Netflix Comes to Canada

[BreakABone]

For the most part, seems like it will be streaming only, but really the best part of Netflix, getting a movie once or twice a week in the mail is a bonus.

TORONTO (Hollywood Reporter) - Netflix co-founder and CEO Reed Hastings will be in Toronto Wednesday to launch an online video subscription service that will allow Canadians to download their favorite flicks and TV shows for a monthly fee.

Entering the Canadian market is Netflix's first foreign expansion. The move has local video distribution players girding for cutthroat competition. Besides Netflix, Internet content-streaming behemoths like Apple TV and Boxee are getting set to launch north of the U.S. border, too.

Phone giant BCE Inc. 10 days ago unveiled a $3.2 billion deal to acquire top-rated national TV network CTV. Cable giant Shaw Communications has a deal in the works to purchase rival broadcaster Canwest Global Communications Corp. for $2 billion.

They along with other players like cable giants Rogers Communications and Quebecor Media have been bolstering their online video offerings in recent months and lowering the cost of their data plans. All this is in anticipation of Netflix's expansion northwards.

Netflix's Canuck offering will be only online streaming, with no physical DVD rentals planned, at least for now.

http://ca.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idCATRE68J4MX20100920

Welcome to the modern world, Canada. :lolz:

[Fox 6]

Haha do Netflix is now considered to be the measuring stick of the modern world? :p

[Typhoid]

Shaw on Demand > Netflix.

Why would I need to physically rent a movie and have it mailed to me when I can just get it at the very press of a button.

You're a dying breed, Netflix. I don't need your physical copies.

[Vampyr]

You do know Netflix does streaming? :p

[BreakABone]

You do know Netflix does streaming? :p

I hoped he was being sarcastic, since I said that pretty much Netflix in Canada will ONLY be streaming at the moment. Not the physical discs.

[Typhoid]

I hoped he was being sarcastic

Indeed.


But I still do think Shaw on Demand is better, and will quickly destroy Netflix in Canada, because it is accessible with the touch of a button on everyone's standard remote [So long as they are with Shaw].

What's next - McDonald's releasing some type of 'Whopper'?

[Fox 6]

Indeed.


But I still do think Shaw on Demand is better, and will quickly destroy Netflix in Canada, because it is accessible with the touch of a button on everyone's standard remote [So long as they are with Shaw].

What's next - McDonald's releasing some type of 'Whopper'?

Thats the thing, not everyone is with Shaw, and I think Netflix is cheaper too.

[Typhoid]

Aside from the fact I was initially kidding, I honestly haven't been to one house that doesn't have Shaw on Demand. Unless I was in that house for a short amount of time, or possibly because we were not watching TV at that house and I wasn't able to see if they did or didn't.

Let me rephrase; to my recollection, all of the houses I have been inside of and have watched a television in for a minimum of 1 hour had SoD.

If it's cheaper, power to it. Start a non-physical-movie-rental-price-war for all I care.

But seriously, everyone I'm aware of gets their TV through Shaw. If it's cheaper, yeah - I can see people going with Netflix while they're with Shaw. Hell, I'm even pretty sure Shaw being a huge majority is only a local thing, and people in the East, or middle of the country use Rogers or something - but if it's comparably priced to people who get their rentals through Shaw or Rogers, I don't see it doing that great with those two groups of TV-people.

[BreakABone]

So so anti-Netflix!

Anyhow, appears to be up, but couldn't tell you what's there since won't let me visit

http://netflix.ca/

8/month for unlimited streaming.

Out on PS3, Wii, PC and Mac.

Later this year for 360. Wonder if Canadians will have the Party Feature as well.

[Vampyr]

How does this Shaw on Demand work, anyway? Is it a la carte, as in you pay for each thing you want to stream? I mean, almost every cable and satellite company here has on demand as well, but it's at least 3 dollars for each thing you want to stream, and you only have it for 24 hours after you start watching it.

So that's only cheaper for the first two things you get on demand, and even then not really since you only get it for 24 hours.

I'm not really the fanboy type, but I am definitely a fanboy of Netflix. It's one of the best companies I've ever seen. Everything is reasonably priced, and they have the best customer service in the world. I remember once a while back their streaming service went down for a couple of hours one night, and they refunded all of their customers like 70 cents, or however much it equated to out of your subscription fee, whether you had actually tried to stream something then or not.

In addition there are other smaller perks - their recommendation algorithm is crazy good, they had some sort of contest with a million dollar prize to whoever could create the best algorithm for recommending movies that a person may like.

[BreakABone]

How does this Shaw on Demand work, anyway? Is it a la carte, as in you pay for each thing you want to stream? I mean, almost every cable and satellite company here has on demand as well, but it's at least 3 dollars for each thing you want to stream, and you only have it for 24 hours after you start watching it.

So that's only cheaper for the first two things you get on demand, and even then not really since you only get it for 24 hours.

I'm not really the fanboy type, but I am definitely a fanboy of Netflix. It's one of the best companies I've ever seen. Everything is reasonably priced, and they have the best customer service in the world. I remember once a while back their streaming service went down for a couple of hours one night, and they refunded all of their customers like 70 cents, or however much it equated to out of your subscription fee, whether you had actually tried to stream something then or not.

In addition there are other smaller perks - their recommendation algorithm is crazy good, they had some sort of contest with a million dollar prize to whoever could create the best algorithm for recommending movies that a person may like.

They are also extremely reasonable when it comes to the physical side as well. I've had times when discs never arrived. Just tell em, and its out the door the same day.

And doesn't hurt that you can access streaming on pretty much any device you own now, since I have it on my Wii, 360 and Ps3 and if ever wanted could put on laptop/desktop for one tiny price a month

[Vampyr]

Yeah, I received a disc a while back that was broken in half. I reported it online, shipped it out the next day, and they went ahead and shipped a new copy before they had received the broken one.

[Typhoid]

How does this Shaw on Demand work, anyway? Is it a la carte, as in you pay for each thing you want to stream?

In a sense.
Prices vary depending on what it is you're renting. The cost goes straight to your next bill, and I think you have it for longer than 24 hours, but I'm not 100% on that.

It's about 5 or 6 bucks for each new movie, and occasionally [I have no idea what it depends on] there's a list of a handful of free movies to watch.

[Vampyr]

Well, Netflix in Canada is apparently 7.99 a month...so that's a pretty good deal compared to 5-6 dollars a movie.

[Typhoid]

The thing is though, is that SoD rentals are in high-def quality, and Netflix formats and streams in a lower quality to begin with, further hampered by the users internet connection. [Thanks, Wikipedia.]

It's not like that matters a huge deal, unless you watch movies on a huge TV and would kill and die for the best quality.

[BreakABone]

The thing is though, is that SoD rentals are in high-def quality, and Netflix formats and streams in a lower quality to begin with, further hampered by the users internet connection. [Thanks, Wikipedia.]

It's not like that matters a huge deal, unless you watch movies on a huge TV and would kill and die for the best quality.

Yeah the quality is uneven.

There's like
TV quality, which is extremely crappy on HDTV, but what can you do? Happens to older movies and TV shows.

Then there's normal quality, which looks like a DVD or whatever on the screen.

Then there's HD, which isn't as good as blu ray but looks better than an upscale DVD.

[Vampyr]

I have an HDTV and I've never noticed things looking bad. I even stream stuff wirelessly.

And some things are presented in HD.

If I was paying $6 for everything I streamed, I would be spending about ~$150 a month. I don't think that's a "Netflix killer" by any means, very few people are going to opt for a $150 option over an $8 option because of a minor difference in quality.

edit: Yeah, you can't complain about poor quality on old stuff, that's just how it is.

[Dyne]

Well then. I'm NEVER getting cable.

My antenna plus 8 dollars a month for Netflix pounds the shit out of Shaw. Although I do miss MuchMusic.

[Vampyr]

Well then. I'm NEVER getting cable.

My antenna plus 8 dollars a month for Netflix pounds the shit out of Shaw. Although I do miss MuchMusic.

I thought about dropping cable recently. The only reason I'm holding onto it is because I get my internet through the same company, and dropping the cable would cause my internet bill to sky rocket. :\

And I do find the DVR useful for some things, though I've heard there are ways to set up something similar with an antennae.