NetFlix or Blockbuster online?

[AV newby]

I've signed up for the 2 wk free trial on Blockbuster.com beacause of the 2 free "instore rentals" that are included.

I know Netflix will have Blu-Ray sooner than others, however I won't own a player for at least a year, or until they include SACD and DVD.

I currently have a Pioneer Elite VSX74-TXVi and plan on getting the AVI79 DVD player.

My next harware purchase will be a Plasma HDTV in the next 3-6 months.
Currently the TV is a 15 yr old JVC CRT.

I'm assuming that both Blockbuster and Netflix will have the newest releases at the same time and in the best available formats (DTS, THX etc...) or does one online rental service stands out above the other?

Thanks

 

[Audioholics]

I am only with Blockbuster because they have a store that is basically at the end of my block. They take longer to ship movies, have a horrendous inventory ("long waits" on many DVDs) and have a quirky queue system whereby you may NEVER get a movie at the top of your list provided it's in limited supply and they can ship you another item on your list faster.

I would never recommend them to anyone that doesn't have walking distance access to one of their stores.

I had a DVD finally say "available" that I have been waiting for since I joined (over 6 months ago) only to have them ship me the third available item on my list because "they could get it to me faster" than the disc I was waiting 6 months for... Now that disc is back out again and showing up as "long wait".

They are clueless and are apparently willing to lose customers before buying enough DVDs to make their system actually work.

I plan on eventually writing an article about my experiences...

 

[BAA]

We've had Netflix for just over 6 months now and am very very pleased with their service and the ease and functionality of their website. Netflix was recomended to us by a friend and I would highly recomend it to anyone. N earest Blockbuster is 12 miles away, therefore did not really consider it. Dan

 

[racquetman]

Clint summed up everything that I've heard about Blockbuster.

I use Netflix and am extremely happy with it. I've talked to dozens of people that use Netflix and no one has had any major gripes about their service. Most are extremely happy with them.

 

[GlocksRock]

Blockbuster sucks, but the only reason I continue to use them is because of the free instore rentals, but now that they don't allow you to use the instore coupons for games anymore, I considered switching back to Netflix, but now instead of 2 coupons per month, you get 1 coupon each week, so I may stick with them. I can use the coupons to get the new releases each Tues. But yeah, I've had them ship me a disc, then before I get it, they email me saying they've received the disc back and remove it from my queue, when I never got it to begin with. Their inventory system is wack.

 

[Rock&Roll Ninja]

Netflix all the way. And all my DVDs have defaulted to widescreen too (not even an option for fullscreen in any case I know of).

 

[chicagomd]

Netflix all the way...

I have been a member for almost 3 years now, and I have to say it is fantastic. I have no experience with the Blockbuster system, but have had no issues at all with Netflix.

Depending on your mail service, you will be very pleased how fast the movies get to you. When we lived in Chicago, I could often get new movies the next day after droping the old one in the mail. Now that we live outside the city it takes mostly takes 2 days, sometimes 3.

 

[WmAx]

I use Netflix rather heavily: I do not generally watch television[though I may use it as background noise]. I generally try to watch one disc from Netflix per day as opposed to television. Netflix can be a bit annoying, IME, if you try to use the 8 at a time package. In my case, they increased the average processing time and my number of total monthly rentals did not exceed the 6 at a time package totals I was previously recieving, despite paying a higher service fee. This is my experience. I reduced back to the 6 at a time package and the total number of rentals is not different from the 8 at a time; this sped the processing time back to previous levels. Odd. Based on my experiences, I do not recommend using a package higher than the 6 at a time package. I have also used the 3 at a time, 4 at a time and 5 at a time packages. The service/turn around for all of these was great. I am located in central Virginia and I mail my movies back to and recieve most movies from the Richmond, VA distribution center. I am not sure if the behaviour is consistant at all distribution centers; therefor I am listing the specific one at subject in my experiences. I have only recieved one unplayable movie in the last year. A couple of times a disc was 'missing' in the mail, and I reported it missing on the Netflix website interface. They send a replacement within a day in such cases. I have abandoned traditional brick & mortar rental stores. They can not compete with the huge selection I have available at Netflix. I may occasionally stop by a brick & mortar store if there is a new release and I happen to want it instantly. Besides that, I no longer have a use for the brick & mortar stores available in my area.

-Chris

 

[Naves74]

About 6 months ago I decided to start renting DVD's online and first tried blockbuster b/c a friend of mine told me that they were good and had a large selection. I used blockbuster for about 2 weeks and cancled my service and swtiched to netflix. Blockbuster selection stinks and very often thier movies were on out of stock and took way to long to get here. I am talking it took one movie they shipped a week. I have been extremly pleased with netflix to date. I have only had one mishap where I recived the wrong DVD and it was quickly corrected.

Netflix is fast and has a huge selection. It takes about 1-2 days to get a movie and 1-2 to send one back so turn around time is usually 3 days from when you send a movie back.

 

[Bryce_H]

I have been a member of Netflix since Oct 1999 and have been nothing but very happy with them. Their inventory is enormous, shipping time are typically a day (I live in Colorado springs and there is a distribution center in Denver), and customer service has been great. I have the 4 package.

 

[cohenri]

Netflix going down hill

I hate to be the lone dissenting voice, but I have been waiting for several weeks to get a couple of movies from Netflix - Hustle and Flow, the Constant Gardener, Junebug, Two for the Money. They have all been listed as long waits since their release dates. I realize that these movies are in high demand based on the Oscars and the fact that they are new releases. Nevertheless, if I can't get the movies when I want them, what is the use. I ended up losing patience because I wanted to see Hustle and Flow before the Oscars and ordered it on Pay Per View.

Generally, my experience with Netflix over the past 2+ years has been good. However, if I can't continue to get the movies I want when I want them, I will need to find other avenues of getting the movies. I am prepared to try Blockbuster and Intelliflix and any other recommended source to see if they are any better.

Regardless, it would seem that this medium will be over in the couple of years when they are able to send the movies to customers digitally or if PPV were to develop a cost structure similar to Netflix.

 

[Buckeyefan 1]

So the unlimited 1 DVD at a time for $9.99 should yield you 8-10 rentals a month, assuming a 3 day turn around watching the movie the day you receive it?

I'm not familiar with the service since we have a BB down the street, and all these Discover CBB Awards for discounted BB rentals. BB recently cut out the Discover double your cashback bonus, so now all I get is 7 rentals for $20 instead of 10. That's costing me $2.85 a movie. If I can do it for half that price (8-10 movies for $9.99), it seems like a no brainer - right? What's the catch?

WmAx, I'm not seeing the options you listed (4,5,6 and 8 at a time).

http://www.netflix.com/HowItWorks?lnkctr=nmhhiw

...if you try to use the 8 at a time package. In my case, they increased the average processing time and my number of total monthly rentals did not exceed the 6 at a time package totals I was previously recieving, despite paying a higher service fee... I reduced back to the 6 at a time package and the total number of rentals is not different from the 8 at a time; this sped the processing time back to previous levels. Odd. Based on my experiences, I do not recommend using a package higher than the 6 at a time package. I have also used the 3 at a time, 4 at a time and 5 at a time packages.

 

[WmAx]

So the unlimited 1 DVD at a time for $9.99 should yield you 8-10 rentals a month, assuming a 3 day turn around watching the movie the day you receive it?

If you live right next to a distribution center, they might turn that many over for the 1st couple of months. But they will slow down the processing time after the initial period because they can not make money if they continue that rate. It costs nearly one dollar just for the round trip postage of one movie. I would expect about 5 movies per month(based on total paid price vs. movies throughput, re: my experience in this matter) after all is said and done. Maybe 8 or 9 only in the initial honeymoon period, based on my honeymoon phase experience(14 in the first 30 days, on the 3-at-a-time plan). I just looked at my account history, and I have only received 18 movies over the last 30 day period. I send movies back as soon as a watch them. I am on the 6 at-a-time plan currently. That's just a hair over $2 per movie, so it's a fair value to me, especially considering that it is nearly impossible to find most of the stuff I watch in local video stores. I reiterate that I would use the maximum 8-at-a-time plan, but there seems to be a limit on how many movies they will send over a time period, even if you pay more. The ceiling based on my experiences is 6-at-a-time. I may try 8-at-a-time again at some point to see if they changed this policy. It would be nice to be able to watch more than 18 DVDs per month since I do not really like to watch television

WmAx, I'm not seeing the options you listed (4,5,6 and 8 at a time).

It is a parameter that you select in your account details after you are a member. Here is the current price list:

8 at-a-time (Unlimited) for $47.99
Unlimited rentals - up to 8 movies out at a time for a flat monthly fee of $47.99.

7 at-a-time (Unlimited) for $41.99
Unlimited rentals - up to 7 movies out at a time for a flat monthly fee of $41.99.

6 at-a-time (Unlimited) for $35.99
Unlimited rentals - up to 6 movies out at a time for a flat monthly fee of $35.99.

5 at-a-time (Unlimited) for $29.99
Unlimited rentals - up to 5 movies out at a time for a flat monthly fee of $29.99.

4 at-a-time (Unlimited) for $23.99
Unlimited rentals - up to 4 movies out at a time for a flat monthly fee of $23.99.

3 at-a-time (Unlimited) for $17.99
Unlimited rentals - up to 3 movies out at a time for a flat monthly fee of $17.99.

2 at-a-time (Unlimited) for $14.99
Unlimited rentals - up to 2 movies out at a time for a flat monthly fee of $14.99.

2 at-a-time (4 a month) for $11.99
Up to 4 rentals a month - up to 2 movies out at a time for a flat monthly fee of $11.99. Learn More.

1 at-a-time (Unlimited) for $9.99
Unlimited rentals - up to 1 movie out at a time for a flat monthly fee of $9.99.

-Chris

 

[Rock&Roll Ninja]

I'm thinking I may have to switch to the 8-at-a-time just to catch-up on all the MST3K episodes........

 

[mpompey]

I've been a netflix customer since 2000, Definitely worth it. They may not get new releases as fast as Best Buy/ Wal-Mart, but for the ease of ordering and queuing up DVDs, I like it.

 

[Shadow_Ferret]

I've had Netflix for about 9 months and they were great when I started, turnaround time was a matter of a few days, but maybe because I'm one of their "high demand" customers, the turnaround time has slipped to almost a week. That and the DVDs I've gotten have increasingly been of crappy quality. I've had to ship back several bad ones already. Not to mention if a movie is super popular, forget it. The wait time is astronomical. Took me several months to get Star Wars III, Skeleton Key, Kicking and Screaming, The Time Tunnel...

Except for The Time Tunnel, I could have gotten all of those at my local BlockBuster sooner.

The only reason I do stay with Netflix is because I like how many old TV shows they have that aren't available at the blockbuster down the block.

 

[Buckeye_Nut]

Netflix has their issues with throttling accounts and other various service issues as well, but I've managed my account to avoid all of those hassles.

When I first signed up, I turned my movies over very quickly, and I noticed the faster I turned them around, the more they slowed down the returns, the worse the service, and worse the movie availability was!! I also started getting return envelopes with return addresses 1,000 miles away even though I have a local return address in my hometown!!!! I'd mail 3 envelopes together, and 1 would arrive the next day, and the other two wouldnt be received for another two days, and they would wait an extra day before sending out the next batch...... Stuff like that would happen all the time.
LOL

The way I do things now......
Im on the 3AH plan, and purposely dont try to get more per week than 3. In fact, I hold my rentals, and typically return them jammed into the same envelope every monday morning. Friday night is my dedicated movie night, and so long as I have 3 fresh titles each friday, Im happy. Trying to squeeze 4-5 per week out of the 3AH plan only makes matters worse, and sometimes I'd find myself empty handed come friday movie night!!! Since I return them together, I have extra envelopes handy with my local address just in case my new batch arrives with BFE as a return address....LOL
Now virtually all titles in my huge queue are back to "available" and I have no troubles whatsoever getting what I want.... when I want it. For example, there have been several new releases that I had shipped to me the day it became available. I'd move it to the top of my queue and mail my returns on monday, they'd receive them tuesday, and the new release would ship to me on the tuesday it became available and it would be in my mailbox by WED.

My netflix movies are reserved for the weekends, and if I want to watch a movie during the week, I'll choose from one of the many in my DVD library.

 

[korgoth]

i used to use blockbuster with their 8 at a time account.. they let you report a problem after 3 days so i used to always report either i hadnt received them yet, or i already shipped it back and it hadnt cleared in my queue.

that way i could get 8 sent out every 4 days. they let me do it for about a month. then they called and told me to stop. i kept doing it for about another month.. then they cancelled my account.

 

[korgoth]

if you aren located in the bay area or somewhere close to california, greencine is a cool online rental company.

they only have one shipping center though, but they offer releases that arent available on other sites. They have tons of indie movies, foreign, anime, porn.

good service and much better packaging, i never had one broken or unplayable disc. little more expensive though

 

[LCRush]

I started using Netflix on a 2 week trial basis. On about ther 3rd selection, after I was told it was shipping, I did not receive it within a week. I reported it as lost and I was shipped my next DVD, which arrived in 2 days. I went to cancel because I finally received the missing DVD after approximately 10 days. The person gave me another trial for one month. He said, since you live on one of the outer islands in Hawaii, and Honolulu did not have your selection, it was coming from Alabama. I believe they sent in by "boat mail", which is regular postal and not Priority mail. Since that time, I receive my DVDs within 2-3 days and I will stick with Netflix. Blockbusters in only a few minutes away, but I hate looking through all of their DVDs to find something I might like. I rather do it online and see previews.