Contributor: Kyle Smeby

My brother and his wife joined Netflix over a year ago, and they love it. My boss joined Netflix shortly thereafter and he loves it. My neighbor joined Netflix and she loves it. After about a year of thinking about it I finally joined Netflix and the only question I have is why it took me so long in the first place.

It doesn't sound like anything revolutionary. You make a list of movies on the Netflix website and they mail them to you one, two, three or more at a time (up to 8, depending on the plan you are on). You watch each movie as you get around to it and then return it in the self addressed stamped envelope they provide. Then they send you the next one on your list. That's it.

My wife and I signed up for the two DVDs at-a-time program for $14.99 a month and we've probably been averaging between 12-16 movies a month. Furthermore we don't have to go out of our way to get or return the movies. They come in our mail each afternoon and we drop them in with the outgoing mail each morning.

And that's what makes it revolutionary. For about a dollar a movie and with less effort than going to the video store my wife and I can watch just about every movie ever made and most TV shows. That still doesn't sound as impressive as it is because the way you choose what you want to watch fundamentally changes once you have access to such an extensive library and the movies keep on coming.

You may start out watching new releases or maybe you had a few hard to find titles in mind when you signed up, but once those are past (and they pass very quickly) you find yourself in virgin territory. Faced with a large buffet and some recommendations based on what you've said you've liked in the past--you just start choosing stuff. What's especially refreshing are all the documentaries and educational programming you wouldn't have found anywhere else that are surprisingly entertaining.

Watch all you want with no advertising.

Enjoy.

P.S. Just FYI my wife and I upgraded to the 3 DVD at-a-time plan because we occasionally found ourselves with no movies on weekends if we decided to watch the movies we had on Thursday or Friday.