Monday, February 16, 2009

FeedFlix: How to Tell if Netflix is Worth It

By Christina Conley

If you've ever wanted to know if you're getting the most out of your online DVD rental subscription (and really, who among us has never calculated their usage and done a quick cost-benefit analysis?), FeedFlix might just be the ideal service for you.

FeedFlix is free, and functions by aggregating RSS feeds from the Netflix service to compile usage statistics for you and other FeedFlix users. With it you can see in objective terms how much value you're getting out of Netflix.

Signing up is easy. Point your browser, and enter your Netflix username and password. It's important to note that Feedflix is not owned by Netflix; they just consume Netflix RSS feeds and obtain an authorization token directly from Netflix.

After this is done, FeedFlix will start analyzing your rental and return history from your RSS fees. Within a few minutes, your home page will be filled with some interesting numbers. It's probably easiest to watch the video above to see what this looks like, but here are a few things you'll find:

* Average rentals per month * How long you hold movies on average * The calculated cost per DVD delivered to your door * Your total average cost per rental, including streaming video * Trend chart of your weekly rentals * How your numbers compare to other FeedFlix users

You'll also find some interesting aggregate information about users of the Netflix service in general. For example, how your usage and return rates compare to others, what the most requested movies are, which movies are stocked in the largest quantities, historical rentals and favorites, and more.

What makes the web site so interesting is its singular focus. It will show you at a glance if you really are getting your money's worth out of Netflix.

Being a long-time, active online DVD rental fan, I have some detailed perspectives on both Blockbuster and Netflix. Check out my Netflix and Blockbuster review if you're thinking about joining one of these services. It is the most comprehensive, objective review available for these two services. - 16887

About the Author:

No comments: