Netflix's DVD rental service is in its final days, but subscribers are in for a unique farewell. The company recently sent an email to its DVD-by-mail subscribers, announcing that they will have the opportunity to receive up to 10 additional discs before the service is discontinued.

The email message reads, "After 25 years of movies in the mail, we're approaching the end of our final season. We really appreciate that you're sharing movie nights with us until the last day. Let's have some fun for our finale!"

To participate, DVD customers need to opt in by visiting a designated website before August 29. The last batch of DVDs will be dispatched on September 29. However, there's a twist - subscribers won't know which movies they'll receive. The films will be selected from their existing queue, providing subscribers with up to 10 surprise discs in the mail. While the service is closing down, customers are still expected to return these discs by October 29.

The fate of Netflix's extensive collection of DVDs remains uncertain. The company has not yet responded to inquiries about what will happen to this vast library of physical media.

Netflix officially revealed its decision to discontinue its iconic red-envelope service back in April, marking the end of a 25-year era. The move comes as the company experienced a significant decline in its DVD business, largely due to the growing popularity of streaming services. In 2022, Netflix reported approximately $31.5 billion in streaming revenue compared to approximately $145 million from its DVD service, according to its annual report from the previous year.

Ted Sarandos, Netflix's co-CEO, acknowledged the shift in consumer behavior in a blog post at the time, saying, "Our goal has always been to provide the best service for our members, but as the business continues to shrink, that's going to become increasingly difficult. Those iconic red envelopes changed the way people watched shows and movies at home — and they paved the way for the shift to streaming."

Reflecting on its legacy, Netflix has mailed over 5.2 billion DVDs to 40 million unique subscribers since its inaugural DVD shipment in March 1998, as noted in the blog post.