Netflix Canada still lacking content [Netflix vs Blockbuster]

Netflix vs Blockbuster, by Jamie Forestell

In September of 2010, Netflix launched their digital streaming service in Canada. While this was a big step forward, I am still asking myself if $7.99 per month is justified. With the thought of $7.99 being roughly the cost of one movie at Blockbuster or Rogers Video, it would seem like a great idea. I have now been a member since day one, and despite still having an active membership, I am not really sure what keeps me holding on.

PROS

  • Super Convenient
  • Can access on PC/MAC/iPhone/iPad/Apple TV/Wii/Xbox 360/Sony PS3/ Boxee  Box(don’t get me started on this one)/ and many more…
  • Quality is great, and in most cases HD.
  • Unlimited Movies!!

CONS

  • Content Selection is horrible.

I can not think of any other issues that would make my decision to cancel Netflix easier. For a few examples of poor movie selection see below.

TitanicForrest Gumpdirty dancingpolice academybueller

Ok, so the movie selection isn’t the greatest. I decided after the first month that I would remain an active member so the kids could enjoy the content for them. At first there seemed like many titles and they were in heaven with unlimited movies at their fingertips. However after a few weeks, I determined even the content for children was lacklustre.

Open SeasonCarsWall-ECurious GeorgeUp

Hopefully this will give you an idea of the type of selection Netflix Canada has to offer. The issue appears to be licensing, with all the content providers trying to lock up content, and unfortunately I cannot see this changing in the future.

Blockbuster has a $9.99 monthly movie pass right now, which is most likely in response to Netflix coming to Canada. The movie pass works as follows:

  • $9.99 per month plus tax
  • This movie pass includes unlimited movie rentals for the month of all older movies. (Contacting Blockbuster they confirmed most movies over 8 months old are included)
  • This includes titles on DVD and also those that are on Blu-Ray
  • Only 1 title can be out a time.

So the only problem is the convenience factor, but for $9.99 per month, and being able to watch the exact movie you had in mind, this seems like a great deal to me.

I would like to see some comments and opinions of other Canadians. If Netflix was $9.99 per month, or even $11.99 per month and offered better content, would this increase your chances of subscribing to Netflix?

About Jamie Forestell

Jamie Forestell is the Editor-in-chief and also the founder of Tek Tok Canada. His knowledge and aptitude for Technology led him to create a central website for all Canadians. His strong passion for the Technology world helps him stay abreast of leading-edge technologies and his desire to spread this information was the driving factor behind the creation of Tek Tok Canada.

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50 comments

  1. I canceled my membership a week ago for the same reasons. I was paying for it month after month and found that I just wasn’t watching enough of the small selection they offer. It’s a shame because it is definitely the best streaming service we have technology wise. I would pay 11.99 in a heartbeat if they had new releases.

  2. I think of using Netflix the same way that I do thrift store shopping. If you go in looking for something in particular, you will be disappointed. But if you go in, just to see what is there you are more likely to find a gem. Content NEEDS to get better, but for the price I can’t complain too much. We canceled cable and between the TV selection on the Boxee Box and TV/Movies on Netflix we have more than enough content to keep us satisfied.

  3. I thought I’d wait to become a paying customer, before I expressed any opinions. I like everything thing about Netflix, EXCEPT it’s selection of available movies. It’s sad, really it is. I thought that perhaps they were holding back the “good movies” till after my 1 month free was up and I was paying. Unfortunatly, this was just wishful thinking. I got to thinking.. how do they determine what movies are available vs those that are not. I would understand if newer moves, say 1 to 2 years old were not available, how ever that is not the case at all, there are some great moves through out the years and none of them are available. I beleive the selection has a close relation to a movie’s boxoffice success. So if that is true, what does this tell you about the company?… is it just another money grab’er?…I hope not!! All we ask is to have the same selection as the paying customers in the US. I would definitely pay more to have access to the full selection.
    Thanks G

  4. I’ve been a subscriber since day 1 as well, and I’m still disappointed in the overall selection too, but I’ve come to realize the real value of Netflix is in it’s ability to find other movies I’ll like. If you’re looking for a specific movie, you’re probably going to be disappointed, but it will end up suggesting another movie I’ve always wanted to see but never got around to renting, like Wall Street and Lock, Stock & Two Smoking Barrels. Between its suggestions and the convenience of not having to leave the living room, it’s easily worth the $8 a month to me.

  5. Even with its “poor” selection, Netflix is still far superior to the crappy selection of re-runs, reality tv and basic crap that cable offers. My wife and I only watch tv after 9pm when our kids are in bed, and after 3 months of Netflix we still continue to find awesome, entertaining movies and television shows. They may not be the newest Hollywood blockbusters, but to be honest, most newer movies are shit anyways. Netflix offers movies that I would never even think of renting in the store, and yet I have never been disappointed by a movie that Netflix recommends for me, and most of them I have never heard of, or have heard of but never got around to renting. Netflix also has an amazing selection of foreign films, documentaries and “B” movies, as well as a huge library of Japanese anime and British television (“Pulling” may be one of the funniest shows I have ever seen). I have to admit that it would be nice to have the American library of Netflix, but for $8.99 if you can’t find something good to watch, the problem isn’t with Netflix . . .

  6. Netflix Canada has almost the same amount of movies the US have, but the problem is the content is different. There is very little overlap with the movies we have and they have. Most of the titles in Canada, are locked by Bell, Rogers, etc… The licenses will likely keep the titles all locked in their own vaults for On Demand or specials. The Blockbuster deal, although not convenient or digital by any means, is appealing.

    Thanks for your comments!

  7. I am fairly sure that any Canadian currently paying for any subscription television service (from local basic analog cable TV to whatever horrible Canadian satellite package is the largest) would gladly shell out 8, 16, or 24 dollars per month to get the same content available to the US on Netflix.

    It’s a no-brain-er. I’d actually buy two subscriptions so I could have content in two rooms simultaneously, or watch on my laptop while abroad without restricting a TV set at home.

    All our other options are just so terrible that I really can’t see any of them surviving without a massive reform if Netflix.ca ever gets content people want to watch. Of course Canadian content providers are double-protected. If Netflix.ca ever got content the Canadian service providers would just use their DPI wands to make the viewing experience sluggish and terrible.

    Unfortunately the CRTC allows big TV and Telephone monopoly giants unobstructed control over content, delivery, and licensing of everything they point a stick at.

  8. The only reason i’m keeping my netflix account is because there are lots of good documentaries. Popular movies/tv shows yes are very very limited. Some of these documentaries are free on youtube… but the quality on netflix is much better, and the whole thing is streamed without having to watch in 10 minute intervals like youtube.

  9. I only have one thing to say. Keep track of your Internet usage. The cable/Internet companies are worried that more people will cancel their cable/satellite packages and just move to online content for their movie and tv shows. So this new cap was put in place to discourage customers from only using their Internet or at least so they can make more of a profit when you go over your cap. And you will.

    Canada is the laughing stock of the free world when it comes to our wireless and online providers. They have us bent over a barrel and they know it. We need a new player or some other major change.

  10. I’m an American who moved to Canada in 2003, and I can tell you that digitally I feel like I am behind the Maple Leaf Curtain in Canuckistan. Netflix Canada is merely one of a nearly infinitely long list of examples.

    First I bought a Sony Blu-ray player (in the US because the cost is about 20 percent more in Canada). It promised to be able to stream Netflix content to my HDTV. But when I set in up here, it determined my ISP was in Canada and blocked Netflix. An e-mail to Sony support brought a reply that Netflix streaming would be available in Canada “at a future time to be determined,” even though this feature is already enabled if you have a Sony PS3 game console (so it can’t be a Sony licencing issue). The most recent (February 16, 2011) Sony Blu-ray ROM update now displays the Netflix logo onscreen with the teaser “Coming Soon” underneath it.

    Now I find that even if I had access to Netflix on my HDTV, the titles available are laughable; from what I can tell, they include virtually none of the new releases available in the US. Yes, there are content licencing issues (the Canadian distributors are different entities than those in the US), but obviously this hasn’t stopped Blockbuster or Rogers from having 95 percent of their titles available on the same day as in the US. Apparently these big dogs have enough muscle to keep Netflix out of their food dish, reduced to begging for scraps.

    Beyond that are the bandwidth caps put in place by most Canadian ISPs, small enough that if you watch more than about two streaming movies a week you are likely to be charged even more than their already high monthly rates.

    My anger over all of this grows exponentially. Canadians are being screwed and are seemingly powerless to do anything about it except whimper.

  11. I too have been a member since the beginning and am starting to condenser canceling Netflix… I would actually have no trouble paying as much as 19.99 for it if it had more content. I find that the tv shows to be the biggest disappointment. It has many seasons of say law and order but everyone is not available. If they could even give us the content that it shows up when you search it would be worth 20 bucks

  12. Amen, Bill Pierce. Maple Leaf curtain indeed. Welcome to Canada’s early 20 th century protectionism and it’s identity neuroses. Throw in stagnating big government regulation partnered with crony capitalism and we are left with the scraps thrown to us – at a premium price.

    As a Canadian, I am so thankful to have government largess to keep me from being thoroughly entertained.

  13. I’m actually really impressed with Netflix, for $7.99 I can’t complain and I’m able to watch my favorite shows, ‘Damages’, ‘Mad Men’ & ‘The Big C’ on there, which is far less than what they would have cost had I purchased the DVDs. I have noticed that there are additions to the library quite often and even though it is disappointing not to have the same content as Netflix in the US, I have been really impressed with the amount of choice in Foreign, Documentary and British TV genres. I suppose it’s more of a hit with B-movie lovers than those wanting the latest blockbuster.

  14. Hi i have had netflix canada for almost a month now and the only good thing about it is you can watxh something right away but the content sucks big time i dont think im gonna keep the service for much longer if they dont get more tv shows like( rookie blue las vegas all seasons ncis n ncis la law n order svu thats just a few to name

  15. I agree that the selection of recent movies is poor but there are a lot of top notch TV series available which make the $8/mth a bargain. (Mad Men, Damages, Justified and Rescue Me are some examples of shows which are infinitely better than the usual formula CSI crap on network TV). There are also a lot of real gems to be discovered – I recently watched the Seven Samauri, a film many critics consider to be one of the best movies ever made (yes, the original in Japanese with English subtitles) – and if you stumble upon a real stinker you just stop it and move on. No wasted rental money. I was able to cancel a good portion of my cable services and save myself some money. If you think Netflix has nothing to offer I’d suggest you try being a little more open minded and try some of the movies/TV series you may not be familiar with.You might be surprised at how good some of it is.

  16. My ” free trial ” is almost up. I have decided to keep it going for now. At $7.99 its not a huge price to pay, and I haven’t finished watching the old Doctor Who’s yet. Unless the catalogue of content increases immensely I would not pay more than $9.99 for the service. I have no plans to cancel my Telus TV bundle as I watch too much live TV ( sports ect ). I did contact Telus before subscribing to Netflix and I was told the increase in my bandwidth usage would not be a issue because I have HD TV with them and I already use allot of bandwidth. I suspect if I did cancel my Telus TV this might be a different story.

  17. With netflix since beginning Always find something worth watching & not Hoolywood recent crap
    I stream from wireless router to laptop to TV via VGA One 20 second delay in middle of movie once . As We live rural pick up options & return are a major pain . Much better than Pay on demand -wait for starting time -Shaw pay for view. Also dropped movie channels so $8 per month instead of~$20

    Newer content not nessesarily better content unless you have watched all the older good stuff

  18. Let me start by saying that I was one of those that signed up to Netflix within an hour of it being available in Canada, and after the initial excitement wore off, disappointment set in.

    I find that one of the problems that I still have with Netflix Canada’s movie selection [besides being abismal] is that when you search for a movie, it will find it even if it is only on the US Netflix system, only to tell you that it’s ‘Not Available’ when you select it. I understand that they may have wanted to have a larger number in the search results, however I think that most people who are using an on-demand service like Netflix expect that not all titles will be available, but also that if they can be found via the built in search, they would be available for viewing.

    The Blockbuster option is good for those that live anywhere near a Blockbuster video, I live quite a bit outside of the major city I work in, and even the ones that used to be around, have been closed down. I would prefer that option for the Blu-Rays but it looks like $10/person jus isn’t saving them.

    I keep the service around because while I may have seen nearly all of the available selection that I have any interest in watching, the rest of my household has not and it’s cheaper for me to let them use Netflix… At least until Shaw decides to implement their recently withdrawn bandwidth caps that is.

  19. maybe you shouldn’t try finding shitty movies like police academy, dirty dancing (!) and forest gump, but try out the smaller, more independant movies and documentaries that netflix has in abundance. i’ve kept my subscription since the beginning and have never had a shortage of great things to watch.

  20. I was one of those people that signed up with netflix almost right away excited since i knew how good the US version of the service was. After a few months though, there is only so many indy films and old movies/shows from the 70s I can take. Since this seems to be some type of licensing issue I doubt it will change…

  21. The selection is bad. For an updated selection, I’d pay more. This content is mostly straight to DVD films, and even those are YEARS old. Epic fail.

  22. I have hd cable and Internet from big service supplier and pay what I consider a very high monthly premium. I also have Netflix for 7.99. In my area 1 new hd ppv movie costs 7.99 from my big service provider on top of my monthly premium. Netflix content will always be limited for the near term and here is why. People in Canada currently have cable and Netflix. People won’t give up their cable but are considering giving up Netflix because the content is poor. Canceling Netflix will only hurt Netflix in Canada and empower the big service cable providers. I also expect that ppv movies sales are down so they will want to make this money up some how, if you cancel Netflix the cable companies are going to charge even more for monthly premiums. The Canadian consumer can’t win this one at the moment.
    Even though the Netflix content isn’t great think of Netflix as 7.99 monthly voice or choice that says we will support alternatives that are competitive. Think of Netflix as a choice.

  23. In the States, my buddy has much much more selection, he thins maybe 4 or 5 times more.
    Why would anyone even think of paying more when the selection isn’t even close to that of the States. Unless you love the way the CRTC has been gouging us on internet, cable and cell phones rates.
    Anyone ever think that the selection is being held so they could get more money out of us like the cable, internet and cell phone companies did.
    Like I said I have friends in the States who visit me and are always surprised at how much we pay for these services, compared to what they pay.

  24. Netflix isn’t for everyone. I love it, because I am a very specific type of person.
    Indie films, B-cults,quirky/dark humor, foreign and cheesy horror top my list of things to watch. Conveniently, these things tend to also have cheap rights to them so Netflix grabbed them up. Same reason why they don’t have all the new blockbusters. Cost way to much. (I usually hate that shit anyway).
    The selection of stuff I like is actually much more extensive on netflix than any video store so the so-called limited collection has never been an issue to me.

  25. I just signed on to the free trial. Very surprised that the latest is 2009. Also poor selection. I canr beleive the Canadian comments I am reading who simply say the content is great! Typical Canaduian attitude; roll over and take it up the hoop by our government and CRTC . This is why we Canadians are always getting shafted….. because we just keep taking it.

  26. You guys should look at netflix like an additional channel to your sattalite. You pay extra money for ussually crappy movie channels. Now you pay $8 for large selection of crappy movies that always has something entertaining on it.

  27. The problem is with the CRTC. Although I think originally the CRTC was “intended” to make sure cultural interests were included in programming (as the foundation reports to the Minister of Canadian Heritage,)it appears to have morphed into the little foundation that could…that could control licensing and viewing, and could providing large companies like Rogers/Bell/Shaws and Telus with protection from having to compete like “normal” companies should. It is simply Government getting in the way of capitalism, and as usual the little people pay. If these companies can provide a great product then people will pay for it. But here in Canada it is all about the monopoly. They don’t have to provide great content or even good service because who the heck else will you be able to go with. All this in the guise of “Cultural Diversity”.

  28. First of all let’s get rid of the CRTC and then most of our problems would be over in Canada. The large phone companies and internet providers have far too much of a monopoly. If you notice, most of the comments state that they would be more than willing to pay more for better selection, especially for the HD movies.

  29. My 2 cents. I recently subscribed to US Netflix (google and you find the ways). When I was checking Canadian selection I was always getting a title with “Not available” message and understood it as if it was not available for Canadian customers only. It turned out most of them not available for US as well, they are available on DVD over mail! That was a major misunderstanding and major disappointment for me! No Friends, no Sopranos, nothing like new releases. Some 10 year old popular films are still not there. However as many people here already said I quickly realized that there is such a wealth of stuff that IS available so it’s definitely worth $8/month – I mean what is available on US side.

  30. I have been reading the comments about Netflix, and I have to say I’m on the fence. Im some ways I like Netflix, being able to watch it on my Playstation (in the rec room), Wii (in the bedroom) or computer (the living room) I have to say that is a definite bonus, but I have to agree, the content is getting to be a little annoying. At first I too thought maybe they were waiting until after the free trial to bring out the good stuff, and was disappointed when that didn’t happen. Then, each week I would log on, hoping for something new and exciting, but no such luck. I’ve been with Netflix pretty much from the beginning, and I have to say, it has started to cross my mind that I should cancel.
    As I was reading the comments, I noticed something, and I’m hoping that I will get an answer to this, because I am very interested to know if I’m not getting everything that other people are getting. If I find out this is true, I will definitely be canceling. I noticed “Chris” Commented on Feb 21st, and I quote, “It has many seasons of say law and order but everyone is not available.” Does this mean that you can get episodes of Law and Order on your NEtflix, because I definitely can’t. Did I read that wrong, or is that what you’re saying? I hope you will see this and answer, because I would really like to find out what that is all about.

  31. I’ve had Netflix Canada from the beginning. My wife and I were initially very disappointed with the selection. We gave it some time and it’s gotten better. For regular content updates check this link regularly:

    http://app.whatsnewonnetflix.com/

    Almost on a daily basis there is something new. Our daughter gets a kick out of all the kid content too. Although the content is still limited, we are canceling our TV cable service and moving to an antenna (about 15-20 HD channels) and just keeping internet service. Cable TV is just way to expensive, plus there is never anything interesting to watch. Why pay for all those channels when I never watch them. I’ll stick with NF Canada for now.

    P.S. Three words ‘The IT Crowd’

  32. It’s 2011 and this article is older but, I’ll chimea in. I’ve had Netflix for several months now and the only reason I bother to keep it now is that it is so low priced and I can find an occasional film to watch. The content is sorely lacking. Selection is simply ridiculous. The longer you’ve had it the more apparent this becomes. By month three you will have watched most all of the movies or docs you’d be interested in and new content slowly trickles in with nothing that great added. For instance “Twenty Eight Days” was put up recently. That film is a b movie at best…so much for “new” content. Even the older classic films are simply gone missing in action. How hard would it be to offer us the same content available just across the border??

    I am going to google how to sign up for the U.S.site as suggested above. Frankly, I find all this CRTC crap insulting to the adults in this country. I once read that Canada is as restrictive in many ways as Cuba is with regard to media content allowed and not allowed in this country and given the many venues I’ve seen this demonstrated in, I believe it. We have “different” Itunes selection, can’t see Hulu and lots of other online content is “blocked” just like in China!! Some You Tube videos are even inaccessable. This isn’t just about Netflix. It’s about the government deciding that they ought to control the media you are exposed to lest you forget you are Canadian. Save us from this sort of hand holding control.

  33. I have used Netflix Canada for almost two months now and in that short time I have found it to be a very good value despite it’s well-stated lack of content compared to Netflix USA. I intentionally waited until the selection base improved and the deal last March with Paramount sealed the deal for me. Yes those stateside will have many more titles to choose from, but it is rumoured that CBS is currently in “serious” talks with Netflix to expand their titles to include Canada as well as to include a possible expansion of Netflix to Latin America. I have long since cancelled cable TV in Toronto as it is not worth the value even with VOD. Canada’s restrictive telcom industry, coupled with a regulator (CRTC) that generally sides with the large incumbents, (remember how they favored Bell’s UBB proposal and sided with Robellus in preventing Wind Mobile from lauching!) makes new alternative OTT viewing options very restrictive and expensive. If you do give Netflix a try in Canada, make sure you switch your ISP to a 3rd party provider. We pay 38$/mo for a 5mB/s unlimited DSL account, which is streams Netflix, including HD, just fine. Tip set the stream manager setting of the Silverlight software on your PC to the max to get the best viewing experience. Having switched to digital OTA for broadcast TV, I find Netflix HD to be very comparable in PQ after maxing out the bitrate of Silverlight. In conclusion, give at least three months before considering cancelling Netflix Canada, for our family the value though is unmatched!

  34. For sure I would subscribe to Netflix if the selection was better. Eight bucks is like renting out two movies at blockbuster… so if Netflix Canada can offer a selection that includes TV Series like West Wing, Glee, and so forth for 8 bucks, that is a STEAL. I’d pay 10 bucks a month for it.

  35. I can’t tell if the list of movies that aren’t available on Netflix is supposed to be a Pro or a Con. I mean seriously, you want to watch Dirty Dancing and Police Academy instead of all the awesome Kurosawa Criterion transfers they have on there? Your loss.

  36. I couldn’t find a complete list of everything available on Netflix, so I’ve just created a blog where I’ll keep the current Netflix Canada list updated (I’ve got a few “shortcuts” that will help me keep it updated). If I had access to the U.S. site (or an American Netflix subscriber interested in helping), I could get the U.S. list going as well.

    Take a look and let me know if it’s useful to you.

    netflixcanadacompletelist.blogspot.com

  37. Thank GOD for VPN’s you can use a vpn like ghost vpn to make it look like you are logging in to netflix from the states then you will have all the same selection as our neighbors the americans. =) ENJOY!

  38. I didn’t even bother with the free trial! Some of the DVD’s can be bought at the dollar store (For a dollar!!) Others cost a bit more at wallmart. The way it’s been and continues to be, Netflix Canada isn’t worth the bother!

  39. I’ve had Netflix for for 3 months and love it. I watch 3-4 movies a week but not straight through. I pause them usually and watch in installments. I’ve never been a Hollywood fan so the selection issue is meaningless to me. I am discovering lots of great independent films and foreign films and always rate the film, which lets Netflix make recommendations to me. That feature is awesome. It’s a great service and the quality is amazing. I have never searched for a specific film so the dearth of titles people are croaking about here is something I’ve never actually noticed. It’s lamentable though that Canada has to face the restrictions that we do – I am a Canadian nationalist but, but, but, I do not want cultural decisions made for me. That’s unfortunate. So if you are a Canadian and if you want streaming movies, Netflix is as good as it will get, because it’s as good as it is allowed to get. If you cancel Netflix, do not expect something better to come online – that sadly is just not going to happen.

  40. What kills me is the fact that Netflix does not provide a full list of what is available. Even when I am logged on via my computer and click “see all _____” shows I KNOW are there are not listed, which frustrates me. If I can actively recoginze the fact that shows are not listed, what shows am I missing?
    Also, from any device I use, minus my desktop PC or laptop, I can only search by TITLE. Why oh why can I not search for “comedy” or “kevin Smith” on my playstation????
    Those two facts drive me mental. It also kills me that is ALWAYS suggests Dr.Who to me. Even though I have said “not interested” and given it a rating of hated it. I cannot believe there are people out there who actually get GOOD recommendations. I get Dr.Who and Thomas the Train. Thomas the Train? My niece watched Netflix here once! In January!
    I had Netflix since the beginning, then cancelled it 2 months ago. I just got it back last week, and am already considering cancelling it. The majority of the “New Release” movies and TV are the same as the last time I had it.
    I would pay double, triple what I am paying now just to have some choice!
    The only reason I keep this is for the Documentaries. In that light, Netflix has got it made.

  41. As fun as it is to point the finger at the CRTC, in the case of Netflix and Hulu, the people commenting have it all wrong. The content is being blocked because THE [CONTENT PROVIDERS] DON’T WANT YOU TO HAVE ACCESS TO THE CONTENT. It has nothing to do with Canadian content laws.

    The monopolies up here, for example Global TV, purchase exclusive (i.e. expensive) licenses to monopolize US content over Canadian airwaves. This is why you can be watching the latest episode of The Simpsons on a US FOX network or the Super Bowl via satellite and still see Canadian commercials with Global TV logos in place of the US commercials. It’s usually done to promote the Canadian sponsors’ products and services (i.e. revenue for the Canadian providers who purchased the exclusive licenses.)

    One example that really yanked my chain recently was when I found that Lionsgate studios (founded in Vancouver BC and now owned by a California company) is blocking Canadian IP addresses from viewing their content on YouTube!

    In essence these companies are boycotting us, so we should be boycotting them! If you don’t like oligopolies like Telus, Bell, Rogers, and Shaw (and Telus’s fake “competitor” Koodoo), then stop buying their crap or (if you have no choice) then at least send them an email and tell them you’re tired of paying more and getting less than people in the third-world!!!

    As much as I’m sure you’d like to believe, the CRTC is far less powerful than the companies that OWN our politicians.

  42. Netflix Canada is a joke. however there are ways to get Netflix US in Canada with a few clicks of a mouse. go to entropay and get a Virtual US credit card and use a random USA address. then use a US proxy service (cost is about 4 $ a month). go to Netflix US and sign on with your virtual US credit card and blamo, you are watching US netflix on your game console, media centre etc.

  43. We have been Netflix subscriber since the beggining and probably staying for a while for the same reason it is very cheap and most movies are HD but we kind a getting tired of the content because no newer movies I will probably let go of it soon. Hopefully Blockbuster streamming will come to Canada too.

  44. We cancelled our $225/mo. satellite bill in Jan 2011. We use boxee box to stream weekly tv shows and news from the internet and Netflix. The selection isn’t blockbuster like a the movie networks, but it works for us. At $8/mo, it’s a steal. My kids now watch less TV as they actually have to sit and choose what they want to watch rather than just flipping on the TV and watching whatever happened to be playing. And GOODBYE commercials! I hated constantly being sold to by any and every product. I love the fact that Netflix now has a ‘just for kids’ user interface too! For more selection, I invested in a VPN for an extra $7/month. THis way, I can get the american networks and american licensed content on Netflix too. Much more variety that way.

  45. Boxee is the best thing since Xbmc. I want a boxee on every tv I own or better yet in them! VPN is great via Boxee.
    I also invested in an HDTV antenna and NHL has never looked better! (last year of course..thanks to Gary Bettman!)
    Thanks for your comment.

    PS – $225 for satellite? We’re you ordering a lot of PPV? Do tell of this greedy provider!

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