FlixFamily is a new website that offers an alternative user interface to your Netflix account. While it's not as elegant as the Netflix UI, it includes features missing from the Netflix website, and the developer seems open to suggestions. Here's a shot of the movie browse page for TV shows:
Cool Lists include titles that are expiring soon, award winners, IMDB titles, and Rotten Tomatoes selections.
One of the more interesting features of FlixFamily is sub accounts, which lets you setup different profiles for family members. You can password protect accounts, and also prevent kid's accounts from seeing "R" or "unrated" movies. I manage my kids account because even if I limit their Netflix account to PG or G movies, they can still see some pretty racy movie boxes. With FlixFamily the kid's account will only see movies in categories you select.
FlixFamily is an ambitous effort, and shows the power of the Netflix API.
A Roku app is in the works and should be available soon.
FlixFamily offers a free one-month trial, but if you want to continue to use it the cost is $4.99 per year.
The developer is looking for feedback on the site, feature suggestions, and submissions for the "Cool Lists." You you can reach Scott at [email protected]
I like this idea for sorting profile queues -- but at the moment there are big limitations not all the items from Netflix appear on the Flixfamily site so you cannot sort them -- many of my TV and Movies from My Netflix Queue don't appear in the Flixfamily Queues or in the search queue from Flixfamily. I cannot see paying for it unless they get all the bugs out first.
Posted by: Lynne7042003 | June 17, 2011 at 01:26 PM
Lynne, We have to rely on the Netflix database they make available to developers. We are working on solutions that would bring that data more in line with what shows up on the Netflix site. Scott - FlixFamily.com
Posted by: Scott Chaney | June 17, 2011 at 01:33 PM
So I can't even look at the site to see what they're about, or maybe read a FAQ, without giving them my email address and creating an account? No thanks.
Posted by: Ron Moses | June 17, 2011 at 01:42 PM
Lynne, I should also mention that FlixFamily doesn't have to be a direct substitute UI for Netflix. You can still use Netflix to select those titles you want to watch and then go into FlixFamily to allocate them between your various queues.
Posted by: Scott Chaney | June 17, 2011 at 01:46 PM
Ron, you need a login to identify and protect the queues you create. We hope to have a video showing how FlixFamily works available in a few weeks.
Posted by: Scott Chaney | June 17, 2011 at 02:34 PM
Thanks Scott for the feedback -- but unless I can sort majority of my Netflix Queue in the different profile queues in FlixFamily at the end of the month -- I won't be purchasing it. But I do appreciate the feedback and hope you can get it more workable within the month for I like the idea of different profile sortable queues! :-)
Posted by: Lynne7042003 | June 17, 2011 at 03:39 PM
I've played around with this for awhile and still can't figure out how to access my queue so I can sort it. I have allowed access to my Netflix account.
Posted by: Matthew Sweeney00 | June 17, 2011 at 04:22 PM
Matthew, or anyone else who would like personal assistance, please contact me at [email protected] But to answer your question directly Matthew, just select the "Netflix Q" subaccount after you login and then click on "Allocate to other Qs" link.
Posted by: Scott Chaney | June 17, 2011 at 04:47 PM
Finally a group of developers that understand what "user friendly" really means.
Posted by: Rawmeatcritic.wordpress.com | June 17, 2011 at 05:37 PM
Irrespective of any current implementation issues, this is a really neat idea. I hope they're very successful with it.
-roy
Posted by: Royrapoport | June 19, 2011 at 01:51 PM