Archives for : Television

Confessions of a Netflix Newbie

Shhh. Don’t tell my kids but I can access Netflix. And I am liking it, for the most part.

Yes, for many people watching on-demand video is nothing new. As has been noted here and elsewhere, however, we don’t have a lot of spare time and just don’t watch many movies. We do watch an average of two to three family flicks a month. And occasionally my wife and I have a date night in front of the TV. But we’re not heavy consumers of film, despite my love for the medium.

It has been a decade or two since I watched any television show with regularity. Really, I have never seen a full episode of “Lost,” or “24,” or “The Office,” or any other popular show. I’m a busy guy.

Where I DO want – need is a better word -to have screen time on a consistent basis is when I work out in the mornings. On an elliptical it is difficult to keep a steady pace up for 30 minutes without something relatively engaging to watch. My mind needs to be occupied while my body is hitting that optimal heart rate. For many years I’ve relied on the good ol’ local library for DVDs, but that does require time and effort, and it is also a hit-or-miss proposition…inventory is limited to whatever has been sitting on the shelf or has been recently returned.

So, the revelation…I’ve recently been watching some films and TV series on an iPad as I work out. The offerings aren’t as extensive as I’d like, but many movies of interest can be found on Netflix. That is a pretty good source for my exercise time, reduces my visits to the library (sorry PPLD) and affords a better variety of viewing. Not perfect, but I can see the day when we’ll use it more.

I am open to suggestions from Netflix junkies…what do I need to know to really take advantage of the service – or perhaps of Hulu?

And I guess next up is an Apple TV, Roku or similar device?