Hacking NetFlix

Netflix Had Tech Troubles This Week

I started getting emails from customers complaining about missing subtitles, HD titles only showing up as SD, duplicate entries in the RSS feed, and even missing streaming shows like LOST. Tech of the Hub was the first to tie the problems to metadata:

Customers have seen the issue on Netflix’s web site, Apple TV, Sony Playstation3, Panasonic Blu-ray players and the Roku 2 among other devices. While the Netflix website normally lists thousands of TV shows and movies in HD, last week it only listed hundreds. On the Apple TV, closed captions still function but none of the titles are flagged as having them. The Roku and Playstation3 were no longer providing the option to chose alternate audio tracks or turn on closed captioning. On all of the aforementioned devices, some titles were not being flagged as being in HD. However, when playing titles, they would still play in HD and with surround sound. Regardless, it’s still confusing for the customer. There has not appeared to be any issue with the data that is fed to third-party developers.

Is anyone still seeing problems with the Netflix subtitles, HD, RSS feed or missing shows?

Thanks to everyone for sending in the problems.

Netflix Drops in ForeSee E-Retail Satisfaction Index

Once at the top of the list for many years, a few misteps this year caused Netflix to drop in the ForeSee E-Retail Satisfaction Index. TechCrunch on the results:

Amazon climbed two points to score 88 on the study’s 100-point scale, which is the highest score from any retailer in 14 consecutive studies. Netflix’s well-publicized blunders, including price hikes last summer and the unsuccessful attempt to spin off the DVD rental business, caused its customer satisfaction to plummet by seven points and 8% to 79.

Netflix saw scores drop in every single element of the website that ForeSee measures, including site content, site functionality, merchandise, and prices. Next to Netflix, both Gap (down 6% to 73) and Overstock.com (down 5% to 72) saw the largest declines in satisfaction, leaving them with scores at the bottom of the Index.

What Complaints Do You Have about Netflix Streaming or DVD Rentals?

Palmer writes, "Where do I complain about the serious lack in Netflix service, obviously not from your slick and refined, oops I don't work for Netflix site, coulda fooled me ;-( So where on your site is there dissenting commentary or any commentary but numbing ads?"

Well, Palmer, here's an open story for anyone to air greivances about Netflix.

What's bugging you about Netflix streaming or DVD rentals?

Readers Reporting Netflix Queue Problems

Carlos writes, "I had received Friends with Benefits last week and returned it on 12/15.  Netflix received it on 12/16 and sent me Burlesque on Saturday.  Yesterday I noticed that Netflix showed both movies as out in my queue.  Then today, Burlesque doesn't even show up in my queue at all.  I called them up and the guy I spoke to said that they had been getting calls all day about the queue.  He was a little confused when I told him we had received Burlesque and were returning it today.  He didn't see it as shipped or for that matter that I even had it.  Weirder still, although I don't show it in my queue, I do see it in the shipping activity page under my account information screen."

Michelle writes, "My queue is showing that a movie I returned days ago (and got the email confirming their receiving of it) is still out, and the movie I actually have right now is nowhere to be found, either in the shipped section or the queue itself. The Netflix support person said the issue is the "master" queue is correct but for some reason it's not updating people's "at home" queues. They're working to correct the issue, but if I send my current movie back I'll still get the next one in my queue."

Charlene writes, "You return a disc; you get an email saying they're received the disc; they send the next disc; but the returned title still shows as out in your queue. I've called them twice on this issue. Each time they confirmed that the disc was showed as returned on their end and told me they were experiencing problems. The first time I was told to add an item to my queue, then "update queue," to clear the problem (which didn't work). The second time I was told it would eventually clear by itself."

Is anyone else having problems with their Netflix queue?

 

Anyone Having Problems with Netflix Streaming on the PS3?

Philippe writes, "I've been having issues with my PS3 Netflix streaming.  (Well, two of them, totally unrelated.) 

1.)  Sometimes movies' video stops (freezes) but audio continues. Sometimes it's a frame in the scene you're watching, and sometimes it's a frame from an earlier scene.  (Not the last key frame necessarily.) The only way to get the video to start again is to hit stop and resume.

This is the only post I've found about it, but it doesn't really have a
solution:  http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20110814180406AAgSkWp

2.)  Since the last PS3 firmware update, my screen will dim (like a screensaver) if I just watch a movie uninterrupted.  This never used to be the case.  Fix is just to pause and un-pause."

Another reader writes, "I just did the latest PS3 Netflix update and my Recently Watched section was gone.  Thinking this was just because it was lost during the update I watched part of a movie and closed out.  When I went back the Recently Watched section was still gone."

Is anyone else noticing these issues on the PS3?

Netflix having Trouble Streaming Some TV Shows Tonight

NetflixHelps on Twitter reports that some Netflix customers are having trouble streaming TV shows tonight. 

Are you having trouble with Netflix streaming tonight?

Thanks to David for sending this in.

Netflix PS3 Update Now Supports Seasons for TV Shows

Tech of the Hub noticed that the latest PS3 update now supports seasons and other user interface tweaks.

Missing Titles from Streaming Queues on Xbox & TiVo

Update: It looks like the bug is fixed and the missing titles are showing up again.

There's a bug on the Xbox and TiVo where new titles like How I Met Your Mother are not showing up in the queue on the Xbox 360 and TiVo. NetflixHelps confirmed the bug, "We are aware of the issue and are working on getting it fixed."

Thanks to Heather, Ben, Jason and everyone else for sending this in.

Netflix Terms of Use Bug?

Rick writes, "The last couple days, I have been getting the message on my netflix pages, about agreeing to the terms of use. I click on the link to view the terms of use page and it sends me to my netflix home page, anyone else having this?"

Netflix Having Stability Problems This Weekend

Update: NetflixHelps reports that, "The issues reported earlier have been fixed. Our apologies - and thank you for your patience."

Netflix had stability problems last night, as reported by NetflixHelps:

Now having problems again as reported by Netflix on Twitter  (and confirmed by DownRightNow):

Is anyone having problems with Netflix?

Thanks to Paul and everyone else for sending this in.