- Netflix streaming adjusts to your internet connection speed, so videos play smoothly
- Netflix streaming starts very quickly
- The price can't be beaten
- You must be connected to the internet to watch videos
- It's hard to return to a movie if you pause it for a long time
- There's a limited selection at Netflix online - you won't find new releases here
- Unlimited movie streaming comes with most Netflix movie rental packages.
- Streaming movies begin to play right away on your computer.
- You’ll need a high-speed internet connection to watch streaming videos from Netflix.
I had Netflix years ago, before streaming video was offered. I was happy with the service: the selection was enormous and the DVDs were delivered quickly. Occasionally, though, I’d have no movies to watch—they were all in the mail, or the ones we had at home were things my husband had ordered. Despite my overall satisfaction, I let my membership lapse.
Now I’m back on Netflix and I’m loving it! The combination of real DVDs and streaming videos completely satisfies my movie cravings.
Unlimited streaming video comes with all but the most basic rental package. For $8.99 you can watch unlimited movies online, plus get 1 DVD at a time in the mail. This is the equivalent price of three movie rentals from the iTunes store, by comparison.
The selection on Netflix online isn’t as broad or as new as you’ll see from Apple, but in combination with the traditional DVD service, it’s not such a big deal. I want to watch the new movies and blockbusters on my big TV anyway; I save the shows and smaller movies for computer viewing.
Computer viewing is what you’ll be doing with Netflix online. The movies stream, so you can’t save them to watch later or on another device. It’s also not so easy to watch a movie in multiple sessions. You can pause it, but if you’re gone for long and your computer goes to sleep you’ll have a hard time getting it to start playing again.
Other than that, the streaming is convenient. You’ll need high-speed internet, but the streaming adjusts depending on your connection speed, so you’ll have smooth playback even if you’re connection gets logey. The movies start playing right away, and the pictures look good in small and full-screen modes.
I’m always going to prefer watching movies on a big screen, but I appreciate the convenience of watching them on the computer. Netflix gives me both options at a price that I like.
