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There's a secret new feature in NetFlix allowing an unlimited number of movie views. It's called "Watch Online." As long as your computer can handle the downloads, thousands of NetFlix movies are available for viewing. The "browse instant" tab identifies movies in your queue which you can watch immediately online - without even waiting for the DVD to arrive.

Unfortunately, this won't cover every movie - but NetFlix can mail you the rest of them. Here's some other handy tips for getting the most out of your NetFlix account.

* Watch the calendar. NetFlix has a nationwide network of distribution centers, meaning their turn-around time is surprisingly fast for most major cities. But mail isn't delivered on Sundays, meaning a DVD returned Friday can still mean a long wait through Tuesday for the next DVD.

* Stock up. NetFlix has also admitted they'll "throttle" delivery speeds for their DVDs, deliberately slowing down new deliveries if you've already viewed too many movies. It's sometimes worth it to pay the extra $5 a month for the right to keep an extra movie at home. Then there's an additional disc to keep you entertained while waiting on the mailman!

* The Secret NetFlix Community. Recently NetFlix launched an experimental bulletin board where users can discuss movies online. It's at NetflixCommunity.Ning.com , and it's one of the best ways to connect with other NetFlix users.

* Movies get damaged. Popular movies spend a lot of time in the mail, and it's frustrating to watch the DVD freeze or skip in the middle of a film. Using glass cleaner on the DVD will usually eliminate the skip-causing oil from too many fingerprints - and if a movie is too damaged, it can be returned. NetFlix will send the replacement disc before you've even returned the original - often within one day - if you let them know online.

* Buy DVDs. You can own a favorite film instead of renting it for as little as $6.00. It's a cheap way to buy gifts for friends (and it's one DVD that never has to be returned!)

* Choose the right plan. NetFlix offers nine different billing plans, including the gratuitous "eight at a time" option. But for just $8.99 a month, NetFlix will deliver an unlimited movies to your house on the "one at a time plan." And NetFlix's cheapest option is surprisingly effective - the "one at a time/two a month" plan. A single DVD can contain eight half-hour episodes of a classic TV show. Not only does this eliminate the need to watch the entire DVD in a single setting - that one rental can provide entertainment for many different nights. (And even this plan allows two hours of online viewing - in effect granting a third movie viewing each month.)

* Watch previews online. If you enjoy movie previews, one of the tabs in the second row will display a never-ending stream of new release previews in whatever category you select.

Someday going to movie theatres may only be remembered as an old-fashioned custom that started dying in the first decade of the 21st century. But even when that day comes - we'll still have NetFlix!

Learn more about this author, Moe Zilla.
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