Hacking a Netflix Shipping Center

Update: More photos of the Netflix shipping center are available on Flickr.

No, we didn't break in -- Netflix invited HackingNetflix to tour the Hartford shipping center, and even let us take a few photos. 50 employees at the 20,000 square foot Hartford shipping center process as many as 90,000 discs per day, or 275,000 per week.

Even though we knew the address, the shipping center was hard to find. Located in an unmarked warehouse in the local business district, the only outside mention of Netflix was on the trucks they use to pick up and deliver the DVDs. 

3a.m. The mail is picked up from the Postal Distribution Center and the workers start processing the DVDs. Each envelope is ripped open by hand, and the DVDs are inspected for cracks. If you look closely at the photo you can see the Blockbuster Online discs that were delivered to Netflix by mistake.

If a disc is dirty, the DVD is cleaned using a sprayer with glass cleaner and the disc is rubbed on what appears to be paper towels.

Most of the discs are place in a tray to be sorted by machine, but cracked, Blu-ray, damaged, and mislabeled discs are placed in separate bins. The also collect customer notes.

The four steps of rental return, according to a huge banner hanging over the rental return area:

Netflix's Steve Swasey explains how the NPI First Class Mail Sorter works. Once the discs have been inspected, they are run through the sorting machine. 

The NPI sorter performs multiple tasks, and is even used to process employee time cards. The DVDs are run through the machine once to check them back into inventory, a second time to determine if they are being rented that day, and finally to be addressed and sorted for mailing when they are in the envelope. The Hartford shipping center has 3 of the NPI machines, and they are incredible fast and process 30,000 discs per hour.

In the above photo (from right to left) you can see the first barcode scanner, inkjet printer for addressing, and the final scanner for sorting.

Netflix has developed highly-customized machines for inserting the DVDs into envelopes and sealing them called Stuffers. The Hartford shipping center has 5 Stuffers, and each one can process 4,200 envelopes per hour.

The Stuffers load the envelope onto a conveyor, use suction to open the pocket, slide the DVD into he envelope, fold the cover over, seal the envelope, and apply the round sticker.

The following photo shows the discs being inserted into the envelope and the cover being folded back over for sealing:

The final step is to add the center sticker to the envelope:

Netflix stores movies at all 58 shipping centers, and the movies that are not currently in circulation are stored in a corner of the building. Netflix rents more than 95% of the 100,000 titles every quarter, and on most days almost half of the titles are in circulation.

The layout of the warehouse simple, with the NPI sorting machines and stuffers in the middle, and the rental return workstations in two rows. Movies that are not in active circulation are stored in a corner, and the employee lounge is in another corner. 

Here's a panorama shot taken from one corner of the warehouse (click for full-size): 

Comments

[Elsa]

Knowing that the employees check for customer comments, I'm gonna start sending a joke of the day to them. Hopefully they like that. :)

[Scott]

Stumbled my shipping center! Thanks for dazed and confused yesterday, just in time lol

[Josh Wooding]

JUST got done watching Into the Wild (GREAT movie!) from Netflix and when i hit the Stumble Upon button it brought me here. VERY interesting!! I'm going to start writing notes also! Thanks for posting this article!

[Dingo]

I once worked at a Netflix distribution center. Not this one, but after you've seen what I've seen it doesn't really matter much which one you were put through. You see, I used to be like you. Thought the world could never harm me the way it harmed Dakota Fanning or Eddie Murphy after so many years of fat suits. Thought the world was my oyster, but boy was I wrong. See, Netflix wants you to believe that you get to keep that copy of No Country For Old Men as long as you like. But the truth is that the second you turn your back, they have your balls in a vicegrip like a hobo on a ham sandwich. And as long as you just patrons of American "justice" keep sucking on that golden teet, Netflix will be there to ruin your day. Be wary, my stalwart friends, and stay strong.

[aalok]

that's really good pic but we need more and largest pic .that' is wonderful pic

[jonathan rall]

actually looks like a very efficient center, especially the lighting. probably a T8 or T5 system.

[Philip]

This has happend to me too. I get my DVD's from the Harrisburg, PA center. I dropped a DVD in the mail in Ocean City, MD, wich usually takes about 2 days before you recive it in Harrisburg. But The next day I was shipped another DVD. I wonder if they have some kind of agreement with the Postal service that they have some kind of computer link between Netflix and the postal service. So when a Netflix envolope is proccessed though any US postal service distribution center, neflix is made aware of it.

[PopCultureMaiden]

Wow, I didn't realize they checked for customer notes so much.
I might just start sending random notes with my discs back!
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[scarysherry]

I'm a longtime Netflix customer and really enjoyed the article and all the Netflix worker answers here. Thanks.

[Tiffany]

Thank you for posting this! Thanks for all the great pictures. I always wanted to know how the inside of a distribution center worked. Awesome. ^-^ I figured it had to be quite well organized simply due to the massive volume of discs that this company handles. It is impressing with how quick their DVD turnaround is.

Definitely makes me want to include random notes to a random person every once in a while now though lol.

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[Hailey]

How did you get the physical address or phone number? I'm trying to get in contact with the DC's in Columbia, SC, Worcester, MA, and New Brunswick, NJ and am having no luck...

[Ken Ashton]

I just want to know if you use recycled paper to make the envelopes.

[steve]

how does netflix know the movie returned is mine?