We first discovered the very useful FeedFlix back in May, and since then the site’s been updated to present more data on how well you utilize your Netflix membership. By pasting in any of your private Netflix RSS feeds, you’ll see a breakdown of your activity stats, like how long on average you keep titles and your average cost-per-rental. A handy new feature is the “email alerts” function, where you’ll receive a weekly reminder if you’ve kept a title past a certain number of days. We’ve included a screenshot below.
We’d love to see Netflix roll out a reminder service, but since that would directly impact their bottom line, we have a feeling it won’t be showing up on the official site any time soon.
Here’s what the typical data screen looks like, if you’re curious:
Holy crap, I kept Michael Clayton for 58 days, and I only watched it once! Maybe I should just cancel Netflix and read more books.
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There is no doubt in my mind that Netflix already has a number of these metrics running on their website, but privately for their eyes only.
They are hoping people borrow movies (especially the least popular ones) as long as possible.
@Hawk07:
Of course they do. How else do they decide which accounts to throttle.
While it’s nifty, I don’t see much use to this service.
…I mean… What am I going to do with this information? Really buckle down and get serious about my movie watching?
I suppose I could change my plan to get more “value” out of the membership, but that doesn’t make sense either. For me, the value isn’t about the $/disc. It’s about having easy access to films!
Cutting back on the plan would reduce its value to me, because it makes it more likely that I won’t have an unwatched movie on hand when I finally find a few hours to kick back.
So you’re the reason it took 2 months for Netflix to ship me Michael Clayton!
This does not take into account the “Watch NAO!” Movies/Episodes, does it?
I for one watch a couple of those every weekend. That would bring down my cost/movie figures.
Though I think integrating that feature should not be very hard.
@Lucifer_Cat: Ah gotcha! I can paste in my “Movies at home” RSS link for that.
Ooof! My habit of keeping Netflix movies for one night only is probably setting off warnings all over the Netflix organization. Does everyone else’s movies ship from Spokane?
@FoobieBlecch: Yeah, I get little tactics like shipments from the other side of the country that delay my rentals by several days. I’ve also noticed that sometimes I will randomly get my tenth choice shipped to me even though the first nine choices are supposedly “available now.” Because I tend to watch television series, this usually seriously screws up my viewing.
Are they getting hammered right now? I keep getting error messages…
@Braff is Thad Longlove: Yeah, me too. I can’t get Feedflix to do much of anything, it just keeps showing me error messages.
@Groovymarlin: I am able to see your public page at [feedflix.com] Can you let me know what you’re seeing?
I just flip them as fast as I can. I drop another DVD in the mail slot almost every day.
@incognit000:
These movie DVD rental companies have that strategy covered too. If you flip too many movies too quickly, they will just start to delay the shipping of your next DVD.
@Jesse:
I have a one-day turn around where I live. When we were sending them back the next day, it suddenly took a week to get them. At least Netflix tells you that up front.
I used to have movies 1 day at most and had unlimited 3 at a time plan after i got about 20-23 movies for the month they all of a sudden started taking 4-5 days to show up in my mailbox when before it took 1 day. Funny. Now though ive considered canceling the service as i might get 5-6 movies a month from it, if it wasnt for watch it now getting hundreds of more movies i probably would have.
@Thanatos: Google “Netflix Throttling” since it is a common problem. Some users have had success complaining to them about being throttled and the turnaround time has suddenly sped up.
@theblackdog: And after the class action lawsuit, Netflix added language regarding these delaying tactics right into their TOS.
@Thanatos: Well ive downgraded my netflix to 2 a month and im going to set a 2 week limit on keeping movies, need to start getting my money out of it again. If after a month i still not using it to its full potential i may downgrade to 1 at a time or even just quit. Seeing all these get out of debt and budget got me thinking on what i can cut out of my life, i have no debts just rent and utilities monthly but saving especially in times like these are going to help alot.
I think we broke the site, I just tried running my RSS feed and it is not working now, I get an error message.
@theblackdog: Yeah, I couldn’t get it to work either. Maybe if we try again in a few days it’ll work…
@theblackdog: Yeah broken here also.
@theblackdog: Also broken T_T
::looks guilty at the unopened red envelope on the desk:: Man, I have had you for two weeks. I should probably watch you. Is Sunshine with Cillian Murphy good? :/
@Eldritch: sunshine was awesome!
@Eldritch:
If you like Sci-fi movies, or thrillers, it’s really good.
I thought the story falls apart a bit towards the end, but still manages to pull together quite nicely by the conclusion.
Also, you’ll have to go in with an open mind.
It’s about re-igniting the sun after it burns out, after all.
@Eldritch: Very, very yes. Watch it immediately, and then watch it again right afterward because it was made of awesome. and the sun.
I’m around Atlanta and we have a Netflix hub. I use the 1 at a time for $8.99, and get 2 movies a week. Great deal!
I hope there is a something like this for Blockbuster, that would be super sweet
Hopefully the can take a few mins of development time to fix their site navigation. I give up — are they routing every link through a javascript to another domain?
Still no privacy policy!
“like how long on average you keep titles and your average cost-per-rental. A handy new feature is the “email alerts” function, where you’ll receive a weekly reminder if you’ve kept a title past a certain number of days.“
Isn’t this problem easily solved through the use of DeCSS?
Tee Hee! Somebody netflixed Shortbus!
Their site is not scalable at all. Just this mention on Consumerist has brought it to its knees.
I have the 2 @ a time netflix, and I tend to only get two a week. Hmmm.
Hi robdew2 – it is up at [feedflix.com]
I actually abandoned netflix a while back. Not that I didn’t enjoy the concept, and not that I didn’t utilize the concept, however, it’s pretty clear that they were capping my rental speeds. Let’s say I sent three movies back on Monday, and then three on Wednesday. The three I sent back Monday would be replaced on Tuesday – great service – fastest shipping around. The movies I sent back on Wednesday or Thursday wouldn’t get replaced until the following Monday. I experimented with various quantities of movies shipped on various days of the week, and found that they would ship me no more than three movies in one calendar week. Personally, rather than watching random TV in the evening, I prefer to pop on a movie or two. That’s the whole reason I signed up for netflix. When I realized they just weren’t going to provide the “unlimited” rentals the service promised, I gave them up. Sure, it’s convenient, but at the same time, the just weren’t delivering the service I expected.
@What The Geek: I get what you’re saying, but they also have to make a decent profit. I pay for a higher number of DVDs at a time and that gives me a higher number per month. Plus there’s the “watch now” which isn’t a huge catalog, but it’s an option if you really need to watch that many items.
It seems to me, that after you “log in” (by that, I mean giving them your RSS Feed info), you can only go on to the public pages where the website is tracking everyone’s rentals, etc.
So, maybe there is no profile section, no account section, no anything for you as a consumer. They just steal your info and track it. Maybe it IS run by Netflix…
Woo! I figured it out! Where is my medal?
@nikkimarie918: Once you log in, you should see all the info for your page. You’ll also see links to your Account where you can set up an optional email/password or sign up for Alerts, to Profiles where you can add any additional NF profiles you have as well as Preferences where you can decide exactly how much to share.
I am also unable to get it to work. Has this been SlashConsumeristed?
@chiieddy: Looks like it.
FeedFlix is FAIL!
Should be removed from consumerist? I try my rss feeds, it spews a sales pitch at me for a while, then gives me a error message!
It doesnt seem to be the load, the pages are responding quickly.
I had a different (if stranger) problem when I tried Feedflix – someone else’s account info shows up on my RSS feed! Strange, considering I use the same personalized RSS feed on my news aggregator – which displays the right account. Something is wonky at FF.
@reznicek111: Whose a/c data are you seeing? You *will* be able to other people’s public page.
Dude….! I’m waiting to be throttled on our 5-at-a-time any second. They’ve mailed us 13 DVDs and we’re only halfway through the month.
We don’t ever watch anything more than once. Reason we rent from Netflix, not buy.