Netflix finally offering $7.99 monthly plan for streaming videos only

The writing's been on the wall for some time as more home theater and mobile devices offer Netflix's on-demand service, but the company has finally created a monthly payment plan for streaming videos only. For $7.99 per month, you can stream as much as you want -- but you can receive no DVDs.

For those who don't mind that Netflix's Watch Instantly service doesn't have the latest movies and who don't care if they ever receive another DVD in the mail (in my case, to inevitably lose for six months), the deal is a boon. A bit of bad news accompanies this announcement, though, for people who do like receiving their rentals via the postal service: Netflix has raised the price of all unlimited DVD plans. Those who want one or two DVDs out at a time will pay a $1 extra per month, while those who want more DVDs out at a time will pay anywhere from $3 to $8 more monthly. The limited plan (two rentals per month, one DVD out at a time) still costs $4.99 per month and doesn't include streaming. New customers will receive the higher pricing immediately, while existing customers will get the bump in January.

Is $7.99 per month the right price for these premium streaming video services? Hulu Plus pricing was just sliced from $9.99 monthly to the same $7.99 cost. Which is the better deal for that amount -- Hulu Plus or Netflix? Let us know in the Comments section.

[Via Engadget]