Netflix Prices Went Up Again — I Bought a DVD Player Instead

April 9, 2026
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A hand holding a TV remote in front of a screen with Netflix, perfect for streaming and movie night themes.
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Price shock and a choice

It has been reported that Netflix’s ad-supported tier will rise to $8.99 a month (plus taxes and fees), a jump that one subscriber says pushed them over the edge. They told readers they’d already put their account on hold after losing a job in December, then briefly resumed to finish shows like Wednesday and Stranger Things — until the new price and restricted catalog nudged them back out the door. Is $10 a month worth a streaming service that now interrupts you with ads and locks some shows behind different plans? For this viewer, the answer was no.

Back to discs — intentional nostalgia

Rather than chase another subscription, the writer bought a Wiscent DVD/BluRay player — about $89 on sale last year, they said — and stocked up on box sets during Amazon and eBay sales. Physical media, they argue, is a one-time purchase: no monthly churn, no sudden price hikes. There’s a clear emotional beat here: after job loss, owning something tangible feels steadier. Plus, watching a childhood favorite on disc? That’s comfort TV with no buffering.

Streaming trade-offs and a possible return

The piece calls out a common frustration: ad-supported plans that both insert commercials and restrict access to certain titles. The author scoffed at the idea of paying up to $19.99 for a non-ad plan, saying they simply don’t watch enough Netflix to justify it. If they do resubscribe someday, it will likely be to services they feel better about — YouTube Plus was praised for directly supporting creators — but that’s on hold until they find new work and return from an upcoming Fanfest.

There’s a practical beat to the decision, too. With a few weeks left on their subscription, they’re finishing Frieren and the latest Stranger Things season, then letting the sub lapse. The broader takeaway? For some viewers, the combination of rising prices and catalogue friction is making physical media look downright attractive again. Old-school, but it works.

Sources: aywren.com, Hacker News