I am a recent Netflix convert, so I have become obsessed with managing my queue, and making sure to send my discs back in time to get new ones before the weekend. There are a few apps that I have taken to using to make sure that everything is running smoothly, so it is a natural extension that I would share them with my favorite Mac users: The Macgasm community.
First, I use a desktop application called Fluid to create a separate application just to interface with the Netflix website. For all intents and purposes, it is a copy of Safari sitting in your dock just for your queue. It cuts out the middleman that is the bookmark, and lets you have your queue open at all times.
Second, I use iCal to set reminders to take my DVDs to the post office. If I’m at home on my iMac, at a coffee shop with my MacBook Pro, or listening to music on my iPod Touch, I will get an alert to remind me to get my discs out in the mail. I will also have an alarm set for the previous day to warn me that it is almost time to send out my discs. This twenty-four hour warning is so I’ll remember to watch the movie currently in my possession. I can’t forget that step.
Third, I use an iPod Touch/iPhone application called PhoneFlix to view and manage my queue when I’m not at my Mac. It is completely free, and it shows a more compact and simplified view of my massive Netflix queue. There are a number of applications available to complete this task, but this is my favorite one that I have found.
These applications allow me to keep a consistent stream of discs coming in. There is no doubt in my mind that my Mac and iPod Touch allow me to get my money’s worth out of my Netflix subscription. I let the computers do the heavy lifting, and I try to enjoy as many movies as possible.
