Use FeedFlix To Monitor Your Netflix Usage Patterns
If you're the type of Netflix user who enjoys maximizing the value of your membership, you might find the new website FeedFlix interesting. The service scrapes data from your personal Netflix rss feeds and generates interesting graphs about how long you keep rentals, how many you rent per week, and your cost-per-rental. Sure, you could do this all yourself with a spreadsheet, or maybe Yahoo! Pipes, but FeedFlix is free and works instantly.
From the FAQ:
» How does FeedFlix work?
When you enter your Netflix RSS Link, FeedFlix processes your Netflix RSS feeds to get the movies in your Queue, the reviews you have written, the movies Netflix recommends for you etc. We also are able to co-relate your data with that of other FeedFlix users to tell you who else is watching or currently waiting for the same movies as you while still maintaining your (and their) anonymity.
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Comments:
I can't figure out how to get it to work. Any of the feeds I find on netflix and paste into the site it says don't have activity on them. I must not be returning enough movies.
Hi B,
You need to be logged into Netflix first. Then, under [www.netflix.com] you'll see a section called Personalized Feeds. Grab the one for Queue and paste it into FeedFlix. If you're not logged into Netflix, then you will not see your Personalized Feeds - perhaps that is the problem? If you still run into issues, please email me at feedback@feedflix.com and I'll help you out.
Thanks,
Raghu
I have 200 movies in my queue, which is many times more than my friends (who all have under 10). I see by the pie chart that I'm only about average. I guess I need to trade up my friends... :-)
@B: Yeah, that's the catch with netflix. You're supposed to return the movies after you watch them. You don't get to keep them.
@xl22k: Ah, you're missing the obvious: Anyone who uses Netflix is a tool! Blah-bity-blah-blah local video store bleh-biddy quality. Get what they deserve-ity. Bleh.
Admit it: You weren't even trying, were you?
Oh, back on the topic: Looks like a cool tool. I think I'll be playing with it some just to make sure I'm not wasting my money. I've got a deeper queue than I think I'll ever watch, but a pretty fast turnaround. I suspect it won't point to a membership cancellation, but it'll be interesting data with pretty pie charts.
Mmmmmm... number-crunching data...
seems to be screwy...Tells me I only rent one movie a month, when I'm at on average 3 a week
It's only including my two most recent returns, does it only include data from when I start feedflix forward?
nevermind, my queue rss feed's the one that's screwy
jacques - sorry about the apparent screwiness. FeedFlix only has visibility starting *today* - the day you joined and your RSS feed probably shows only one movie returned. I am sure that with your level of activity, you'll start seeing more correct graphs and stats in the next day or two. Remember, FeedFlix will keep your page auto-updated, you don't need to do any more data entry. Just bookmark your FeedFlix page and check back in a couple of days.
PTWhipplebang - you're right. Netflix's RSS feeds only show the past so many days of activity. But from this point forward you should start seeing everything.
@feedflix: I'll take you at face value, but there are two weird things from my feed.
1) Netflix received two movies today but Feedflix only shows the earlier return.
2) It estimates that I keep each movie for six days, but then calculates my cost per DVD at the full monthly price of $17.00. Even if I kept each movie for thirty days, my cost per DVD wouldn't be that much...
Still intrigued, though. I'll check back again in a few days.
@witeowl
1. that sounds like a bug - if you don't mind emailing me at feedback@feedflix.com, then I'll be able to troubleshoot this for you.
2. The price/movie is likely to be off by quite a bit until FeedFlix has more returns over a few weeks worth of activity. Right now there is only one return on record which also means your average returns per month is 1 and at $17/mo, the cost/movie is (an obviously off) $17.
Check back in a couple days and you'll find that the number makes more sense. Over time it should get far more accurate.
@witeowl - on further thought, I realize it is because of how the Netflix RSS feed is structured. Email me at feedback@feedflix.com and you should be good.
Yeah I'm having the same issues as witeowl. Shows that I've only returned one and have 2 in queue yet on my Queue its a different story.
@oregongal - email at feedback@feedflix.com
@feedflix: Done.
Also, I see where my thoughts went astray regarding the per rental cost. I was thinking that I have two other videos, so at the most it should figure $17/3, or about $5.66 per rental. I had neglected to consider that the price would indeed e $17 if I only return one video per month. (Wowza, that would be bad!) Now the calculations make sense for the information Feedflix has.
Doesnt do anything with all the movies I rated really. It should use my return history all the way back from when I started.
Somebody needs more to do.
@Me: LOL. Interestingly enough I actually enjoy it when someone at a company actually trolls for internet issues. He just saved like maybe a good 1000 people from thinking feedflix didn't work. He just enhanced their level of service. If that's what you were refering to Don't hate
"Either you've just joined FeedFlix and we don't have your rental history, or you haven't returned any movies lately. Therefore, we are unable to show you personalized graphs."
Odd, since I do use my Netflix account often, have returned movies at least three times in the past week, and I've had it for years.
seems fishy to me...
I just want one that shows the percentage of movies lost or stolen by my local post office. Last time I did Netflix, it was about 20-25%. Of course, once Netflix started hinting that they though I was stealing the movies, that was the end of that.
See, this is why we can't have nice things!
@everyone: I wanted to clarify that Netflix's RSS feeds return only your most recent rental activity. Since FeedFlix depends on Netflix's RSS feeds, you'll start seeing your activity from now going forward. Your rental history from now onwards will build up everytime you return to FeedFlix.
One other problem with Feedfix is it doesn't appear to be able to see across multiple users on a single account.
We have a 3-at-a-time account but use the multiple user feature to manage 3 different queues. We have one for new releases, one for whatever current TV series we're watching, and a third for nothing but horror films (because we both love horror films and like to always have one ready to go).
is this an advertisement?
@MonekyMonk - the ability to combine multiple profiles is a feature that is coming soon!
Site's down now.
@Prolific Programmer: I see there are users accessing the site and signing up this very minute - can you try again?
I'm really not too sure how I can blame the consumer on this one... any help?
We can blame Feedflix for invasion of privacy. Yea it's anonymous but... IT'S MINE! Yea, we'll go with that. Bastards!