Netflix is exiting the previously-viewed DVD market. In a blog post Monday, the company said it would stop selling DVDs to its members as of November 30 to focus on DVD rentals and streaming video. “Our core business is delivering great movie rentals to you on DVD by mail and instantly to the computer and TV,” a Netflix representative says in the post. “So we’ve decided it makes sense for us to focus exclusively on that.”
According to comments on the blog post, some members are unhappy about the decision, and many are concerned that Netflix will eventually get out of the disc business entirely–even for rentals. Netflix’s streaming service already is popular with PC users, and just last week, Netflix expanded that streaming service to Mac users.
Still, despite a bigger push into the streaming market and the service’s rising popularity, it seems very unlikely that Netflix would give up on its physical disc rental service anytime soon. This is especially true given recent statements by Netflix CEO Reed Hastings about the importance of Blu-ray to the company’s future.
So where are all those used DVDs going if they’re not being sold to members? Netflix seems to be selling the used discs to wholesalers who then re-sell them. In fact, there are reports that used Netflix DVDs are already showing up on New York City street corners. So after November 30, you might want to consider a trip to the Big Apple to satisfy your need for cheap and legal discs.