What's new, cool and wrong on Netflix

Thanks to recent updates on Netflix's Instant View collection, you can safely cancel your cable subscription (after Sunday's "Mad Men" finale, of course).

In an effort to stay relevant and further destroy the competition, Netflix has expanded its library of movies and television shows available for immediate online viewing. Subscribers with a computer, PS3, X-Box, Wii or any number of compatible televisions can access the collection for as little as $8 a month.

The Truth About Starz Play

Netflix often makes movies and television shows from the Starz Channel available for Instant Viewing. While the most recent available films seem to appear at the top of the "Starz Play" page list, there are many more movies available that Netflix doesn't advertise.

Notable omissions from the list that are often available include the latest Disney films like "Up" and "The Princess and the Frog." Their live action "Alice in Wonderland" starring Johnny Depp will be available Nov. 1.

A good way to make sure you're not missing Starz offerings is to visit Starz.com and see what movies they have featured for the month. Also check their list of Coming Soon titles, as Netflix sometimes gets them early.

Latest Television Updates

ABC, NBC and Fox all feed content into Netflix, making previous seasons of top shows available for Instant Viewing. Recent network updates to Netflix include last year's seasons of "The Office," "30 Rock" and "Grey's Anatomy." Netflix even offers the complete second season of NBC's "Parks & Recreation," which isn't even available on DVD yet.

Tip: You can still watch the current seasons of these shows and many others for free on Hulu.com.

The best offering, though, is Season 4 of "Friday Night Lights," the criminally underrated sports drama that airs exclusively on Direct TV before reruns air on NBC. Watch for stars Kyle Chandler and Connie Britton, who finally earned Emmy nominations for last season's work. It's the best batch of episodes yet for the series, which begins its fifth and final season later this month.

"Educational" Offerings

The Instant View "New Arrivals" section is currently flooded with National Geographic documentaries, everything from "Inside the Pentagon" to a documentary on "The Lord of the Rings." Nature, history, politics... you name it, National Geographic has covered it.

For something a little more lighthearted, go with the History Channel series "Pawn Stars," which provides tidbits of history while following the antics inside a family-owned Las Vegas pawn shop. The Old Man is hysterical, as is the inept store clerk, Chumlee. Two seasons of the show are available on Instant View.

Short Wait? Humbug!

Large movie studios like Warner Bros. and Universal delay their new releases from Netflix and Redbox until 28 days after the initial DVD street date. This is why you've seen advertising for "Robin Hood" on DVD the last three weeks but haven't been able to find it on Netflix.

Tip: You can rent movies like "Robin Hood" immediately from local rental outlets like Hastings and Blockbuster.

The studios want to make money selling DVDs, so the delay is understandable. The irritating part, however, is how after 28 days, you STILL can't get these movies on Netflix. You will often see a "Short Wait" message listed next to the title several weeks after becoming available.

So while Netflix is lousy with new releases, the vast assortment of Instant View offerings far outweighs the negative aspects of a subscription. Watching Chumlee on "Pawn Stars" is worth the $8 subscription fee by itself, and I just added something called "Mega Piranha" to my queue. How can that NOT be good?

Ticket Stubs is sponsored by the Hayden Cinema 6 Theater. Tyler Wilson can be reached at twilson@cdapress.com. Read more film reviews and pop culture commentary at www.NormdogEntertainment.com.