Stay with Stupid Netflix or Switch to Cheaper Hulu??

We do Netflix (streaming only) & Hulu+
Total cost is less than $20 a month

Considering adding 1 DVD a month (we dropped the DVD option, because we sooooo rarely order a DVD. 95% of what we want is streamable.) But we'll probably just stick with streaming only.

If I had to drop one, though, I'd drop Hulu+ and just use free Hulu

We don't have any kind of cable TV though (cheapest option is over $100 a month), so we feel that $20 is a steal.

((I don't know how people do redbox...it must be different in other areas... the ones around here only have 20 movies in them, and they tend to be free to stream online))

I have Netflix and I do the unlimited one video at a time for 7.99 and I think its a great deal. You do need to wait for it to arrive but it only takes 2-3 days from when you mail it so concievably, you can watch 8-10 dvds a month. We usually do 4-6 depending if we are watching a video that is from a tv series.

Netflix is increasing their prices, because WAY back, they were the first to have contracts with these movie producers. Hence, cheap prices for the consumer. Now that streaming movies are SO popular among consumers & there are SO many other competitors in the business, the producers of course, upped their contract deals/fees with movie distributors like Netflix. Netflix, USE TO BE, the only one's in this industry doing what they are doing.
Thus, Netflix's current 'need' to increase their prices, reflects the fact that their contracts are going to expire soon with these movie producers, hence they will NOW be charge more for their contracts with them. Today's, prices.
Not the prices they used to have YEARS ago.

Their pricing, simply reflects today's scenario. Not those of yesteryear.

We, still have Netflix.

Netflix is not trying to stab its patrons in the back.
Their price increases are a reflection of the fact that their long-ago contracts with the movie producers are going to end. And now, they themselves will now be charged more too, IF they want to have contracts with these movie producers. Netflix, is stuck in a bind too.
Netflix like businesses, have to PAY, big money, to all of these movie producers, in order to even have movies, for us the consumers, to watch.
But they can only offer movies to us, the consumers, IF they have contracts with the movie producers, AND pay them for it.

We have Netfix only in our house, no cable. The only one who watches is my daughter (9). I watch about 4 movies a year. We tried Hulu+ for one month and dropped it. There were almost no kid's shows. I'm looking into Amazon Prime because they have a half price deal ($39/year) for students (I'm a graduate student).

My total Netflix is going from $14.99 to $19.98 a month, so not "double or higher" and no cause for panic. Streaming alone is just $7.99/month.

I stopped using Redbox because a DVD is only $1 if: you drive by a box every day (I don't) and you remember to bring the DVD with you everytime ou drive (I don't). Those $1 DVDs sometimes got quite expensive...

We're sticking with Netflix. I really think they've been underpriced for a long time. I don't feel upset about paying a little more.

I know a lot of people are dropping the dvd's and just hitting Red Box for those. It is $1 per night/day rental. I was thinking about doing that. My daughter loves Red Box and my son likes the streaming TV shows on Netflix. If I find a viable replacement I will certainly consider it because I think it's awful for them to hike the price so much, especially all at once! I just signed up for Netflix a couple of months ago, so I didn't get to enjoy the price I expected for very long. I have never heard of Amazon Prime that someone mentioned and I don't know much about Hulu, but I am going to check into both!

We will stick with the $8 streaming only plan and "rent" or buy episodes of shows that are not on netflix or hulu(free) from Amazon on demand which is what we are doing right now. And just FYI, "the Doctor" is on Amazon on Demand the day after it airs, $2 an episode, totally worth not having to wait for the DVD release of the latest season.
We were never with Netflix for the DVD's anyways. The only disks we ever got were kids movies that they didn't stream, so for us the "price restructuring" works out to saving 20% because we are no longer paying for a service we don't really want or need.
I think Hulu plus has a week-long free trial, I would just do that and see if you like it. Personally I was not impressed by the additional shows at all, I think most of their current content (current season TV shows) is free anyways.
Good luck.

I'll be switching to one dvd at a time. I like getting Doctor Who and other shows that Hulu doesnt offer. I'm pretty p'od about it, though.

ETA: That's the best part about Netflix to me, Doctor Who whenever I want. I get some of the older ones from the library, too, but with Netflix we've been watching some even with the Second and Third Doctor that I've never seen before. (My 4 year old is pretty partial to Sarah Jane and the Fourth Doctor, and they have a few of those up on the watch instant too, which is fun)

we kept neflix but went with the unlimited streaming only package. We have high speed cable so that works for us... not sure you'd be happy with that option if it was dsl or slow cable.

You could also do Redbox, if its in your area if you want the dvds...
And you might check and see if blockbuster.com hiked their prices... haven't heard anything about them doing it.

I'm in the same place as you I think. We LOVE what we have/had for $15 a month. We have one queue list for us and one for the kids. We don't watch a LOT of streaming--but our kids have discovered a lot of stuff on it that they enjoy. The movie selection is kind of well....lacking, though. At least as far as anything my husband and I would want to watch. So we still need DVDs (and they have an AMAZING selection of those---we like a lot of obscure stuff!- one of the reasons we went to Netflix to begin with--the crappy stores has nothing but new releases and no real choices)...but our kids have started getting a lot of use out of the streaming. It only streams to our family room TV though. And hubby and I watch most of our movies on the 42" in our bedroom (and no, not THAT kind of movie, lol). But there is still a LOT of stuff that we want for our kids but is not available on streaming... so no matter what we get rid of (1DVD + streaming; OR continue 2 DVDs but NO streaming) it is going to cost us MORE than we have been paying since we signed up in 2007!
I am one of those ticked customers. What a racket. If they made more movies available for streaming than what they do, I could see it. But as it is... I'm just NOT seeing it. We love old period piece movies, or old WWI and WWII movies, so what if some have subtitles--some of the best we've seen are German with subtitles! But you won't find them on their streaming lists....

There is no price hike if you are just streaming. That is what we do. Just stream on Netflix. We are trying out Hulu Plus. Yes, it is mainly just shows and clips of shows and movies and trailers. BUT- the shows are more current than Netflix and there's more to choose from. Between the two, it is nice.

We don't do the Dvd Rentals very often at all- maybe rented ONE in the past 3 months? So, Red Box is our source for that- only $1 per movie.

We don't have any other TV service.

We have Netflix and Hulu. Beats cable.

If netflix goes up double then at &t basic cable will be cheaper, ill get that and go to redbox.

I am having the same dilemma. I love(d) Netflix. We do the one DVD plan - which we use as many of the movies I want to share with my son are older and not so easy to find (re: Attack of the Killer Tomatoes) and I love the streaming option for TV Series and foreign/indy flics.

I checked out Blockbuster today - though they have a big add on their front page for us Netflix users - 9.99 for a once DVD at a time plan - their streaming is basically pay per view - so I was not impressed with their options either. And Hulu doesn't do it for me, and I absolutely suck at getting things back to Redbox on time. LOL

I will most likely wind up biting the bullet and keeping Netflix - unfortunately, even with the price hike, they wind up having the most of what I want to watch.

I just really want to know what geniuses are running Netflix - I mean, really, what a brilliant plan they concocted to alienate their customer base.

Even with the last price hike it still wasn't enough for us to drop Netflix. When Blockbuster has a store we would go and spend about $23 for 1 week of movies. I guess for us we really get our moneys worth so I can't really complain about the price increase. We get 3 dvd's out and streaming.

The emotional part of me wants to drop netflix for doubling the price on us. The rational part of me tells me I cannot live without it.

I am going to drop the dvd and stick with streaming only. Eventually, they will have it all streaming I am sure... and if I must see a new release, I will go to blockbuster or redbox.

Just streaming is 7.99. So if you switch to just streaming you will be saving $6 per month. That's what we'll be doing.
Then if you want a movie that's not streaming, just RedBox or Blockbuster box it.

We hardly use the dvd part of our membership, so we will just drop it.

When they change their prices we are switching to the streaming only. And using redbox if there's something we MUST see before it's streaming.

We have Netflix and Hulu Plus. We don't have cable, so we use both. After the recent price change, we decided to drop Netflix completely and switch to Amazon Prime. Hulu has some movies, but yeah, it's mostly tv shows. If you watch a lot of movies you might not be happy with having just Hulu. :-)

Edit: Amazon Prime is like the streaming part of Netflix, it's very similar. There's no actual DVD rentals, though, but I use Red Box for new movies. I get coupons for it almost every time I go to the grocery store, though it's still only a dollar without them.

I use hulu. I never did buy into the netflix. We tried it for a few days and didn't like it and ended up cancelling it.

We are dropping the DVD rental part from Netflix and only going to streaming, which is $9 (so says my hubby).

We also have Hulu Plus, which shows lots of shows that Netflix doesn't. It's similarly priced.

We use both a lot...probably streaming from Netflix more.

I canceled Hulu Plus at the end of June because I wasn't using it anymore. We stopped Redbox because we found Netflix to be much better. We were on the Netflix 3 dvds & unlimited streaming. Since they are increasing the price AGAIN we're canceling Netflix mid-August and will try Amazon Prime.