New Release Availability from Netflix & Blockbuster

Kavajuice: "I can’t seem to get anything in terms of new released movies. It’s either a Short Wait or a Long Wait. Don’t get me wrong, I expect to wait if I am not on the queue for the next shipment but c’mon. Don’t they anticipate movies like 300 to have tons of viewers. Waiting 4 weeks and still nothing - 300’s DVD release was July 31, 2007. Don’t think I’ll get till September, if I’m lucky."

Netflix and Blockbuster allocate movies based on your usage profile, so some customers might see new releases immediately, while it can take a long time for others.

I just added 300 to my Netflix queue:

..and my Blockbuster queue shows "Long Wait:"

What have you found? How long do you wait for new releases from Netflix & Blockbuster?

Comments

[Hudd]

I use Netflix, and a funny thing happened today just before I read this post. I have had 300 and Ninja Turtles in my queue since the day they came out for HD-DVD and Blu-ray, and both have been sitting at LONG WAIT. But yesterday I upgraded my account to a 5-disc plan, and low and behold, both movies are now being shipped out to me today.

[Edward R Murrow]

"But yesterday I upgraded my account to a 5-disc plan, and low and behold, both movies are now being shipped out to me today"

Looks like with Netflix that you get the 'Availability' that you can afford.

[nuggsgalore]

I always get a new release 4-5 weeks after it is released. I am not complaining, I just watch whatever shows up. It is not a major part of my life. I am on the 4 at a time plan and I always get 4 movies a week. I send off the watched movies on Monday, get my new ones Wend or Thur. I put new releases in my queue 3 to 6 months before the release. So anything in my queue has been there since before netflix knew the release date. This is what my "new release queue" looks like:

Miss Potter - Very Long Wait
Blades of Glory - Long Wait
The Ultimate Gift - Long Wait
Teenage Mutant Ninja - Long Wait
300 - Short Wait
The Astronaut Farmer - Long Wait
Year of the Dog - Long Wait
Firehouse Dog - Short Wait

[domc]

I find Netflix and Blockbuster online to be worthless for new releases. That's why I have Blockbuster so that I can go to the store on Tuesdays for new releases which are always available.

[domc]

Forgot to mention that I also keep my queue only 10 movies long. It seems that the long waits and short waits on blockbuster go on and off more often.

[typekey_user]

I live in Los Angeles and have a 5-at-a-time membership and hardly ever see waits. I put 300 in my queue and was told it's available now. For "Miss Potter" there's a Short Wait. I generally watch older movies (so many classics I haven't seen) and nothing in my queue has a wait associated with it. It's been very rare indeed that I've ever seen even a short wait for anything.

[rjm]

They KEY to new releases is to have them at the TOP of your queue on MONDAY of the week they come out.

HNF could help by listing the weeks new releases on friday or saturday BEFORE their release so folks could get them in their queue.

[Mark Boszko]

I usually am renting older movies, so it's not a big deal, but every once in a while I get something that just sticks at the top of my queue for weeks. I've found now that Netflix carries them, requesting one of the HD formats may get you a shorter wait since most people haven't moved to the HD formats yet. But who knows how long that will last. ;-)

[Qrusher142442]

I've had 300 at the top of my queue since its release and just yesterday, it went to 'Short Wait' I do have a lot of turnover so i guess thats why. Im on the 3 at a time netflix plan and can get old shows like Quantum Leap the next day, but cant get new releases

[FrankLev]

I loved 300

[profpudwick]

I have 429 in my Queue with "300" at position 29. It is listed as availability "Now."

I think the delay some of you experience is because Netflix holds back on new releases to those who only rent new releases. I'm on the 5 Slot plan and in the last 300 rentals have only requested 2 or 3 new releases and they came the next day. The last one was Das Leben der Anderen (The Lives of Others).

Maybe those of you with NRO (New Release Obsession) could view some older films from time to time instead? Surely you haven't seen all the old releases already-- ? Take a look at Will Rogers. Or Buster Keaton. They were new releases 70 years ago. See my reviews. Even if you don't care for the characters, the background scenery of L.A. at that time is fascinating. Or Shirley Temple in the 1934 "Bright Eyes," with American Airlines passenger planes so small you could step out directly onto the runway. And no product placement of Coke or Pepsi bottles or vending machines to make you want to vomit-- like that stupid Harrison Ford film-- Firewall-- every other scene showcased some consumer dreck. Check out my review. Or Shoah. Ask me for recommendations if you can't find anything on your own.

Everyone can't rent every new release with every rental. Netflix does what they can to be "fair"-- which first means to keep themselves in business. They don't owe you first day viewing of every new release. Let's do what we can to help them stay in business.

[profpudwick]

I'm trying to figure out how what day of the week it is could have anything to do with whether you do or don't get your choice new release right away.

Imagine yourself as manager of a Netflix distribution center-- do you mark on your calendar which day you do and don't send out the new releases? On Monday we ship, but on Tuesday we make them wait??

I'd appreciate it if someone could explain that, based on data beyond "it always works for me" (maybe crossing your fingers would work as well? And YOU needn't USE all CAPITAL letters, thanks.

[Scribe1964]

"On Monday we ship, but on Tuesday we make them wait??"

It's obvious that Netflix sends out Strict-On-Sale titles the day before their release dates (Monday). So they probably send out all available copies that day, especially if there are thousands of people who have a title at the top of their queue. This would explain why it immediately goes to short wait on Tuesday -- all their copies are already in the mail.

BTW, it works the same if you preorder a strict-on-sale book. Amazon or B&N will ship it the day before release. As long as you don't get it before the official release date, then they aren't breaking the strict date.

[rjm]

I think its real simple. Some folks dont return movies on friday or saturday and/or might not know about the new release untill tuesday. Those that have them at the top of their queue get them first.

On tuesday, they were likely all sent out except maybe a copy or two they reserve for brand new customers or those who only rent 5-6 movies per month.

I like the TV series and this week, 3 of them are coming out. I just know that whichever 2 I dont have at the top of my queue will go on long waits later in the week.

I never watch the shows on TV because I hate the commercials so I wait for the DVDs and then go on marathon watching sessions.

Ive watched 2 discs, 8 one hour shows at one sitting. Actually, they arent an hour without commercials, just 42-44 minutes.

I wish so many TV series werent coming out on the same day ! Hopefully, I will watch one full one and then one of the others wont be on a wait any longer.

[Im Not A Turnip]

Visit www.redbox.com to see if they have kiosks in your city. They are typically located outside of McDonald's. I've RARELY rent new releases through Netflix over the last few months. The cost is only $1 + tax per night and each kiosk contains many of the newest 80-120 DVD releases. You can rent NEW movies as early as 12:01 AM on Tuesday morning, but realistically, you have a 98% chance of getting even the biggest blockbusters if you pick it up during lunch time - and about an 80% chance if you get it on your way home from work at 5PM. LOVE IT!

[profpudwick]

Thanks Scribe and rjm. What you say makes sense.

[chicken]

NF cannot buy a copy of the new release for every member - they have almost 7 million members. And the STUDIOS determine how many copies they will print of the movie. NF orders a TON of copies - but not everyone will get it right away! And they DO send out on Monday - so basically ALL copies go out on Monday, so if you return a disc on Tuesday, you're not going to get a New Release as all available copies were sent out Monday so customers can get & view on Tuesday. Plus, remember folks - NF doesn't have DUE DATES- so it's all the members who don't "play nice" and return in a timely fashion that are preventing you from watching "300", etc....not NF.
*Just because it states a "wait" doesn't mean you won't get the movie - it's a general statement about the demand vs. supply. I've gotten plenty of new releases that state a wait and I am a heavy 8 at a time user.
*Get over yourselves w/ "throttling" - not everyone can get every new release right away - they're aren't enough copies made in the world. Stop being such "I want it now" consumers and think about it. It really is a crap shoot - if you turn in a disc on Monday and there is a copy available: you'll get it. Turn a disc in and no copies avail: you won't. It's not rocket science people. NF is far too too busy to sit and try to "throttle" you -
* and it's not just "who has it in their queue in the #1 spot - way more people will have a new release in the #1 spot then there are going to be # of copies. DUh.

[rjm]

Chicken

You misunderstand throttling.

Its when you return a movie on one day but they pretend they didnt get it under 2-3 days later in order to slow down your usage of the supposedly "unlimited" plan.

Frankly, I understand that many new releases are going to go on a "wait" of some time if I dont get them monday or tuesday.

Lately, Ive been dealing with 2 day service which I think is likely NF sending from farther away or even not sending the day they say they do.

[profpudwick]

chicken, throttling is real. They do slow down service to users who turn over discs so fast that Netflix loses money on them.

[chicken]

Reply from Chicken:

1. Chicken used to work for NF for a long time.
2. All movies received every day from the USPS into the hub are checked in that day. ALL of them - they work until all are checked in.
3. They have no way/software/capability at the hub to look and see who is a high use customer. They have no way to have a disc checked in "flag" a high use customer. Really.
4. NF makes a lot of profit. A lot. They don't have to worry about high use customers, they make more than enough on the millions of people that keep the same movies for months and never use the service well. Check it out - they've not posted a financial loss.
5. They really, really don't have the time, the software, the wherewithal, the people, the computer programs or the access to your acct to figure you out & care about "throttling", ahem, you. IT's all about processing in and out.
6. Yes, sometimes when a movie gets checked in from you the next one may go out the next day instead and be a delay. That may happen if:
a. the movie you want is not available at your local hub. This happens most with older titles/rare titles,etc. For instance if you live in a conservative area of TX and try to rent a lot of Michael Moore or avant garde movies, your local TX hub most likely won't carry those in their normal stock since NF saw the trend that those local customers don't rent those types of movies.So, they have to get your title from another hub, which then, because of the USPS would take longer to get to you.
b. There is a larger than normal amount of returns on that day. As I said, ALL returns are processed & checked in every day. HOWEVER: if there are a lot more than usual in a day (like on Mondays) your movies may be in one of the last bins delivered to NF from the USPS, and with the high volume of returns, by the time your movie gets opened, checked, and ran thru the bar code to check in - it may be later than normal, like noon/1 pm/2pm. And the USPS determines at EACH hub what their cut off time is for sending movies out to the USPS for that day. So if you're local USPS tells NF they'll only take outgoing movies until noon and yours gets returned & checked in at 1pm - then yes, your next outgoing movie won't be sent out until the next day since the USPS determines the last pick up time.
7. I don't dispute that some of you may have experienced slow service or delivery - I believe that. That is the nature of having 7 million customers and dealing with a 3rd party, the USPS. But please consider the following when you start shouting about "throttling":
* NF really doesn't look at your use
*USPS is a 3rd party, they determine the pick up time for movies going out.
*USPS can have some crappy service
*if your hub is swamped with returns OR if your hub is new and has a lot of new workers. new workers open & process & sleeve a lot less number of movies than an established hub.
*is your title rare, old, in deep storage & not available at your local hub

[gir]

You might as well save your breath (and your sanity). Personally I agree with you - that the delays people see are due to NetFlix' prioritization, distribution center caps, and USPS idiosyncrasies, none of which constitute personalized "throttling" as far as I'm concerned - but no amount of reasoning is going to convince people that they're not being throttled.

[chicken]

True that gir, point taken.