WTF Netflix!?!?!

How is it that Netflix is (seemingly) so successful?

I recently jumped on the Sopranos "bandwagon" (after the series ended). So I joined Netflix, and started watching the DVDs of the series in order.

However, occasionally I'd get a bad disc; and a visible inspection of the surface of the DVD revealed a lot of scratches and evidence of heavy usage. At first, it was a minor inconvenience since Netflix would let you "report" the damaged disc and would promptly send out a replacement the next day.

But it's since grown from an annoyance to pretty much unacceptable for service that one would pay money for. I'm up to Season 5: Disc 4 - got half way through the disc (Adriana just got whacked), and it skips and freezes. I have to eject the disc just to get control of the player again.

Get this: I'm on my 3rd replacement of this particular disc, and they still skip. The last one they sent out was actually cracked from the middle.

I have 3 DVD players and these Netflix discs would skip & be unplayable in all of them. I have other DVDs (ones I own or borrow from friends), and they play just fine. It's these visibly scratched Netflix discs that constantly have problems.

So the burning question on my mind is: How can Netflix be surviving, much less making a profit while running a business like this? I mean really, WTF? Is there any kind of quality-control check on their product going on over there?

Well, I've had it. My Netflix membership is being canceled and I'll get my Sopranos "fix" elsewhere. Hopefully a Netflix competitor does this sort of thing better.