Is Netflix Worth The Subscription?

netflixIt’s just over a month since Netflix launched here in Ireland giving everyone one month’s free access before starting to charge. I’ve got two days left in my free month and I’m not sure if I will subscribe. Netflix is a subscription based film and television streaming service, you can watch on demand and there are no limits to how much you watch.

My dilemma is this. There are not enough current or contemporary films included in their content. Since my free month began, I’ve watched a good few movies trying out the service. There have been a couple I hadn’t seen before. A lot of things that I would be interested in, I would have had on DVD anyway so these would be ruled out to watch, for me, online.

A lot of the content seems, please correct me if I’m wrong, to come from the 80s, 90s and 00s. An awful lot coming up in my recommended stream seem to be from 2000-2002. French movies, I like them, there’s eight on Netflix and some of those in my DVD collection.

I must add, I’ve had no problems with the actual streaming. All content has played beautifully, though the audio could have been louder and was often still very quiet with the player volume and computer volume at the maximum.

I like my Sci Fi television series stuff and thankfully Netflix has included some Joss Whedon, which I have already on DVD, and Charmed. Pre-Sky, Living made sure we all know every word of Charmed thanks to their weekend HangoverTV schedules. Other TV stuff, Dexter is in there but yeah, just two seasons.

hotchickHowever, Top Gear is in there, all thirteen seasons. I randomly picked an episode to watch, turns out it was Season 2 Episode 1. The first episode with James May in it. As I watched it, I questioned why even the biggest petrolhead would watch this. The show was aired ten years ago, all these cars are well, defunct! Then towards the end of the show, Hammond test drove a yellow off-road jeep and it clicked. I had seen it before.

So here’s my dilemma, 7 euro a month isn’t too much to have constant streaming television and movies. But am I really going to sit down and re-watch movies from the 80’s, just because they are there? Life is short enough without spending it re-watching such classics as Sirens starring Hugh Grant or Rob Schneider’s Hot Chick. The jury is out.