Netflix's streaming option: The DVD isn't dead yet

Judging by some of the Facebook updates and tweets I saw yesterday, a fair number of people are excited about the less-expensive, streaming-only option that's been added by Netflix. After all, it represents what consumers love - instant gratification for less money.

But before you go downgrading your membership to the streaming-only option, ask yourself one simple question: do you have a lot of movie catching-up to do or are you one of those people who watches out for new releases to put into the queue?

If you're the type who still hasn't seen the first Iron Man, let alone Iron Man 2, then this streaming deal may be a good option for you. But if you're looking to watch both of those movies during an Iron Man marathon over the weekend, you'll need to keep paying the extra $1 for the DVD option - at least for a few more months.

As you can see, not all movies in the Netflix catalog are available for streaming.

The Hangover? The Departed? Tarantino's Inglourious Basterds? All of them are DVD only.

That's not to say that the streaming-only option - at a lower price - isn't a great deal. Netflix certainly has made a name for itself in the streaming business, pushing the streaming app into set-top boxes and video game consoles so that the streams aren't just being watched on laptops or the iPad, but also on big-screen living room TVs, too - the way some movies should be watched.

And eventually, the company will cut the deals, presumably with the studios, to make the full catalog, including new releases, available for both streaming and DVD rentals. In August, for example, the company announced a deal to make movies from Lions Gate, MGM and Paramount Pictures available for streaming.

But until the full catalog is available for streaming, you might want to consider paying that extra buck for a few more months - just to make sure you can watch any movie in the Netflix catalog.