Just wondering about it or something like it. I think Blockbuster has a similar deal too, right? It appears cheaper than your usual trip to the movie store, but I guess they get you with a year or two membership like most cel phone companies?

I used to use Netflix. I think you can cancel whenever you like. Also, I think they've got some new deal now where you can watch 5 movies online for $5/month.

The drawback with Netflix is that you are at their mercy on shipping. I think that's where Blockbuster has the edge. If you sign up with Blockbuster you can just take the movies back to the store if you want instead of putting them in the mail. Makes the whole process faster.

I didn't have any problem with Netflix, it was just that when my wife and I had our first kid we didn't have any time to watch movies, so we weren't using it.

When I used it you could cancel any time and they would charge you till the end of that billing period. New movies came very quickly with Netflix but I was only a few miles from one of their mail-out centers. They occasionally send out the wrong movie and that held things up.

Yea, we've used it for close to a year now... have the 2 at a time plan ($15/month). I like it a lot - we signed up after we got fed up with Blockbuster (not the movie delivery service they have). We probably don't get our money's worth in the summer because we're always out, but in the winter we make up for it. I love the selection they have - lots of cool stuff that you wouldn't find in a typical store... we've got a 6 part documentary on blues musicians in our queue now. And we've been pretty happy with the suggestions they give based on movies you said you liked. I'm pretty sure the membership is month-to-month.

Yeah, we use it. It's great, and I've had no problem getting the movies I've had in my list even when recently released.

It's really a question of how many movies you want to watch per month. If you watch a lot, it's a great service. If you don't watch a lot, it's not cost effective and you'd save more money renting 1 or 2 movies per month at a local store.

It's really a question of how many movies you want to watch per month. If you watch a lot, it's a great service. If you don't watch a lot, it's not cost effective and you'd save more money renting 1 or 2 movies per month at a local store.

The local blockbuster doesn't have the movies I want a lot of times (usually the new releases). I'd rent more movies, but I'm tired of going and not getting what I want. Hopefully
Netflix doesn't have that problem.

Netflix is excellent if you only watch 1 movie a week. super excellent if you watch 2 movies a week.

Netflix also has a great selection of HD DVD and Blu Ray movies.

I joined for that reason alone and the turn around time for their shipping is usually 1 day (at least for me)

Later

I have the Blockbuster deal going.. I like that you can swap each flick at the local Blockbuster for a free rental. My biggest complaint though is that the DVDs that come in the mail seem to be much more scratched up than the local rentals.. Just this week I rented El Topo and Thunder Road and had to send both back without seeing them as they wouldn't play...

I had Netflix a few years back, and didn't like it because it would take 2-3 weeks to get a new release (always a waiting list, especially for a really popular release)
and like CC said, they were often dinged up and wouldnt' play.

I have had that problem on the odd occasion, but not the big wait for new releases though.

I have had that problem on the odd occasion, but not the big wait for new releases though.
I had it when Netflix was fairly new, they probably got the wait time fixed.
I was part of a class action lawsuit people had against it. I think I could have collected about 10 bucks, but didn't bother.

I've been thinking of trying it again, too.

Do they send to Australia? :brow:

I've used both in the past and liked them both. What I'm onto now is Redbox DVD. Have you guys seen these? They have them in McDonald's restaurants. I don't know where else they have them. You can order online too I think.
Anyway, it's cool. It's a dollar a movie. You get them from a Redbox vending machine, and they email you a receipt. Good selection.

They do charge you a dollar a day per movie though, and that's not as good a deal for some people as netflix. I love it though. I've probably rented 10 movies this month.

So I'm guessing the queue deal for either Netflix or BB means you put your name in for a movie and wait your turn in line if it's not available to be shipped out right at that moment?

I'm guessing another advantage for BB is game rentals? Does that work just like the movies?

not sure about the games, but I just recieved Pinky and the Brain volume 3 just this past week. PatBv3 was a new release tuesday. Honestly I have not had the waiting issues that others have talked about.

Maybe they have shipping centers close?

Games arent included with blockbuster's deal. There is GameznFlix.com though. I use it. It's cheaper than Gamefly and sends the games faster - also has movies. So, it's a pretty good deal if you're wanting both.

So I'm guessing the queue deal for either Netflix or BB means you put your name in for a movie and wait your turn in line if it's not available to be shipped out right at that moment?

No - the queue is a little like your shopping cart... You go through and add movies you want to see into your queue - they ship the next one in that list as soon as they receive one back from you. I don't think we've ever requested a movie that wasn't available. In a year we've had 1 that wouldn't play, in which case you go online and report a problem with the disk, and they'll send another without waiting to get the bad one back. The queue is nice because I was always hearing about movies I wanted to see, but would totally forget what they were after 2 days... now I just load them up in the queue as soon as I hear about them.

One more question, do they ship on the weekends? Or say if I ship back a movie Thursday, they get it Friday and send out another Friday (right?), would it show up Saturday?

Just trying to figure out about how much I can watch a month :yes:

I think they only take time off on holidays, if even that.

I have used both. The advantage to Netflix is that it might have the more "racy" versions of movies. For example, there was a documentary on the impact of the movie "Deep Throat". Netflix had the unrated, NC-17 version that showed about 2 seconds of why it was titled "Deep Throat". Blockbuster has the r-rated version. But of all the "unrated" versions of mainstream movies, Blockbuster has them, i.e. 40 Year Old Virgin Unrated Edition. That is the ONLY advantage that Netflix has.

Blockbuster on the other hand has a MUCH better turnaround time (I will explain), good selection AND instead of returning your movies thru the mail, you take them to your local store and exchange them for instore rentals. So, if you have 4 movies you got thru the mail, take them to the store and get 4 new movies and pay Nada. No, you cannot use them to rent games, but you do get 1 free rental coupon per month that can be used for games or movies.

Now how is Blockbuster's turnaround head and shoulders above Netflix? Well, for one, when you take them to the store, they are scanned as "returned". Then there is Netflix's wonderous policy of "throttling". They won't admit to it, but they absolutly do it. Here is what happened to me. I rent ALOT of movies. They come in, I "watch" them, the return them the next day. Well, Netflix would get them within a day or two and then immediately send the next one out and I would get it the next day. Awesome! Then after about a month, suddenly I would send it back and then instead of taking a day or two, it took 3-4 days to get there and 3-4 days to get to me. By the time I left Netflix, on a 3 out at a time plan, I was lucky to get 3 movies per week. I thought it was just me, but I did research and found out this was a common practice with Netflix. With Blockbuster, 4 out at a time, I am getting atleast 8 rentals per week.

To me, it's a no-brainer btwn. the two. Blockbuster wins hands down.

Well from a little research, it seems members of both sides have had slow shipping issues.

In store returns for BB does not always apply to franchise stores....so I have to find out if the 3 near me even accept this Total Access return deal or not.

I really don't get the return to the store deal. I mean, if you need to return 4 movies in one day and get 4 more the same day, you seriously need a hobby. lol I never got it when they showed it on the commercial. "and you can return them to the store" - ok? Or I can just put them in the mailbox? Hmm. Go to movie store, or put in mail-box?
If I were going to rent/return movies from a store, why would I need a deal like netflix or the blockbuster mail in? Seems pointless. Why not just use a movie rental place the traditional way if you have to have them that day?

BB Online for old TV shows like Sledge Hammer return them to the store for new releases like bridge to Tarabethia

I really don't get the return to the store deal. I mean, if you need to return 4 movies in one day and get 4 more the same day, you seriously need a hobby. lol I never got it when they showed it on the commercial. "and you can return them to the store" - ok? Or I can just put them in the mailbox? Hmm. Go to movie store, or put in mail-box?
If I were going to rent/return movies from a store, why would I need a deal like netflix or the blockbuster mail in? Seems pointless. Why not just use a movie rental place the traditional way if you have to have them that day?

I would say I was in the same position, but my parents love the option of going to the store. They don't really watch much TV, and don't go to movies in theaters. They just rent movies, and they watch 3-4 a week. However, they rent a lot of movies that they get about 5-15 minutes into and realize that they don't like it, and don't watch it. So if they rent four movies, they may only actually watch two. If they have made some exceptionally bad choices, they may need to take them back and try again to get a movie to watch that night. Also if they've watch some of the movies they have already and only have one for a particular night.

Cool. That makes sense. Never thought about that.

I'd do the in store return if I just had a urge to see a movie right away. I just did the Netflix free 2 week deal. Movie shipped out Monday, got here Wednesday....sometimes I may not want to wait that long or have to fit the movie into a tight schedule.