I was a subscriber to Netflix for a few years and absolutely loved the service, even forking out the extra few bucks in order to rent Blu-Ray. After the first several months, they announced an increase in price.. which I didn't mind as it was still cheaper than renting the movies from any other rental place and gave me the flexibility I desired. Then they increased again, still I stayed on ship. But when they started putting more investment into instant watch opposed to rentals, including the pricing, I had to bid a farewell. It is a common belief that digital copies and online streaming is THE future for entertainment, and I have to admit, I somewhat agree. The only problem is that it's the FUTURE, the technology just doesn't have the capacity to sustain it yet. When I want to watch a movie, I want the ability to turn it on and go.

I live in Kansas, and I know that the highest possible internet out here isn't the same as on the east or west coast, but with that being said, I have the highest option available to me. Still, when I would queue a movie on instant watch, I'd still have to let the movie buffer for more than a few minutes just to get a consistent quality, and still it wasn't near as crisp of a picture as an up-converted DVD, let alone Blu-Ray quality. I want to enjoy every aspect of a movie, not just watching it. Until bandwidth levels allow for a consistent 1080p or even 720p online stream, DVD/Blu-Ray rentals are going to be priority number one. I may be part of the minority, but I'm sure that there are many who left for a similar reason. Hastings needs to do right by the dedicated consumer and admit his mistake. I'm sure Redbox and Blockbuster Express aren't complaining though