Netflix Canada

I've been holding off on writing anything about this since it launched back in September. Figured I should give it lots of time to get launched, and flesh itself out before passing any kind of 'Judgement' over it.

At this point I have been a member since September of last year. And some of the items I have watched aren't even available on the service any longer.

But for the last two weeks I have been mainly watching DVDs and running Netflix and decided to keep more of my money in my pocket, instead of paying the Satellite companies for crappy choices and poor programming. But most of this is a topic of it's own.

So, in regards to Netflix, I have had discussions with friends south of the border about it. And apparently they aren't too fond of Netflix down there. If that is the case, they certainly wouldn't like what passes for Netflix Canada.

But if your looking for a service to replace Blockbuster or your local neighborhood video store than you will have to keep looking. Because this isn't it.

I can agree with the statements that some of the Cable company execs. have apparently been quoted as saying they didn't fear Netflix, it would be an additional service that people would run alongside their current cable subscriptions.

Programming is updated semi-regularly. For instance, this week something like 50 items were added. And of those I found about 10 that I flagged to watch.

The catalog mostly consists of older titles, Indy, Documentaries, Television Shows, BBC, some recent titles and a lot of kids and Anime. Which suits me just fine at this point.

I have been able to now for almost a year watch things I would never have discovered or seen otherwise. And some Television programming I didn't get, but was available such as Damages, Justified and Leverage. And some great BBC titles like Outlaw, The State Within and Survivors.

Once I cut back in the TV programming I find that I never really watched it anyway. During the regular season what I mainly watched is on the networks anyway. So, I was paying double to have channels that I didn't usually watch. They were just noise in the background.

So in the fall I will still have my NCIS, Supernatural, NCIS Los Angeles, Bones, House and whatnot.. And as long as 'flix keeps updating I'm sure there will be something on that's interesting.

After all I just watched the doc on Harlan Ellison recently, and it was fantastic. Not too mention an Indy flick YPF which in ways was funnier than Hangover 2 and a hell of a lot more controversial.

So I know there are a lot of whiners and complainers since 'Flix launched up here. And the problem would seem to be that they are expecting the wrong thing from the service. Right now at least, and what my American friends have said it will never replace the local video store anyway.

Reminds of when reviewers go to see a Michael Bay movie expecting Shakespeare and complain when they don't get it. Right over their heads.

Netflix is what it is, and it's doing an ok job of being a supplemental service for video entertainment. You never know what interesting little movies, docs, anime or shows you'll find. But the latest and greatest won't be it.

I will say if your watching a series work through it. Because titles seem to vanish with no notice at all.