Netflix or Blockbuster? 2009 update? Blockbuster will be including games now again

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msuna

CAGiversary!
Netflix or blockbuster 2009 update?
Can anyone tell me which service to use? They seem to have similar prices except Netflix charges 1 dollar more for blu ray and no in store plan option. Does anyone know if blockbuster charges extra for blu ray rental???? I personally like having the extra in store option but not sure its worth the extra money. Can someone help from experience. Thanks!

Plus anyone know where to get a good promo code for either for longer than a one month trial or reduced cost for say 3 months or 6 months. i know blockbuster used to have better plans with video games etc too probably....

BLOCKBUSTER NOW INCLUDING GAMES IN THEIR MOVIE PROGRAM ONLINE SIMILAR TO GAMEFLY.

Blockbuster announced today that it will begin offering game rentals as part of its Total Access online movie rental service. The company will start a pilot program during its second quarter, with a goal of implementing the integrated system nationally by the second half of the year. Essentially, Blockbuster is trying to morph Total Access into a Netflix meets GameFly offering.
 
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[quote name='msuna']Update for you all. Blockbuster will incorporate game rentals in their online plan.
Blockbuster announced today that it will begin offering game rentals as part of its Total Access online movie rental service. The company will start a pilot program during its second quarter, with a goal of implementing the integrated system nationally by the second half of the year. Essentially, Blockbuster is trying to morph Total Access into a Netflix meets GameFly offering. The question: Will the quality of service be as high as the two go-to names in the field?[/quote]
Interesting. But I bet the cost will offset it too much. I can't afford any service as it is, so I am sure I can't do this :p
 
I just downgraded Netflix to the 1 @ a time option but keeping XB360 streaming AND kept my Blockbuster account for 3 @ a time with unlimited in-store exchanges plus 1 game coupon a month (downgraded from the original two). This way I get the best of both worlds and each member of the family can have one DVD out at a time.
Hoping that BBV pilot hits here soon.
 
Also will have to wait and see what they try to charge. Basically though no faith in blockbuster. They have changed their plans so many times over last few years you have to wonder if they have any clue how to run a business.
 
For people that use Netflix: What kind of internet connection do you have? I thought I had a decent connection but all the movies I've tried to watch look awful. I have a friend that had the same experience. Is there a certain setting to help this or does it just all depend on internet connection?
 
Blockbuster and Netflix should have carried games all along. I hope Blockbuster can get it together before the speculations of bankruptcy become a reality, for yet another media giant.
 
I had Blockbuster before and I liked it. I used the in store exchange all the time and got a coupon for free in store rental every month and used that for games. So I kinda got games and movies for the price of one.
My brother does have Netflix and the streaming on 360 and anime selection is pretty nice.
 
Nothing will probably ever get me to give up my one-out Netflix deal. The streaming to the 360 has been an awesome, awesome value. I sometimes simply forget about my actual rentals, and they just sit on my desk for a week or two, simply because there is so much great, older stuff to watch instantly.
 
Hollywood Video is about to unveil a new plan that allows for unlimited game or movie rentals for $39.99 / month! I'll have more details after lunch. I have a pamphlet in my car.

Edit: It's called the powerplay. There are 4 different levels to the plan: Silver ($7.99), Gold ($14.99), Platinum ($24.99), Diamond ($39.99).

Each plan has a set quantity of monthly PowerPoints (excluding Diamond), and rentals vary in point cost. Older movies = 2 points, new release movies = 3 points, Blu-ray = 4 points, and games = 5 points.

Silver $7.99 -- 8 monthly powerpoints, 1 item out at a time, no due dates on movies, 5 day rentals on games.
Gold $14.99 -- 15 monthly powerpoints, 2 items out at a time, no due dates on movies, 5 day rentals on games.
Platinum $24.99 -- 25 monthly powerpoints, 3 items out at a time, no due dates on movies, 5 day rentals on games.
Diamond $39.99 -- Unlimited powerpoints, 3 items out at a time (2 game max), no due dates on games & movies.

On any of the plans you can extend game rentals for 1 point per day. Platinum plans can also add points in one dollar increments.

Powerpoints also rollover from month to month if they go unused.

The pamphlet also states that PowerPlay members get additional discounts on previously viewed movies & games, snacks, and concessions.
 
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hum.. As much as i love the streaming netflix thing, the Hollywood video deal might not be a bad arrangement. Depending on how close the stores are to you.
 
My local Hollywood video never have any of the new releases in stock. I tried to rent Unreal 3 from the time it came out til about 3 or 4 months after its release. The last time I went the manager asked what I was looking for. Come to find out, whoever rented it never returned it. I was thinking to myself "geez, either take the ****** case off the shelf or buy a new one."
 
[quote name='metallicoholic']For people that use Netflix: What kind of internet connection do you have? I thought I had a decent connection but all the movies I've tried to watch look awful. I have a friend that had the same experience. Is there a certain setting to help this or does it just all depend on internet connection?[/quote]


Same for me. I have a pretty good connection too but netflix just didn't work good at all.
 
[quote name='metallicoholic']For people that use Netflix: What kind of internet connection do you have? I thought I had a decent connection but all the movies I've tried to watch look awful. I have a friend that had the same experience. Is there a certain setting to help this or does it just all depend on internet connection?[/quote]

Its not just you. The quality on some of the older movies is rivaled by VHS, the newer ones arent bad at all but still sub par compared to a physical media. I've noticed some horizontal tearing issues as well which plagues everything.

The quality will improve in the long run, right now i really enjoy it simply because its incredibly convenient.
 
Is there any sort of wiki, or maybe a page on the Netflix site itself, that lists all the movies available for streaming? That could sell me on this more than anything else. Or would the only way to really see the selection be to start a free trial?
 
I used BB for awhile and really liked them. Took a break sometime last year since they had gone up from like $20-$25 for 3 at a time unlimited return in the store and I had been watching a lot and wanted to wait till some new stuff came out. Decided to try Netflix and have been happy and do enjoy watching over my xbox. They do not have a great selection online but I have seen some of my movies in my DVD queue swich to online and that's a plus. I did like BB and they are very close to my house so I would switch to them again.

As far as the streaming on the xbox 360, I have watched Firefly and Bigger, Faster, Stronger both in HD and they looked great. They have to get more movies online, that's for sure.

Thank you for the correction, I did watch Serenity...lol
 
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[quote name='Dr.Zoidberg']

As far as the streaming on the xbox 360, I have watched Firefly and Bigger, Faster, Stronger both in HD and they looked great. [/quote]

Just so people don't get the wrong idea, he watched Serenity.
 
[quote name='jallen']or you could just stream any episode in existence through the official page :applause:

http://www.southparkstudios.com/[/QUOTE]True, but there's definitely something to be said for the convenience of watching it from your Xbox. I sure don't feel like lugging my PC into the living to hook it up to the HDTV... it'd be much easier in my case to just use the 360!
 
[FONT=arial,helvetica]Dear *****,

You are receiving this email because you added unlimited Blu-ray access to your account for $1 a month. The number of Blu-ray titles has increased significantly and will continue to do so. As we buy more, you are able to choose from a rapidly expanding selection of Blu-ray titles. And as you've probably heard, Blu-ray discs are substantially more expensive than standard definition DVDs.

As a result, the monthly charge for Blu-ray access is increasing for most plans and will now vary by plan. The charge for monthly Blu-ray access on your 4 DVDs at-a-time (Unlimited) plan will increase from $1 a month to $5 a month. The price of your 4 DVDs at-a-time (Unlimited) plan is not changing and remains at $23.99 a month.

The new charge for Blu-ray access will be automatically added to your next billing statement on or after April 27, 2009 and will be referenced in your Membership Terms and Details.
If you wish to continue unlimited Blu-ray access for $5 a month, you don't need to do anything. If not, you can remove Blu-ray access anytime by visiting
If you have questions about this change or need any assistance, please call us anytime at 1-888-923-0898.

-The Netflix Team
[/FONT]
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Shit.
 
Blockbuster.com, to me, has always been a better value - $17.99 for 3-at-a-time, blu-rays included, each envelope trades in for an in-store rental (including blu-rays), plus a video game coupon each month.
Oh yeah - and no late fees on any in-store rentals.

So it's basically 6-at-a-time including blu-rays, as you get two DVDs for each envelope you get. Also - Netflix users - how do you rent DVDs on their release date? Do you just try to "time" your return?
With BB.com I just keep an envelope for when a new DVD comes out and I just go in and grab it. I can even call BB in the morning and they hold me a copy.

I've never understood how people ever thought Netflix was better than Blockbuster. I guess the Netflix streaming thing for 360 is a draw but I heard the selection was extremely limited and that the streaming movies don't look very good.

I looked at the chart - Netflix's 6-at-a-time plan is $35.99 withOUT blu-rays. With blu-rays it's now $42.99? That's three times the price of BB.com's comparable price. Insane.

Just a question - why is the popular opinion that Netflix is better? Is it just the streaming thing? I suppose if you don't have a Blockbuster near you, then it's really only three at a time (and BB.com still beats Netflix's price there).
Also - to the person that said you only get obscure stuff - Blockbuster actually does get a lot of foreign and independant film in-store (and obviously has a great selection online).

Just never made sense to me. Now it seems like Netflix is trying to make it apparent to everyone.
If someone could clear up the positives of Netflix vs the negatives of BB.com, I'd really be interested in hearing them!
 
For me, the 360 streaming is easily worth the $10 a month I pay for the one-at-a-time deal, plus BD. Whatever movies I get in the mail are simply extra.
 
Interesting. What's weird to me about their streaming thing is that you'd think people who pay monthly for a movie service would be interested in new releases, which I've heard the streaming feature is devoid of.
But streaming is basically it, right? For actual DVDs/blu-rays, blockbuster just murders Netflix then?
 
[quote name='chuckstaton']Interesting. What's weird to me about their streaming thing is that you'd think people who pay monthly for a movie service would be interested in new releases, which I've heard the streaming feature is devoid of.
But streaming is basically it, right? For actual DVDs/blu-rays, blockbuster just murders Netflix then?[/quote]
It's actually quite a bit higher for blockbuster than the plan you have - you were grandfathered in, your plan remained low. For a 3 at a time unlimited exchanges it's $35. If you limit it to 5 in-store exchanges, it's $20/month. No plan has any coupons for free games AFAIK.

I personally love blockbuster, but I worked there for years, so it was great to bring my movies in and see everyone. Why others like Netflix:
-The prices are nearly the same at this point, but Netflix has streaming, blockbuster has in-store exchanges
-Netflix actually does have (last I checked, last fall), a much better selection than Blockbuster. Blockbuster gets a lot of major foreign language movies but they are still missing a lot of niche stuff - especially anime. From what I remember Blockbuster had terrible anime selection all the way around, while Netflix was great.
-Netflix's site is MUCH better. I loved using it. Blockbuster was always sort of a pain. I don't know how much has changed in the last 6 months or so, but Netflix just made it very easy to find and get your movies.

I think many people also just love underdogs - but I don't understand this notion since if Blockbuster, Hollywood Video, and everyone else went out of business, what would Netflix do? I garauntee they'd raise prices. They are in business like everyone else. They DO handle themselves (and maybe their customers) better, but the bottom line is money.
 
I'd have to admit I've never even really seen anime at blockbuster. That's definitely true. The game coupons are definitely standard though (I think you may have missed them because they aren't advertised as "free game coupon" - it says "plus one free printable coupon every month" and the coupon itself says "good for one movie or game").
I used the Netflix site - in 2005 - I'm positive it's changed by now so I can't say I have any experience there. The thing is I always felt the in-store exchange was so great, because you could get new releases when you wanted and the DVDs are checked in right then. This whole new Netflix blu-ray thing has soured me ever more to them now, which is why I was wondering.
 
[quote name='chuckstaton']
The game coupons are definitely standard though (I think you may have missed them because they aren't advertised as "free game coupon" - it says "plus one free printable coupon every month" and the coupon itself says "good for one movie or game").[/quote] Actually, around the time Blockbuster did their first price hike (if I'm remembering correctly), they nixed the coupons. You're one of the lucky few that was grandfathered in with the old price and got to keep the coupons. Coupons are now no longer part of any plan for new subscribers, and many, like myself, had the price raised and coupons taken out of the plan.

I used the Netflix site - in 2005 - I'm positive it's changed by now so I can't say I have any experience there. The thing is I always felt the in-store exchange was so great, because you could get new releases when you wanted and the DVDs are checked in right then. This whole new Netflix blu-ray thing has soured me ever more to them now, which is why I was wondering.
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I totally agree with getting the NR movies on Tuesday, right away, with in-store exchanging. Blockbuster does make it somewhat more difficult than Netflix though IMO. Here's an example (assuming an average 2 day turnaround):

My goal with any rental service is to have movies cost on average, less than $1 each, hopefully much much less. Lets say I have the $35/month plan, 3 at a time, unlimited exchanges. I need 35 movies in the month to reach my goal.

In any given week I think I can average two deliveries of movies - lets say 3 come on Monday, I watch them by Tuesday and return them (+3), get new ones Thur (+3). Return Friday(+3), get new ones hopefully Monday(+3) to return on tues(+3). First week total: 12 (not counting the 6 from the second week here).

Get movies Mon (+3), return Tues(+3), now I'm at 18. My next set of movies arrive Thursday probably (+3), return Friday (+3, total 24), get new ones by Monday hopefully, and have a day to watch them to get my exchanges Tuesday. Week 2 is 24 movies total.

Repeat for week 3, and I am at 36, week 4, 48, average, 72 cents/movie.

-----
So lets look at the $20/month plan - I now have to realllly pick and choose which NR movies I want on Tuesday, as I only get 5/month, and I need to hit 20 movies to make it $1/movie. We'll assume that there are three I want on the first Tuesday, and then two more the following Tues. This means in two weeks I have 23 instead of 24. My next two weeks, I average about 3 deliveries per week, totaling 18 more movies. I have hit my goal (and then some), and have gotten 41 movies in a month for $20, around 48 cents per movie. BUT, I had to realllly think hard about what movies I wanted to exchange for, and maybe make some sacrifices - not a huge deal as I can probably get them next month, but to some the "right-now" factor is a big thing - in fact it's what the in-store exchanges are good for, is appeasing that.

Compare to Netflix, $17/month with what I think was reported as an increase to $5/month for BD, plus streaming for free. Okay, we're looking at a total of $22/month. Assuming a 2-day turnaround, I get roughly 9 movies a week (deliveries on M,W,F), which is 36 movies/month. Remember, with Blockbuster I was holding some of those movies for exchanges, so I didn't get Monday deliveries. This is an average of 61 cents per movie. You may not get every NR movie right away, but the site design is better, they have a better selection, and you can get streaming video while you wait for your movies to come.


Conclusion: For about 10 cents more per movie you can get Netflix. For price Blockbuster barely wins, but I think Netflix still has them on quality and selection.
 
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[quote name='GrilledWitOnions']
Actually, around the time Blockbuster did their first price hike (if I'm remembering correctly), they nixed the coupons. You're one of the lucky few that was grandfathered in with the old price and got to keep the coupons. Coupons are now no longer part of any plan for new subscribers, and many, like myself, had the price raised and coupons taken out of the plan.
I totally agree with getting the NR movies on Tuesday, right away, with in-store exchanging. Blockbuster does make it somewhat more difficult than Netflix though IMO. Here's an example (assuming an average 2 day turnaround):
My goal with any rental service is to have movies cost on average, less than $1 each, hopefully much much less. Lets say I have the $35/month plan, 3 at a time, unlimited exchanges. I need 35 movies in the month to reach my goal.
In any given week I think I can average two deliveries of movies - lets say 3 come on Monday, I watch them by Tuesday and return them, get new ones Thur. Return Friday, get new ones hopefully Monday to return on tues. First week total: 9.
Get movies Mon, return Tues, now I'm at 15. My next set of movies arrive Thursday probably, return Friday (total 18), get new ones by Monday hopefully, and have a day to watch them to get my exchanges Tuesday. Now I am at 24.
At this rate it's easy to see where I'll fall - 2 more weeks, another 18 or so movies, and I'm at 42 movies - hmm this seems like a lot more than I remember calculating it at... but 83 cents/movie.
-----
So lets look at the $20/month plan - I now have to realllly pick and choose which NR movies I want on tuesday, as I only get 5/month, and I need to hit 20 movies to make it $1/movie. We'll assume that there are three I want on the first tuesday, and then two more the following Tues. This means in two weeks I have 14 movies instead of 15. My next two weeks, I average about 3 deliviers per week (Monday is available again), totaling 18 more movies. I have hit my goal (and then some), and have gotten 33 movies in a month for $20, around 60 cents per movie. BUT, I had to realllly think hard about what movies I wanted to exchange for, and maybe make some sacrifices - not a huge deal as I can probably get them next month, but to some the "right-now" factor is a big thing - in fact it's what the in-store exchanges are good for, is appeasing that.
Compare to Netflix, $17/month with what I think was reported as an increase to $5/month for BD, plus streaming for free. Okay, we're looking at a total of $22/month. Assuming a 2-day turnaround, I get roughly 9 movies a week (deliveries on M,W,F), which is 36 movies/month. Remember, with Blockbuster I was holding some of those movies for exchanges, so I didn't get Monday deliveries. This is an average of 61 cents per movie. You may not get every NR movie right away, but the site design is better, they have a better selection, and you can get streaming video while you wait for your movies to come.
Netflix wins hands down. It sorta sucks cause I like Blockbuster - I have a lot of friends and good memories from working there. And for YOU, yes, you have it awesome - you have the old plan so you get an incredible deal. I'd stick with Blockbuster, but for new people, Netflix wins.
If anything is wrong here let me know... I think I confused myself :p [/quote]

I guess the reason I thought the coupon thing was normal was because for a while I just thought it was an extra movie coupon then discovered it was for games. I didn't realize they took it out of the system (or how awesome they're making it for grandfathered-in members).
I'd say your calculations are definitely off - lol - no big deal. You calculated Netflix as having delivery dates on M/W/F but that's impossible (where's the mailing time, time to watch movies, and time to send them back?).
But otherwise - I'll go with your theories here - although I'm afraid if you really look into the theories you proposed, Blockbuster is the clear winner.

Let's look at Netflix 3-at-a-time with blu ray ($22, you said) vs. Blockbuster 3-at-a-time/blu-ray/unlimited-exchanges ($35, you said).
Here's your proposed deal:
You have Netflix. If you get three on Monday, you watch all three by the next day at like 2 PM to get them in the mail (this is already a stretch, but it's what you said). That means they'll probably get TO Netflix by Wednesday (at the very fastest), which means Netflix will send them out Thursday (at the very fastest), which means (and this is the EXTREME fastest never-would-happen version) you'd get your next three on Friday.
And this is an EXTREMELY generous calculation - I had Netflix. If I sent out three movies on Tuesday (after getting them in Monday) the amount of times I actually got more movies three days later was almost never.
With Blockbuster, not only are three counted in when you bring them to the store (as opposed to putting them in a mailbox, then waiting for your Netflix movies to get to Netflix) AND you get three movies then.

But - if you want to really look at it like that (extremely generous calculations included) with that turn-around time:

Netflix - get three movies Monday, watch all and send back by Tuesday (somehow), get three more Friday. Repeat. That's three movies for every every four days. There are 24 mailing days in a four week month (yes this is a short estimated month, but I'll use the same exact timeframe for the BB comparison). That means you get 18 movies a month (with blu rays) for $22. That's $1.22 a disc.
Blockbuster - get three movies Monday, watch all and bring to BB store on Tuesday to exchange for three more, then (according to your Netflix mailing calculation) you get three more sent to you for THURSDAY (as they were checked in on Tuesday, as opposed to what would be Netflix's Wednesday due to mail). That's six movies every three days. There are 24 mailing days in a four week month - this means you get 48 movies a month, paying $35. That's $0.72 a disc.

Very clear, going by the rules you stated to get movies in, watch them all in one day, allow one day for mailing time between the consumer (you) and Netflix/Blockbuster. Blockbuster gives you two and half as many movies, for half as much per disc.

If you go Netflix 3-at-a-time/blu-rays ($22) vs. Blockbuster 3-at-a-time/blu-rays/5-instore-exchanges ($20).

Netflix - same as above, $1.22 a disc.
Blockbuster - get three movies Monday, watch all and bring to BB store on Tuesday, then you get three more sent to you for Thursday. That's only three movies every three days. There are 24 mailing days in a four week month - this means you get 24 movies a month PLUS add on those five in-store exchanges. You get 29 movies a month, paying $20. That's $0.68 a disc.

Very clear again - Blockbuster gives you one and half as many movies, for half as much per disc.

Either way, Blockbuster beats the price. I'm not counting my grandfathered-in plan, I'm just counting the prices that are up now for new members (the prices you gave me).

Also note - with EITHER Blockbuster plan, you get to go get a new release every Tuesday (even the "5 exchanges per month" plan, as there are never
more than 5 Tuesdays in a month), which Netflix can't give you.

So if you're trying for that less-than-$1 per-disc idea, Blockbuster is what you need :)
 
I don't really feel like picking out quotes, but this is directed at the post above me: Netflix sends out movies the same day that they receive them, nearly anyone who has it could tell you that, and there's news articles confirming their receiving/shipping process as such. And according to Netflix, with their hundred-some distribution centers, 95% of subscribers are within one day's mailing. No offense, but you must live out in the boonies or order some extremely rare titles to get them any later, or your USPS people are slacking.

Also, you really should factor the free streaming into the equation somewhere, and maybe the price difference for non-blu-ray plans.

I personally can't trust Blockbuster after how the local one had a nasty habit of screwing people. Oftentimes when I went in there, I'd overhear someone raging about exhorbitant late fees, and rumor has it the employees were told to empty the inbox before midnight. Rumors aside, their late fees were ludicrously high back in the 90's when I went there, and their "No more late fees (now we'll charge you to buy the movie if it's late)" reeked of disrespect for their consumers. I'm skeptical of them changing.

Netflix has yet to do me wrong, and has very nearly every anime and foreign movie I've ever wanted to see. I think you might also find most people aren't that concerned with getting new releases on tuesday nights as much as they are by the weekend, if they're concerned at all.

Lastly, does Blockbuster have anywhere near as awesome of a movie recommendation system as Netflix does? That's a huge draw for some people that use it frequently, and it's great if you've got eclectic tastes.
 
Yeah, I've always had a 3 day turn around in the 2 years or so I've had Netflix.

chuckstaton sounds like a very heavy user who wants to try to get as many movies as possible each month, so maybe he got throttled when he had Netflix before.

I'd never switch to Blockbuster.

1. Just hate the company from bad instore experiences years ago.
2. Love Netflix's streaming.
3. Last I checked Netflix had a much better selection of foreign films, indie films and documentaries.
 
I'd also like to mention that netflix dvd selection kills blockbusters selection for many stuff like foreign films, anime, japaneese movies, etc. The netflix turnaround on dvds is also far better.

Without game exchange blockbuster fails horribly, with game selection its intresting again however i'd still take netflix for their selection
 
Out of curiosity, I checked out Blockbuster's plans, and they don't blow me away. The one-out unlimited runs $12, and though you get the added benefits, like in-store exchange, that simply does not trump 360 streaming in my book.
 
Shinpachi - there's also articles claiming that Netflix screw you over if you're going as fast as possible with DVD exchanges, so one-person accounts are hard to trust.
Also - Blockbuster charging a late fee until the movie is paid for is such a great deal with 90% of titles. I did an in-store exchange for a free rental with one of my BB.com envelopes for something like Home Alone, and the late fee ended up being one dollar, which allowed me to keep the movie (as they counted the envelope trade-in as "$5"). That doesn't sound disrespectful to me at all.

To All Responding - My post was in response to another post that specifically was talking about the most movies per month, and paying the lowest for each disc. I didn't make up that comparison.
I wish there was some actual data on the number of movies each company has in stock. I've seen at least three charts online and they're all completely different. I definitely believe the people who say Blockbuster has a smaller anime section, but I guess the question to me is the percentage of difference.
In other words - if Netflix has 100,000 DVDs, and Blockbuster has 95,000 DVDs, that doesn't seem like a huge margin. Also, if you're that adamant about one type of film - you're really just going to continually rent it for months/years? The idea of getting 25 - 45 DVDs a month seems to be based around checking out a lot of new titles, or titles you haven't seen - to me it doesn't translate to checking out one or two specific genres.
Also - I know you're all talking about the streaming - but isn't it like 1/20th of their selection is available for streaming? And also - I've read alot of forums where people are like "My Netflix streaming looks like shit. How can I improve this?" and someone else will answer "You can't. It's a two hour streaming video so making it look good would take forever to load it."
I also feel like the ratio of "problems with streaming video through xbox 360" vs "problems with just playing a DVD in your DVD player" is definitely higher. Not saying everyone will have a lot of problems constantly, but regardless, one is based on streaming video which is obviously never as reliable as a hard product.
Also - to throw this in - I don't use my consoles for DVD players (not the Xbox, not the PS2) - and the Xbox 360 is the most EASILY broken console of all time, due to the console being on for too long and overheating, so all the people going that route, to me, are not being too smart about their systems. (I have owned 7 Xbox 360's in 3 years, and I keep it in a cool place - for the record, I've also never even paid for one of them).
So the lack of NR, the incredibly incredibly high lack of selection, the lack of quality on the streaming Netflix deal, and the fact that I have to either run it on a computer screen or the most easily broken console of all time, really make that uninteresting to me. Not to mention the fact that I have a lot of friends and we're often at different people's houses (and our band's monstrous practice space) watching movies I get in - which, to use Netflix streaming, you'd have to move your Xbox 360 somewhere, it has to be somewhere with internet, then hope there's an ethernet port to plug in to. That's a huge difference from having a DVD.
One more thing - whenever me, or one of my friends, or my girlfriend, remembers "Oh, this movie is out now" - I ALWAYS have a Blockbuster envelope and we go down the street and grab it, free. With Netflix, you can't be like "What do you want to do tonight?" "Oh that movie came out that we missed in theatres!"
Also - is there no argument for the in-store experience? There are many many movies that I rented because I saw them on the wall and looked at them. I'll go into Blockbuster knowing I have four free DVDs coming to me and I'll look for quite a while before settling on stuff - some new stuff I've never heard of, some old stuff I forgot about, etc.
I guess you can sort of paruse that way online but come on - it's not the same.

Just seems like an obvious choice. It's just weird to argue the idea that three of the smallest sections are lesser at Blockbuster (anime, foreign, documentaris) but to also argue FOR the streaming movies at Netflix, which probably, like I said, has about 1/20th of the titles Blockbuster has in general.

Also - you guys probably aren't even going to BELIEVE me on this one (and honestly, I don't blame you) but my local Blockbuster (which closed down in October) always had a late fee deal where you get the movie for the two or three or five days, PLUS a seven day "grace period" before late feeds apply.
I know that sounds dubious and crazy (you rent a new release the day it comes out, it's due back a week from the following Thursday) but it was how they did it. I feel like I've always got incredible deals at Blockbuster/Blockbuster.com and Netflix, for my money doesn't compare to them.
Now there are simply no late fees for Blockbuster.com members - but they did that even before there was a Blockbuster.com
 
[quote name='chuckstaton']
The idea of getting 25 - 45 DVDs a month....
[/quote]

Well the thing is the vast majority of people probably don't go through nearly that many. On a good month I'll get through 10-15 movies and many months less if I'm traveling or extra busy at work etc.

Also - I know you're all talking about the streaming - but isn't it like 1/20th of their selection is available for streaming? And also - I've read alot of forums where people are like "My Netflix streaming looks like shit. How can I improve this?" and someone else will answer "You can't. It's a two hour streaming video so making it look good would take forever to load it."
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Selection is very good for older movies, classics, documentaries, indy films etc. They look very good. Most DVD selections look just a tad worse than an upconverted DVD, and stuff that's in HD looks a tad worse than HD cable. And I just have an 8.0 MBPS Comcast connection so new super speed or anything.

I wouldn't get Netflix just for the streaming, but it's a damn nice addition to have for new extra cost and helps me squeeze in some more movies when I've mailed my 2 discs back and want to watch something else--tends to happen on the weekends as I'll finally find time to watch my 2 discs and then use the streaming for the next couple of days if I have time to catch something else.

And I have few problems with it, sometimes I couldn't use it when my connection was slow or something, but that's only happened once or twice in a lot of use since November with the 360 update. So I can't complain--and again it was something added onto my existing account at no extra charge.

One more thing - whenever me, or one of my friends, or my girlfriend, remembers "Oh, this movie is out now" - I ALWAYS have a Blockbuster envelope and we go down the street and grab it, free. With Netflix, you can't be like "What do you want to do tonight?" "Oh that movie came out that we missed in theatres!"
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And that is the one advantage of BB. If people use the in store you can get stuff right away rather than waiting a couple days. So it's a preference of whether you like that better or streaming--and I'd take the streaming personally. But it's a too each their own.

Also - is there no argument for the in-store experience?
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I'll argue against it. Video rental chains are on par with Gamestops in terms of being staffed by and frequented by all assortments of nerds, kids, idiots etc. and it's just not worth the annoyance and hassle. And it also just takes time to get to the store, wait in line etc., and I'm busy as hell and try to stay out of stores as much as possible and do as much shopping/renting/etc. on line at possible.

Haven't been in one in years and will never set foot in a rental store again. So the instore exchange/experience has no appeal to me personally. But I see why others like it. Again, to each their own.

Just seems like an obvious choice. It's just weird to argue the idea that three of the smallest sections are lesser at Blockbuster (anime, foreign, documentaris) but to also argue FOR the streaming movies at Netflix, which probably, like I said, has about 1/20th of the titles Blockbuster has in general.
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Again the streaming is a free add-on to the regular unlimited plans. I'd never sign up for Netflix because of it, but it's a nice feature and I use it a lot. For me it's a better feature to have than instore exchange--for you it's vice versa.

Too each their own. You seem pretty determined in convincing people otherwise. Are you a Blockbuster employee or schill or something?

Both services have their pros and cons and I can see why someone would prefer Blockbuster (instore exchange, no Blu Ray fee) and I can see why others like myself prefer Netflix (streaming, better selection in some genres). It's good to have competition and options so people can choose a service that best fits their needs.
 
Honestly if you remove in-store exchange from BB (which some people can't get if they're not near a BB), and streaming from Netflix (which, again, some people can't use on a TV if they don't have a 360 or a good internet connection) then the prices/systems are pretty much exactly the same, with Netflix being slightly higher in price (maybe $2 or so a month).
So in that respect, I consider them the same. They both have one advantage either way, but if you take those advantages out, they're very comparable (with Blockbuster having a very slight pricing edge).

I just see the in-store exchange and the physical DVD as a much higher value than the streaming option and I find it sort of odd to dispute that. If somone's answer is "I don't have a blockbuster near me" than it makes perfect sense to choose Netflix over BB.com, but if you have the option, one just seems to be a much higher value.

Also - come on! Gamestop NEVER has nerds working at it!
...

I've actually gotten really lucky with employees at local retailers (FYE, Gamestop, Blockbuster, Moviestop) and for the most part, have become friends with them all to the point of constant discounts and kickbacks. I've seen shitty employees before, but I feel like that the idea of them is a little exaggerated.
 
[quote name='chuckstaton']
I just see the in-store exchange and the physical DVD as a much higher value than the streaming option and I find it sort of odd to dispute that. If somone's answer is "I don't have a blockbuster near me" than it makes perfect sense to choose Netflix over BB.com, but if you have the option, one just seems to be a much higher value.
[/QUOTE]

It's not odd at all. It's great for some like you that watches an absolute shit ton of movies a month, and doesn't mind going to the store etc.

Streaming is better for someone like me that is busy as hell, hate's going to stores etc. and can just fire up something on the streaming service in the rare instances that both of my discs are mailed out at the same time--or when I just don't feel like watching one of my rentals at the store.

Plus it's great for documentaries, indie films, foreign films etc. that Blockbuster and other chains often don't carry so it's a good way to "force" myself to catch up on some of those titles from time to time since I have them readily available in my instant queue to watch whenever I have the urge.

But don't get me wrong, I see why others prefer the in store pick up more than streaming. I don't find it odd at all, and you shouldn't find it odd at all that some prefer streaming.
 
First, the turn-around-time for Netflix: as others have mentioned, it's about 1-day. I am not sure of this, but I know before blockbuster did in-store exchanges, I was told that basically as the item was received at the post office it was checked in at the distro center. I don't know how true that is - but if it is true I would wager Netflix does the same thing. Either way, as long as Netflix doesn't throttle you, turn-around-time is great. And despite the fact that Blockbuster doesn't have it in their terms, I felt like my account was being throttled during the last few weeks I had the 3 at a time 5 exchanges plan - I was receiving movies about once per week. And before that, they ALWAYS broke up my shipments - I returned three, two would ship one day, the third on the next. EVERY time. I believe it was to stagger the movies so I wouldn't be able to rent as many as quickly, and to make it seem like I'm getting movies all the time, day after day. However it was pretty frustrating.

[quote name='chuckstaton']
In other words - if Netflix has 100,000 DVDs, and Blockbuster has 95,000 DVDs, that doesn't seem like a huge margin.[/quote]
It doesn't seem huge but when I go looking for a specific movie and Netflix has it over Blockbuster, it can make a HUGE difference. Even just a couple times, and it happened more than just a couple times.

Also - I know you're all talking about the streaming - but isn't it like 1/20th of their selection is available for streaming? And also - I've read alot of forums where people are like "My Netflix streaming looks like shit. How can I improve this?" and someone else will answer "You can't. It's a two hour streaming video so making it look good would take forever to load it."
I also feel like the ratio of "problems with streaming video through xbox 360" vs "problems with just playing a DVD in your DVD player" is definitely higher. Not saying everyone will have a lot of problems constantly, but regardless, one is based on streaming video which is obviously never as reliable as a hard product.
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This is all something to consider, definitely. I've not used Netflix' streaming, I am curious as to how bad it looks. I have a 32" HDTV that I've watched streaming television on with Hulu, and it looks not great, but very watchable. I know a 2-hour movie is going to be longer than a 1/2 hour tv show, so it probably doesn't look as good - but if it's anywhere near hulu quality I'd be fine with it.

So the lack of NR [in streaming], the incredibly incredibly high lack of selection [in streaming], the lack of quality on the streaming Netflix deal, and the fact that I have to either run it on a computer screen or the most easily broken console of all time, really make that uninteresting to me. Not to mention the fact that I have a lot of friends and we're often at different people's houses (and our band's monstrous practice space) watching movies I get in - which, to use Netflix streaming, you'd have to move your Xbox 360 somewhere, it has to be somewhere with internet, then hope there's an ethernet port to plug in to. That's a huge difference from having a DVD.
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I know this isn't typical but I have a HTPC hooked up to my living room tv. For me it would be as easy to stream a movie as it would be watch a dvd. Like you said, I can't take it with me, but I don't get out enough for that to matter. :p
One more thing - whenever me, or one of my friends, or my girlfriend, remembers "Oh, this movie is out now" - I ALWAYS have a Blockbuster envelope and we go down the street and grab it, free. With Netflix, you can't be like "What do you want to do tonight?" "Oh that movie came out that we missed in theatres!"
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This is one of the biggest selling points of blockbusters online service. However, remember that they have changed the service: often times I would think, "I want to go get that movie right now!" only to remember that I had already used all of my exchanges. You had to really plan out what you wanted to rent. And there was no way I was going to pay $35 a month for a plan that basically added convenience.
Also - is there no argument for the in-store experience? There are many many movies that I rented because I saw them on the wall and looked at them. I'll go into Blockbuster knowing I have four free DVDs coming to me and I'll look for quite a while before settling on stuff - some new stuff I've never heard of, some old stuff I forgot about, etc.
I guess you can sort of peruse that way online but come on - it's not the same.
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It can go either way. Myself, I don't care about going inside as much now that I've moved and don't see my friends there. I'm more likely to have to talk to strangers and people I don't know or want to talk to (I'm sorta a shut in aren't I :p) And although it's a little more exciting to go look at tangible product, I don't use the net with my phone, so if I want a second opinion on a movie, I can't just check for reviews online.

Just seems like an obvious choice. It's just weird to argue the idea that three of the smallest sections are lesser at Blockbuster (anime, foreign, documentaris) but to also argue FOR the streaming movies at Netflix, which probably, like I said, has about 1/20th of the titles Blockbuster has in general.
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To me the streaming is an icing-on-the-cake deal. It's a counter to in-store exchanges. It's a way to have something while you wait for your queued movies to arrive. I think, if I had Netflix, I'd most likely use the streaming for a spur of the moment I want to watch a movie sort of thing - it's not like renting a movie, it's filler for that. So the selection and quality aren't really a big deal. But when it comes to renting the movie - the one I want to see - and Blockbuster doesn't have it at all? Then it becomes a big deal.

Also - you guys probably aren't even going to BELIEVE me on this one (and honestly, I don't blame you) but my local Blockbuster (which closed down in October) always had a late fee deal where you get the movie for the two or three or five days, PLUS a seven day "grace period" before late feeds apply.
I know that sounds dubious and crazy (you rent a new release the day it comes out, it's due back a week from the following Thursday) but it was how they did it. I feel like I've always got incredible deals at Blockbuster/Blockbuster.com and Netflix, for my money doesn't compare to them.
Now there are simply no late fees for Blockbuster.com members - but they did that even before there was a Blockbuster.com
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The No Late Fees policy is actually like this, for everyone (not just online members):
Rent a movie, you have either 2 or 8 days to return it. You then have 1 week from the due date to get that in (the grace period), or it is sold to your account. You then have 30 days to return the movie or game, at which point the cost of movie is refunded to account less $1.25 (restocking fee). Keep it over 30 days it's yours.

Now, I know some people think Blockbuster is trying to screw them with this but it's really a very good deal. They handled it all wrong, however, like they do with most things. The commercials didn't really explain all of this. Nobody ever goes to the store and asks for the details. And when they DO, they don't listen. People assume they can just take everything how they want and then Blockbuster should bend over backwards when they don't understand it. The company told us we were basically the ones that had to make the no late fees policy clear to customers - but for the first few months it was really hard getting people to listen to us talk about it and understand it. People were returning games 3 months late and expecting to not pay anything.

The No-Late-Fees policy is not to make a bunch of money off of lazy forgetful people. Blockbuster lost TONS of money doing this - late fees were a huge part of their revenue stream. And you have to consider that when a customer has a movie for over 30 days, that's time that another customer might have been renting it - maybe it would have gone out multiple times. All (theoretical) money lost. But if it's a NR title, you know it'll get rented probably a couple more times, so someone having a new title for a month really doesn't help. Then, Blockbuster basically says, "You know what, you aren't bringing this back; you've had a month, it's yours". But they have to then try to rebuy that movie - and sometimes it's out of print. And the $1.25 restocking fee if you DO get it in before 30 days? VERY reasonable. When you don't return a movie, it's added to a list of not returned movies. An employee then has to go out to the shelf with this list and check for EVERY MOVIE THAT IS 7-8 DAYS LATE. The list might be about 200 titles and three pages long. You have to check each part number to the list, and see if it was an employee that missed scanning the rental in. Blockbuster did this before the end of late fees, but the EOLF made it horrendous, and where we used to do it once a week, we now did it every day. This is what the $1.25 paid for, IMO.

Man, I keep writing like, a wall of text!
 
[quote name='GrilledWitOnions']
This is all something to consider, definitely. I've not used Netflix' streaming, I am curious as to how bad it looks....[/QUOTE]

See my prior post. Most SD material looks just a tad worse than a DVD (I've only had one that had a bad encoding and was unwatchable), while HD stuff looks just a tad worse than HD Cable--not much difference between watching Heroes Season 3 episodes on their vs. watching them live to my eyes.
 
[quote name='chuckstaton']Blockbuster.com, to me, has always been a better value - $17.99 for 3-at-a-time, blu-rays included, each envelope trades in for an in-store rental (including blu-rays), plus a video game coupon each month.
Oh yeah - and no late fees on any in-store rentals.

So it's basically 6-at-a-time including blu-rays, as you get two DVDs for each envelope you get. Also - Netflix users - how do you rent DVDs on their release date? Do you just try to "time" your return?
With BB.com I just keep an envelope for when a new DVD comes out and I just go in and grab it. I can even call BB in the morning and they hold me a copy.
[/quote]

Actually, this isn't quite right... It USED to be that you could basically double the amount of movies you had out by using the in-store rentals, but this is no longer the case (unless you game the system a little, which I'm sure wouldn't last long... more on this in a sec). Until about a month ago, you could trade in your mailed-dvd for an in store one and they would ALSO ship out the next DVD on your list. The in-store DVD had the same due dates as any other in-store DVD rental.

However, the new policy is that in-store rentals COUNT towards the number of DVDs in your plan. So, if you only have a 1 out at a time plan, and you trade in your mailed DVD at the store, then the DVD you got out from the store is now your "plan" DVD, and BB will NOT send out the next DVD on your list. The only slight benefit that BB has given in return for this crappy policy change is that the in-store movies no longer have a due-date (just as the ones you get through the mail don't).

If you really want to get around this, you can report your mailed DVD broken/lost or whatever and say you want the next movie on your list, then trade it into the store for another movie and you'll have an extra movie out. I wouldn't recommend this though as I'm sure BB's tolerance for you always losing/breaking movies won't be that high.

This policy change was almost enough to get me to switch to Netflix finally, but with Netflixes blu-ray price increase, and the fact that I'm still grandfathered into a BB plan that gives me a free in-store game/movie rental each month (plus the promise of eventually having games on their online service), I'll probably stick with BB for the forseeable future. That said, I wonder how long BB has left. At the very least, I imagine that their B&M stores will probably start closing down pretty soon, as that's what these policy changes seem to point toward.
 
[quote name='dmaul1114']See my prior post. Most SD material looks just a tad worse than a DVD (I've only had one that had a bad encoding and was unwatchable), while HD stuff looks just a tad worse than HD Cable--not much difference between watching Heroes Season 3 episodes on their vs. watching them live to my eyes.[/quote]
I was writing for a while and you guys snuck some stuff in in the meantime - I'm glad someone wrote about the quality. I figured it can't be terrible or else no one would use it.
Actually, this isn't quite right... It USED to be that you could basically double the amount of movies you had out by using the in-store rentals, but this is no longer the case (unless you game the system a little, which I'm sure wouldn't last long... more on this in a sec). Until about a month ago, you could trade in your mailed-dvd for an in store one and they would ALSO ship out the next DVD on your list. The in-store DVD had the same due dates as any other in-store DVD rental.

However, the new policy is that in-store rentals COUNT towards the number of DVDs in your plan. So, if you only have a 1 out at a time plan, and you trade in your mailed DVD at the store, then the DVD you got out from the store is now your "plan" DVD, and BB will NOT send out the next DVD on your list. The only slight benefit that BB has given in return for this crappy policy change is that the in-store movies no longer have a due-date (just as the ones you get through the mail don't).

If you really want to get around this, you can report your mailed DVD broken/lost or whatever and say you want the next movie on your list, then trade it into the store for another movie and you'll have an extra movie out. I wouldn't recommend this though as I'm sure BB's tolerance for you always losing/breaking movies won't be that high.

This policy change was almost enough to get me to switch to Netflix finally, but with Netflixes blu-ray price increase, and the fact that I'm still grandfathered into a BB plan that gives me a free in-store game/movie rental each month (plus the promise of eventually having games on their online service), I'll probably stick with BB for the forseeable future. That said, I wonder how long BB has left. At the very least, I imagine that their B&M stores will probably start closing down pretty soon, as that's what these policy changes seem to point toward.
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Wow that's terrible. I guess I'll go to Netflix next time I rent movie - blockbuster is too pricey and confusing.
 
[quote name='GrilledWitOnions']I was writing for a while and you guys snuck some stuff in in the meantime - I'm glad someone wrote about the quality. I figured it can't be terrible or else no one would use it.[/quote]
[quote name='leshrac55']
Actually, this isn't quite right... It USED to be that you could basically double the amount of movies you had out by using the in-store rentals, but this is no longer the case (unless you game the system a little, which I'm sure wouldn't last long... more on this in a sec). Until about a month ago, you could trade in your mailed-dvd for an in store one and they would ALSO ship out the next DVD on your list. The in-store DVD had the same due dates as any other in-store DVD rental.

However, the new policy is that in-store rentals COUNT towards the number of DVDs in your plan. So, if you only have a 1 out at a time plan, and you trade in your mailed DVD at the store, then the DVD you got out from the store is now your "plan" DVD, and BB will NOT send out the next DVD on your list. The only slight benefit that BB has given in return for this crappy policy change is that the in-store movies no longer have a due-date (just as the ones you get through the mail don't).

If you really want to get around this, you can report your mailed DVD broken/lost or whatever and say you want the next movie on your list, then trade it into the store for another movie and you'll have an extra movie out. I wouldn't recommend this though as I'm sure BB's tolerance for you always losing/breaking movies won't be that high.

This policy change was almost enough to get me to switch to Netflix finally, but with Netflixes blu-ray price increase, and the fact that I'm still grandfathered into a BB plan that gives me a free in-store game/movie rental each month (plus the promise of eventually having games on their online service), I'll probably stick with BB for the forseeable future. That said, I wonder how long BB has left. At the very least, I imagine that their B&M stores will probably start closing down pretty soon, as that's what these policy changes seem to point toward.
[/quote]Oh geez that's a terrible policy change, hadn't heard of it. Well, I'm going Netflix next time it looks like - Blockbuster is just making it too pricey and confusing.
 
[quote name='GrilledWitOnions']I was writing for a while and you guys snuck some stuff in in the meantime - I'm glad someone wrote about the quality. I figured it can't be terrible or else no one would use it.[/QUOTE]

Yeah, it's very solid--and I'm watching through the 360 on a 50" HDTV, so not on a small monitor or TV where flaws are less noticeable.

I'm 100% pleased with the quality--especially for free with the disc plan.
 
[quote name='GrilledWitOnions']First, the turn-around-time for Netflix: as others have mentioned, it's about 1-day. I am not sure of this, but I know before blockbuster did in-store exchanges, I was told that basically as the item was received at the post office it was checked in at the distro center. I don't know how true that is - but if it is true I would wager Netflix does the same thing. Either way, as long as Netflix doesn't throttle you, turn-around-time is great. And despite the fact that Blockbuster doesn't have it in their terms, I felt like my account was being throttled during the last few weeks I had the 3 at a time 5 exchanges plan - I was receiving movies about once per week. And before that, they ALWAYS broke up my shipments - I returned three, two would ship one day, the third on the next. EVERY time. I believe it was to stagger the movies so I wouldn't be able to rent as many as quickly, and to make it seem like I'm getting movies all the time, day after day. However it was pretty frustrating.
[/quote]

Maybe this is because I live in Chicago, which is one of BB's distribution centers, or maybe it's because I only have the 1 at a time plan (which, sometimes when I'm busy it can even be quite awhile before I exchange), but BB's turnaround time for me has always been fantastic. In some cases, I've returned a movie to a store and then received the next movie in my queue the following day... Typically, it will come probably 2 days after you exchange in store, meaning that it's usually just a 1 day turnaround. I haven't sent movies back through the mail in awhile, so not sure if they're quite as fast when I send it back to them, but with their new policy changes, I'll probably get to try this out pretty soon.
 
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