Who's keeping Netflix now? (price increased to $13.99)

[muffins14]

Cheaper than some cocktails, and for a whole month rather than 1 drink. Gives you something to watch and learn or share with others about, too

[SmileyFace]

It will be $17.99/month for users who want 4k and HDR content

HD content is included in the $13.99 plan. 4K/Ultra-HD is only in the $17.99:
https://help.netflix.com/en/node/24926

I am keeping it. Still a good deal.

[lthenderson]

From what I have seen, it is $4 to rent a movie or $2 for a serial television show from say Amazon or other online rental places. We watch way more than $14 worth in a week so by that token, we would still be money ahead if Netflix quadrupled that latest price.

[mak1277]

I'm paying well over $200 a month for cable...$14 (or $30 even) a month for Netflix isn't going to move the needle.

[Soon2BXProgrammer]

Watching right now.

Cable TV is over $70 for basic channels.

Consider Locast.org (5.50 a month) if your in one of their markets, and just want basic channels.

[RobLyons]

Not even a question. Keeping it. We are talking 3 cents a day! Netflix could go up to $25/month and I wouldn't blink an eye.

[wfrobinette]

Last year I told myself I'd get rid of it if they increased the price again. They just sent me an email stating it's going up a buck next month to $13.99 for the 2 screen HD plan. I'm either going to downgrade to SD or get rid of it. I'm getting really tired of the subscriptions I already pay for and just want to own stuff. With kids at home I might opt into Disney+ instead. I can manage on my own with YouTube or just go back to reading books.

What's everyone else doing?

I'm at 17.99 because I want UHD. And yes they have a ton of UHD content.

Everything entertainment is moving to subscriptions.

[frugalmama]

We will be keeping it even with a price increase. Netflix is the only service we have and we only have 1 screen service. We watch the 1 screen enough that it is well worth what we pay and more. If I was at $13.99 and I didn't like it, I'd reduce to 1 screen. However, the 1-2 screen difference in price isn't that much.

[queso]

Definitely keeping. We also have Hulu, Disney+, cable, HBO, Showtime, Amazon Prime and Apple TV. Some of those are on limited 1 year trials that were free with device purchases or some other promo (Apple TV came with a phone purchase, Disney+ came with a Verizon FiOS upgrade offer, Hulu comes with Spotify, etc.). I think by reading the posts above you have the real answer and that is "it depends on what you watch". I wouldn't be that pressed if all of them went away and I only kept Netflix. There is that much content that I want to watch on Netflix that it renders the others largely useless except for a few original content programs that I like (e.g. The Mandalorian on Disney+, Tehran on Apple TV, Little Fires Everywhere on Hulu, etc.). I struggle to find anything I want to watch on Prime that is included and doesn't involve a rental fee. I structure my Amazon purchases so I am almost always awash in digital credits though so I can mitigate that easily enough and rent what I want to watch for "free" when the mood strikes. All that being said, a lot of these services are cyclical for me. I would have said "take anything but not my Showtime" when Dexter was running. Same story with HBO when GoT was in full swing. Now, neither of them has much that I am watching at the moment and never seem to have movies I am looking for.

[2pedals]

I dropped it for now. I just got a great deal on Hulu for $1.99 for 12 months and HBO max for for a AMEX $7 statement credit when you spend $14.99 for the next few months. I will try something else after the I get bored with HBO max. We are thinking might try STARZ or Disney+ for a while after a few months. There are no long term contracts and it's easy to cancel so for us we get better value but switching streaming services. Variety is the spice of life.

[ronocnikral]

For those with kids, netflix has done an excellent job putting out good educational content. a lot of the Leap frog learning videos are on there, sid the science kid. Having a preschooler not in pre school, it has been helping her learn numbers and the alphabet while we manage 2 more kids doing school from home.

[Gort]

Last year I told myself I'd get rid of it if they increased the price again. They just sent me an email stating it's going up a buck next month to $13.99 for the 2 screen HD plan. I'm either going to downgrade to SD or get rid of it. I'm getting really tired of the subscriptions I already pay for and just want to own stuff. With kids at home I might opt into Disney+ instead. I can manage on my own with YouTube or just go back to reading books.

What's everyone else doing?

Looks like the great majority of people responding to your question are keeping it, including me. It's a great value.

[beyou]

Watching right now.

Cable TV is over $70 for basic channels.

Consider Locast.org (5.50 a month) if your in one of their markets, and just want basic channels.

Downgraded hulu live to just hulu no ads.
I like seeing shows with no ads, paying extra on hulu to avoid ads. Netflix never had ads, and there is plenty of content to watch. Did I mention no-ads ? The only ads I see are on locast broadcast but since it’s essentially free I can compromise on that.

Note I did watch locast free for a week or so, and decided to “donate” to this cause (to keep free public airwaves). Paying for a free service and watching the ads is my volunteer/donation to a cause, not a cost of a service
in my head.

So my grand total is about 30 or 35/mo (if you count locast). Also use Prime but didn’t get it for the video, though watch that sometimes. Pay 35 for internet now, so total about $70 for what I used to pay cable co closer to double that amount. Not missing those commercials and paying big bucks to see them.

[rich126]

From what I have seen, it is $4 to rent a movie or $2 for a serial television show from say Amazon or other online rental places. We watch way more than $14 worth in a week so by that token, we would still be money ahead if Netflix quadrupled that latest price.

Not really a fair comparison except possibly for your viewing habits. I've watch a number of movies/shows on Amazon without paying for them.

I go back quite a ways with Netflix and the quality/quantity of content has dropped substantially due to studios pulling content for their own streaming channels (most recently HBO). Of course my likes may differ from others.

[MBB_Boy]

If a buck a month makes a difference, you have bigger issues than keeping netflix or not.

It isn't about affordability, it is about value. Price increases are always a good time to evaluate subscriptions. The ones with bigger issues are those who mindlessly carry on with subscriptions that don't provide value to them.

I cannot figure out how could Netflix provide value at 12$ and not at 13$. What is the formula?
The way I see it, if you pay 50$ for internet and 12-13$ for Netflix, the difference is between 62$ and 63$. For 63$ you actually use all that internet.
Between cable/ISP, cellphones, wired phone (I hear people still have them), probably >100$ in monthly fees, there must be some lower hanging fruit. And in top of that I am pretty sure there are many other places where you can cut 1$.

Does it help if you think of it as an 8% increase instead?

[jhfenton]

$17.99 for the UHD is still a bargain given how much all four of us watch on it. And no other service includes the variety of non-English content that Netflix does—almost always with non-English subtitles to match the non-English dialogue—and that matters to me.

We actually currently pay $3 for the Premium on top of the T-Mobile paid-for Standard service. I don't know if that will go up a buck or two.

[MBB_Boy]

These threads give dangerous information to Netflix. I would keep Netflix at two or three times the current price at least. I just dumped Hulu+Live when my plan went from $55> $65/mo, I was going to anyway: we watched it a small fraction of the hours per year we watch Netflix at <1/4 the price. I started Sling for $30 to keep some cable news channels, but likewise it will not be nearly the value Netflix is, just OK, overwhelming majority of 'basic' cable channels have nothing I want to watch and pretty much zero for broadcast TV (by antenna), just occasional game. My ability to sit through commercials has declined dramatically, so 'free' TV apps with commercials also have little appeal. The annoying thing about Hulu was we paid a lot and most of the stuff *still* had commercials.

I go back and forth on Sling. Honestly, I only keep it around for the DVR. I never watch anything except 3-5 shows, and they aren't on Netflix or HBO max.

The solution for me would be to watch something else, and there are plenty of other options. The problem shows that are live weekly may actually available to me on a different platform if I put up with a 2 week delay. I'm on the edge, but it's only $30 a month for the simplicity.

But if Sling starts jacking the price to Hulu levels, I'm out!

[Broken Man 1999]

We share a Netflix subscription, but not the tab.

Works for me. Other than Amazon Prime Video and Prime Music, I have no other video/audio subscriptions. Let my Hulu expire yesterday, had a year for $2/month.

I bought two additional Amazon Firesticks on Black Friday, and I'm pondering which streaming service I am adding when I cut cable TV. I must traverse this minefield carefully, lest DW smother me in my sleep for losing a channel she absolutely must watch.

I asked DDs for a subscription to HBO and a subscription to Amazon Unlimited HD music. I'm pretty sure I'll get them both.

Broken Man 1999

[quantAndHold]

We watch something on Netflix nearly every day. For $17.99, keeping it is a no brainer.

We dropped our cable in 2011, though, when it went over $100. The first six months or so was painful. Since then, we haven’t missed it.

[ray.james]

I moved to SD. I am the only person who watches netflix in my house. Kids are not big enough to demand a specific content. Free youtube works for them.

I am a binge watcher. I go 10-15 days watching an entire series and then go with out watching for a month. I am scared if I start another series I will be binge-ing again

[Bronco Billy]

I am trying to figure out how to get rid of DISH and that $145 per month. My wife might leave me if she does not have Game Show channel.

Look up the streaming service Philo. It's just $20/mo, and it has Game Shown Network. The service works well if you fit in their target audience niche of no sports and no news. It's no Youtube TV level of interface, but it works decently.

Currently I have it just for Nick Jr. for the kids. I keep thinking Youtube TV is going to add Nick Jr because they were supposed to, but Youtube TV keeps not adding that one channel my family needs...

Thanks Gadget I will check it out...BB

[angelescrest]

Queen's gambit anyone? Highly recommend it. Now on to the Crown.

Absolutely loved it.

Would never think of dropping Netflix for these small increases. For me, I wouldn't hesitate to pay $25 a month for it. I don't subscribe to other services, including Amazon Prime (not worth it to me). Will probably sign up for Apple TV+ next summer.

[DetroitRick]

Absolutely keeping it. To us it's a real value.

[squirm]

I am trying to figure out how to get rid of DISH and that $145 per month. My wife might leave me if she does not have Game Show channel.

Wow, that is a lot in terms of pricing for Dish. I've had Dish for 15 years, and usually never paid over $60. Usually I get their contract price for two years and negotiate a few other things.
Best of all is the 30 second skip. I can watch the local news in 5 minutes, sitcoms in 15 minutes.

[bloom2708]

We are keeping Netflix ($17.99 package), Philo and the Disney+ bundle with ESPN+ and Hulu (with ads).

Without having a higher priced package we have a lot of flexibility to add packages for month periods. Showtime, HBO Max.

We got a year of Apple TV+ with a MacBook Air purchase. That has been a nice addition.

I love the no contract/variety available. But it does take some work to keep up. I do not like the constant price hikes, but still way ahead of our $140 DirecTV bill before we started with streaming stuff.

[TravelGeek]

I haven't paid "full price" in a while (discounted gift cards or at least 5X UR earnings on gift cards from office stores). And we have friends who use our account (we consider it a gift to them). Will keep it.

[lthenderson]

From what I have seen, it is $4 to rent a movie or $2 for a serial television show from say Amazon or other online rental places. We watch way more than $14 worth in a week so by that token, we would still be money ahead if Netflix quadrupled that latest price.

I've watch a number of movies/shows on Amazon without paying for them.

I have Prime too and watch things on Amazon for "free" which is actually $119/year or $10/month. But if you want to watch something not included in Prime, it is generally $4 per movie and $2 per television show.

[mediahound]

They still have the best shows IMO like The Queen's Gambit, The Crown, etc.

But it's not like it's a hassle to quit and then re-subscribe later. So if you don't think you will watch for a month or two, no reason not to do that.

[Artful Dodger]

We watch a lot. Watching The Crown's new season. Queen's Gambit was excellent. Binging Schitt's Creek right now. Finished that cute rom-com Emily in Paris a couple of weeks ago. Watched Les Miserables last Sunday.

I know I don't get good value from Hulu, but occasionally find something there I can't get anywhere else. Amazon Prime wouldn't be worth it, but combined with the shipping discounts it works for us.

[dukeblue219]

Keeping. If you are looking for old movies, I suggest one of the free streaming channels. Netflix pivoted long ago to original content, and led by the Emmys and Oscars this year in nominations. If I had to cut something, I'd trim my cable subscription of channels I no longer watch.

Yeah, same here. Netflix cannot be easily replaced by YouTube or Disney+ or buying DVDs. It may not be worth $14 to everyone, but its real value lies in the original content that you cannot find elsewhere (legally).

[Juice3]

Cable TV is over $70 for basic channels.

Frequent local cable specials that value basic TV package at 0 with Internet. I still dont buy cable because I do not have to listen my kids beg for X "as seen on TV".

[dukeblue219]

We watch a lot. Watching The Crown's new season. Queen's Gambit was excellent. Binging Schitt's Creek right now. Finished that cute rom-com Emily in Paris a couple of weeks ago. Watched Les Miserables last Sunday.

I know I don't get good value from Hulu, but occasionally find something there I can't get anywhere else. Amazon Prime wouldn't be worth it, but combined with the shipping discounts it works for us.

We have enjoyed all of the Netflix shows you mentioned, but our young kids like the Amazon originals. Not that they watch a ton of TV, but one thing Amazon does well is high-quality kids programming, and you can add-on the full PBS Kids library for $5 (way more than PBS makes available for free).

[MrBobcat]

I'm fairly cheap, but these type of minor increases don't phase me. I do periodically take an inventory to all the services/channels I subscribe to and drop those that we just don't watch enough to justify the cost and add those we might watch more. Netflix is one of the ones on my permanent keep list.

[GerryL]

I remember growing up outside of Detroit in the 60's and 70's when we had the three major network channels, PBS and a few independents plus one Canadian channel...and always complaining there was nothing to watch on TV. In some aspects, even with hundred's of channels, there is still nothing to watch on TV...lol

Yup. Me, too in the 50s and 60s. I felt so smug because we had the extra (Canadian) channel. Loved watching Wayne and Schuster.

[supersharpie]

You are talking about $12 extra dollars a year. If that is going to cause you to pull the plug then you probably don't value the service and should have cancelled a long time ago.

Netflix plows all of that money back into producing/purchasing big budget movies and shows that I enjoy, so I will happily continue to pay. My "pain point" is likely anything above $20/month. We probably won't get there for another 5+ years. And of course, thanks to inflation, $20 in 2025 won't worth as much as $20 in 2020, so we will likely continue to pay when the cost eventually exceeds that threshold.

I think inevitably the streaming industry will cannibalize as subscription prices rise, unless they focus solely on exclusive content. For now, there is way too much shared content for many folks, for instance, to justify having both Hulu and Netflix.

[chipperd]

Me. I'm keeping Netflix now. Not sure what my top end would be/month, but at the current price I consider it a good value.

[Elsebet]

We're keeping it!

[lightheir]

I don't have enough time to watch a lot of Netflix, but I still think it's one of the best deals you can get, anywhere, not just for entertainment, but for value per dollar, now that they have a huge video stable, great streaming tech, and great foreign language dubbing (learn a new language! I do this a lot.)

[Target2019]

We have the 4-device plan and share. Netflix is well worth the monthly cost to us.

Before the month starts it helps to find an article or two about "What's coming to Netflix." There are probably at least 12 quality movies or series you'll watch. But it takes some extra work to find your likes (and dislikes).

[avenger]

Seriously, we share subscriptions among family, Netflix is mine to pay for. Others pay for Disney, Hulu, ESPN, which I use occasionally. It’s the best money I spend each month.

I'm surprised many others (at least on this thread) don't do this. Shared with my parents, brothers, and a sister, we all pay $12/month for access to all the streaming services. FWIW, Netflix is the one we probably watch the least, with Hulu being #1.

Is it legal?

[SmileyFace]

Seriously, we share subscriptions among family, Netflix is mine to pay for. Others pay for Disney, Hulu, ESPN, which I use occasionally. It’s the best money I spend each month.

I'm surprised many others (at least on this thread) don't do this. Shared with my parents, brothers, and a sister, we all pay $12/month for access to all the streaming services. FWIW, Netflix is the one we probably watch the least, with Hulu being #1.

Is it legal?

As long as they all live in the same household - yes it's legal. Sounds like augryphon and stoptothink both may have a lot of people living together under the same roof.

4.2. The Netflix service and any content viewed through our service are for your personal and non-commercial use only and may not be shared with individuals beyond your household.

From:
https://help.netflix.com/en/legal/termsofuse

[Bronco Billy]

I was selling and installing Satellites since 1995 for 12 years for both DTV and DISH. A lot of my cost are from having 3- VIP recording DVR. I also call DISH everyone one in a while and get a deal. Last one was for $60 off a month for a year. I made a lot of money off Dish but they are about to get most of it back. I am so tired of them losing channels and looking at finally switching to DTV but their deal is for only 1 year with two year contract. It was bad last year having to go to the local motel lobby to watch the THUNDER on DTV. I agree Dish has the Hopper and its really very good and could save some money switching but don't like just having 1 receiver.

I am trying to figure out how to get rid of DISH and that $145 per month. My wife might leave me if she does not have Game Show channel.

Wow, that is a lot in terms of pricing for Dish. I've had Dish for 15 years, and usually never paid over $60. Usually I get their contract price for two years and negotiate a few other things. Best of all is the 30 second skip. I can watch the local news in 5 minutes, sitcoms in 15 minutes.

[PhoebeCoco]

For the past 3 Novembers, I have signed up for Netflix just to watch The Crown. They always gave me a free trial period of 30 days. This year, when I signed up again to watch The Crown, Season 4, Netflix charged me! No more free trials!

Each previous year, after watching The Crown, I would look around on Netflix to see if there was anything else I wanted to watch. I never found anything, so I always cancelled my subscription (i.e. free trial) after 30 days.

This year, I finished watching Season 4 of The Crown (not as good as the other 3 seasons, I thought, and very depressing since it brought back all those memories I had of the unhappy marriage of Charles and Di), then watched Unorthodox (excellent! but very different from the book, which I read), and 2 episodes of The Queen's Gambit. I'm finding The Queen's Gambit to be just ok, and if I don't finish it before the month is up, I won't be sorry.

I haven't found anything else on Netflix to be worth keeping my subscription another month, personally. I am not a big tv/movie watcher.

I do have Amazon Prime, which I find has more variety than Netflix, and a lot of older movies, which I enjoy. I also signed up for Britbox to get me through the winter, but I will probably drop it in March when the days are longer and I can spend more time outside.

[Oregano]

If it were just me, I would rotate between different services, but with a family there's always someone who wants to watch something on a different service. But with Netflix, Hulu, and DisneyPlus combined I might be paying about $35 (not even sure, but sounds right). Seems like a good deal to me.

[philef]

tubi.tv. They have commercials, but the service is free.

[iamblessed]

I remember growing up outside of Detroit in the 60's and 70's when we had the three major network channels, PBS and a few independents plus one Canadian channel...and always complaining there was nothing to watch on TV. In some aspects, even with hundred's of channels, there is still nothing to watch on TV...lol

I feel the same way for me it's not the money. Nothing worth watching.

[MathWizard]

Watching right now.

Cable TV is over $70 for basic channels.

Consider Locast.org (5.50 a month) if your in one of their markets, and just want basic channels.

Thanks for the suggestion, but

I have an OTA antenna with about 17 channels that I care about (I don't count shopping channels.)
I guess they have changed names since I had cable. Now Basic is just the local channels that I already get
plus some music that I could get for free, and they want $20 for the free channels. I guess if you lived
in an apartment or dead zone it might be beneficial.

What used to be called basic cable they now call standard TV, and includes things like CNN, Discovery Channel, but not Showtime, etc.
That is now $75.

[jabberwockOG]

We have Netflix and Prime with MHZ add on - binging a ton of foreign language programming. Subscription cost is trivial given lack of other entertainment options during this plague.

[Soon2BXProgrammer]

Watching right now.

Cable TV is over $70 for basic channels.

Consider Locast.org (5.50 a month) if your in one of their markets, and just want basic channels.

Thanks for the suggestion, but

I have an OTA antenna with about 17 channels that I care about (I don't count shopping channels.)
I guess they have changed names since I had cable. Now Basic is just the local channels that I already get
plus some music that I could get for free, and they want $20 for the free channels. I guess if you lived
in an apartment or dead zone it might be beneficial.

What used to be called basic cable they now call standard TV, and includes things like CNN, Discovery Channel, but not Showtime, etc.
That is now $75.

Ahh terminology. Yes. i live in a shadow of a hill so OTA doesn't actually work. Locast is the next best thing.

[MathWizard]

Cable TV is over $70 for basic channels.

Frequent local cable specials that value basic TV package at 0 with Internet. I still dont buy cable because I do not have to listen my kids beg for X "as seen on TV".

I already get free TV with an Antenna in my garage attic. 17 channels.
I understand with the kids. I cut cable when I found my 8 year old up at 3am watching cartoon network.
It's easier to get the kids up for school in the morning if they sleep through the night.

The best local package over internet is about $20 here.