I am actually wondering if service could be bundled or something. Like cancel the streaming subscription one month and pork out on dvds, then cancel that and move back to streaming?

I just re-listened to the Hobbit. At no point is it suggested that Fili and Kili look different (read: hotter or more human) than the others.

Well, given that there's almost no data about any of the dwarves in The Hobbit (except for Thorin), and precious little characterization, I don't fault the film-makers for trying to differentiate them.

They've also invented a female elf, presumably for the Mirkwood sequence, which I don't mind, because otherwise there isn't a single woman in the story.

... though you know what would be awesome? If they made one of the dwarves female. Because according to Tolkein nobody who isn't a dwarf can tell the difference between male and female dwarves anyway--they have beards and everything. Heh. So I think Bifur should be female.

I am actually wondering if service could be bundled or something. Like cancel the streaming subscription one month and pork out on dvds, then cancel that and move back to streaming?

Yep, this is exactly what I'm considering. I'll have to see how easy it is to switch back and forth, and whether you have to time it exactly right.

My husband is leaning towards paying for both just so we don't lose the DVD queue.

Oh dear, that would not be good. I thought maybe it would keep your DVD queue on hold? So when you reactivated your DVDs, there would be your queue, ready to go? If that's not how it works, bleh.

It's not like Netflix has a competitor I'm going to use instead for old and current releases. Redbox or Blockbuster aren't going to cut it.

Johnny Depp is developing a Nightstalker project (and a Paul Revere one).

It's not like Netflix has a competitor I'm going to use instead for old and current releases. Redbox or Blockbuster aren't going to cut it.

Right? I mean, I can use Redbox for new releases, but most of the stuff I watch on Netflix is old, and the new stuff is just gravy. Otherwise it's hit up the library, which is a pain.

Because according to Tolkein nobody who isn't a dwarf can tell the difference between male and female dwarves anyway--they have beards and everything.

I missed this. Though Pratchett invented it.

The weird thing is that I just downgraded to streaming-only in June. One thing I just noticed: if it's streaming-only, there's no added tax. Not that it was a vast sum, but if that's a selling point for anyone.

I'll have to see how easy it is to switch back and forth, and whether you have to time it exactly right.

When you stop DVDs you have a week to return whatever you still have out. From playing around it looks like:

If you switch from DVD to instant, it is effective at the start of the next billing period. You'll have 7 days from the end of the current period to return the DVD (if you return too early they'll just send you whatever is next in your queue).

If you switch from instant to DVD, it is effective immediately -- you immediately lose streaming access and they'll ship out ASAP.

And if you have one, and add the other mid-month, it looks like that also is effective immediately, and the charge for the current month is prorated.

The disparity there is a little odd. Although I guess if the switch was immediate both ways, you could exploit that to effectively have DVDs and streaming for $8.

Oh: if you drop DVDs completely your queue is saved, but you can't access it until you change back, or add DVDs to your account. You also can't see the instant queue while you're DVD-only...

I would bet they'll change that, though. This is just rolling out, and displaying things that are available one way but not the other seems like too good a marketing tactic.