Segment Information (Information On Reportable Segments And Reconciliation To Consolidated Net Income) (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended													9 Months Ended	12 Months Ended						15 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2012 subscription		Sep. 30, 2012	Jun. 30, 2012	Mar. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011 subscription unique_subscriber		Sep. 30, 2011 separate_subscription_plans		Jun. 30, 2011		Mar. 31, 2011		Sep. 30, 2011 segments unique_subscriber	Dec. 31, 2012 segments subscription unique_subscriber		Dec. 31, 2011 subscription unique_subscriber		Dec. 31, 2010 unique_subscriber		Dec. 31, 2012 segments subscription
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Number of Operating Segments														2	3						3
Number of Separate Subscription Plans								2
Total subscriptions at end of period	0	[1]				0									0	[1]	0				0	[1]
Total unique subscribers at end of period						26,253,000	[1],[2]										26,253,000	[1],[2]	20,010,000	[1],[2]
Revenues	$ 945,239,000		$ 905,089,000	$ 889,163,000	$ 869,791,000	$ 875,575,000		$ 821,839,000		$ 788,610,000		$ 718,553,000			$ 3,609,282,000		$ 3,204,577,000		$ 2,162,625,000
Cost of revenues						575,155,000									2,625,866,000		2,039,901,000		1,357,355,000
Marketing						114,288,000									484,729,000		402,638,000		293,839,000
Contribution profit (loss)						186,132,000									498,687,000		762,038,000		511,431,000
Other operating expenses						124,260,000									448,695,000		385,970,000		227,790,000
Operating income						61,872,000									49,992,000		376,068,000		283,641,000
Other income (expense)						(5,037,000)									(19,512,000)		(16,546,000)		(15,945,000)
Provision for income taxes						21,616,000									13,328,000		133,396,000		106,843,000
Net income	7,897,000		7,675,000	6,164,000	(4,584,000)	35,219,000	[3]	62,460,000	[3]	68,214,000	[3]	60,233,000	[3]		17,152,000		226,126,000		160,853,000
Total content library, net	2,874,170,000					1,966,643,000									2,874,170,000		1,966,643,000				2,874,170,000
Amortization of content library															1,656,614,000
Domestic [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Long-lived tangible assets	127,700,000														127,700,000						127,700,000
Total unique subscribers at end of period						24,395,000	[1],[2]										24,395,000	[1],[2]	19,501,000	[1],[2]
Revenues																	3,121,727,000		2,159,008,000
Cost of revenues																	1,932,419,000		1,350,542,000
Marketing																	324,121,000		284,917,000
Contribution profit (loss)																	865,187,000		523,549,000
International [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Long-lived tangible assets	4,000,000														4,000,000						4,000,000
Total unique subscribers at end of period						1,858,000	[1],[2]										1,858,000	[1],[2]	509,000	[1],[2]
Revenues																	82,850,000		3,617,000
Cost of revenues																	107,482,000		6,813,000
Marketing																	78,517,000		8,922,000
Contribution profit (loss)																	(103,149,000)		(12,118,000)
Domestic Streaming [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total subscriptions at end of period	27,146,000	[1]				21,671,000									27,146,000	[1]	21,671,000				27,146,000	[1]
Revenues						476,334,000									2,184,868,000
Cost of revenues						345,026,000									1,558,864,000
Marketing						79,198,000									276,072,000
Contribution profit (loss)						52,110,000									349,932,000
Total content library, net	2,317,070,000														2,317,070,000						2,317,070,000
Amortization of content library															1,152,446,000
International Streaming [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total subscriptions at end of period	6,121,000	[1]				1,858,000									6,121,000	[1]	1,858,000				6,121,000	[1]
Revenues						28,988,000									287,542,000
Cost of revenues						55,909,000									475,570,000
Marketing						32,822,000									201,283,000
Contribution profit (loss)						(59,743,000)									(389,311,000)
Total content library, net	527,235,000														527,235,000						527,235,000
Amortization of content library															438,772,000
Domestic DVD [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total subscriptions at end of period	8,224,000	[1]				11,165,000									8,224,000	[1]	11,165,000				8,224,000	[1]
Revenues						370,253,000									1,136,872,000
Cost of revenues						174,220,000									591,432,000
Marketing						2,268,000									7,374,000
Contribution profit (loss)						193,765,000									538,066,000
Total content library, net	29,865,000														29,865,000						29,865,000
Amortization of content library															$ 65,396,000

[1] A subscription is defined as the right to receive either the Netflix streaming service or Netflix DVD service. In connection with the Company's subscription services, the Company offers free-trial memberships to new and certain rejoining members. A method of payment is required to be provided even during the free-trial period for the membership to be defined as a subscription and included in the above metrics. Total unique subscribers and total subscriptions include those subscribers who are on a free-trial. A subscription would cease to be reflected in the above metrics as of the effective cancellation date. Voluntary cancellations become effective at the end of the monthly subscription period, while involuntary cancellation of the service, as a result of a failed method of payment, becomes effective immediately.

[2] For purposes of determining the number of unique subscribers, domestic subscribers who have elected both a DVD and a streaming subscription plan are considered a single unique subscriber.

[3] Net income for the three months ended December 31, 2011 includes $9.0 million of expense related to a legal settlement and $9.5 million of expense related to termination benefits associated with the Company’s retraction of plans to separate and rebrand the DVD-by-mail service.