Ever get tired of driving to the video store to rent a movie or having to wait for your favorite TV shows to be available on DVD? Netflix is an easy solution to this dilemma that is taking the world by storm. Fourteen million people were recorded as using the instant video/rental service in 2010 and as of September, 2013, Netflix reported a total of 40.4 million subscribers worldwide.

It all started back in 1997 when Marc Randolph and Reed Hastings, the creators of Netflix, set-up the corporation’s headquarters in Los Gatos, California. From that moment on, Netflix continuously developed itself over time; the end result of their work being the service’s immense present-day popularity.

What really sets Netflix apart from old-fashioned neighborhood rental stores is its constant availability and convenience. Netflix delivers videos straight to the home, as well as offering an instant video service 24/7. In fact, they announced their billionth delivery in February of 2007. The year after that milestone in the company’s history, they began to offer their live-streaming options to subscribers as well. When compared to other virtual video rental services such as Hulu or Amazon Plus, Netflix offers the biggest variety of TV shows and movies for the best price.

Netflix has an impressive collection of videos accessible to its customers. Popular TV shows such as The Office, Wilfred, and South Park are on Netflix’s extensive list of videos. The site also provides a collection of movies available to subscribers like Hot Rod, The Hunger Games, and even older classics such as Hercules.

All these flicks are all available instantly on game consoles, which include Xbox, PS3, Wii, and a laptop or home computer for prices as low as $8.00 a month. However, the majority of the more popular titles like Step Brothers, Workaholics, and Friends are not available on instant streaming and must be received by mail delivery for a slightly higher fee. Nonetheless, competitors cannot compare to Netflix’s cost or variety, which is more than evident considering the services overwhelming success.

“My parents recently cancelled our cable and got Netflix instead. Honestly, it was one of the better decisions they’re ever made,” said senior Abby Rollinger.

She’s not alone. Thousands of people across our nation alone are switching to the service and dropping their cable companies in the process. Who can blame them? With its awesome prices, selections, and convenience, it is easy to see why people everywhere prefer to get their flicks fix on Netflix.