Hacking NetFlix

Netflix Gift Cards Only Available for Streaming This Year - Updated (Can Be Used for Any Plan)

Update: While the Netflix Gift Purchase page says in bold type:

"Does not include DVDs by mail."

and the fine print says that it does not include Blu-ray access, you can exchange the gift card for any Netflix plan. It's not clear and I received a number of complaints from readers before posting the original story.   - 

Thanks, J, Ethan, RJM, Money Bags, Clinton & everyone else for the correction.

Several readers noticed that Netflix gift cards are only available for Netflix streaming this year, and DVD plans are not an option.

Thanks to AH, Michael, Joe and everyone else for sending this in.

All Netflix DVD Customers are Getting a Free Bonus Rental

A source at Netflix confirmed that all DVD customers are getting a free DVD rental, but they're staggering the coupons so they won't overwhelm the shipping centers. Mine arrived earlier today -- have you received yours?

Netflix Offering a Bonus DVD Rental for the Holidays?

Reader Brian received a free DVD rental -- has anyone else seen this?

Netflix Again Offering Free Month Trials for "Friends and Family"

Netflix is again offering a free month offer that customers can share with friends and family.

Netflix Pop-Under Ads Still Annoy in 2011

I can't believe we're still seeing pop-under ads for Netflix in 2011, but a recent visit to the otherwise great FoodTV website resulted in a pop-under ad:

I'm sure it's from FoodTV since "foodnetwork.com" is in the URL for the ad.

I know it's the websites and not Netflix that is responsible for the annoying ads, but Netflix should prohibit these ads. 

Seattle Auditions for Netflix-Sponsored 'Who Wants to Be a Millionaire' on July 16th

Seattle auditions for Netflix-sponsored Million Dollar Week edition of 'Who Wants to be a Millionaire' will be held on July 16th at the Bell Harbor Conference Center between 7am and 11am (the doors will open at 6am). If you're interested, you can take tests for the Million Dollar Movie Week and/or the regular episodes of 'Who Wants to be a Millionaire." If you pass either test, you will be invited back for a short interview. Additional auditions for the show will be held this fall, with dates and locations to be announced soon.

Netflix and the Millionaire show have given away more than $1.69 million in prizes during Million Dollar Movie Week.

Netflix Promotes Gift Subscriptions with New Tab

Netflix has added a new gold-colored tab to the menu to promote gift subscriptions:

Have you ever given or received a Netflix gift subscription?

Thanks to Nathan for sending this in.

Netflix Posts Business Opportunity Overview Presentation

Netflix posted a "Business Opportunity" presentation on the Netflix Jobs page, and it contains a lot of interesting information about how Netflix views competition, growth, and more.

• Netflix believes DVD shipments will peak in 2013.
• 17 million Netflix subscribers by the end of 2010.
• Netflix expects to be one of the biggest licensors of movies and TV shows by 2020.
• Slide 25: "Only the paranoid survive." Lots of potential competitors...
• A Hulu subscription "Could be significant competitive threat for us."
• On piracy: "The better the legal alternatives are, like Netflix, the less piracy will spread."

Also interesting is the internal Netflix presentation on company culture.

via NewTeeVee.

Netflix Sponsoring Penn Jillette's New Penn Point Vlog Show

I'm a big fan of Penn & Teller, and I noticed that Netflix has been sponsoring Penn Jillette's new video show, Penn Point (NSFW). If you have a Roku Player it's available on the Revision3 channel, or you can watch it online.

 

Latest Apple iPad Print Ad Promotes Netflix App

It's one thing for Apple to approve a Netflix iPad app, but it's another thing for Apple to promote the Netflix app on the back page of the May 28th issue of Entertainment Weekly. The Netflix iPad app has been very popular, and the Netflix app has been one of the top 10 free apps since the launch of the iPad.

  

Is this a sign that Apple doesn't see Netflix as a threat to iTunes, are they losing interested in renting or selling movies?