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1998 - 2023
Netflix DVD-by-Mail
“Please return in the prepaid envelope.”
- Birth year
- 1998
- Shutdown year
- 2023
- Lifespan
- 25 years
- Peak era
- 2003-2010
- Company
- Netflix
- Category
- Streaming
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What Was It?
Before it streamed anything, Netflix rented DVDs by post. Customers built a queue of films on the website, and red envelopes arrived in the mail, were watched, and went back in the same envelope so the next disc could be sent.
The service began in 1998 and grew into the business that challenged video rental shops. Even after streaming launched in 2007, millions kept their DVD plans for the larger catalogue. A 2011 plan to spin the DVD business off under the name Qwikster was abandoned within weeks.
Netflix mailed its final DVDs on September 29, 2023, after more than five billion shipments, and told customers they could keep whatever discs they still had.
Things You Probably Forgot
- Red envelopes on the doormat
- Rearranging the queue so the next film would be the good one
- The disc that sat on top of the TV for three months
- Qwikster
The Story
- 1998 Netflix launched its DVD-by-mail rental service.
- 2007 Streaming launched alongside the DVD plans.
- 2011 The announced Qwikster spin-off was cancelled.
- 2023 The final DVDs were mailed on September 29.
How It Died
Netflix shut down its DVD rental service, by then known as DVD.com, on September 29, 2023 to focus on streaming. Customers were allowed to keep their last discs.
What Replaced It?
Memories
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