Netflix Expects 500,000 Blu-ray Users

By Geoff Duncan Published October 21, 2008

Netflix Expects 500,000 Blu-ray Users

Video rental company Netflix said in a conference call discussing its third quarter results that it expects about half a million subscribers will sign on to its Blu-ray rental service during this quarter—this after the company announced it will charge an extra $1 a month for access to Blu-ray rentals.

The extra fee—which subscribers don’t have to pay if they aren’t interested in renting Blu-ray movies—reflects the higher cost of Blu-ray discs. The new fee is scheduled to be applied to subscribers’ bills beginning November 5, 2008, if a subscriber had previously enabled Blu-ray rentals on their account.

Recommended Videos

Netflix also said it expects the number of Blu-ray subscribers using its service will increase as sales of Blu-ray players rises and the cost of Blu-ray titles declines. Since the end of the HD DVD/Blu-ray format war at the beginning of this year, prices for Blu-ray players and titles have yet to see significant declines; industry watchers are expecting consumer electronics manufacturers and retailers to try to push Blu-ray prices down for this year’s holiday buying season. Netflix indicated in the analyst call that it is optimistic Blu-ray prices will decline; in the meantime, the company is also ramping up its broadband-enabled rental services in case movie fans decide to skip Blu-ray altogether.

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Geoff Duncan writes, programs, edits, plays music, and delights in making software misbehave. He's probably the only member…

Audio / Video

How to rip a Blu-ray or DVD

optical discs

Clinging to a heavy DVD or Blu-ray collection can make for some trying times when your collection grows too large. What if you have to move? After all, finding a place to keep hundreds (or thousands) of discs and cases is hard work, as is keeping all your discs in tip-top shape while making the move.

Audio / Video

Where to watch the best 4K content: Netflix, HBO, Amazon, Hulu, and more

Not sure where to watch the best 4K content out there? Once upon a time, a 4K TV was a luxury reserved for the wealthy. Not anymore. Today, you can get 4K TVs for less than $500, and with 8K just around the corner, they're bound to become even more affordable. But despite the great price, finding good 4K content still isn't that easy. Just because it exists doesn't mean it has become standardized on every platform. Once you know where to look, though, there's plenty of 4K content available. Yes, you'll need to pay for it, and you'll need the right gear, but it's worth the visual experience. We've found all the best sources of 4K content around and have gathered them here for you. Check out our guide on why you're not getting Netflix in 4K and how to fix it.
Related reading

Best 4K TVs
720p vs. 1080p vs. 4K UHD
Best movies on Netflix
Best movies on Amazon Prime
Best movies on Hulu

Deals

This Sony Blu-ray Disc player just got a price cut for Black Friday

The Sony BDP-S3700 streaming Blu-Ray Disc player with a CD.

After taking advantage of Black Friday TV deals, the next thing that you should secure is enough content to watch on your new screen. It's a waste if you search through the best Black Friday deals for the offer that provides amazing value for money on a new TV, only to be stuck with watching local channels. Avoid facing that issue with this offer from this year's early Walmart Black Friday deals that slashes $57 off the price of the Sony BDP-S3700 streaming Blu-ray Disc player, bringing it down by nearly half to $63 from its original price of $120.
Buy Now

The Sony BDP-S3700 will let you watch movies in Blu-ray Discs on your TV in Full HD quality, which is ideal if you've accumulated a healthy collection of Blu-Ray Discs that you want to keep. The player is also capable of upscaling standard-definition DVDs to near HD resolution, so you'll have even more options during movie night. Sony dominates Digital Trends' best Blu-ray players, so you won't have to worry about quality.