End of an era: Netflix is ending mailed DVD service after 25 years

AppleInsider

Netflix has announced that it will ship out its last DVD on September 29, transitioning existing DVD subscribers to streaming-only subscriptions.

A Netflix Red Envelope | Image credit: Netflix

On Tuesday, Netflix announced that it would end its DVD subscription, which allowed users to rent DVDs via the mail system.

Founded on August 29, 1997, Netflix started as a mail-based rental system for DVDs. Users would receive a DVD in the mail, watch it, and then return the DVD via a prepaid envelope.

It wasn't until a decade later, in 2007, that the company would introduce streaming media and video-on-demand.

Now, the company is ending its 25-year-long DVD subscription service. Netflix will ship out its final red envelope on September 29, and subscribers will have until October 27 to return any discs in their possession.

On September 29th, 2023, we will send out the last red envelope. It has been a true pleasure and honor to deliver movie nights to our wonderful members for 25 years. Thank you for being part of this incredible journey, including this final season of red envelopes. pic.twitter.com/9lAntaL2ww

-- DVD Netflix (@dvdnetflix)

April 18, 2023

Those with a streaming and DVD subscription will be converted to streaming-only services. All users with DVD subscriptions will be canceled automatically.

Subscribers who have more questions are encouraged to visit the Netflix DVD FAQ.

DVD and Blu-Ray sales have been on the decline for several years, while the U.S. streaming market has continued to grow.

According to data analytics company Kantar, 89% of U.S. households stream video content into their homes. In addition, the average household now subscribes to 5.4 different streaming services.


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DAalseth

Honestly I thought they had phased that out a few years ago. 

foregoneconclusion

Kind of what I figured would happen after they spent so much time hyping the "25 years!" aspect to the remaining subscribers (like myself). Ultimately, the disc-rental-through-the-mail idea was one of the best ideas to come out of the original 1990's internet boom. 

lkrupp

BiC said:

Darn it! Now I have to go back to Torrents. Sad Sad Day.  What am I going to do with all my computers with a DVD reader.

Are you proud of being a common thief? You’d rent a DVD but steal a stream?

ronn

Like others, I thought they ended the mailed DVD service years ago. I remember my twin and I were the first in our circles to try it. Oy, the times we held on to a DVD forever, trying to find time to watch with our busy schedules. Took me forever to try streaming with Netflix.

geekmee

For those of us who had there 70th birthday this year….

There’s a joke in here somewhere.

Japhey

JP234 said:

Whole lotta red necks gonna miss the red box.

Aside from needlessly insulting a bunch of people, what in the hell are you talking about now? Red Box and Netflix are 2 completely different companies, and this article was only about one of them. 

FFS, try thinking for once before posting every little thought that pops into your head. 

Japhey

geekmee said:

For those of us who had there 70th birthday this year….

There’s a joke in here somewhere.

Have you found it yet?

blastdoor

lkrupp said:

BiC said:

Darn it! Now I have to go back to Torrents. Sad Sad Day.  What am I going to do with all my computers with a DVD reader.

Are you proud of being a common thief? You’d rent a DVD but steal a stream?

I am an exceptional thief, mrs mcclane…

ArianneFeldry

lkrupp said:

BiC said:

Darn it! Now I have to go back to Torrents. Sad Sad Day.  What am I going to do with all my computers with a DVD reader.

Are you proud of being a common thief? You’d rent a DVD but steal a stream?

That jerk stole the stream! Think of the poor family who won't be able to watch a movie become someone copied it!

retrogusto

I hope one of the main streaming services will take the opportunity to license more of the vast number of great movies that will now be impossible to see otherwise. I’ve kept my Netflix DVD subscription because it still has a broader catalog than any streaming service, maybe better than all of them combined, because they have almost everything released on home video in the past 25 years, which includes most of the original content from the streaming services (e.g. HBO series, Hulu series, Netflix original movies). Plus, blu-ray picture quality is better than 1080p streaming, and of course, no commercials apart from maybe trailers on the DVD or blu-ray. I subscribe to a lot of streaming services, but still have 172 movies in my Netflix queue. I guess I’d better get watching. To their credit, Netflix is allowing customers to download a file with some of their personal stats, includIng the movies they’ve seen and rated.

king editor the grate

When friends talk about Netflixxx originals they've enjoyed, I say we don't have their streaming, just Blu-rays in mail, which is inevitably followed by "I didn't know they still did that."

At one point I had 500 movies in queue, which hit the cap, and I had to keep a list elsewhere. It's now just more than 300. I cancelled Netflixxx streaming because none of the hundreds of movies I wanted to see were available via streaming. In addition to old-timey classics (and many that could barely be categorized as dreck) it was nice to get new releases as we frequently watch a movie over course of a few daze. Rental prices from Mapple seem high, and I don't need pressure of the time limit.

Ohs, well. I better get back to shaking my fist at that smug cloud that thinks it's so big and fluffy ...

ravnorodom

Gosh. Future doesn’t look too good for Red Box. I used to rent DVDs from Red Box but returning them back to the kiosk becomeing pain in the neck. I am willing to pay a bit more for streaming rental. 

MplsP

There are still large parts of the country that don’t have good, reliable broadband access. For those people DVDs are the only practical way to watch movies. Seems like they’re stuck with Redbox now. 

BlueLightning

retrogusto said:

I hope one of the main streaming services will take the opportunity to license more of the vast number of great movies that will now be impossible to see otherwise. I’ve kept my Netflix DVD subscription because it still has a broader catalog than any streaming service, maybe better than all of them combined, because they have almost everything released on home video in the past 25 years, which includes most of the original content from the streaming services (e.g. HBO series, Hulu series, Netflix original movies). Plus, blu-ray picture quality is better than 1080p streaming, and of course, no commercials apart from maybe trailers on the DVD or blu-ray. I subscribe to a lot of streaming services, but still have 172 movies in my Netflix queue. I guess I’d better get watching. To their credit, Netflix is allowing customers to download a file with some of their personal stats, includIng the movies they’ve seen and rated.

Infrequently, I run into something that is only available on VHS (odd, but true).  Wonder how many movies are VHS (or even Betamax) only.  Some of these are early 1980s made for TV movies.  Haven't been able to find a few online either.  There are a few specialty vendors that have bought some of these from CBS and others.  Still have one working VHS player, and two working VHS recorders (as part of VHS/DVD combos).  Not sure I know anyone who ever owned a Sony Betamax unit.  

For the next few years, plan on watching stuff offered free on Amazon Prime.  Then, maybe, start paying for a few chargeable items a month (likely cheaper than maintaining multiple streaming subscriptions).  Then, maybe, rotating thru each of the services (one at a time, maybe for 1-2 years each).