Netflix UK - First impressions

Just thought I'd throw in my two cents on Netflix UK, in case anyone else was thinking of subscribing.

I was a subscriber in the US before I moved, and loved it!  But what I mainly used it for was streaming content.  I tended not to bother with the discs, and they'd sit around my flat for ages. 

After I moved, I was thinking of getting a LoveFilm subscription, but I was annoyed by a couple of things.  First, I don't like their streaming model.  If I subscribe to a service, that's it.  I don't expect to pay more on top of that fee to access certain extra content.  Secondly, their UI leaves a lot to be desired, especially for TV.  Listing every episode separately is just ridiculous.  Finally, I just felt that the amount of streaming content was lacking.  And as far as having discs mailed, well... that's kind of a losing proposition, given where I live.

So I was pretty excited about the Netflix launch.  I'd heard that, after I moved, they changed their U.S. service, and some people weren't pleased.  My mom thought that they'd lost a lot of the content she was interested in, but I'd also read that they got a lot of newer/ 'premium' content.  So I wondered how the UK offering would compare.

I signed up under a free trial, via Facebook.  I should say that, while I understand why they've partnered with Facebook like that, and it's a great way to raise their profile, I don't love the idea of having everything I watch posted to my wall.  So I'm glad there's a "don't share this" button in the Netflix viewer.  I also kind of miss the queue feature.  I know that, since they're not mailing discs, it probably seems pointless, but I liked being able to, essentially, bookmark things that I found while browsing so that I could watch them later. 

Right now, the UK content is very limited.  I could pretty easily watch everything that I care to watch within the first month.  It's a little bit misleading, too, because, if you go through the viewing profile options (where you rate films so it learns your preferences) it asks you to rate all kinds of things that they aren't currently showing in the UK.  So I was getting kind of excited by these titles, and then was disappointed to find they weren't available.

I've read that they're working on adding more content, but right now, I don't know if it'll be worth continuing to pay for a subscription after the trial is over.  I'll probably cancel, but may revisit in 6 months or so, to see if there's more there.  If they can offer the same level of content that they did in the U.S., I'll be very pleased.

Anyone else signed up yet?  Thoughts?  Any news on adding content?

Thanks so much for posting an extensive and honest review! This should be helpful to many of us.

  I could pretty easily watch everything that I care to watch within the first month. 

You know, my BF said the same thing about it and I didn't believe him. But I guess I should. The lack of a queue function is also disappointing, it's the thing I dislike the most about Amazon Prime streaming (well that and it's hard to search only the free content).

If you're still in the U.S., the service there is much better.  Tons more content.  Very worth it, I thought.

I have heard (though I can't verify it), that if you connect to your account from the U.S. (or through a VPN/Proxy in the U.S.), then all the U.S. content is available to you, even though your account originates in the U.K.  I'm not inclined to spend the money to test this theory, but if anyone else can verify, let me know.

I have heard (though I can't verify it), that if you connect to your account from the U.S. (or through a VPN/Proxy in the U.S.), then all the U.S. content is available to you, even though your account originates in the U.K.  I'm not inclined to spend the money to test this theory, but if anyone else can verify, let me know.

I haven't tried this with a UK-originated account, but I can access instant watch/streaming material on my parents' (US) account with a VPN. (I haven't watched much, though, because it'll annoy my stepdad if I alter Netflix's recommendations for him based on what I select to watch. )

The UK Netflix can't be streamed in the US, apparently.  I don't know if the opposite is true.

http://britishexpats.com/forum/showthread.php?t=746842

I have a VPN that I pay for and use to watch my US Netflix account, almost on a daily basis!! I've never had any trouble with it, and I can keep up with my American shows on hulu as well!

I think the idea isn't that you log in with an American account to the American site with a VPN/proxy, but that the American account was assessable with UK account details and vice versa.

Yes, that's right.  It seems as though content is dictated by the location of your IP address, not your billing address.  If reports are accurate.

I think the idea isn't that you log in with an American account to the American site with a VPN/proxy, but that the American account was assessable with UK account details and vice versa.

Ahhh, nevermind - I should have read more carefully.

We signed up a couple weeks ago and are thus far fairly happy.  I really hope they add more content, but for £6 a month I feel it's adequate.  There's enough on there I haven't seen to keep me going for at least six months. 

My husband in the UK has been able to log in with my US Netflix details, but he only gets content available in the UK.

I'm really excited Netflix has branched out, though. It's costly in both time and money to acquire licenses for material in other countries, and I'm sure that if they see a demand for their product, they'll work to provide the same model that has proven so successful here in the states - especially lots of streaming content.

Yes, that's why I'm kind of torn as to whether or not to continue my subscription.  On one hand, I'm not sure there's enough content yet for our needs.  So, I'd like to wait until they've improved that.

On the other hand, the more subscribers they have, the more they can make the case for adding more content.