Still Reeling from Cost Increase, Netflix Enforces Streaming Limit

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Apparently, the backlash from the recent cost increase wasn’t ticking off enough customers.  So, Netflix has decided to begin enforcing the streaming limits.  Note that these limits were always in place, but Netflix was not enforcing them.  However, that seems to have ended on September 1st.  I know quite a few people were touting this “bonus” as a bit of a “family plan”, so I wonder how many of them will be looking at their plans and recalculating whether or not the cost is warranted… AGAIN.

“One stream at a time” has always been the official policy for Netflix users, but the company only recently began cracking down on those flouting the rule. Now, officially, customers with the streaming-only or one-DVD plan may only watch one stream at a time, two-DVD plans may watch two streams at a time, and so on. Attempting to start more than one stream with the lesser plans will get you a streaming error, saying there’s already a stream in progress.

ars technica

Update #2:

Netflix has confirmed to Ars that the streaming-only plan allows for up to two streams, but no more, and all customers can access as many streams as they are allowed DVDs, plus one.

ars technica

  • apparently this is just a

    apparently this is just a nasty glitch/bug

  • George L. Schmauch Jr.

    Updated the original post

    Updated the original post with that info.  Thanks!

  • Two streams is fine if they
    Two streams is fine if they cut it down to one stream I am out.

    • PLUCKYHD wrote:
      Two streams

      [quote=PLUCKYHD]Two streams is fine if they cut it down to one stream I am out.[/quote]

      It would depend on what the cost would increase too for two streams. I don’t do any DVDs. 

      I’d probably get Hulu Plus for a secondary source before paying for a two stream plan though. All the good BBC shows are on Hulu.

  • I think Netflix is just

    I think Netflix is just experiencing a bit of bad PR. With all the enemies they have made (Cable providers, Studios, Video rental stores etc) not to mention potential competitors, the price increase was the opening their oponnents used to attack. If you think about it rationally, there is no service that can match Netflix $ for $ even if you do streaming and 1 DVD at a time.

  • I recently cancelled my

    I recently cancelled my Netflix subscription. Way back when I started with the 3-disc plan. Then I added the Blu-Ray option. I didn’t mind the extra $ because I felt like it was a luxury when I added it. Slowly but surely the monthly hit to the bank account kept going up. But I didn’t mind that either because I was using streaming all of the time. I watched more episodes of Dexter and 24 than I can count. Their latest increase didn’t come with any added benefit though. In fact, once they lost Dexter, my streaming went way down. I know it still isn’t a significant amount of money. If I hadn’t gotten cable when the Ceton came out, I probably still wouldn’t mind. But $25/month rents a lot of movies from Redbox.