Netflix Canada Discussion

[Hack&Lube]

Yeah, the interface on the consoles is so much more simplified and restricting that it's quite difficult to actually browse for things instead of blindly scrolling from left to right ad infinitum until you find something you might want to watch.

The PC version has catagories, layouts, etc. that is much more friendlier to browsing the content.

[Rathji]

Originally Posted by undercoverbrother

Thanks, I assume it's all in HD content?

How is the selection of new movies?

Instawatcher lists a total of 1072 titles available in Canada, and 429 of them in HD.

Really new stuff isnt prevalent, but if you factor in 5 bucks a month for unblockus you can watch the entire US Netflix library as well

[Jimmy Stang]

Originally Posted by Rathji

Instawatcher lists a total of 1072 titles available in Canada, and 429 of them in HD.

Really new stuff isnt prevalent, but if you factor in 5 bucks a month for unblockus you can watch the entire US Netflix library as well

I'm on my one week trial right now actually, and it is much easier than any of the "true" VPN services. Just change the DNS settings on your router and Netflix, BBC iPlayer, etc. work nicely, but the rest of your traffic is unaffected. Plus you don't have the bandwidth issues that some VPN services have.

[Yamer]

I was all ready to cancel it a couple of months ago, but the content just seems to get better and better. So worth the measly $8 per month.

Nice to see I can finally finish watching Lost. Working through Breaking Bad, still have Rescue Me, Justified, Mad Men, and the newer seasons of Futurama.

Great value.

[sa226]

For those of you using unblock-us, and changing the DNS settings at the router instead of each device; is there an easy way to switch back and forth between Canadian and US netflix? Rather than change DNS settings each time? Both have pretty decent content.

99.9 % of my netflix viewing is via PS3

[Jimmy Stang]

Originally Posted by sa226

For those of you using unblock-us, and changing the DNS settings at the router instead of each device; is there an easy way to switch back and forth between Canadian and US netflix? Rather than change DNS settings each time? Both have pretty decent content.

99.9 % of my netflix viewing is via PS3

Unfortunately, the only way that I am aware of is to switch your DNS settings, either on the router or on the device itself. In theory, you could have use unblock-us on your router and then set the PS3 to use the default ISP settings. Then your PS3 would get the Canadian version, and the rest of your devices would get the US one. Or vice versa, if you so desire.

[Russic]

Apparently this was already mentioned in this thread somewhere, but if you use the Chrome browser and get the netflix instantqueue fix extension, it opens up the instant queue for Canadian users. Once you put things into it, the queue then shows up on the Apple TV. Sadly it does not seem to show up on the iPhone or iPad (didn't check anything else). Also, you can only add from the Chrome browser which is a drawback, but certainly better than nothing.

[burnin_vernon]

Originally Posted by Jimmy Stang

And one more suggestion: Once you've signed up, browse the netflix web site (not from your PS3, Apple TV, etc.) to find stuff that you'll like. Browsing on the device itself doesn't let you go as deep into the selection by browsing (but you still can by searching). I search for stuff on my PC and then bookmark things that I want to watch.

How do you bookmark on the website?

[MrMastodonFarm]

I went searching for Children of Men on Netflix two days ago and it wasn't there. Checked out the whats new website and noticed it was added thsi morning, that was a nice bonus.

Then I looked down the right side of the page at the massive list of expired movies and was let down. I've seen most of the movies on the expiring list but it's annoying to see more movies expiring then were added. Frustrating to be honest.

[Jimmy Stang]

Maybe I was naive initially, but I have had a few things on my list of things to watch end up expiring on me. Pretty frustrating, especially when a large number of them are expiring at once (like all of the ones that expire today).

I can only assume that this is because a certain content provider signed a 1 year deal with Netflix for the Canadian rights or something, and we are now seeing the downside of what was probably a massive addition a year ago. The part that I still don't understand is why a content provider would not want their content available to paying customers, particularly when reasonable alternatives are either dying (Blockbuster) or aren't really established yet (other streaming services).

[Jimmy Stang]

Originally Posted by burnin_vernon

How do you bookmark on the website?

Sorry - I just noticed this and realized that I didn't reply. What I do is go to the actual page for the movie, and then I drag the little icon/favicon thing near the address bar into my bookmarks toolbar. I have a few folders set up in there to keep things organized. I'm using Firefox, and I think that the easier but slower way is to click on the star on the right of the address bar and then you can choose a location to save it.

I don't use IE, but I think that the process is similar. Basically, I bookmark the main page for that movie on the Netflix web site as I would any other page that I want to bookmark.

Sorry if I'm either oversimplifying or making it too complicated - there isn't a good way to save a list of things to watch (the US users get their queue, which would be nice here), so I just use Firefox's basic bookmarks.

[Russic]

It's unfortunate movies have to expire, but I don't really see how it doesn't happen. I wonder how similar the streaming model for movies is to music? I've read somewhere that streaming album plays generate fractions of a cent for the artists. Totally different products though...

I find while it blows to see stuff go, more quality comes in than goes out.

[3thirty]

I juust signed up and have been watching mad men, but it is not in HD on my tv using my PS3, but it says it is available in HD. What am I doing wrong?

[Jimmy Stang]

Originally Posted by 3thirty

I juust signed up and have been watching mad men, but it is not in HD on my tv using my PS3, but it says it is available in HD. What am I doing wrong?

If you log into the Netflix web site, there is a setting in there (under "Account" or something like that) where you can manage your quality settings. See if that's set to HD. This changes the quality for your PS3 as well and is account-wide, so if you have an xBox or something else as well, it will change the quality on that too.

This was introduced as a bandwidth-saving measure when our internet companies tried to impose bandwidth caps because they say that services like Netflix were becoming a threat to their monopolies.

[Erick Estrada]

Do any of you ever notice that some new arrivals like Transformers 3, Thor, etc when they first come out are in French audio? That drives me nuts especially when I have English selected as the preferred language.

[OilKiller]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

Do any of you ever notice that some new arrivals like Transformers 3, Thor, etc when they first come out are in French audio? That drives me nuts especially when I have English selected as the preferred language.

Doesn't everyone in Canada speak French? It IS Netflix Canada...

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by OilKiller

Doesn't everyone in Canada speak French? It IS Netflix Canada...

Holy smokes that was a bad post.

[OilKiller]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

Holy smokes that was a bad post.

Oh c'mon now...many Americans judge Canada as being French speaking morons who live in igloos. I encountered it every day with my software business.

And it was a joke...relax.

[MrMastodonFarm]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

Do any of you ever notice that some new arrivals like Transformers 3, Thor, etc when they first come out are in French audio? That drives me nuts especially when I have English selected as the preferred language.

It's Netflix's giving you once last chance not to watch Transformers 3

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by MrMastodonFarm

It's Netflix's giving you once last chance not to watch Transformers 3

Ha ha. Transformers to me represents everything wrong with Hollywood and I have no interest in seeing that steaming pile of dung again but my kids wanted to watch it.