'ZDNET Recommends': What exactly does it mean?
ZDNET's recommendations are based on many hours of testing, research, and comparison shopping. We gather data from the best available sources, including vendor and retailer listings as well as other relevant and independent reviews sites. And we pore over customer reviews to find out what matters to real people who already own and use the products and services we’re assessing.
When you click through from our site to a retailer and buy a product or service, we may earn affiliate commissions. This helps support our work, but does not affect what we cover or how, and it does not affect the price you pay. Neither ZDNET nor the author are compensated for these independent reviews. Indeed, we follow strict guidelines that ensure our editorial content is never influenced by advertisers.
ZDNET's editorial team writes on behalf of you, our reader. Our goal is to deliver the most accurate information and the most knowledgeable advice possible in order to help you make smarter buying decisions on tech gear and a wide array of products and services. Our editors thoroughly review and fact-check every article to ensure that our content meets the highest standards. If we have made an error or published misleading information, we will correct or clarify the article. If you see inaccuracies in our content, please report the mistake via this form.
Plot twist: Netflix lets subscribers keep unreturned DVDS for free
Those of you who subscribe to Netflix's DVD mail-order business have always had to return the rented discs to avoid being charged for them. But with the service soon to close its doors, Netflix will apparently look the other way if you choose to hang onto your remaining discs. And that doesn't include just one or two DVDs but potentially as many as 10.
In a Monday post published on X, formerly known as Twitter, Netflix said that it would not charge for any unreturned discs after September 29 and told subscribers to enjoy your final shipments for as long as you like. The post itself was an attempt to clarify what Netflix called all the "news headlines out there" that seemingly gave mixed messages over whether or not people had to return the discs following the demise of the service.
Also: 5 reasons why DVDs still have their place, especially for serious movie buffs
The confusion followed an announcement by Netflix that offered subscribers a chance to win as many as 10 extra discs shipped to them on the final day of the service. Visiting the Finale Surprise website and signing in with your Netflix DVD account automatically qualifies you, though there's no guarantee you'll be one of the lucky ones to receive all those DVDs.
This past April, Netflix broke the news that its familiar red-enveloped DVD service would end with the shipment of its final discs on September 29. Providing films and TV shows by mail for a quarter of a century, the DVD service was responsible for sending 5 billion DVD and Blu-ray rentals to customers since its inception in April of 1998.
Also: You'll never guess how much this TCL TV costs by the looks of it
But with faster and easier streaming options grabbing more business, Netflix found it increasingly difficult to justify the efforts put into the DVD rental trade. Revenue from the DVD service declined steadily over the years as the company steered customers toward the streaming plans. In 2022, Netflix's DVD rentals accounted for $145.7 million in sales (down 20% from 2021), representing just 0.5% of total revenue, according to an April story from Variety.
People accustomed to streaming their favorite entertainment whenever and wherever they like might question why in 2023 Netflix customers continued to rent DVDs by mail. As a classic film lover and someone who's subscribed to the service for years, I have a simple answer. So many great films, especially ones from the Golden Age, simply aren't available for streaming, either through Netflix or other services.
Also: Best VPN for streaming: Unblock your favorite streaming services now
To quench my thirst for classic films, I subscribe to The Criterion Channel. I'm also a subscriber of Amazon Prime, which offers a fair selection of older movies for streaming, though most of them require a rental fee. I'd love to get TCM, but my limited cable package doesn't include it, and I'm willing to shell out only so much money on entertainment. That left Netflix DVDs as the best source for films, and not just older classics but newer releases.
I'll be sad to see the service fade into the sunset. I always looked forward to finding that red envelope from Netflix in the mail, knowing that a great film or TV show awaited me. But one small consolation is that I'll be able to keep my last few DVDs so I can watch and rewatch them whenever I want.