Streaming Video To My TV With My Netflix Account…For Free.

Seriously, how can Netflix offer unlimited DVD rentals AND free online streaming for $9 a month? And now, with my new Blu-Ray player, I can stream the movies and TV shows directly to my TV? For no additional money per month? I remember the days of driving to the video store, spending 45 minutes looking for the elusive “in-stock” case, giving the clerk $4 and being told to have it back the next day by midnight. Now, Netflix just charges $9 to my credit card each month and I can rent as many movies as I can watch (1 at a time, of course) AND watch any of the ones available for streaming as well. Just the other night I watched the entire first season of 30 Rock, on my TV, without renting a single DVD. Talk about cool… Video on Demand is definitely the future, as evidenced by the number of DVR’s and Netflix/Blockbuster memberships there are, and with my ability to now watch these streams on TV rather than on the computer, well, I can see where all of this is going – TV/movies when and where you want!

I have been a Netflix customer since (hold on, let me go look it up, be right back) March of 2006 and in all that time, I have only had 1 problem when a DVD came to my house scratched. Almost 4 years and only that single issue. They have great customer service (I cannot speak for Blockbuster, as have never had an account there), I rarely have to wait much time at all to see brand new movies, and now with this streaming to my TV, I am seriously one happy customer. I rarely give giant kudos to corporations, but these guys are doing something right, for sure.

If you already have an account with them, next time you need to buy a DVD player, do make sure it is Netflix-streaming enabled. All you have to do is key in your wireless internet access security code in the settings, and bam – your Watch Instantly queue is right there on your TV screen for you to pick from. I know that there are some boxes you can buy that just do the streaming and nothing more, but I refuse to add yet another device to my already cluttered entertainment system. Having your DVD player be able to do this saves space and headaches.

If you do not have an account with them, I recommend you give them a shot. Right now you can try them out for 2 weeks for free, and you can cancel anytime during your 2 week free membership and you will not be charged. There are no due dates or late fees and free shipping both ways. Their rate plans are as follows:

$4.99 a month -> 1 DVD out at-a-time, limited to 2 per month, plus
instantly watch up to 2 hours of movies/TV online.

$8.99 a month -> 1 DVD out at-a-time, exchange each DVD as often as you want, instantly watch online on your PC or Mac or right on your TV via an Internet connected ready device. Instantly watch as often as you want, anytime you want. (This is the one I have)

$13.99 a month -> 2 DVDs out at-a-time, exchange each DVD as often as you want, instantly watch online on your PC or Mac or right on your TV via an Internet connected ready device. Instantly watch as often as you want, anytime you want.

$16.99 a month -> 3 DVDs out at-a-time, exchange each DVD as often as you want, instantly watch online on your PC or Mac or right on your TV via an Internet connected ready device. Instantly watch as often as you want, anytime you want.

There aren’t many ways I could better spend $9 a month than with Netflix – even 2 mocha lattes don’t give me this much entertainment value. Because I have all this access to movies and TV shows, I rarely, if ever, go to the “real” movies anymore. With ticket prices around $12 or so for one movie, I have a better way to spend my entertainment dollars!