While more and more BlockBuster and Hollywood Videos crumble under that weight of the almighty NetFlix, the beast is still not satisfied.  I literally just got an email from NetFlix saying that on April 27th they will be increasing Blu Ray rates from $1 to $3 dollars a month!  Six months or so ago, I got an email saying that since Blu Ray movies are more pricey to purchase that the customer should pay one dollar more a month for access.  That’s fine, I agree with that, but now a bump to $3 a month!  That’s too much!  Is NetFlix just greedy or is this a legitimate increase?  Lame I say.

Dear Jeff,

You are receiving this email because you added unlimited Blu-ray access to your account for $1 a month. The number of Blu-ray titles has increased significantly and will continue to do so. As we buy more, you are able to choose from a rapidly expanding selection of Blu-ray titles. And as you’ve probably heard, Blu-ray discs are substantially more expensive than standard definition DVDs.

As a result, the monthly charge for Blu-ray access is increasing for most plans and will now vary by plan. The charge for monthly Blu-ray access on your 2 DVDs at-a-time (Unlimited) plan will increase from $1 a month to $3 a month. The price of your 2 DVDs at-a-time (Unlimited) plan is not changing and remains at $13.99 a month.

The new charge for Blu-ray access will be automatically added to your next billing statement on or after April 27, 2009 and will be referenced in your Membership Terms and Details.

If you wish to continue unlimited Blu-ray access for $3 a month, you don’t need to do anything. If not, you can remove Blu-ray access anytime by visiting Your Account.

If you have questions about this change or need any assistance, please call us anytime at 1-888-923-0898.

-The Netflix Team