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Tag: DVD

  • Here’s What Those New Netflix Emails Look Like

    Here’s What Those New Netflix Emails Look Like

    As reported earlier this week, Netflix is changing the way it emails its DVD subscribers. I found this interesting because I’ve been a member for over a decade and can’t recall a time when this has changed much at all.

    Essentially, they’re reducing the frequency of emails by consolidating information. They also promoted separate social media accounts for the DVD brand. Here’s what they said:

    Here at Netflix we are always looking for ways to improve your entertainment experience. In the coming week you’ll notice a change in how you receive emails from us. We’re consolidating your shipment transactions into a single email to help you streamline the amount of emails in your inbox.

    Your new shipment email will tell you what’s on the way, acknowledge what we are receiving, plus give you the option of adding new releases or personal recommendations to your queue. We hope you enjoy receiving more relevant content in the new format while dealing with less email.

    You can also now find DVD.Netflix.com on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest. Connect with us to stay up-to-date on new movie releases and entertainment-focused content; join our conversations or simply share what you’re watching.

    I just got my first of these new emails. Heres’ what it looks like:

    Screen shot 2015-07-17 at 3.22.38 PM

    For comparison, here’s what the emails used to look like:

    Screen shot 2015-07-17 at 3.35.09 PM

    In case you’re thinking to yourself, “Who cares about Netflix’s DVD service,” the company released its Q2 earnings report this week in which it revealed that it currently has 5.3 million DVD members. That is down from 5.5 million in Q1, but Netflix still sees it as a businesses that will continue to have value for quite some time to come.

    “Our DVD-by-mail business in the US continues to serve 5.3 million members and provided $77.9 million in contribution profit in Q2,” CEO Reed Hastings and CFO David Wells said in a letter to shareholders. “The broad selection of titles, including new release movies and TV shows, remains appealing to a core user base and means that the tail on this business should be quite long.”

    Believe it or not, Netflix’s DVD offering still offers a lot of titles that just aren’t that easy to find from other (legal) online services.

    Lead image via Netflix (Twitter)

  • Netflix Surpasses 65 Million Members, DVD Business Good For Quite A While

    Netflix Surpasses 65 Million Members, DVD Business Good For Quite A While

    Netflix released its Q2 earnings report on Wednesday along with the regular letter to shareholders. The biggest news out of this one is that the company has surpassed 65 million members with 42 million in the US and 23 million internationally.

    “We are at the forefront of a wave of global Internet TV adoption and intend to make our service available throughout the world by the end of 2016,” said CEO Reed Hastings and CFO David Wells in the letter.

    Here’s a look at the numbers:

    Screen shot 2015-07-15 at 5.00.29 PM

    In case you’re wondering how the DVD service is doing, it still has 5.3 million members (down from 5.5 million in Q1).

    “Our DVD-by-mail business in the US continues to serve 5.3 million members and provided $77.9 million in contribution profit in Q2,” the letter said. “The broad selection of titles, including new release movies and TV shows, remains appealing to a core user base and means that the tail on this business should be quite long.”

    As reported on Tuesday, Netflix has altered the way it is emailing DVD subscribers, and is now promoting separate social media accounts for the service.

    You can read the full letter here.

    In other Netflix news, the company just released the trailer for its new show Narcos.

    Image via Netflix

  • Netflix Alters How DVD Subscribers Get Email

    Netflix Alters How DVD Subscribers Get Email

    Netflix is changing the way it emails members of its DVD subscription service. Having been a member for over a decade, I can’t recall a time when this has changed much or at all.

    They’re going to reduce the frequency of emails by consolidating information. Here’s what the company said in an email to members:

    Here at Netflix we are always looking for ways to improve your entertainment experience. In the coming week you’ll notice a change in how you receive emails from us. We’re consolidating your shipment transactions into a single email to help you streamline the amount of emails in your inbox.

    Your new shipment email will tell you what’s on the way, acknowledge what we are receiving, plus give you the option of adding new releases or personal recommendations to your queue. We hope you enjoy receiving more relevant content in the new format while dealing with less email.

    You can also now find DVD.Netflix.com on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest. Connect with us to stay up-to-date on new movie releases and entertainment-focused content; join our conversations or simply share what you’re watching.

    Enjoy the show.

    The Netflix DVD Team

    Netflix’s DVD service doesn’t get a lot of press, but as of Q1, it still had over 5.5 million members. It has a pretty loyal core group of users. Let’s not forget that this is the service that put Netflix on the map.

    A while back, they did some rebranding of the service to further separate it from the popular streaming service.

    As the email referenced above points out, this particular brand has its own social media accounts that are also separate from the main Netlfix accounts. It looks like they’ve been up and running for a while, but they all have pretty low followings, so I’m sure a lot of people don’t even realize they exist. I didn’t even realize it, and I’ve been a member this whole time and cover Netflix on a regular basis. So just in case you want to check those out, you can find them on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, and Twitter.

    Update: Apparently a lot of people are indeed jus finding out about these social profiles. Netflix DVD just posted a Facebook update saying:

    We’d love to welcome all of you to our Facebook page, where you’ll be in the loop to the all the new releases, exciting giveaway offers, and even the whimsical snapshot or two from around the DVD Netflix office!

    This influx of new followers today has gotten us pretty amped up, so who knows…. Maybe you’ll be rewarded with a seriously huge giveaway, coming very soon! (The “maybe” is actually a “yes!”)

    Rock on, DVD subscribers, and keep filling those queues. Tell us what you’re watching tonight!

    Image via Netflix (Twitter)

  • Stephanie McMahon, Triple H Want To Get You Fit

    Stephanie McMahon and Triple H are two of the biggest talents in the WWE. While wrestling is choreographed, it does take a lot of stamina and strength to pull off the stunts fans have come to expect every week. Now those very same fans can get fit the WWE way with two fitness DVDs.

    WWE and LionsGate announced this week that they’re releasing two fitness DVDs starring the WWE’s power couple. The McMahon DVD is part of the WWE Fit series whereas the Triple H DVD is part of the WWE Power series. Both DVDs feature four week workout calendars crafted by fitness coach Joe DeFranco.

    Here’s what you can expect from the WWE Fit Series: Stephanie McMahon DVD:

    In WWE Fit Series: Stephanie McMahon, the WWE mogul and mother of three helps viewers achieve the sculpted, sexy physique of the extraordinary WWE Divas. Complete with a four-week workout calendar the system transforms and strengthens your entire body while shedding fat.

    As for the WWE Power Series: Triple H, fans can look forward to the following:

    Featuring 8-time WWE Champion and 5-time World Heavyweight Champion Triple H, WWE Power Series: Triple H includes a total body workout with exercises designed for the upper and lower body along with cardio and mobility moves to build a strong, ripped and fit body.

    If you want to get fit with McMahon or Triple H, the WWE says that a set of light to heavy dumbbells are required. You may also want to invest in a chair for all the heads you’ll be beating in at the end of the four week regimen.

  • Redbox DVD Prices Are About To Go Up

    Redbox DVD Prices Are About To Go Up

    Redbox is raising its DVD rental price by 25%. The price, which has been $1.20 per night, will be raised to $1.50 per night starting December 2. The price for Blu-rays will go from $1.50 to $2.00 per night.

    Video games will see an even bigger increase going $2.00 to $3.00.

    “With new-release movies for $1.50 a day, Redbox remains the best value in new-release home entertainment. Consumers can continue to expect access to the newest movies months before streaming subscription services and daily prices that are still lower than Video On Demand,” said J. Scott Di Valerio, CEO of Redbox parent company Outerwall. “The pricing adjustments announced today will allow Redbox to continue to offer consumers high quality movies and games while making investments to enhance the customer experience.”

    “Today’s announcement represents the first time Redbox has raised prices on Blu-ray discs and video games and only the second time in more than 12 years that we’ve raised prices on DVDs,” said Di Valerio. “We look forward to continuing to provide consumers with tremendous access to the new-release movies and games they love in the formats they want.”

    The company raised DVD prices from $1 to $1.20 about three years ago.

    Last month, Redbox Instant, which was supposed to be Outerwall’s Netflix competitor for streaming officially closed its doors.

    Image via Facebook

  • Welcome Back, Kotter: Entire Series Available On DVD

    “Up your nose with a rubber hose!”
    “Off my case, toilet-face!”

    Now you can watch all of Vinnie Barbarino’s (John Travolta) rhyming insults. The complete series of Welcome Back, Kotter is now available on DVD. The package consists of 95 episodes over four seasons on 16 DVDs. The double-sided covers are designed to resemble textbooks.

    The sitcom was set in the late 1970s and aired on ABC from September 1975 to June 1979. It was filmed in front of a live studio audience and featured a laugh track. The show starred Gabe Kaplan as the titular Mr. Kotter. The comedy is based on Kaplan’s autobiographical stand-up routine.

    Mr. Kotter returns to his alma mater of James Buchanan High in Brooklyn to teach a classroom of remedial-level students nicknamed the Sweathogs. Mr. Kotter can relate to the kids in this classroom because he used to be just like them, more interested in slacking off and wisecracking than getting an education.

    The spin is that Mr. Kotter was not only a Sweathog back in the day, but he was also the founder of the misfit group. The administration is under the impression that Mr. Kotter will serve as a sort of babysitter to the Sweathogs until they give up on school and drop out. However, Mr. Kotter has other plans, and does his best to provide an education to the students that everyone else has given up on.

    Francis Rizzo III, a writer for DVDTalk, discusses the tone and time of the series:

    There’s a definite value in experiencing the show’s rapid rise and fall over the course of this set, but it also serves as a fascinating time capsule from the late ‘70s, including the fashion and language, as well as some of the cultural touchstones. When a computer is introduced to the classroom, the reaction of the students and teachers to such now-primitive technology is hilarious. Meanwhile, casual racism and misogyny abound, with Asians, including Pat Morita in a guest appearance, get it pretty rough, and women are mainly arm candy, with a few interesting exceptions. The school experience wouldn’t pass muster today either, with aggressive teachers and combative in-class relationships between instructors and students. This set also lets you experience the “joy” of a live ‘70s sitcom audience, a group of people whose bar for entertainment is extremely low.

    You can currently pre-order the DVD set from Amazon for around $82. The official title release date is August 26.

  • Netflix Original ‘Hemlock Grove’ Heads To DVD And Blu-ray

    Netflix Original ‘Hemlock Grove’ Heads To DVD And Blu-ray

    As Netflix prepares to debut the second season of its third original series Hemlock Grove, news is out that the first season is making its way to DVD and Blu-ray courtesy of Scream Factory.

    The distributor announced the news on Facebook:

    Post by Scream Factory.

    Today, Netflix posted a recap of the first season for those who have already seen it, and are getting ready to watch the second season without going back to rewatch the first. It’s even narrated by producer Eli Roth. Check it out here.

    Here’s the Season 2 Trailer:

    Image via Facebook

  • Hulu Original ‘Deadbeat’ Heads To DVD

    Hulu Original ‘Deadbeat’ Heads To DVD

    They don’t get as much media attention as Netflix’s, but Hulu has original shows too. One of them, Deadbeat, is reportedly heading to DVD later this summer.

    The official description from Hulu is as follows:

    Deadbeat is an all new original comedy series. Kevin Pacalioglu (series star Tyler Labine) may have no money and no clue, but he can see dead people, so that’s pretty cool. Faced with a constant stream of stubborn spirits, Pac goes to whatever lengths require the least amount of effort to help New York City’s most frivolous ghosts finish their unfinished business.

    John Squires at DreadCentral shares a snippet from the press release, which gives the series an August 26th DVD (plus digital) release from Lionsgate Home Entertainment.

    The DVD will be available exclusively at Target for about $20, and will come with three bonus featurettes: “Meet Camomile and Sue,” “Meet Pac and Roofie,” and “Medium for Hire – What Is Deadbeat?”.

    You can of course watch the show on Hulu itself. Episodes 1-10 are available for free here.

    Image via Hulu

  • 6.7 Million Still Using Netflix’s DVD Service

    Netflix released its quarterly earnings report on Monday. It also shared a letter to shareholders talking about various elements of its business. One of those elements still brings in a substantial amount of money, but was barely discussed in the letter or the ensuing conference call (in fact, I could be wrong, but I don’t even remember it being brought up during the call).

    Remember DVDs? It’s the format that launched Netflix into existence, and made it a household name. Here’s what little Netflix had to say about DVDs this time around:

    Our DVD-by-mail business continues to delight 6.7 million members. As expected, contribution profit for the segment was $98 million in the quarter and we anticipate $92 million for Q2. The breadth of content choices available on DVD and Blu-ray is unrivaled.

    That’s pretty much it, and it was at the very end of the letter, just before the summary, which said, “We are approaching 50 million global members, but that is far short of HBO’s 130 million. We are eager to close the gap.”

    The letter to shareholders that accompanies the prior quarter’s earnings report introduced the DVD.Netflix.Com branding for envelopes and the DVD web pages.

    As far as we know, Netflix isn’t planning on launching those DVD delivery drones anytime soon.

    CEO Reed Hastings did, however, talk about the company’s relationship with Amazon.

    Netflix has 35.67 million streaming customers in the U.S. It has 12.68 million internationally.

    Image via YouTube

  • ‘House Of Cards’ Season 2 DVD, Blu-ray Release Date Announced

    If you don’t have a Netflix subscription, but are still interested in getting caught up on House of Cards (or if you just want to own a hard copy), the second season will be hitting DVD and Blu-ray on June 17th.

    TVShowsOnDVD.com has what appears to be a press release announcing the release. According to that, bonus features will include:

    – “Two Houses” – Exploring differences between the original show & the history of how this project came together.

    – “Table Read” – A behind-the-scenes look at table reads cut together with the actual scenes from the show.

    – “Direct Address” – Exploring the way Francis talks directly to viewers in both the original & new series

    – “Politics for Politics Sake” – Politics is only the back drop in this show, but the themes are universal. This featurette explores what the show is all about – relationships and power, not just politics.

    – “Line of Succession” – A look at the creative process that goes into making an episode.

    If you’ve not yet seen the second season, you’re in for quite a treat. Hopefully you’ve managed to avoid spoilers all this time. There’s a big one.

    About fifteen percent of Netflix subscribers watched the first episode of the season within a six to height hour period on one ISP, according to reports.

    The show’s third season is in the works, and will likely see a release early next year.

    Image via Facebook

  • Netflix Employee Talks DVD Germs

    You may not hear as much about Netflix’s DVD business as you used to since streaming has taken over in recent years, but plenty of enveloped discs still circulate around the country on a day-to-day basis. Last month, the company said it still has 6.9 million DVD members.

    There’s a good reason for that. The selection is far greater than what Netflix’s streaming service provides, though you need that if you want the originals like House of Cards and Orange is the New Black (at least the current seasons).

    Ever wondered how many germs are on those DVDs that go from house to house? Well, you’re not the only one.

    The subject came up on Quora recently, where a Netflix employee chimed in to talk about the company’s disc cleaning process. James Schek, who works on the Netflix Content Delivery Network, said:

    After a DVD is received at a distribution center, it is cleaned and sanitized before being put back into distribution. Even if they were not cleaned, a particular distribution center only services a single geographic area. It’s unlikely that a discs going through a single distribution center could spread a pathogen around the entire country.

    In the case of the flu, this isn’t an issue anyway. The flu virus can only survive for 2 to 8 hours on a hard surface. Generally, there is more than 8 hours of elapsed time between the time a customer puts a DVD in the mail and it is opened by the next customer.

    This topic came up back in 2009 when East Texas’ KLTV (via Hacking Netflix)put six DVDs under the microscope, and found “nothing that could potentially cause disease.”

    Still, people should probably stop putting their tongues on DVDs, which is apparently quite common in the stock photography world. Also, it might not be a bad idea for Netflix to keep any DVD-delivering drones out of the men’s room.

    Images via ThinkStock, YouTube

  • Here’s Netflix’s Answer To Amazon’s Drones

    It seems a little late for a parody of Amazon’s drone video from December, but Netflix has one out. It was uploaded a week ago by Netflix’s Paul Johnson (for some reason not yet on the company’s official YouTube channel), but it’s just starting to get some attention thanks to Hacking Netflix.

    “Here at Netflix, we’re committed to cutting edge advancements in entertainment,” says Hank breeggemann, GM of Netflix’s DVD Division, in the video. “From revolutionizing the home video rental market to our industry-leading streaming service with award-winning content. Now we’re getting back to our creative roots with our groundbreaking same-day home delivery subscription service ‘Drone 2 Home’.”

    “That’s right,” he continues.”Our fleet of high-tech drones will deliver your disc to you within mere seconds of you adding it to your queue. Unlike other companies trying to rush unproven technology to market, we have literally spent days working out most of the bugs. By enabling location services on your smartphone, the disc can come right to you, wherever you may be.”

    The end of the video shows the DVD.Netflix.Com brand the company recently announced with its latest earnings report.

    According to Engadget, the video was produced for the Netflix DVD division’s annual meeting.

    Image via YouTube

  • Amazon Is Taking Pre-Orders For ‘Arrested Development’ Season 4 DVD

    Arrested Development: Season 4 appears to be coming to DVD in the near future. The season debuted as a Netflix original last May.

    Amazon is now accepting pre-orders for the season, but no release date is given. The price is $20.99. No official announcement has been made so far.

    This wouldn’t be the first Netflix original to hit DVD. House of Cards: Season 1 was released back in June. The first season of Lilyhammer is also available, and Netflix has said that Orange is the New Black will make its way to the format eventually.

    It’s unclear when Arrested Development fans will get to see the next chapter in that saga, though last we heard, the movie is a go, and Netflix will still be involved.

    Via TV Shows on DVD

    Image via Amazon

  • Netflix To Give DVD Service A Little Rebranding

    Netflix just released its earnings report for Q4, and DVDs are still contributing what the company considers “roughly stable” profit at $110 million for the quarter.

    The company’s DVD business is the foundation on which the company is based, but is rarely discussed these days as the streaming side of things has taken over.

    Netflix still has 6.9 million DVD members it says “value the tremendous selection” it offers. There’s no question that the selection is much greater than its more popular streaming service offers. For many members, the DVD service supplements the streaming service by providing the content not available via the latter. People seem to forget sometimes that the streaming service was initially offered as a free bonus for subscribers.

    The DVD service will be getting a little rebranding. Don’t expect another Qwikster debacle or anything, but they’re doing a little to separate the two services again. In a letter to shareholders, CEO Reed Hastings and CFO David Wells write:

    In the coming months, we’ll begin using dvd.netflix.com on our envelopes and on the DVD web pages. The dvd.netflix.com logo will feature our iconic envelope in a nod to our DVD-by-mail heritage, representing the huge selection that DVD offers; nearly every movie ever made.

    It also offers all that HBO content it can’t give its subscribers on the streaming service too, by the way. Granted, it tends to be about a year after it first airs.

    Some Netflix original content has made its way to DVD already, with more to come.

    Netflix expects profits from DVD to be down to $98 million in the first quarter.

    Image via Netflix

  • Black Sabbath: New DVD and Guitarist Alive and Well

    Today’s Lesson: Tell your rocker friends immediately to never make a “Get Well” song about you.

    Black Sabbath, the English rock band led by Ozzy Osbourne, have been thrashing since 1968. After a long hiatus, they released Live…Gathered in Their Masses this year on November 26th to great reception.

    This recent release follows up their comeback studio album entitled 13. Beyond it being Black Sabbath’s first album since 1995, one of the most interesting facts about this album involves a song that didn’t even make 13 at all.

    During the Black Sabbath’s reunion, guitarist Tony Iommi was diagnosed with lymphoma. Bassist Geezer Butler was inspired by the bad news to write a song entitled Hanging by a Thread. He recently told Revolver magazine that the song was,”very much about dying, about giving your last breath and passing your spirit on.”

    Which could be seen as a compassionate and moving gesture– except that Tony Iommi is alive and well at least a year later after the song was penned.

    Black Sabbath has had an excellent (and death-free, thankfully) year with a number one album in numerous countries and a Living Legend award at the Classic Rock awards. The Live…Gathered in their Masses DVD is receiving rave reviews such as these,

    and we wish Tony Iommi the best on his current fight. Looking forward to what the future holds for Black Sabbath.

    [image: Youtube]

  • ‘Orange Is The New Black’ Season 1 DVD Release Date To Be Announced

    While the release is still to be announced, you can rest assured that Netflix’s Orange is the New Black: Season 1 will be coming to DVD. If you don’t subscribe to Netflix, but you’re curious about what all the hype is about, this applies to you.

    It also applies to you if you do subscribe to Netflix, but only the DVD-by-mail service, and not the streaming service (or obviously if you just want to own it).

    While Netflix produces its original shows for its streaming service, the DVD/Blu-ray formats give these programs the chance to find a much wider audience. House of Cards was released to DVD/Blu-ray in June, though curiously, Lilyhammer, Netflix’s first original, appears to have only been released to DVD in the UK. Here in the U.S., you still have to subscribe to Netflix’s streaming service to watch it, though Netflix offers House of Cards discs for its DVD customers.

    When House of Cards was released to DVD, it also became available to stream with Amazon. Episodes are available for purchase on an episode-by-episode basis ($1.99 a piece – even for HD). Presumably, OITNB will follow suit.

    The House of Cards DVD/Blu-ray prices were listed as $55.99 and $65.99 respectively (though Amazon Prime members can get them for significantly cheaper). It seems likely that OITNB will follow a similar pricing model.

    We’ve confirmed with Netflix that the show will indeed come to DVD. A Blu-ray release is unconfirmed, but highly likely. We’ve reached out for confirmation.

    If your’e a fan of creator Jenjji Kohan’s work, you might also be interested to know that Weeds: The Complete Collection is coming to Blu-ray in November. That’s all eight seasons.

    Orange is The New Black: Season 2 is currently in production, and is due out in 2014. According to cast members, the writing has only gotten better.

    Image: Netflix (YouTube)

  • Amazon Is Not Above Suggesting Users Watch A Netflix Original

    Amazon and Netflix have become direct competitors in the online streaming video content space. Netflix is on a roll with its original shows, and Amazon is following suit (though it won’t be releasing entire seasons of shows all at once in Netflix fashion).

    But Netflix wants a wider audience for its shows beyond its own members, so it is releasing them on DVD (Lilyhammer Season 1 is also available). House of Cards Season 1 was released on DVD and Blu-ray earlier this month, and of course, it’s available on Amazon. Now Amazon is going so far as to suggest that users buy the Netflix original series by sending emails to users.

    House of Cards

    Perhaps Netflix will gain a few subscribers in time for Season 2, which is currently filming.

  • House Of Cards Season 1 Hits DVD, Blu-Ray On Tuesday

    The first season of Netflix original hit House of Cards hits DVD and Blu-ray on Tuesday. Now people who aren’t subscribed to Netflix (and those who only subscribe to the DVD part of the service) will be able to watch the show that got so many people talking.

    The DVD list price is $55.99, with Blu-ray running $65.99, though Amazon is offering them for $24.99 and $29.99 respectively.

    The show, which stars Kevin Spacey, and was produced by David Fincher, was first released in February to rave reviews. It quickly became the most popular TV show on IMDB. The show got so big it was even spoofed at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner.

    Season 2 is currently in production. While little is known about the forthcoming season, it is filming in Maryland. This is the second Netflix original to get renewed for a second season. Filming has wrapped on the first one, Lilyhammer, though a release date for the season has yet to be announced.

    Netflix’s follow-up to House of Cards, Hemlock Grove, has yet to be renewed, but fans are salivating in hopes that it will happen, and the latest – Arrested Development – has had the web buzzing since its release last month.

    Last week, Netflix debuted the trailers for its upcoming series Orange is the New Black and a stand-up special from comedian John Hodgman.

  • Domino’s Creates A DVD With Pizza Smell As Part Of New Ad Campaign

    Domino’s Creates A DVD With Pizza Smell As Part Of New Ad Campaign

    Domino’s is no stranger to odd and bizarre marketing stunts. It’s latest – a DVD that smells like a pizza – may be one of its strangest (and most brilliant) yet.

    Creativity Online reports that Domino’s Brazil has teamed up with ten video retal stores in Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro to cover popular DVDs with a thermal ink that lets off a pizza smell when heated. When the movie was over, the heated DVD would give off a pizza smell to the consumer. It was also painted to look like a pizza with the message, “Did you enjoy the movie? The next one will be even better with a hot and delicious Domino’s Pizza.”

    I have to admit – it’s a pretty brilliant marketing strategy. It’s especially effective in countries like Brazil where streaming services have yet to really take off. Most consumers have to rely on DVD rental stores to check out the latest movies. Making the DVD smell like pizza would definitely make me hungry, and it just might work on hungry Brazilians as well.

  • Mad Men Season 5 DVD, Blu-Ray Release Date Is 10/16

    Mad Men Season 5 will be available on DVD and Blu-Ray, and for digital download on Tuesday, October 16.

    AMC says in a blog post, ” The AMC premiere of Season Five was the most watched Mad Men episode ever, up over 21% from the previous season premiere. Mad Men continues to establish itself as one of the most honored series in television history, winning its fourth consecutive Emmy for Outstanding Drama Series last year, a milestone achieved by only three other shows in history (Hill Street Blues, L.A. Law, The West Wing).”

    Here are the special features that will be included on the DVD/Blu-Ray releases:

    • “Mad Men Say the Darndest Things” – Take a look at the best one-liners from the series and perhaps you will see your favorite!
    • “The Uniform Time Act of 1966” – A pictorial timeline explores the history of Daylight Savings Time and its official observance in the United States.
    • “What Shall I Love If Not the Enigma?” – A glance into the life and work of metaphysical artist Giorgio de Chirico.
    • “The Party of the Century” – Author Deborah Davis and legendary bandleader Peter Duchin take you inside Truman Capote’s infamous Black & White Masquerade Ball.
    • “Scoring Mad Men: Inside a Session” – Join composer David Carbonara, orchestrator Geoff Stradling and sound engineer Jim Hill in the recording studio as they discuss their formula for scoring Mad Men.
    • “Newsweek Magazine Digital Gallery” – A selection of Newsweek Magazine covers share the top news stories from around the world in 1966.
    • Mad Men Season Five commentaries – Matthew Weiner and the cast and crew of Mad Men take viewers behind the scenes in feature-length audio commentaries for all 13 episodes.

    It’s unclear when the fifth season will hit Netflix Instant, though it will most likely be just ahead of the Season 6 premiere. It looks like there will be at least two more seasons, based on contract extensions for cast members.

  • Netflix Earnings Report Includes Return To Profitability

    Netflix Earnings Report Includes Return To Profitability

    Netflix released its Q2 earnings report today. Domestic streaming revenue was up to $533 million from $507 million the previous quarter. International streaming revenue was up to $65 million from $43 million the previous quarter.

    Domestic DVD revenue was down to $291 million from $320 million the previous quarter, and global revenue was up to $889 million from $870 million the previous quarter.

    In a letter to shareholders from CEO Reed Hastings and CFO David Wells, the company says, “In Q2, we achieved financial performance in the top half of our guidance in nearly every metric, and have returned to profitability.”

    The company says it has 24 million domestic streaming members, and is in 10% of Canadian households after 22 months in that country. Netflix recently surpassed a million members in the Latin America region. After six months in the UK and Ireland, Netflix also has a million members in that region.

    “We believe we have pulled ahead of LOVEFiLM in every important streaming-related metric,” the letter says. “Going forward, competing effectively with Sky is our core and substantial challenge.”

    Netflix says it expects to be profitable again in Q3, and in Q4 will launch its next international market, which will drive it temporarily back into the red.