NetFlix Canada Review, Is it Worth it?

So I recently for whatever reason decided to give Netflix Canada a shot. I did not set out to get Netflix but one day while I was messing around with my xbox360 I decided to give it a shot. For $7.99 I didn’t see how I had much to loose just to give it a try especially considering the first 30 days is completely free.

I spend a huge portion of my monthly paycheck on buying dvds and I would guess I spend somewhere in the range of $250 a month on dvds. So with Netflix I should now have access to a whole slew of movies to watch when time permits and perhaps replace at least some of my need to run to the local videostore and buy dvds. Why don’t I rent? I find rentals a rip off and frankly I love my movie collection and am the kind of person who watches movies over and over again. I have movies I have seen over 25 times because although I am not the most astute or well written critic around I am a true die hard film fan just like many of you.

I have had Netflix now for about 30 days and admittedly I am still learning how it all works. I have no idea how huge the library of films is for the video on demand service for Xbox and I am not sure how long it takes for the different film listing to update. For example the Action Movies has shown the same 75 movies for the last 30 days and I am not sure if and when it will update. I love how it is broken out by genre so I can easily find Documentaries, Horror movies, foreign movies and more. I particularly like the suggestions system which seems to work pretty well.

As I rate films the Netflix system learns what I like and what I do not like. It then makes suggestions called ‘Suggestions for Michael’ which shows movies that the system thinks I will like based on my past viewing and how I have rated films. It also lists films in relation to other films. So when I watched the truly shocking IRREVERSIBLE it then gave me a new selection choice of ‘Films like Irreversible’. It does this for a few selection of different types so right now I have a list that looks something like this;

Foreign Dark Films Like Irreversible
Crime Documentaries like Four Brothers
Quirky Comedies like FLETCH Lives.
Suggestions for Michael
Action Movies
Documentaries
And so on……

I would say that since I got my Netflix account I have watched no less then 25 to 30 movies. Alot of the movies are also the kind of fare my local video store doesn’t carry. I was able to watch some really quirky horror movies like Retardead, DogHouse, Zombie Diaries and Uwe Bolls Rampage ( which is pretty good ) and will be watching Human Centipede and Dead Girl later this week. I have also been able to watch some great stand up comedy like Zach Garafinalikis live and Joe Rogan live. Both were absolutely hilarious and not something I would normally pick up at the DVD Store… nor would they even carry it.

You can watch just about anything on Netflix from every possible genre including box sets of your favourite shows like Mad Men and Heroes. The streaming is pretty quick and for the most part the quality is fantastic and many times streaming in HD. I wondered how fast it would be streaming and how well the quality would hold up but I have yet to watch a movie on Netflix where the quality was poor. From time to time it will pause to ‘recalibrate’ and tweak the streaming but the pauses are EXTREMELY rare, I think it has happened 4 times total and it never lasts longer then a few seconds.

For me $7.99 for Netflix on Demand in comparison to my local DVD store is a clear winner. Netflix has better selection for me and it is also way way cheaper. I don’t have to drive anywhere and on a whim I can turn on my xbox 360 and quickly and easily navigate to a movie from just about any genre to pass the time.

My only concern with Netflix and those of you who are regular users of it can probably enlighten me is how often does the video on demand system update. When I use the search function there seems to be alot of movies listed as ‘unavailable’. I have absolutely no idea how many movies are available on video on demand with Netflix and how often the update the library. The other downfall which isn’t really a big deal is the lack of new releases. If you want to watch the latest dvd releases you wont be turning to Netflix to do that. You will be forced to drive to the dvd store. But even with this put aside if you were to get Netflix even for a 30 day trial I would be shocked if you did not like it.

Do you have Netflix? Tell me what you think and if you have any suggestions on how to best take advantage of it tell me. I am still very much a young jedi in training with my netflix account.

http://www.facebook.com/people/Bryon-Thur/576895483 Bryon Thur

Since it arrived in Canada, my family has been really enjoying Netflix. The video quality is terrific and the selection is really quite good, once you get past the fact that it doesn’t have most of what is available in the US. But the content has been improving almost weekly and a lot of great movies were actually just added this past week. If you want to keep track of what’s recently been added, check out this site: http://app.whatsnewonnetflix.com/
- Anonymous
  
  great link Bryon thanks for sharing it!
  - Anonymous
    
    Hey guys,
    
    First off, I’d like to thank moviesonline.ca and Michael for allowing me to share with everyone my Netflix recommendations.
    
    I’ve just published my recommendations for week #2
    
    Here’s the link: http://www.thenmn.com/netflixcanada2.htm
    
    Cheers,
    
    FJ
- Aaron
  
  Thanks for linking my site! I’m glad so many people are finding it useful. Just so everyone knows, the site now has RSS feeds, so it should be even easier for people to keep track of new releases.
- Mr. B.
  
  I have been using Netflix for the last 2.5 months. In the beginning the picture quality was great and there was only 1 time where the service was unavailable, and the odd stops & downloads were bearable. However, the last 3 times I tried to watch a movie this week the system kept stopping and downloading for anywhere from a few seconds to a few minutes. This happened again and again until me and my family gave up and turned our satellite TV back on or put in a DVD. When you have to wait 1 to 2 minutes to see 3 or 4 minutes of a movie it really sucks. Also, the last movie (Australia) seemed to be of a lower picture quality the odd time it came on… All I can say is if their system doesn’t improve by Jan 17th, 2011, I will be cancelling my membership.
  - brad
    
    it could be your network connection
  - John
    
    Maybe your internet connection is not “strong” enough for Netflix? Have you contacted your internet provider? I hope you get some satisfaction.
  - Naturr
    
    It is his network connection. Netflix does a lot to ensure bandwidth is available and movies are pushed down so that the LOCAL ISP is the bottleneck. They do this to stop the ISP from complaining about them and to ensure bandwidth is not an issue as far as they can help.
- MAD420
  
  Hey bryon do wo work for netflix my grandma has a better selection of vhs tapes in her basement
  - Bert
    
    Selection is veryyyyyyy limited. In 2 month there is nothing left to choose from. 99% of the films are very mediocre.
- Julie
  
  Thank You sooooomuch for posting the site info about new arrivals very helpful!! Julie
- http://twitter.com/netflixcan Netflix Canada
  
  I really enjoy it to that’s what possessed me to start the website
- Anonymous
  
  Hey guys,
  
  I started a section for Netflix Canada on my site to try to help others who can’t find good content. I make 5 good movie recommendations a week.
  
  Here’s the link: http://www.thenmn.com/netflix.htm
  
  Cheers,
  
  FJ
- Deller44
  
  i tried to get the one month free offer,but a person cannot get it if you don’t have a credit
  card.how is it free to try when they don’t let you try it without a credit card????? if this is
  what they offer,it is false advertising not being to get the month free.IF ITS ONE MONTH
  FREE,WHY DO YOU NEED A CREDIT CARD?????NOT ALL PEOPLE HAVE A CREDIT CARD.
  - Bob
    
    THEN GET A CREDIT CARD!!!!!!!
  - Spyder
    
    A credit card ensures that you are who you say you are and you are old enough. It’s the way the world works (sorry)
    - Big-Movies-Fan
      
      What can Netfrix lose by allowing you movies for one month even if you decide not to go
      with them ? You can’t keep the movies since they simply stop sending them to you.
      A credit card should only become required when you want to continue using their service beyond the “Free” One Month period.
  - Humhum
    
    Well anyone can get a credit card but if you messed up your credit and you can’t get one is that netflix fault…. nope only yours loser!
  - Humhum
    
    Well anyone can get a credit card but if you messed up your credit and you can’t get one is that netflix fault…. nope only yours loser!
    - Wandamaria
      
      thats a loser thing to say jerk
  - Rob
    
    You can go to the bank and get a visa debit card that allows purchases online and pulls the cash out of your chequings account. That’s how I do it any way
  - Brycestanley32
    
    if you didnt need a credit card to start netflix then people could just cancel the account make a new one every month and never ever have to pay for netflix.the credit card just makes sure you only ever get one free month.unless you have 5 credit cards then technically you could register for netflix 5 times and have 5 free months.but once they have all your cards on file the free ride is over.
- Deller44
  
  i tried to get the one month free offer,but a person cannot get it if you don’t have a credit
  card.how is it free to try when they don’t let you try it without a credit card????? if this is
  what they offer,it is false advertising not being to get the month free.IF ITS ONE MONTH
  FREE,WHY DO YOU NEED A CREDIT CARD?????NOT ALL PEOPLE HAVE A CREDIT CARD.
- Deller44
  
  i tried to get the one month free offer,but a person cannot get it if you don’t have a credit
  card.how is it free to try when they don’t let you try it without a credit card????? if this is
  what they offer,it is false advertising not being to get the month free.IF ITS ONE MONTH
  FREE,WHY DO YOU NEED A CREDIT CARD?????NOT ALL PEOPLE HAVE A CREDIT CARD.
- Anonymous
  
  Some friends of mine have a professional podcast that reviews movies on Netflix (Canada and the US). There are a bunch of podcasts out there talking about Netflix movies, but this is the only one I can find that discusses movies available in Canada. If anyone wants to check out the link, you can find it here: http://netpixpodcast.wordpress.com/
- Cheryl
  
  I to appreciate the link, thanks Bryon!
- Cheryl
  
  I to appreciate the link, thanks Bryon!
- Peter Daniels
  
  All I watch is “action movies”, and so far, there are not enough of them. But I’ll keep an eye on the content, and if it improves, I may try it.
123

Selection sucks, time to have a VPN in the usa so i can watch real netflixs.
- Anonymous
  
  not sure i understand what your saying
  - Anon
    
    muahahaha, learn to speak pirate matey! yar!
    - Anonymous
      
      i tried that but you cant login with a VPN running. I to want NetFlix from the US if only to compare to the Canadian Netflix.
not impressed

dexter…not available in canada; Lost….not available in canada; the selection in Canada is HORRIBLE…what a waste of time.
- Dcscully
  
  I agree with you. So far I am not impressed. When I first got it, thought it was going to be like the american one. Well was i ever wrong. If it does not improve I am going to get rid of it and go back to Zip.ca. At least there i could get whatever i wanted.
  - Anonymous
    
    Zip.ca doesnt appear to have an on-demand option. I like the fact I can just go to my tv and watch whatever i feel like watching. It sounds like though the American version is far superior in selection to what we canadians are getting
    - Paperthinwalls
      
      Can’t you just use a program like Hotspot Shield and create a remote IP address?
    - Spyder
      
      I believe there are copyright laws etc. The movie selection grows and grows… remember Netflix in the USA has been around for a LONG time whereas Netflix has only been in Canada for a short time. The only search engine for it is WAY better than searching on my PS3. I find I am watching more obscure movies that I would otherwise have not gotten a chance to see!
- Danscotty
  
  dexter available on cast.com
- not impressed either
  
  They don’t seem to have the Star Wars or Indiana Jones movies. If they don’t have huge box office movies like that, what do they have? I used Netflix in the US (the DVD by mail system) and was able to get “Men With Brooms”. Can’t get that in Canada? Is it not licensed here?
- Michelle
  
  We just got nextflix in canada..They have had it for a long time in the US. Give it time
- Herbwentworth
  
  Selection isn’t impressive… a lot of titles unavailable.
- Herbwentworth
  
  Selection isn’t impressive… a lot of titles unavailable.
- Completely Unimpressed
  
  agreed. i searched for close to 20 minutes to find even one of the tv shows i watch on a regular basis and every single one of them was marked as unavailable… which is precisely the reason i will NOT become a paying customer with netflix… i’ll stick to my current method to keep up with my shows and movies…. what a disgrace on Netflix’s part.
- bobby hank
  
  what is wrong with it
Buddy

What did people want for $8 bucks a month! If you watch two movies you’ve paid for your subscription. Go on paying $65 a month and more from the big providers. Go on, spend your cash.. just hand it over.
- Charlfrance
  
  People want the same thing as US customer get for the same price.
  - spyder
    
    Canadians have NEVER had everything the USA has. We’re close, but OOOO so far away!
  - spyder
    
    Canadians have NEVER had everything the USA has. We’re close, but OOOO so far away!
- GT
  
  Wait to you get your incresed internet usage bill from your provider. It will be a shockeR
  - L_kitchen1
    
    It will depend on your internet service. We get 60GB per month with Rogers. One movie will use between 1.5 and 2GB and our internet usage is never over 20GB so we can still watch plenty of movies.
  - Willaken1
    
    For real. It is a maddening and helpless situation when you get your bill for overconsumption. My first month, the free trial one where they clain “Only 8 bucks! WOW! And no additionnal fees!” LIARS! I went over my 150G internet plan consumption by 89G. For a lovely and expensive grand total of 239G and I was charged 175$ by my internet provider. This has basically encouraged me to download from sites for FREE and put it onto a USB key and watch it on my system. Netflix runs for about 2G/movie whereas stealing from the conglomerates consumes only 700MB/movie. I hate Netflix and their lies, don’t they have a legal obligation to explain to us common un-techy folks how the streaming works?? I know for a fact that alot of internet providers will have quite a few delinquent customers in the near future thanks to the train wreck that is Netflix.
    - spyder
      
      It’s not Netflix’s fault that you have used more bandwidth than your service provide allows…. you should be aware of the terms you have with your provider and not complain about Netflix when it was your own ignorance that caused you to have such a high bill. 239G is HUGE!!! We watch every day and the most we’ve ever used is 89G. Remember that online gaming adds HUGE amounts of G to your usage too! Check to see what your kids are doing on the internet.
    - Dia3766
      
      it is not netflix’s fault you went over your bandwidth limit with your internet service provider, that is why you get a unlimited plan like i have. By the way you can reduce how much bandwidth is being used by decreasing the quality of the video You must have watched alot of movies to use 239 g of bandwidth, i thought i used it alot and i am not even a 1/4 of that
Freakinpissed

keep in mind all of your ratings, viewing history and preferences become property of Netflix, they seem to have no regard or respect for Canadian Privacy laws. They reserve the right to sell this information as well. See reference to the “Netflix 1 million dollar contest” privacy breach to learn more. Lame old TV and movies are not worth my identity.
- Willaken1
  
  I agree and am cancelling their capitalist, dated movie providing useless service.
Kwalker

http://app.whatsnewonnetflix.com/ is a good site for seeing how often the site is updated. I usually cruise through this and bookmark movies.
Carlito

I think it is well worth the 7.99 a month. I don’t find the selection of T.V shows is really what I like, but the endless list of movies is.Not everything you want but well worth the price!
Siucoharley

Was reluctant at first. Thought it was a scam. Still in my free 30 day period, but will continue though as for $8 per month, it’s a bargain. Old shows yes, but they were the ones I missed back then anyway. And I forget movies within a week anyway.
- Willaken1
  
  Cancel it now. It is a scam. They fail to warn you they will of course charge you 7.99$/month but that your internet provider will repo your house because the bill will be unpayable due to their streaming charges.
  - Thundercunt619
    
    You’re a complete moron. You do know that, right?
  - Dia3766
    
    not a scam, they provide unlimited movies, it is up to the consumer to make sure they have the proper internet plan
Illegalalien

Seriously, how much can you watch in a day? You may not get new releases immediately but $7.99 is dirt cheap compared to renting from rogers or blockbuster ( include gas to get there ). You can also watch from your moble device inclusive of that price too ( much limited selection than streaming from your gaming console ). But I do hope Netflix Canada will get better in the future.
Joebloggs

After seeing Netflix’s offerings while staying with some friends in the US, it was truly disappointing to see how comparitively small the choice of viewing is for Canadians. An example is the UK TV Series, Survivors; available in the US but not in Canada. All of the shows I enjoyed seeing in the US come up as “not available” on the Canadian Netflix. Pricing in Canada is comparable to the US. I think our US friends are paying about a dollar more a month than the Canadian subscription. Again, it’s disappointing when you compare to the US. I’m sure that it’s licencing difficulties which prevents Netflix from making a lot of stuff which is normally available in the US, unavailable here. Too bad, really. And it’s frustrating that there’s no way of e-mailing Netflix to let them know that, if they had more of what I want to see available, I’d subscribe. Until then, I’m passing on Netflix.
- Willaken1
  
  Very smart move. It will save you a bunch of money. The streaming for Netflix will cause your internet bill to skyrocket just like mine did.
  - Dia3766
    
    that was your own fault for going over your internet plan
- spyder
  
  It’s TOTALLY available in Canada – I just watched it! Alas, the series was canceled in the UK.
FASTER-K9

What people don’t realize is that the CRTC regulates what Netflix can offer as far as American content VS Canadian content. In Canada there has to be a certain percentage of Canadian made content and American content , lets say something like 70% American and 30% Canadian. It’s the same for Canadian Television and Canadian Radio. That is why the selection is not the same as in the States.
- Paul
  
  just like satellite radio – Canadians should get a USA address and then the CRTC stays out of your home!!!
  - rustytherooster
    
    Paul, you need to become an American citizen.
- Don’t Know Much
  
  What FASTER-K9 doesn’t realize is that the CRTC does NOT regulate Netflix. Shaw Cable wants the CRTC to regulate Netflix.
  
  http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/technology/companies-like-netflix-should-be-regulated-by-crtc-shaw/article1822752/
  - Tdaszko
    
    I know why you picked that user name…. (read below reply) . I would guess your fairly gullible if you believe that steaming pile.
- John
  
  lol did you do any research at all before typing this moronic post?
  - Tdaszko
    
    You must work for the CRTC , no matter what you read the CRTC DOES regulate it, what makes you think that Netflix is the exception to the rule?
    Give your head a shake.
- tberg8
  
  The CRTC is a load of crap. I am a proud Canadian, but am tired of shows about inuits and boring junk.
  - Anonymous
    
    i completely agree. I do not understand what value the CRTC offers Canadians. Its protectionism that benefits a select few
- Netflix Fan
  
  Incorrect. Maybe people blamed the CRTC for making the Video section on Xbox Live not accessible in Canada from the start, aswell as the Video store on Sonys Playstation Network. I have contacted the CRTC directly, it has NOTHING to do with them, not in any way shape or form.
  
  It has soely to do with media distrabution rights. They (Netflix) has to pay a fee for each country that it wishes to broadcast (stream) its media to.
  
  Right now, because the subscriber base of Netflix in Canada is still to low for them to consider purchasing the ability to broadcast here.
  
  As more people sign up, Netflix will grow, as it grows we get more content.
  - Completely Unimpressed
    
    okay but if that is the case then they have put themselves in a catch-22… some will pay for this service. Whereas other people like myself will look into Netflix before signing up… finding out that i can’t watch any of my shows (and there are close to a dozen TV shows i follow religiously) and that my money would really only pay for older movies i have already seen several times doesn’t make sense. So they will expand when they ge a bigger customer base? How do you attract more customers when you offer garbage as your selection? just curious because this seems to me to be a case of catching more flies with honey than with vinegar.
  - Completely Unimpressed
    
    okay but if that is the case then they have put themselves in a catch-22… some will pay for this service. Whereas other people like myself will look into Netflix before signing up… finding out that i can’t watch any of my shows (and there are close to a dozen TV shows i follow religiously) and that my money would really only pay for older movies i have already seen several times doesn’t make sense. So they will expand when they ge a bigger customer base? How do you attract more customers when you offer garbage as your selection? just curious because this seems to me to be a case of catching more flies with honey than with vinegar.
Rob Thompson

no hangovere no mall cop the selection is horrible I thought there would be some new releases but theres not its like going back to the eighties or nineties seen them all are you kiddi ng me.
Gerard

The selection is so unbelievably “discount bin” it’s laughable! Virtually everything I searched for was unavailable.The cable companies and Blockbuster have nothing to worry about. Netflix would need to improve their selection by at least 1000% to get my interest. “Star Trek Nemesis is not avaiable but you might enjoy Lost in Space”. LOL!
Proud and Canadian

Quiet honestly, why would I want what Americans are watching? Their ignorant to what’s really happening outside of the USA. So, perhaps the Canadian version provides us Canadians with am more appropriate selection, less Americanized, therefore all the better…
- Intelligent and Canadian
  
  That is the stupidest most ignorant thing I have ever heard. Look up the definition of ignorant.
  
  Ps. What is the difference between “quiet” honesty and loud honesty?…or did you mean quite.
  
  Pps. THEY’RE
  
  Ppps. Ignorant fool.
  - Bob
    
    Thank goodness the grammar police are in town, otherwise I wouldn’t have been able to understand Proud and Canadian whatsoever. Take your arts degree and go soak your head.
  - Kristenlourie
    
    Agreed!
- John
  
  You people keep dragging up this Canadian content stuff. It has nothing to do with the CRTC or making “more” Canadian content available to Canadians. It’s strictly dollars and cents. It would cost more money that it’s worth to set up the licensing companies that would pay the publishing companies. To make it worth their time they would have to break the $10 barrier. Which from consumer polling, Netflix knows would not go over well, if at all. Even if they did do it, would you pay several dollars more to have the same Netflix as the Americans do? The Canadian content is a moot point. People want to watch what they want to watch. Don’t go waving the flag just because someone wants to watch the Hangover instead of Passchendaele, just because it’s “Canadian”. What kind of un patriotic asses we must be lol.
- alexx43
  
  That falls into the stupid statement of the month club
- CanadianBob
  
  Yes, the Canadian version *IS* giving you a more appropriate selection – ie: s shitty selection… which is appropriate, because of people like YOU, the rest of us Canadians have to suffer a constant and pronounced lack of choice, because you, like many in Canada, fear change and “new fangled choices” and are SOOOOOO deathly afraid of all things American. Like the crap Canadian-produced tv shows and movies, financed mainly by taxpayer grants, are good quality. CanCon is French for “stifling competition and depriving the Canadian consumer of any decent choices”. Dimwit LOL
GT

WAIT TO YOU ALL SEE HOW MUCH MORE YOU ARE GOING TO PAY IN INTERNET FEES WHEN YOU USE NETFLIX. YOU WILL BE IN FOR A SURPRISE.
- Not_GT
  
  Firstly, type with you caps lock off. duh… Sorry to break it to you… monthly bandwidth not enforced or monitored by current provider. Sucks to be u.
- Lonontcan
  
  The CRTC already has allowed Rogers and Bell (Monopoly’s) to curb our bandwidth download to 25 gigs on Ontario, unless you want to pay for extra bandwidth or pay ridiculous penalties if you exceed there paltry 25 Gigs per month. I wonder how much bandwidth one movie will use up? If anyone knows that answer please reply and I will then make my decision. Our wonderful CRTC will be putting the kibosh on bit torrents anyway. The got us by the curlies…
- Willaken1
  
  I absolutely agree with GT. I got screwed and I won’t be making that mistake 2 months in a row. My Netflix has already been cancelled. And to Not_GT, fine, worry more about him writting in caps than the huge goddamn bill you will receive from your “current provider”. I can’t wait to see your re-post on this…Unless you don’t have a computer to respond with because due to your gargantuan internet bill, you can’t afford to pay and the collectors come to repo your computer and car.
  - Spyder
    
    I don’t understand why everyone is complaining about their huge internet bills and saying it’s Netflix that caused it. No… it is not Netflix. It is due to the fact that you surpassed your monthly allowable bandwidth. You need to have a better plan to watch live streaming movies, play online games, download songs, etc. You should be more aware of what your service provider offers. It’s like buying dataplans on i-phones and blackberries. The more data you use, the bigger the data package you need to have!
    - CanadianBob
      
      uhuhuh.. you said “bigger package” uhuh
    - dia3766
      
      i agree
  - CanadianBob
    
    The repo people don’t take your computer and car, silly….. they take your first-born.. or your Maple Leafs seasons tickets… or your favorite pair of Hanes underpants.
- CanadianBob
  
  Will it be a nice surprise? like ice cream sundae on a hot, summer day? or like a sweet puppy dog waking you up gently by licking your nose? Please provide actual dollar figures so that the class may discuss and learn. And turn your cap lock of, sausage-brains.
Mo D

I too ordered the free trial and had to increase my rogers internet from 25 g to 125 gigs and that is not even enough. I may still go over. Yes I know I can get another provider with unlimited gigs but I dont make changes very quickly so I am still on the trial stage BUT with the most lousy selection available I dont think I will be keeping it and yes I watch and keep track of my daily internet usage (a feature that Rogers has) and for instance while watching The dead Like Me series I used about 20 g in one day while watching this in 2 days- that is 15 episodes each season. Any way I called Netflix up and complained about the lousy selection and told them we here in Canada actually live in the year 2010 just like they do there in the states and that we actually are pretty modern people here and dont appreciate the outdated things available and asked when they would have a better selection available and they answered with in a few months when they would have the licences blah blah blah. I was able to watch WEEDS season 1,2,3 and then that was it. The rest of the seasons are not available. Go figure. Nothing is ever 100 percent int his socialist country. They always have to take away half the fun out of everything. we get surface layering and the content of value is skimmed off the top and sent into a dark hole somewhere. end of rant; thanks for listening.
- CRTC
  
  You can complain to Netflix all you want about the limited selection in Canada, but it’s not their fault. Blame it on your beloved CRTC and content rules. Much of the content available on the US Netflix is not licensed in Canada. You’re ranting about all this on a FREE trial and not even paying for it yet? Just cancel if you’re so unhappy. That’s the reality of living in Canada. Get over it. It’s pretty sad when your life revolves around TV content.
  - Mo D
    
    well if you read my post you will see that was the response I got from netflix about the licenses here in Canada. As for complaining think it is always a good idea to let them know what you think.
  - Mo D
    
    i am having a conversation and my life certainly doesnt revolve around tv but that doesnt mean I can post my experiences with it or have a conversation about it on a forum for that reason just like you are doing only you find it comforting to berate me for my opinions and experiences. As for having a sad life. do you know me…how dare you think that from a conversation on a forum about tv content. and yes i will complain if i dont like something. its my experiences and you know nothing about me. i am a pretty vocal person i actually can and do have conversations about many many things and this my dear is just one of them and no i dont have to take it and just accept things for the way they are if i dont think they are up to standard. bye
    - CanadianBob
      
      netflix, like everything else in Canada, is not up to the standards of the US because Canada is backwards compared to the US… Canadians are not used to being given choices, and certainly not used to demanding them, whereas US consumers are and will demand choice and the market reacts… not the Canadian market… it’s the same-old, same-old, year after year, same lack of choice with no good reason for having a lack of choice other than Canadian’s fear of change and love of keeping everything the same for ever.. better the devil you know than the one you don’t, etc… better to accept crap and lack of choice than to be given choices that you are not familiar with.. oooh.. that’s too scary, let’s keep everything just as it has always been, at least we know what we have or don’t have. Yeah… just like Russia LOL after the Iron Curtain fell, and Russians gained freedom and choices, they didn’t know what to do and many wished they could go back to communism, because they knew was to expect and what was and was not available
    - CanadianBob
      
      You probably poop a lot, and have bad dreams.
  - Mo D
    
    another thing – you are a total MORON
    - BZK
      
      Take a breath chief.
      
      Going off the handle makes YOU look bad.
      - CanadianBob
        
        please don’t use the word “chief” – that’s offensive and racist towards native Canadians.
    - Oskar2005
      
      Who needs netflix when this conversation is more interesting?
      - CanadianBob
        
        I agree… warm up a bowl of Kraft Dinner, pull up a chair infront of your computer, and laugh your bollocks off at this never-ending cascade of mirth and hilarity.
    - CanadianBob
      
      probably a sweaty moron with skidmarks in his undies
  - Don’t Know Much
    
    What “CRTC doesn’t realize is that the CRTC does NOT regulate Netflix. Shaw Cable wants the CRTC to regulate Netflix.
    
    http://www.theglobeandmail.com…/
  - John
    
    You’re a moron like the others ranting about the CRTC (see my above post to the other morons). DO some homework or don’t give an uninformed opinion, then make fun of a guy because he doesn’t want to except scraps just because we live North of the Border. If you had paid attention you would have seen the guy who posted that the CRTC have no control over Netflix.
  - Shut-in
    
    I happen to be a shut-in due to cancer. And yes a large percentage of my day is dedicated to television. Don’t think for one reason that everyone is as able as yourself and maybe some of us need these small amenities to get through the day.
    - Willaken1
      
      I agree, I am off of work due to 2 herniated discs and let me tell you, my life, while it does NOT revolve around TV, has really been aided by Netflix. Up until the day I got an internet bill for 347$ for the extra bandwith I used over my alloted 150G…It is not only 7.99$/month no extra fees. Sure, Netflix aren’t going to charge the extra fees. Why would they wanna be the bad man? They would rather have us mad at our internet providers.
      - CanadianBob
        
        I’m off work because I’m lazy – can I get some sympathy, too?
      - guest
        
        wow, CanadianBob you need to get a grip and stop commenting with such negativity, you don’t need to be rude.
      - http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=571502454 Kayla Boudreault
        
        You do realise YOU ARE THE ONE RESPONSIBLE to be aware of the package that you have with YOUR CABLE company.
        
        Please quit making yourself look like an idiot online. YOUR CABLE PACKAGE, YOUR RESPONSIBILITY to stay within its limits.
- Mo D
  
  oh and as for ranting I am on a free trial and every one here has an opinion just like me so why are you telling me to get over it. I should just shut up if I dont like something…i think not
- CanadianBob
  
  That happens because Canada is a backward-ass, British-worshipping country, instead of a country of dynamic, brave, risk-taking people like the US. The US consumer demands competition, quality, choice, etc… the Canadian consumer instead is happy to be handed any old crap, as always, because that’s the way they have been raised.
  - Kristenlourie
    
    Eww did u just say that?
Ironfoot76

the one thing that netflix might offer more of is indie fimls and things that you have not heard of before, I cannot tell you how many off-the-beaten path movies I have seen that were really good on netflix. They may not have all the most recent movies that is something but I do know they are working on that problem and get some good cult classics, like Friday, Caddyshack as well. The more people use it the better they will understand that the video store is dead and instant Que is king.
- Anonymous
  
  one thing i really like about netflix is the indie films and the collection of documentaries that are really good and I have never heard of before.
lumax99

I say we all make a Canadian movie and put it on netflix so they can add more US content. Who’s with me!
- Anonymous
  
  im not sure how the canadian angle plays into things since the CRTC does not regular netflix from what I have read online.
- CanadianBob
  
  No… Canadian movies are crap.
Crossing her fingers!

I really hope they have better selection soon!
- Anonymous
  
  i fully expect that Netflix Canada will continue to expand the offerings and hopefully we catch up with the US soon.
  - CanadianBob
    
    Yes… that is true.. I beleive that they actually added a new movie last month. or was it the month before? I forget.
brad

we have had it a few days now and I am pretty impressed…I am thinking of cancelling our shaw TV account. I will say that the selection is not on the edge of the newest offerings from the TV and Video rentals…but that is not a big concern for me.

I don’t own a gaming box so I used an old laptop with wireless connected to the VGA and to my TV sound system. the movie is hosted in a web app. I choose chrome as my browser. I use a wureless mouse on the coffee table to navigate through the selections.

At the rare time the feed get’s jerky as a result of my network connection – pausing the show for a few minutes seems to help. I wasn’t expecting very high quality graphics from my 5 year old laptop – I am impressed with what I ended up with.

It works for me…but I am not every body.
- Anonymous
  
  i completely agree with you brad. For $8 a month its well worth it to me.
Flyingyndo

I have been having frequent periods where the programs stop because of the inability of Netflix to keep up with the streaming demand.
- Anonymous
  
  i have the odd time where streaming changes but as of yet I have never had a demand error come up.
Gemcg

The only problem I have is the shows seem to be a bit dark, as in lacking contrast. I have my tv set to vivid and it still does not look so great. Is sharp and all, just contrast. I have a Panasonic g-series plasma.
- Anonymous
  
  i dont have a plasma but on my standard HD tv it seems to look good all the time.
Rk6925

Netflix is the real deal…sure their launch was a bit lacking in Canada. Check out their stock price… it’s gone through the roof in the past 2 years (better than Apple). It’s only been here for a few months so relax. Licenses will come and if they do increase subscription costs, the early guys will probably get a deal. 8 bucks a month is nothing for the amount I use it.
Guest

So far I am impressed with Netflix. Although it doesn’t have the most up to date content, if you compare it to any of the movie channel packages offered by the cable and satelitte companies it is much cheaper, has more content and you can watch them on demand. The movie channels seem to play the same movies over and over for the month and half the time they are on at an inconvenient time.
Watcher404

Based on subscriber revenues of $8/month, Netflix offers the catalog of shows that it can afford to license from movie studios, TV networks, film distributors, etc. These providers license their properties on a territory basis. Canadian rights to many of the most recent movies and TV programs are already locked in to exclusive arrangements with other media outlets.So Netflix may only get access to them once existing licneces have expired. |t’s not about the CRTC.. It’s about market forces.
- hn
  
  That agres withj what a knowlegeable reviewer said asa to what will become available. The vwqhen is partly because our rating system is apparently diffrent to the US one so they have to make thosde changes before putting them up… or so the reviewer said and he certainly seemed to be very knowlegeable.
  
  Bottom line re content therefor if the gentleman is right:
  A) If as and when the studios networks etc provide Canadian licensing aa the US licenses don’t apply here
  B) It will take a period of time for Netflix to negotiate agreements and modify the rating info for stuff that can be made available…. and the older a release the greater the chance the owner will release it..
  
  Different topic
  
  Why is it folks feel the need to criticize those they diagree with. We only learn from those who disagree with us as otherwise we’ll neither learn anything new nor become wiser and hang around with folks with the same viewpoint. I have learned in life that the more worked up I get about an issue and the more bellicose my speech/writing the greater chance I’m wrong.
  
  Hence the more vitriolic the prose the less credence I tend to give to the writers views.
Greenlizards

What crtc and kwbl and rrcc doesn’t realize is klrc is going to buy wxyz and you will notice the pirce of crtc licensing go up by 20% because of qtkr and then you will see crtc really crying for netflix to become a crdt company. Now if pbrs buys ctv and if ctv buys netflix then you will see the USA tv shows on atv.

Makes Sense?
who cares bout my name

Can’t believe what I’m reading here! It appears there are not morons or idiots. Just a bunch of cry baby’s with WAY to much time in their hands. Why are Americans so FAT? Why are they so stupid? Why is it Americans only know what is going on in America? And in most cases, they don’t even know that much. Well in my opinion it’s because they sit and watch TV all day, they use the TV as a baby sitter. TV viewing is to kill some time and there, not to make a living criticizing what’s available to the masses. You like American TV, live there then. What can I tell you?

People, if you don’t like it, do not subscribe…free or otherwise. And then grow up, get a life. I have satellite, from a major supplier, and the cost is 70 odd dollars a month. What are they giving? HBO Canada…oh wow…. Blockbuster movies…. for the lil they have another big wow weeeeee…. If NETFLIX Canada did offer everything the Americans have, well guess what? We’d…or the cry babies out there would cry about something else.
- Canadian American
  
  Yes, Americans are fat. There are no athletes down there; they’ve never won a gold medal at the Olympics. They most certainly never win more medals than Canada. They’re also very stupid. They aren’t innovative at all and their air technology is probably the worst in the world. They could never create something like…I don’t know…the internet? It must have been a Canadian that invented the internet–most certainly not a stupid American. Yes, they’re all fat and stupid, and you’re not ignorant.
Netflix TKO

I am a Netflix subscriber for the last 4 months and my family have 4 devices – 3 laptops and 1 PS3. I was told I would be able to stream 4 devices simultaneously when I bought the service. Not that I have ever had 4 devices running at the same time, but sometimes 3 would be streaming at the same time. I tried to get on earlier tonight, but I received a message stating that 2 movies were running already at the same time and I could not connect. I called customer service and was told by “Aaron” that Netflix made a mistake and that originally 4 devices were allowed to stream at the same time, but now they have fixed that “mistake” and now only up to 2 devices can stream at the same time. I told him that it was Netflix’s mistake originally, then why should the customer have to suffer. After 10 minutes on the phone with him, nothing changed. I will be cancelling my subscription when my billing period ends. It just goes to show you, that when companies get bigger, they forget about the customers that made them that big.
Leoben Conoy

Thanks for the informative comments.
Zip.ca FTW if you don’t require on-demand content.
* Largest selection of Blu-rays
* No stream quality concerns
* No use of Internet bandwidth
netflix sucks ass

I HATE NETFLIX OLD GARBAGE MOVIES AND SHOWS. WAIST YOUR OWN TIME WITH THE SHIT THEY GIVE. I WILL NEVER GIVE THEM ANOTHER DOLLAR!!
seb

I was really impressed with their honesty. A few days ago we had trouble streaming and i made sure it was not on our side. next thing you know we get this next email…love it. Kudos to Netflix!

“Dear *******,

Recently you may have had trouble instantly watching TV episodes or movies due to technical issues.

We are sorry for the inconvenience this may have caused. A 3% credit will be automatically applied to your next billing statement for your Unlimited Streaming plan.

Ready to start watching again? Check out our latest selection.

Again, we apologize for any inconvenience and thank you for your understanding. If you need further assistance, please call us at 1-877-815-3843.

–The Netflix Team
“
- Anonymous
  
  i got the same email and completely agree that their transparency on the issue made me a big fan of theirs. Out of curiosity are you in the US or Canada? Trying to figure out if its a canada only issue which is where I am from.
Margvan

Well I have had Netflix for about 3 weeks, now and everything I have searched to watch is not available, and that sucks, I am not talking about new releases, I have looked for movies that are over 20 years old, like Dirty Dancing for one. NOT AVAILABLE. Then I watch a movie that has a good write up and well I end up turning it off, as it sucks and is terrible. So I am not sure if this is really worth it, yes much cheaper than buying movies or renting. But if I cannot get what I want to see that is it really worth the $7.99 a month. Not sure on that
- Anonymous
  
  Does anyone know if Netflix has any plans to expand to Europe (Sweden)???
  I think it could become a big market over here..!
  - Anonymous
    
    they talked about it but apparently no progress. here are some alternatives. http://www.moviesonline.ca/2011/02/netflix-alternative-europe/
Aspiess

The complainers what do you expect for 8 bucks!!
- Willaken1
  
  Well let’s see…I used up 239G in my free trial month watching Netflix. So in reality it cost ME 230$ to watch their shit selection. Don’t get me wrong, I AM COMPLAINING HERE and I have every right to considering it cost me that much. I should have shares in their booming stocks. I never knew lying could net so much money and so few lawsuits.
Colbymb

I’m thinking about getting it, but I looked at the selection online, and I saw that it didn’t have alot of what I was looking for, namely any of the Harry Potter movies.
- Anonymous
  
  it seems they do not have a ton of warner brothers content. If your looking for any films like Batman or Superman they dont appear to be on it either. But the content has improved alot even in the last 60 days.
Annie

Four brothers it on netflix?? I searched it and it said unavailable
Hello

They need to add disney and dreamworks animated movies!!
Guest

The selection really sucks. If you don’t mind old movies and lame TV shows then netflix is for you. I wouldn’t pay eight bucks a month and use up a lot of band width to watch this garbage.
Rockgurl

I was all excited to get netflix and not have to go to the video store to rent movies any more. However, I am very disappointed in the limited selection, and the fact that if I want to watch a new release, I still have to go to the video store to rent movies!!! Seriously considering cancelling my membership because of this.
Canada

Love the Sailor Moon series but UNFORTUNATELY Netflix thinks Canadians wouldn’t enjoy this if I wanted to actually PAY to watch movies online I’d expect they would consider competition out there offers this for cheaper or free so please Netflix get your shit together after reading a bunch of reviews online your already loosing a lot of Canadian subscribers not including all those who will cancel their subscription including myself if something isn’t done about this right away. Was going to write this in the Netflix reviews but they block Canadians from reviewing since I’m sure it would be a lot of negativity they couldn’t handle or care to do anything about.
- Rock Hurt
  
  Netflix is ok but too many movies are not available. Try to watch Harold and Kumar go to White Castle (not Guantanamo Bay); Highlander, Overboard, Jackass. I know I’ve forgotten quite a few. I won’t be goingpast my free trial, it’s just not worth it.
Siamesekitten

I am just concerned about how much I will have to pay for downloading. I am a Cogeco “lite” high speed user. Any idea how much if I watched 3 movies a week and let’s say 21 t.v. shows. Also can I use this while travelling? {campgrounds, hotels, a relatives house?} I find when camping the limited selection of viewing anything in Timbucktoo really sucks on a rainy day, but a lot of campgrounds now have wireless. I’m new to this technology ~ any help out there
Rudyinscarborough

The first free month was great quality. But now it’s like watching a VHS tape that was recorded back in the 1980′s. Not happy, and will cancel if things don’t improve.
Rudyinscarborough

The first free month was great quality. But now it’s like watching a VHS tape that was recorded back in the 1980′s. Not happy, and will cancel if things don’t improve.
- hot
  
  Apparently they recently reformatted the movies to save people bandwidth, which is a nice thought, but all the movies are noticeably worse looking and in a lot of cases the audio is out of sync. Really unacceptable.
MrBeefy

for $8 a month no major problems here, its handy to have, but I did notice the series weeds has the 2nd season, weres the 1st one? weres 3 and 4? its not like there new, lol my friend bought a new tv that has netflix built in (bought in canada) it doesnt work! its set up for u.s netflix but does the salesman tell you that!? no! and why does u.s and canada netflix have to be differant? Licensing? please! its like youtube. oh well better selection in the u.s netflix least canada has better beer!
hot

There’s no reason to use netflix past the free month, the lack of new movies is ridiculous. I guess it’s a case of, do you see the value in the convenience, though I know I could’ve lived without seeing most of the movies I watched. There’s a reason I haven’t watched these old movies till now, and no it wasn’t because they just were never available to watch.
Rtscott

FRESHEN UP YOUR MOVIES LIST… don’t be afraid to hit NOT INTERESTED…. you can always find it later… the next time you sign into Netflix.ca you will have a whole new list of movies to choose from…..I was surprised at the amount of movies available I have been watching for 4 months… for 8 bucks this is a BARGAIN…
Also.. use the lists on the right hand side…. ie when you select Comedy…there is a list of all types of comedies… a whole new list will show up.
Happy watching.
Hdnddjdj

It got alot more content then it let’s on, I did a search for some movies and they were all available, my advice to everyone with Netflixs Canada is to use the search button
Herald

Canada Netflix is shit. The only good things it has is Prison break, how high, and weeds. But they only have 2 seasons for weeds. Netflix is something you would have for a month and than get bored. But canadiens are not even that much smarter than americans, compared to the rest of the world America AND canada are stupid countries. But America is just a little stupider.
Entrance

NetFlix Canada is one of the bigger net based farces to be had. Better content at a VHS video store and same video quality. Netflix is a scam to get your personal info, why else would they offer the first month free, unless you are a recluse, you’d see no value in subscribing, they know that, all they really want is your personal data. Avoid them like the plague
Chandlerart

I’m 50/50 on this. While there’s lots of shows and movies that I would like to see that are surprisingly not on their menu, I did discover that they still have a few titles that I would like to see. (Lots of old Dr Who and MST3K movies for example, which is right up my ally)
I don’t use cable or satellite, so I have to find other ways of watching new shows or movies as they come out. But for $8 a month, I can still see enough ‘older’ programming on NetFlix to make it worth it for now. Hopefully NetFlix Canada continues to add to it’s roster and will improve it’s selection over the next several months. But, if it doesn’t within the next year, I’m going to run out of things to see!
BentendoOwee

geez many comments make me strongly feel like they are from netflix employees/ workers -_-….

some good ways to find out about the products is google stuff like “cons”, “bad”, “scam” etc etc, that way you get to focus more on the problems of such products..
simply typing “review” will yield you results, comments but “xxx” product employee/workers, and diehard fans..
Geto_daze

I heard Netflix had bad quality and nothing is in HD, pixels are also very visible
Bob

selection is poor in canada because, well, same reason selection of EVERYTHING in Canada is piss-poor compared to the selection in the US – because Canada is backward and always trailing behind the choices available in the US, and for ZERO good reason.

Try looking at BestBuy.com then go to BestBuy.ca and notice how small the selection of choices is compared to the US site. Same with Walmart.. check out the US site then compare the paltry selections / choices available on the Canadian Walmart site…

there is not reason for this, other than the fact that Canadian stores let the manufacturers dictate everything to them and they don’t have the balls to stand up and demand that the customers / Canadian public gets the same choices as US consumers do.

And as we head towards the year 2012, it seems that this inequity will never change.
BenoitBolz

I am thinking of getting Netflix service here in Canada. I have looked at the netflix.ca site a few times, but don’t see a very large selection… in fact, i see about 30 movies listed. Is that it? or is that just their website showing us only a small selection of what is available when you sign up? Thanks in advance.
http://netflixcanadacompletelist.blogspot.com/ Josh

Here’s a site I created that shows everything on Netflix, and is updated daily. I’ve got the complete list in alphabetical order, as well as release year, and then also a list of newly released, and newly dropped. It’s updated daily…take a look: netflixcanadacompletelist.blogspot.com
SkyT

I have a download rate as high as 30mbps, but when I stream movies on my xbox. The movies that are said to be in HD, aren’t in HD. More of the lines of being 360p or 480p on my 37″. Anyone know a way to fix it or is it just Netflix and their issue they had with Canadian internet providers and there broadband cap?
- SkyT
  
  Bandwidth*
Snappyrc

Although Netflix doesn’t refresh often on devices (blu-ray, PS3, Xboox, etc.) you still have access to all the movies on netflix,com! My trick: go online and check out a movie you like then search it on your device. Voila! you get to watch a movie that is “not” on your device!
Snappyrc

And i dont understand why everyone complains over selections… you get a month free if you dont like it dont subscribe.!!! I LOVE IT AND HAVE ONLY GOOD THINGS TO SAY!!!

Oh and btw…. THeres such a thing called UNLIMITED INTERNET PLAN!
BarbieGirl

WOW…..took me awhile to read all that. Just ordered Netflix and I dont have a credit card either but went and bought a pre-paid visa and it worked. Like what I see so far and can already tell I am going to safe a ton of money. I pay $29.99 for my internet a month and have many devices with my wi-fi so I can tell you this is a no brainer. Netfilx is WICKED !!! Watched 3 movies tonight and thats a savings of $15.00.
Ukchris

Very limited TV offerings… for instance no SUPERNATURAL or VAMPIRE DIARIES? I was certain these would be available… so very disappointed with the tiny selection.
Redique

I have also enjoyed netflix for the past 4 days but my only concern is that it does not have Disney, Warner Brothers and most Universal movies. My guess is that they are the big 3 companies and the movies are more expensive but still I have been enjoying it.
dia3766

wow seeing people complain about going over their plans of over 100G makes me wonder if people had a life besides tv, that is alot of data to use in a month,
new_TV_guy

regarding the CRTC, they do not regulate internet delivered content. Its part of their “new media exemption”. The traditional broadcast distributors (Rogers, Shaw, Bell etc.) are regulated for canadian content and any new channel has to be approved by the CRTC. This is not the case with Netflix or any other over the top provider in Canada.

If you want to blame anyone for the content selection, blame the content rights holders. They set the price and distribution rights – and charge extra for every possible option. For any OTT provider, its a pure numbers game. Price you can charge, number of subscribers you have, number of screens you deliver it to, amount you are charged for content, etc. .

The USA has 173M households with an average of 2.4 TVs per. They have the scale to drive to spread the content costs. Canada does not. If I remember correctly, we have about 10M house holds. The content owners do not discount the price of content because we have a smaller population.
Corydixonja

Canadian Netflix is useless, has shit selection
impressed/not??

Hello,i have had Netflix for 3 months now,and was satisfied for a while.As an avid movie watcher i enjoy selection,but when you’ve rated movies you have seen before Netflix on Netflix, nothing changes,there still on their???Why won’t they accept my ratings if i’ve not watched it on Netflix,but on a DVD orin a theatre??I mean come on,so many times i’d be looking for a movie to watch and pass all these movies i’ve seen b4 and don’t want to watch.
marcus

Crappy selection. Why pay for something you don’t really want to watch?
http://www.facebook.com/john.gagnon.714 John Gagnon

I just got my new Samsung Plazma TV, Samsung Blue-Ray disc player connected up with my new Pioneer Elite VSX-60 AVR. I signed up for a free trial and I am able to connect with either the TV or the BR. Things worked fine, except movies that are supposed to be broadcast in Dolby 5.1, only are broadcast in stereo. I checked on their website and the BR is supposed to be supported, but the TV isn’t yet, but either one works. The Pioneer AVR automatically detects and plays the correct format, so what’s the problem?? Has to be Netflix not downloading the 5.1 content. If I can’t watch a movie in Dolby Surround, it isn’t worth watching.
FreshNewLife

(Aside: LOSE! LOSE! The correct spelling is l-o-s-e NOT l-o-o-s-e! You lo-s-e a lo-o-s-e tooth. – With much grammarly love from the granddaughter of an Irish Catholic English teacher way back when form mattered.)
dreamer

I have to agree with another reviewer who wrote “Selection is veryyyyyyy limited. In 2 month there is nothing left to choose from. 99% of the films are very mediocre.” BUT that’s ok because Netflix has some television shows I like to review over and over. Netflix USA has much, much more to choose from, something they try and hide from Canadians. They charge the same amount though. Why not charge way less – is Netflix Canada financially supporting Netflix USA? Is there a second (redundant) company in Canada that skims some of the 8$ a month? It’s super cheap, but a bit pointless too. No real conclusion here.

MoviesOnline

NetFlix Canada Review, Is it Worth it?

Share this: