Netflix or Blockbuster?

utopianmachine

utopianmachine

Nintendo Fangirl
Feedback
241 (100%)
I hope it's not a big deal that I post on this branch of the forums. This seems like the most appropriate place. While I don't need a "deal" on membership, I just want to know what service you folks recommend. I've had Netflix and I really enjoyed it -- shipping turn around was really fast and DVDs never arrived broken. Occassionally they were scratched and skippy, but 90% of the time, things were dandy.

I don't know anything about Blockbuster, except that I read that the Better Business Bureau doesn't love them. But the ability to return movies to the store is nice, plus getting two free game rentals a month makes my quasi-abandoned Wii happy.

Not interested in that one provider that rents games and movies -- they don't have handheld titles, and I'm a handheld gamer. Not interested in Gamefly.

So, having said all this, what's your take on this, folksies?
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
If you have a blockbuster near you, I say it's a no-brainer to go with them. You basically get double the movies for the same price. Also, I think it's only 1 free game rental per month now (I could be wrong).

I used them for many months and never had any problems.
 
I had blockbuster and wasnt to pleased with them. If you have a movie on top of your que, and it isnt within shipping distance they will not ship it to you, even though it say that it is available. Very aggravating. The returning movies to the store was nice, but not getting what I wanted from the online store really pissed me off.
 
ive had blockbuster for over a year. the in-store return option is awesome. u get 3 movies sent to you....return them to the store...then u can pick out 3 movies from the store PLUS then a day or 2 later u get the next 3 movies from your online list. plus a free game rental that normally costs 8 bucks or so.
 
Blockbuster's website is a piece of crap. And they don't have nearly as many movies as Netflix. Those are the 2 downsides to BBOL. Right now I am in the 2 week trial for it and really enjoyed Netflix when I was with them.
 
... Netflix. No need to even drive to Blockbuster. Netflix gets the movies to you really fast. Plus. they have HDDVD and BluRay.
 
Blockbuster lets you turn them in at stores, letting you rent a movie free to make up the time it takes them to ship your movie (shipped the same day you return in-store). Pretty awesome. You'll get monthly coupons for free game rentals too, which is nice.

I've done both, and I think Blockbuster's a winner, espescially since Netflix was found to be sandbagging on people who rent more from them.

A note though, Blockbuster's site doesn't work on Safari if you're a Mac user.
 
Put it this way... Blockbuster is losing money hand over fist with their program because they're trying to gain market share away from Netflix. What they're doing is not sustainable because they lose so much money. Whenever a company is doing that, you should seriously consider their services since you are getting a GREAT deal.
 
If you want to try Blockbuster out; use the code "Friends". Gives you a free month 3 @ a time.

You can also use the code once per credit card, i had BBO free for 7 months before i decided to upgrade my plan to the 5 out.
 
Netflix, used both perfered netflix, more slection faster shipping all around better. Sure Blockbusters in store return sounds nice, but at my blockbuster at least they would sit on them for up to a week before mailing them in, meaning I don't get new ones off my que for at times over a week, also it seemed pretty random on which movie from my que would be sent, might be the first, might be the fourth no real reason, nothing not avaliable.
 
I have to agree with Graystone, Netflix was great during the trial. But after that shipping got slow. The distribution center was a day away, I got movies shipped to me super slow, about 5-6 days after sending them off I would get my new ones.

Blockbuster online doesn't have as good of a selection but you can exchange the movies in the store which is nice if it is close.
 
Blockbuster. I've had Netflix before, and while their website is better and they have a better selection on more obscure titles; I think it's better to be able to take three movies I received in the mail and exchange them for movies at the Blockbuster right down the street.

Also, it's not two coupons. You get only one coupon a month to use on a game/movie.
 
Blockbuster. I've had Netflix before, and while their website is nicer and they have a better selection on more obscure titles -- I enjoy being able to take three movies I received in the mail and exchange them for movies at the Blockbuster right down the street.

Also, it's not two coupons. You get only one coupon a month to use on a game/movie.
 
I've been on netflix for over a year and, altho sometimes it's faster than other times, it's still pretty good. also, netflix is working on a watch now feature, where you can choose from a (smaller but growing) library of movies to watch on your computer. currently only works on pc's, tho.

blockbuster looks better on paper, the only problem is that, as a christian company (not to upset the christians, just presenting the facts), they *censor* some of their movies and *don't warn you about it*. i think this is with more independent, smaller films, but i do personally know a couple people who have gotten movies from blockbuster with bleeps and blurs in them.
 
I've had BBOL for a while and I've never had a problem. I only get one coupon per month since they changed it to a movie or game rental. The in store return is awesome.
 
[quote name='kristaia']Blockbuster looks better on paper, the only problem is that, as a christian company (not to upset the christians, just presenting the facts), they *censor* some of their movies and *don't warn you about it*. i think this is with more independent, smaller films, but i do personally know a couple people who have gotten movies from blockbuster with bleeps and blurs in them.[/quote]

This is completely inaccurate. Do you really think that blockbuster can go in and block scenes off the dvd ? Blockbuster features the same Unrated and Directors cuts that are on NetFlix. The only think they don't carry is NC-17 movies. Some PRODUCTION COMPANIES make R rated versions of their NC-17 movies and Blockbuster will carry those. but again, this is the studio itself editing the movie for a larger audience, not Blockbuster.



[quote name='InvaderZim']... Netflix. No need to even drive to Blockbuster. Netflix gets the movies to you really fast. Plus. they have HDDVD and BluRay.[/quote]


As does Blockbuster.


Been using Blockbuster for over a year now after being a loyal NetFlix customer that got throttlec heavily. I get a larger number of movies in a more timely manner with Blockbuster than I ever did with NetFlix. Adding the instore returns is just icing on the cake.
 
Both are about the same.

Netflix is much better for stuff like anime, independent and foriegn films while blockbuster works better on new releases since you can just snag em in store. The biggest problem I have with blockbuster is looking in their store theres not much i'd want to rent from it.....

Netflix doesn't really throttle anymore. The complaints filed were for people who were getting new releases with alot of demand. They were prioritizing people who hadn't rented many movies over longer customers.

So if your not getting new releases online which have a long wait for both sites typically its a moot point.
 
[quote name='Ranger Rick']It doesn't make clear on Blockbusters website that they offer Blu-Ray... do they?[/quote]

Well while HD-DVD and Blu-Ray are on their advanced search option, unfortunately I'm not finding a lot of movies in those formats. Which kind of stinks since I'm going to quit my job at Blockbuster soon and got used to using free employee rentals.
 
[quote name='JJSP']

A note though, Blockbuster's site doesn't work on Safari if you're a Mac user.[/QUOTE]

Works fine on my ibook running safari.

[quote name='Brian9824'] ..

Netflix doesn't really throttle anymore. [/QUOTE]

The hell they don't, its in there Terms of Service. I had netflix, and switched over to Blockbuster because NF was throttling me. That was about 5 months ago.

My local distro for netflix is downtown about 10 mins away from me. I could drop off a movie at any time of the day at any mail box, and they would get it by 3pm in the afternoon the very next day. After about 3-4 months. It would take them 3-6 days to get movies from me. But my movies were stilling shipping from the same distro 10 mins away from me.
 
[quote name='flames_of_chaos']Well while HD-DVD and Blu-Ray are on their advanced search option, unfortunately I'm not finding a lot of movies in those formats. Which kind of stinks since I'm going to quit my job at Blockbuster soon and got used to using free employee rentals.[/quote]

I haven't searched for an HD-DVD or Blu-Ray movie on blockbuster that they didn't carry. The problem is that they don't show up under the categories sometime, you actually have to search by title and then click on view other available formats.
 
I've been a longtime Netflix subscriber and haven't been throttled, but I'm not a high-volume customer and I rent a mix of old/new stuff. I find that when I ask for something the week it's released, I generally get it.

If having the latest releases all the time is important, consider Blockbuster. If you like more esoteric stuff and have more of a mix of older and newer stuff you want, you are probably better off with Netflix.
 
I use Netflix. The whole "return your Blockbuster movies at B&M" caveat means nothing to me, because my entire purpose in doing this is to avoid the rental store completely. I have the 2-at-a-time plan, and that's perfectly sufficient for me. I can watch about 4-5 movies a week, which is all I have time for anyway.

Also, Blockbuster sold my dear, dear former employer Rhino to GameStop. I have no interest in giving them my money. :)
 
FYI blockbuster is switching to Bluray only now so atm they might still continue to get some HD DVD dvds online for rental but don't expect it to continue
 
[quote name='blandstalker']I've been a longtime Netflix subscriber and haven't been throttled, but I'm not a high-volume customer [/QUOTE]

Thats why you haven't been throttled. Once you pass the mark they have set your start to get throttled. Be it 6 a week, or 20 a month.
 
I got Blockbuster along time ago and now I get 2 free games a month which pays off my subscription every month and have rented over 70 movies making a pretty good deal from it.
 
I had netflix for over a year and switched to blockbuster for the past 3 months. The good thing about netflix is I always able to get my top titles either right when they came out or a within a week. The only downside is the shipping turn around time is a day or two longer than blockbuster. I noticed at times my return envelope was addressed to somewhere in CA or elsewhere, while i live in Dallas, and their is a distribution center in Coppell like 20 miles from me. My only complaint with blockbuster is i never get my top titles. I request new releases in advance, and im still waiting to receive "The Fountain". Everytime i go in store its checked out :(. I still prefer blockbuster because the amount of movies for the price and the shipping time is incredible for me.
 
Wow... talk about options. I've been thinking about both but it seems like neither one is perfect.

I usually watch some obscure movies from time to time so it seems like Netflix would be nice.

But BB's in store returns and 1 free game per month would have great. I could play some newer games and not have to buy them. I don't trust mailing back movies since they might magically get lost.

So one is faster, has more stuff, but is more risky while the is less risky but takes longer and has fewer options. This ain't gonna be easy.:whistle2:k
 
[quote name='Vinny']Wow... talk about options. I've been thinking about both but it seems like neither one is perfect.

I usually watch some obscure movies from time to time so it seems like Netflix would be nice.

But BB's in store returns and 1 free game per month would have great. I could play some newer games and not have to buy them. I don't trust mailing back movies since they might magically get lost.

So one is faster, has more stuff, but is more risky while the is less risky but takes longer and has fewer options. This ain't gonna be easy.:whistle2:k[/quote]

Netflix isn't faster, nor is Blockbuster faster, they are about the same. Netflix does have the better selection when it comes to foreign movies though.
 
To summarize everything here (with a bias towards BB).

-Blockbuster and Netflix shipping times are the same.
-Netflix throttles after 2 months/BB doesn't.
-BB allows you to exchange your mailers for free rentals in-store.
-BB gives you one free coupon a month for use on any movie/game.
-Netflix has a better selection of obscure titles than BB (anime, foreign, etc.).
-BB does not carry NC-17 movies, but will carry the R rated version if one is made.
-Both cost about the same (+/- $2).


Important note however:
As stated earlier, BB is doing everything in it's power to steal shares from Netflix since it didn't have the foresight to buy them way back when. Therefore they are losing money at the moment running their online service. This will be fixed in the near future (most likely before year's end and even more likely by summer's end) by a two-tiered pricing plan that will work as follows:

Tier 1:
Mail only program.
It will work EXACTLY the same as netflix, except w/o throttling and the extra coupon each month. No in-store exchanges allowed.
Pricing will be the same as it is currently ($17.99 for 3 at a time).

Tier 2:
Total Access
It will work exactly as it does now. You get your mailers, watch them, and then exchange them in store. You get your 1 coupon a month, etc. If you decide you don't want to exchange it and just want to mail it back, you'll have to put a stamp on it.
Pricing: The plan will be anywhere from $2-$5 more expensive than it's mail only counterpart.

Summary: Basically you'll have to pay a couple extra dollars each month in order to exchange in store. BB will then mail all the envelopes it gets in each day in a bulk box, thus saving on shipping. If you have the exchange tier and want to mail it back yourself, you'll have to put a stamp on it since it won't go back in the bulk box. The mail only program will have the standard business paid postage thing on it, so no stamps necessary on that plan.


Overall, I'd say go with BB for now and enjoy the benefits of twice as many movies for the same price. Once the price increase happens, jump ship to netflix and see if you really miss the in-store exchanges or not.
 
[quote name='Warner1281']

Important note however:
As stated earlier, BB is doing everything in it's power to steal shares from Netflix since it didn't have the foresight to buy them way back when. Therefore they are losing money at the moment running their online service. This will be fixed in the near future (most likely before year's end and even more likely by summer's end) by a two-tiered pricing plan that will work as follows:

[/quote]

You honestly think Blockbuster is going to fix their own problems by the end of summer? Not only did they announce today that they are closing 282 stores, they are also going up on the price of the total access program.
http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2007/06/28/ap3869387.html
 
I just read thru this thread and didn't see any mention of Netflix 'Watch Now' feature. This pretty much takes the advantage of returning the movies at the BBV store and turns it into an incovenience. With Netflix you get an additional X hours of movies you can stream on demand from their website (X being the number of dollars you spend with them per month, of you are on the $18 plan you get 18 hours of viewing). Sure beats driving to the crappy BBV store and dealing with all that nonsense, plus Netflix has a much better selection in general. (The Watch Now has a limited selection but it's enough to be worthwhile IMO and they only count the amt of minutes you actually view so you can check something out and turn it off early without being penalized)

Problems with Netflix:

- they do still throttle IMO and it's annoying.

- their Watch Now feature only works with Windows (XPsp2 or Vista) not Mac.

Overall I think Netflix trumps BBV on selection and availability alone; you can browse the sites yourself to compare their selection.
 
I had netflix for about 6 months. I liked netflix becus of the price and the variety of movies. They have almost anything you can think of. I switched to Blockbuster, because in my last two months with netflix they started sending me the movies really really slow, so i was only getting one movies for every week/two week period. I like blockbuster becus i'm getting my movies faster and since i only live 1 mile away from one i constastly switch them in to other movies. I live in the VA and i know shipping time varies dependin on location for netflix.
 
I've used both and most definatly netflix! The movie selection at blockbuster is GARBAGE! If you enjoy foreign film in the least, or anything slightly obscure go with netflix
 
I forgot to mention I have a Mac Mini hooked up to my plasma via DVI and boot it into Windows XP sp2 when I want to watch Netflix movies. They run full screen and look surprisingly good (I guess I have good connection speed, which it will auto-detect). Haven't had time to watch much lately though...
 
And I also forgot to mention that my Harmony Xbox remote can control the playback of the movies (pause play etc) on the Mac Mini running Windows in the Netflix player. That's a beautiful thing.
 
We've had Blockbuster for a 5 months now and are very pleased. You get twice the movies, like most posters here are saying, plus a free 7 day gaming rental each month. They have sent us one wrong movie, but other than that no problems.

Some are saying they have a smaller selection, and while that may be true for those looking to find super rare movies, I've only run into a couple of movies i've wanted and they did not have. But best of all for me is that after getting an Xbox 360 HD DVD player for 99$, I found I didn't need to spend any money on expensive HDDVDs (and potentially get stuck with the losing format) by just renting them from blockbuster. They get most of the new ones within a week of release. Highly recomended service!
 
[quote name='mtxbass1']You honestly think Blockbuster is going to fix their own problems by the end of summer? Not only did they announce today that they are closing 282 stores, they are also going up on the price of the total access program.
http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2007/06/28/ap3869387.html[/QUOTE]

When I said "fixed" I meant the losing money part. They will up the prices on the program so that they are no longer losing money on the program. And yes, I know about the store closures. That is a partial side effect of the ongoing total access push (but is not the only reason for so many closures).
 
Yeah, the "Watch Now" function is great... if you want to watch really old movies that are played around the clock on television. I think the latest I saw was early 2006, and even those movies were blech. I wouldn't choose Netflix because of that service, but more their selection if anything.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
bread's done
Back
Top