local video store in frigid, below-zero weather. And when they finally arrived there, they only had a selection of twenty or so movies to choose from, none of which were new releases. After they rented a video, they had to hurry home and quickly watch it because if it wasn’t back by 5:00 the next day, they had to pay a late fee that was twice as much as the original rental. And you know what, they liked it and they appreciated the opportunity to be entertained.

Fortunately, times have changed and it has become a lot easier for people to enjoy the cinematic arts in the comfort of their own living rooms. In particular, the video-rental giant Netflix, now a household name across America, has revolutionized the nature in which a person is able to rent a movie; providing an online service offering unlimited rentals for one flat monthly rate and no late fees. With delivery and returns provided by the US Postal Service via pre-stamped envelopes, Netflix has become an economical, no-brainer for voracious movie watchers across the nation.

Now, as a huge film buff myself, Netflix is just about the greatest thing to happen to me since cheese in a can. But when I converse with certain friends and family who are also big movie lovers and I tell them why they should join Netflix, they seem hesitant and ask a lot of questions. Many seem like the offer seems to good to be true, while others don’t see a problem with the traditional method of visiting a video store to rent a movie. Whatever the reason, I have personally found myself having the conversation of why or why not join Netflix enough times to recite from memory and write an article.

So here we are, and as much as I love Netflix, I am also fair in my debate and admit that there are some downsides to the online service that people teetering on the edge of signing up should be aware about. So, without further ado, here are my three big pros and cons of using Netflix.

Pro: Price – The cost of Netflix is without a doubt the cheapest way of going about renting movies, especially if you watch more then three movies a week. My first month as a member, I did the math just to reassure myself that giving Netflix my credit card number was a smart decision. I divided the number of movies I watched that first month by the flat rate of $16.99 (three movies at a time) and it came out to 87 cents per movie, which if you’ll note, is also cheaper then the $1 price of the popular and competing Redbox. Now if I watched that same amount of movies by renting them from a video store at the average price of $4 a rental, it would have cost me around $80. I’m sorry but that my friends is a steal and by far the biggest pro of Netflix.

Pro: Selection – It has happened to me a lot in the past and I’m sure it has happened to you at one point or another. You catch wind of a low-budget independent festival winner or a critically acclaimed foreign thriller that you absolutely must see. So you go to your local video store to rent it only to have the 16-year-old clerk behind the counter tell you they have never heard of it. Now in the past, your only solution to this problem would be buying a DVD copy online. But, if you were a member of Netflix, you’re almost guaranteed to be able to rent that movie. With a movie library that offers over 100,000 different titles, Netflix has by far the biggest variety of films to choose from. I have been a member for almost two years now and there have been three occasions where they did not offer the movie I was looking for. And in all three of those cases, the movie was issued as “out of print” by the film company that owned the rights, which by law means Netflix cannot offer it for rent.

Pro: Convenience – “No Late Fees,” Netflix knows that this statement is by far their biggest selling point and that is obviously why it is splattered all over their advertisements and commercials. But that is not meant to take away from how nice this perk really is to the customer. I probably could afford graduate school with the money I have spent in late fees in my lifetime. And as everyone knows, a video store never forgets a late fee. It will stay in their computer for years, haunting you until you pay up. But the convenience of Netflix does not stop with the absence of late fees. Commuting to and from the video store is also eliminated. And their website, where all of your rental selections are made, is so incredibly user-friendly that I seriously know a 5-year-old who navigates it with ease.

Con: New Releases – I started off with the biggest pro of Netflix and here is by far the biggest con. To receive a new release when it first comes out is incredibly difficult. So that means, those movies that you meant to go see in the theaters but kept putting off until you finally missed your opportunity and now you can’t wait to see on DVD, Netflix will most likely make you wait even longer to watch them. It’s a popular complaint from users that Netflix has found rather difficult to address. A movie’s most popular rental period is in the first 30 days of it being released on DVD, and even though Netflix has increased supply of the most popular titles being released every week, it is not financially smart for the company to match the demand due to the fact that interest in the title will slowly fade. So as a member of Netflix, there is a good chance that the new release that you have been dying to see might get issued the dreaded “Very Long Wait” as it’s availability status. And trust me, the status lives up to its name.

Con: Stuck Without Movies – Depending on what package you sign up for with Netflix (anywhere from 1-8 movies at a time), there will most likely be instances where you will not have a movie at home on a night when staying in, making some butter-coated popcorn and watching a flick is all you feel like doing. The speed at which movies are received and returned are as quick and convenient as they can possibly be (one business day) but occasionally, due to bad planning on your part or a movie not arriving when it is suppose to, you’ll be stuck without a movie and pondering just driving to the video store and renting one anyway.

Con: Video Store Blues – Any avid moviegoer or film buff will tell you that there is an unexplainable, almost majestic like quality to visiting a video store. You enjoy walking through the aisles of new releases, comedies or horror movies and reading the back of the covers and making your selection. Before joining Netflix, I frequented video stores on a very regular basis and I must say that there is a very nostalgic, if not organic experience to visiting a video store that is lacking with Netflix.

I personally have remedied many of these cons myself by designating Netflix as my primary source of renting movies but when I find myself in a situation as explained above in the second con or when there is a new release I really want to see and Netflix stamped it with a “Very Long Wait,” I look forward to going to the video store and renting one or two movies every month. Therefore, I still get all the perks of using Netflix but at the same time, don’t give up on the video store completely. Kind of like the best of both worlds.

So there you have it, the top three pros and cons of using Netflix. Now, I don’t know how many times my argument has actually persuaded someone to give up on video stores and jump on the Netflix bandwagon but I will tell you this, if you are anything like me and watching movies takes up a significant part of your past time, Netflix is by far your best option and what you should be using to rent movies. The selection and convenience is unmatched an the money you’ll save by using Netflix will hopefully allow you to break even with all of the late fees you have been forced to pay over the years.

Recently PlayStation enhanced its support for Netflix on PlayStation 3. And, these few technology enhancements have definitely ensured good news for the PlayStation owners. Netflix subscribers can watch all time favorite movies right in their living room by streaming movies over the Internet. Sony started the association with Netflix in 2009 and since then the relationship has grown and matured considerably. Earlier, PlayStation users required a video streaming disc for live streaming of movies and videos on their console. But now, the new Netflix application for PlayStation 3 console has improved the live streaming experience considerably.

From October 2011, you can enjoy an intuitive interface which is fast and user-friendly. You need a PlayStation 3 console, an Internet connection, preferably high speed, and Netflix subscription. This will enable you to watch movies, TV shows, BBC shows, documentaries, biographies, and lots more. But before downloading the new app, you need to delete the existing app. Existing users can upgrade their Netflix application by going to the TV/Videos section through their PlayStation XMB. Go to the Netflix icon, delete the existing application. Log on to the PlayStation Network, then go the “What’s New” section and download the new Netflix app. Agree to the updated terms and conditions and you are ready to watch Netflix movies. It can be easily accessed by using the directional arrows on PS3. A great plus point is that Netflix and PS3 combination provides some exclusive features that are still not available for other consoles, like movies in 1080p high definition, with Dolby 5.1 channel surround sound.

According to a survey conducted by Knowledge Networks, Netflix has become key destination for entertainment among the U.S. consumers. As per the report:

• 35% of U.S. consumers from the age group of 13-54 years use Netflix for streaming or DVD/ Blu-ray rentals at least once a month
• 10 % of Netflix subscribers agreed to cancel the service if their cable/ satellite providers began to offer similar service at same price
• 62 % of the Netflix users prefer videogame systems for watching Netflix “Watch Instantly” content on a TV set

Netflix on PlayStation 3 is being highly preferred by users. When compared to Hulu Plus, an Over The Top (OTT) subscription service provider, Netflix scores much better as it comes with 20,000 titles from different genres. It also succeeds Hulu Plus by offering 1080p high definition streaming as the former streams in 720p. Netflix on PlayStation surely looks promising and is going to become premier source of entertainment for all the PS3 owners out there.

In this day and age, it can be quite easy to rely on the progress of technology to get you what you want when you want it, all without having to leave the comfort of your home. Unfortunately, even something as cool & exciting as the date night movie has fallen victim to this inherently lazy way of living life.

A date night, along with a date night movie, are made to actually get you to do something more than just sit at home and stream something you can kind of watch. It also gave you a chance to spend some time with someone special, grab a bite to eat, take a walk along the beach, anything really. Instead, we “veg” at home and use game console controllers to navigate the menus of our subscription-based programming. While you might contend that live doesn’t get much sweeter, the truth is that it does, and you are missing out on a lot.

So, take a second and look back at your last few date night movie adventures. Have they actually been spent out in the world, or did you both decide to stay home & hang? If it’s the latter, these movies might just be what you need to get you to your local movie theater for your next date night:

Solo: A Star Wars Story – Anyone who has seen the Star Wars movies knows that the most suave character of all was Han Solo. He was charming, sexy, cool, and he had his own space craft. No matter which way you looked at it, he was who we all wanted to be (no disrespect to Luke, of course). In this new movie, we get a chance to learn more about how Han became the maverick we’ve grown to love, as well as how he got to know the people he knew.

Breaking In – This one is intense. If ever there was a relationship you didn’t mess with, it is that of a mother and her children. Here, our hero mom is going to stop at nothing while trying to save her children as they are held hostage by a group of nefarious figures. This is an action movie for the sake of being full of action sequences.

Incredibles 2 – It’s been almost fifteen years since the release of the first movie, so fans have been anticipating this one for a long time. This film tackles the changing dynamic of the modern American home, as well as societal views on those who are different. There’s even some cleverly woven interplay about people change as parents. There’s a lot packed into this one & it appeals to all ages.

Make your next date night movie special by actually ditching the streaming & go paint the town red! Even if the movie might not have been to your liking, make that part of the fun. Grab a cup of coffee afterward & discuss it. Who knows? You might learn a little more about yourselves than you thought. The important thing to keep in mind is making your next date night more than just an appointment – make it special.