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Fun Stuff => ENJOY => Topic started by: ruyi on 20 Dec 2009, 23:41

Title: Netflix / GreenCine / Facets?
Post by: ruyi on 20 Dec 2009, 23:41
I'm one of the few people people who hasn't gotten a Netflix account yet. I did the free trial thing a while ago and I liked it, but after poking around online (and learning about throttling), I'm looking into other options too.

So far I've found:

GreenCine (http://www.greencine.com/) (based out of SF, so the turn-around time wouldn't be an issue for me)

Facets (http://www.facetsmovies.com/) (based out of Chicago, but I like their $90/yr plan)

Anyone have personal experiences with these? Or if you have anything to say about Netflix, good or bad, I'd be down with hearing that too.
Title: Re: Netflix / GreenCine / Facets?
Post by: pilsner on 20 Dec 2009, 23:43
Here in Canadiana we have Zip.  Zip is like the retarded stepchild of Netflix.  You are doing this to torture me aren't you.
Title: Re: Netflix / GreenCine / Facets?
Post by: ruyi on 20 Dec 2009, 23:44
Also yo grammar nerds I can't figure this out:

"I'm one of the few people who hasn't gotten a Netflix account yet"

Should it be "hasn't" or "haven't"? Like, am I supposed to think of it as "I...haven't" or "one...hasn't"?

This is very important TIA.
Title: Re: Netflix / GreenCine / Facets?
Post by: ruyi on 20 Dec 2009, 23:44
Damn, you're in Canada now? How'd that come about?
Title: Re: Netflix / GreenCine / Facets?
Post by: KvP on 20 Dec 2009, 23:48
I've heard a lot of great things about GreenCine, especially in terms of selection. When I've used DVD-by-mail it's been Netflix and I have no real complaints. But I'm not a really heavy user.
Title: Re: Netflix / GreenCine / Facets?
Post by: pilsner on 21 Dec 2009, 00:00
Damn, you're in Canada now? How'd that come about?

I thought New York was in Canada.  Then when I found out I was actually in the States I got the fuck out.  As for your grammar question, it's a trick question because "gotten" ain't proper English, hon.
Title: Re: Netflix / GreenCine / Facets?
Post by: JD on 21 Dec 2009, 00:03
Zip is decent. Netflix has a larger selection though.
Title: Re: Netflix / GreenCine / Facets?
Post by: RallyMonkey on 22 Dec 2009, 03:38
I use Netflix, and have been really happy with their service for three years now, I think. From perusing the other services quickly, I can't really see any reason to chose the other two over Netflix. I would have trouble believing that either of those have more titles than Netflix, and it doesn't seem like either of them have a Watch it Now feature, which is a big draw for me.

What about Netflix caused you to start looking into other options? Was there anything you didn't like about it, or that you were looking for something different?
Title: Re: Netflix / GreenCine / Facets?
Post by: ruyi on 22 Dec 2009, 04:14
As for your grammar question, it's a trick question because "gotten" ain't proper English, hon.

That's a trick answer cos there is no such thing as 'proper English' (noncontingent on context, at least).

RM, how is the Watch It Now feature? I heard complaints about the switch from WMP to Silverlight; you have any experience with that?

I'm considering other alternatives because...well, it just seems prudent. Also: the throttling (http://dvd-rent-test.dreamhost.com/) thing.
Title: Re: Netflix / GreenCine / Facets?
Post by: pilsner on 22 Dec 2009, 11:26
There is such a thing as proper English and I will prove it thusly:

"idk my bff jill?"

Also, throttling sucks.  I'm happy to be back in indie video stores where the clerk spits on you if you haven't seen at least one film each by Cassavetes, Resnais and Buñuel.
Title: Re: Netflix / GreenCine / Facets?
Post by: RallyMonkey on 22 Dec 2009, 13:29
I've never had any trouble with Watch it Now. Silverlight was a really easy installation. I never have any problems with buffering for the movies, but I do have a fairly fast internet connection, so I can't be certain how it fares on slower connections.

As for throttling, I've never heard of any issues with it, nor had any issues myself. I watch a lot of rare independent movies, and my dad watches all of the latest blockbusters, and movies on our queues are almost never out of stock, and when they are, they've always been in stock with-in a few days. My dad has been getting major releases, such as Inglorious Basterds and Star Trek, in our mailbox on their release day.
Title: Re: Netflix / GreenCine / Facets?
Post by: pilsner on 22 Dec 2009, 15:24
When I was using Netflix they did it, and they actually admitted that they did it and claimed it didn't violate the service agreement.  It was only an issue when I had 3 movies at a time and was consistently returning them same day or next day.  We'll refrain from speculating what that was.
Title: Re: Netflix / GreenCine / Facets?
Post by: jimbunny on 22 Dec 2009, 15:31
Also yo grammar nerds I can't figure this out:

"I'm one of the few people who hasn't gotten a Netflix account yet"

Should it be "hasn't" or "haven't"? Like, am I supposed to think of it as "I...haven't" or "one...hasn't"?

This is very important TIA.

This one bugged me, so I looked it up. "who hasn't gotten a Netflix account yet" would be something called a relative clause, in which the relative pronoun "who" should - according to traditional grammar, anyway - refer back to the antecedent "people," which is plural, giving us the conjugation "who haven't." However, usage studies show that, in cases like this, most native speakers want the verb to agree with "one," which is singular. Since traditional grammar has for a long time been out of vogue with almost everyone who studies this stuff for a living (though it unfortunately still holds a lot of authority almost everywhere else), I think we can safely say that either way is fine.

What does TIA mean?
Title: Re: Netflix / GreenCine / Facets?
Post by: pilsner on 23 Dec 2009, 14:21
It means Ruyi is a lady nerd.  Nothing we did not already know.
Title: Re: Netflix / GreenCine / Facets?
Post by: jimbunny on 26 Dec 2009, 15:53
I looked that one up, too. I think it means "thanks in advance."

Just wanted to make sure it didn't mean Transient Ischemic Attack, or something. You know, like she was trying to warn us of a medical emergency.
Title: Re: Netflix / GreenCine / Facets?
Post by: ruyi on 27 Dec 2009, 01:16
Yep, that's what it means!

Also: now I know what your icon is from, cos my mom made me watch the movie the other day.
Title: Re: Netflix / GreenCine / Facets?
Post by: jimbunny on 29 Dec 2009, 10:08
I love that movie. Tim Roth absolutely stole my heart in that role.