This is the first in a series of reviews for the DVD, Game, Streaming movie companies I have experience with.  I chose Netflix first because they are currently on my shortlist of favorites.

I was an early adopter of Netflix.  I loved the concept of receiving discs by mail without ever having to leave my house and have come and gone depending on the year, season etc. See in the summer time we do a lot of movie viewing.  When kids are home from school or summer is here and a lot of the TV shows and other viewing opportunities are limited, I find we have a great need for alternative choices.  So, having a few DVDs in the queue automatically shipped to me was handy.

Of course those were the early days of Netflix.  Now they’ve expanded into so much more.  Not only do they offer DVDs by mail, but streaming video for a multitude of devices including iPhones, PS3s, Wiis, Computers, and they even have boxes which can hook up to your TV to help.  At first when they offered this service I was a bit skeptical.  So many companies have tried the streaming movie format and failed.  I think where Netflix won out was offering it as a freebie with their already popular DVDs by mail service.

Their selection of streaming content improves daily.  I’m constantly seeing movies (both new releases and classics) in addition to TV series and more.  I absolutely love being able to throw my Netflix disc in and choose from a bunch of TV shows I missed the first time around and watch an entire season in sequence without ever having to leave my seat.  There is no ejecting of discs to move to the next in the series and no swapping out discs when up for a movie marathon.

The software they utilize also “learns” to suggest movies based on your preferences and “categories” appear with titles related to what you’ve already watched.  The software also does a very good job of adjusting the video sizes and streaming based on your connection.  It’s not a one-size-fits-all deal, it’s a this-size-fits-you deal.  Even on challenging connections the buffering in the background does a great job of keeping the movie going without interruption.

Okay now that I’m done raving about the streaming portion, on to the DVDs and plans.  If you aren’t big on the streaming video, you always have the option of having a disc sent to you.  You simply add a bunch of titles you want to your queue and they are automatically sent based on your plan, order, and availability.  Most of the DVDs have a one to two day turnaround so you’re not left waiting weeks and weeks for your DVDs.  They have plans to fit almost any budget, starting at under $5 and going up from there, almost anyone can find something which meets their needs and doesn’t eat up the pocketbook.

Another neat feature is the ability to add additional users to your account.  For example: if you wanted your kids to be able to log in and pick their own movies , you can add them to your account with a unique username and password.  You can also assign a specific number of DVDs to that user, rating levels to control the DVDs they are allowed to pick from and more.  The only thing missing is extending those same options to the streaming video side of things.

All in all it’s a great service.  Lots of options and ways to get your movies and favorite TV shows when YOU want them without paying rental prices.