Renting BD's. Blockbuster online or Netflix?

blackbird3216

blackbird3216

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Im trying to help a friend make this decision. He says he will watch around 4 BDs a month. With netflix, you get the Watch now functionality, but you have to pay $1 extra per month. With Blockbuster online, you don't, but then again, you don't get watch now. Which one is better? Im wondering why the companines don't offer a plan like 3or4 discs a month, which would be a better deal than just the plain old 2.

BTW, when will BD players drop near the $99 so that i can buy one? :D
 
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...Did you research this at all? Netflix is cheaper than Blockbuster even after the $1, so you get a cheaper price as well as the watch now.

Also, Netflix has up to an 8 at a time plan, but I'm not sure how many are available for new members. Blockbuster offers a 3 at a time for new members.

Netflix, after $1 BR charge, is $10 a month for 1 disc (Blockbuster is $12) and $15 for 2 discs ($17 at Blockbuster). For 3 discs, Netflix is $18 and Blockbuster is $20.
 
[quote name='Rocko']...Did you research this at all? Netflix is cheaper than Blockbuster even after the $1, so you get a cheaper price as well as the watch now.

Also, Netflix has up to an 8 at a time plan, but I'm not sure how many are available for new members. Blockbuster offers a 3 at a time for new members.

Netflix, after $1 BR charge, is $10 a month for 1 disc (Blockbuster is $12) and $15 for 2 discs ($17 at Blockbuster). For 3 discs, Netflix is $18 and Blockbuster is $20.[/QUOTE]
no. I mean blockbuster by mail. on the signup screen, press "see all available plans"
https://www.blockbuster.com/signup/paypal/plan/p.26972/r.25rebate
 
I chose BB simply because you can also exchange a set number of movies a month in store. Sometimes it's easier to get a new BluRay locally instead of waiting to be available by mail.

But Netflix is cheaper. :)
 
[quote name='tokerblue']I chose BB simply because you can also exchange a set number of movies a month in store. Sometimes it's easier to get a new BluRay locally instead of waiting to be available by mail.

But Netflix is cheaper. :)[/QUOTE]

I think this is spot on. I get some online and then supplement that from three Blockbusters in my area. You get five in store exchanges a month (per store). You can get alot more movies with Blockbuster. My plan is around $20 ish, 3 at a time and I have literally had 25 movies in a month for that price with in store exchanges...I have not been with Netflix in a year and a half or so, so maybe something has changed on that end, but I do not think so. Netflix did seem to have more copies of the HD movies but I think that is not an issue now.
 
If he's only going to watch four movies total a month wouldn't Netflix be better? It's $9 or $10 for one disc at a time, but you can get 4-7 a month, plus watch now.

Unless you like the BB near you, then maybe their is better, I personally hate them so there is no benefit for me.
 
Netflix for me, but mostly because I vowed years ago that I would never rent from BB, and would support my local video stores instead. And I aim to keep that pledge. Now, if only they'd start stocking Blu-ray discs...
 
[quote name='blackbird3216']no. I mean blockbuster by mail. on the signup screen, press "see all available plans"
https://www.blockbuster.com/signup/paypal/plan/p.26972/r.25rebate[/QUOTE]
What do you think I was talking about?

Those prices were from Netflix, the by mail DVD rental service, and Blockbuster, the by mail DVD rental service.

In my opinion Netflix is superior due to their cheaper prices and instant watch. I've used both.
 
[quote name='Rocko']What do you think I was talking about?

Those prices were from Netflix, the by mail DVD rental service, and Blockbuster, the by mail DVD rental service.

In my opinion Netflix is superior due to their cheaper prices and instant watch. I've used both.[/quote]
The by mail service(without free instore exchanges) for 1 at a time unlimited is $8.99+tax without Watch now. Netflix's 1 at a time unlimited is also $8.99+tax, but then he'd have to pay a $1 surcharge per month. The biggest differences is a dollar, reputation and Watch now. So far, it's leaning toward netflix. ;)

BTW, would netflix charge tax in NY even though they don't have a distribution center here?
 
...You don't even want the in-store exchanges for Blockbuster?

In that case, how is this even a question? A dollar for instant watch is a no brainer- the only thing that Blockbuster has over Netflix is the in store exchanges. Get rid of that and it's pretty obvious, I'd say.
 
only reason i keep blockbuster is because ive had it forever and they have not upped my monthly charge for 3 out at a time, unlimited in store exchanges, 2 game coupons for 17.99.

Netflix to my xbox would be AWESOME, but 2 game rentals a month is better for me.
 
[quote name='sevin300zx']only reason i keep blockbuster is because ive had it forever and they have not upped my monthly charge for 3 out at a time, unlimited in store exchanges, 2 game coupons for 17.99.

Netflix to my xbox would be AWESOME, but 2 game rentals a month is better for me.[/quote]

Yes, Netflix does charge tax in NY. But I still prefer them because for me they are 1 day faster than BB.
 
[quote name='TehMuff1nM4n']Yes, Netflix does charge tax in NY. But I still prefer them because for me they are 1 day faster than BB.[/quote]
If i want to get a new release like the dark knight, how long would it take to arrive?
BTW, would a complete set like season one of prison break count as one "disc"?
 
Blockbuster is better for sheer number of movies at a time to rent.

Rent 3 movies, get them in the mail, watch (or in my case, rip), return TO THE STORE, get 3 more movies free in-store, 3 movies clear your queue online and your next 3 are sent out.

In this case, you are basically getting 6 movies-3 online, 3 in-store, and the in-store return opens your queue quicker than returning by mail.

I also liked getting newer movies in-store than by mail (NF or BB).

The ONLY thing better about NF is it has a better selection of movies. BB kinda sucks for more obscure movies.

I'll be restarting NF, however, so I can try the streaming over my 360. The 360 will be first with HD streaming.
 
[quote name='sevin300zx']only reason i keep blockbuster is because ive had it forever and they have not upped my monthly charge for 3 out at a time, unlimited in store exchanges, 2 game coupons for 17.99.

Netflix to my xbox would be AWESOME, but 2 game rentals a month is better for me.[/quote]
I had the 4 movie plan (unlmtd exchngs) and they did away with that plan and upped the charge for 3 movies so I told them to fuck off.

They basically decreased service and increased price.
 
Never tried Blockbuster but I love Netflix! It seems lately like I've been getting more new release blu-rays than usual. I think they boosted their supply.
 
[quote name='blackbird3216']If i want to get a new release like the dark knight, how long would it take to arrive?
Click to expand...

I still haven't gotten Wall-e yet, so most likely 6 weeks at the earliest.
BTW, would a complete set like season one of prison break count as one "disc"?
Click to expand...

That's a joke right? You get one disc at a time, there is no magical "disc" just one disc. If the set has two disc then you need two disc, if it has 8 then it has 8.
 
[quote name='blackbird3216']

BTW, when will BD players drop near the $99 so that i can buy one? :D[/quote]

Maybe in 2-3 years on a black friday deal, so keep waiting.
 
If you have an Xbox 360 and Live, the benefits of having Netflix Instant Viewing streaming to your Xbox can not be understated. At any time I have a catalog of over 100 movies and TV series that I can watch anytime.
 
I've used Netflix for a while and love it. Never even considered Blockbuster as I hated their B&M stores so much I vowed never to give the company any money years ago--had terrible experiences with customer service.

But as others said, with a 360 (or a home theater PC, or just PC/Laptop if you don't mind watching on a smalls creen) the watch now functionality for no extra cost is great.

Blockbuster has the instore exchange, but if he's only going to watch 4 movies a month he's not going to really need that as it's easy to do 2 (and sometimes 3 if you time it right) a week on the one out at a time mail plans.

[quote name='oasisboy']Maybe in 2-3 years on a black friday deal, so keep waiting.[/QUOTE]

I could see it next year. The Sony BDBS350 was $150 from SonyStyle on black friday this year, I picked one up as did tons of others. It was $179 at K-Mart and another store or two.

So a decent player for $99 is likely to happen next black friday--and definitely some cheaper brands by then.
 
Throw in my two cents...

Netflix is an awesome service. As was already stated, if you aren't even interested in taking advantage of the BB in-store return policy, there simply isn't any other reason to go with them over Netflix. It is the far superior service.

Everyone seems to complain that the instant watch selection is weak, and while there really isn't any new stuff in there, there are a ton of older movies that I absolutely love. Unfortunately, due to "release window" nonsense, there are a lot of things disappearing from the instant view catalog, which really pisses off.
 
I have both netflix and blockbuster. I also do not have any new releases in my queue because there are just so many things out there I want to watch and haven't watched. I've seen people complain about blu-rays being "long waits" in their Netflix Queue. Assuming that to be true, Blockbuster is a better bet if you dont mind the in store swap which makes it reasonably easy to get current releases.

Your friend should also consider Redbox. At $1 a day, he could spend $4 a month renting 4 blu-rays. Selection can be dicey but he can reserve titles at specific machines over the internet. And Redbox text messages me free codes (there's a current promo where walmart boxes are doing free for 1 day rentals; I've gotten free codes for Monday rentals the last 2 weeks).
 
[quote name='h0mi']I have both netflix and blockbuster. I also do not have any new releases in my queue because there are just so many things out there I want to watch and haven't watched. I've seen people complain about blu-rays being "long waits" in their Netflix Queue. Assuming that to be true, Blockbuster is a better bet if you dont mind the in store swap which makes it reasonably easy to get current releases.

Your friend should also consider Redbox. At $1 a day, he could spend $4 a month renting 4 blu-rays. Selection can be dicey but he can reserve titles at specific machines over the internet. And Redbox text messages me free codes (there's a current promo where walmart boxes are doing free for 1 day rentals; I've gotten free codes for Monday rentals the last 2 weeks).[/QUOTE]
I would tell him to try redbox, but according to the redbox website, there isn't a single one on Manhattan.
 
[quote name='Rocko']...Did you research this at all? Netflix is cheaper than Blockbuster even after the $1, so you get a cheaper price as well as the watch now.

Also, Netflix has up to an 8 at a time plan, but I'm not sure how many are available for new members. Blockbuster offers a 3 at a time for new members.

Netflix, after $1 BR charge, is $10 a month for 1 disc (Blockbuster is $12) and $15 for 2 discs ($17 at Blockbuster). For 3 discs, Netflix is $18 and Blockbuster is $20.[/quote]

Yes but you neglect to mention being able to have in store exchanges.
 
360 + Netflix = greatest thing to happen to movie renting. It's incredible, seriously. The selection has become great, qu'd up instantly, and I've yet to have a single problem with it. Not to mention more titles coming to HD.

Seriously, if you have a 360, Netflix is a nobrainer.
 
How is the quality of streaming Netflix to the 360? Also, how is the quality of streaming Netflix to the PS3 via PlayOn? I liked using PlayOn for Hulu, but didn't buy it because it wasn't HQ enough. Is Netflix on either/both systems better than Hulu via PlayOn?
 
[quote name='bigdaddybruce44']Yeah, I really do like having the instant views on the 360, now. It gives me another thing to do on the treadmill.[/quote]
I haven't used it yet but a co-worker told me it looks like shit.

Either way, I can't wait until HD streaming takes off.
 
[quote name='bigdaddybruce44']The OP eventually said he wasn't even interested in taking advantage of the in-store exchange. So, though you're right, it's a moot point, now.[/quote]
Yeah it's a shame really since you actually get to rent more movies.

I guess it suited me well cuz I just ripped what I couldn't watch for viewing later. I have about a TB worth off ripped movies on USB hard drives.

I either watch them thru my PS3 (USB) or burn them to disc if I wanna keep. I very rarely burn to disc.

My hard drive serves as a media server of sorts.

If I had Netflix, I wouldn't have amassed that amount of movies so quickly. That and BB was on my way home from work.
 
[quote name='Busyman']I haven't used it yet but a co-worker told me it looks like shit.

Either way, I can't wait until HD streaming takes off.[/quote]

Depends on your connection.
 
Looks like shit?? Hardly.

I'm streaming via wireless connection in a podunk town in the middle of nowhere Missouri. Haven't had one single streaming issue, in the slightest. All the movies are DVD quality, though it varies what source they used (ie, the Beetlejuice film is obviously from a much older - earlier made - dvd). HD movies/tv shows look brilliant. I haven't had a single issue and have watched 5-10 different things on it.
 
[quote name='bigdaddybruce44']Depends on your connection.[/quote]
Well I should be fine then. I have a FIOS 20/5 connection.
 
[quote name='honzoh']Looks like shit?? Hardly.

I'm streaming via wireless connection in a podunk town in the middle of nowhere Missouri. Haven't had one single streaming issue, in the slightest. All the movies are DVD quality, though it varies what source they used (ie, the Beetlejuice film is obviously from a much older - earlier made - dvd). HD movies/tv shows look brilliant. I haven't had a single issue and have watched 5-10 different things on it.[/quote]
That's good to hear. I'd to know what my coworker has.

So NF has started HD streaming already?

One trap I won't get into is watching stuff for the novelty of it. It will simply be an extension of my VOD through FIOS.

Oh and is everything widescreen?
 
[quote name='blackbird3216']The by mail service(without free instore exchanges) for 1 at a time unlimited is $8.99+tax without Watch now. Netflix's 1 at a time unlimited is also $8.99+tax, but then he'd have to pay a $1 surcharge per month. The biggest differences is a dollar, reputation and Watch now. So far, it's leaning toward netflix. ;)

BTW, would netflix charge tax in NY even though they don't have a distribution center here?[/quote]
I think everyone took this to mean you didn't want to exchange at all, but it seems to me you are just saying it's not really enough of a benifit to compare? Or that you are just comparing the by mail only services?
At any rate, if your friend is dead-set against exchanging, netflix for sure. But, I like the exchange option, and if he is going to do only 4 per month he could just get the 2 per month w/2 in-store exchanges for $10. It's basically the same price as netflix + BD $1 charge, but I think you would get new release BD's quicker by getting them in-store.

I did what most people here said: 3 at a time unlimited and then 5 in-store exchanges, although it wasn't monitored between stores, so I was basically getting 10 exchanges, which was about all I could get in a month anyway. It worked really well: usually got 2 mailings a week, so:
3*2=6*4=24+10 exchanges=34 per month. After tax I think it was about $0.60/movie. DVD-R's added about $0.30 per disc to that, so around $1 a movie. This is hands-down the best way to rent movies, if you have the time and patience (it's a bit much to juggle this with RL stuff going on sometimes.) But money got tighter, they changed the way the exchanges worked (billing cycle instead of calander month), and I decided to give it a rest for a bit. Might try Netflix again because I love their selection (Blockbusters leaves much to be desired).
 
[quote name='Busyman']
Oh and is everything widescreen?[/QUOTE]

No. Like I said earlier, it totally depends on what DVD version they've set up to stream. Beetlejuice, for example, was not widescreen, nor was When Harry Met Sally. However, 30 Rock is.

It all really just depends, and I would say that new things are more likely to be true widescreen (ie, Team America was). The collection they have, imo, is quite great, as there's something for everyone, and it's being updated nearly every day.

I should say this though, the appeal for me has been to use it to watch somewhat older movies (if you can't tell by the ones I've referenced). I own 20+ blurays and 700+ DVDs, so my netflix instant queue serves the purpose of including only movies I don't own, yet would watch by myself or with guests. That being said, I have over 300 movies in my Instant Queue.
 
Yeah, they really do have a ton of stuff. A lot of direct-to-DVD garbage, but I have about 50 things in my instant watch queue, stuff like Ghostbusters, Dracula, a bunch of Eastwood westerns, Unbreakable, Falling Down...basically a lot of good stuff. Unfortunately, a lot of it will be going away soon, due to stupid licensing issues with the television networks. Assholes. Who watches movies on network television? Seriously?
 
I got Netflix and they are not bad. But for New Release Blu-Ray's if you do not time it right than you would have to wait at least a month to get them in the mail even if they are on top of your Que. And sometimes they will ship from a different facilty that adds another day for shipping to and back. I got Netflix streaming on both of my 360's and that is worth it just for that.
 
I wouldn't say a month. More like a week or two in my experience thus far. Which is fine my Queue is always over 100 movies (not counting the instant watch queue) so I really don't care if I can get a new release blu ray the first week or two.

But it is an issue for people that have to have the new release day one--though I'd argue in those cases it's better to just buy or rent locally--so blockbuster with the in store exchanges is probably a better bet for those who care about getting new releases day one.
 
I'm currently wit BB but everytime I add new releases in BD shows VERY LONG WAIT signs. VERY ANNOYING and I ended up renting DVD version instead. The only reason I keep BB is to go to the store where my kids love to do on weekends.
 
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