Online DVD rentals

[crewsor]

I'm considering signing up for an online rental service such as Netflix where you get movies through the mail and keep them as long as you like. When you send it back you get your next movie automatically.
It sounds good in theory, with one of the main attractions for me being no late fees. I hate even renting from BlockBuster because inevitably I end up forgetting to return on time and owing a small fortune in late fees.
I was wondering if anyone else is using these services and how its working out for them, or if you might have a recomendation as far as a service. I know Walmart is doing it and Netflix, but I'm sure there are others also. Any input would be appreciated.

[powerclown]

I just subscribed to Netflix 3 months ago. I like it so far, even though the cost went up from $20 to $23/mo. I hope this doesn't happen again soon. I usually get older movies and movies that haven't just come out on DVD, so I usually get my movies pretty quick (from 2-4 days usually), but I understand there can be quite a delay if you want the latest movies. I live about 50 miles from one of their shipping hubs, so that might affect shipping/receiving times as well. Its nice to just be able to hang on to the movies for as long as you want, or as long as it takes you to drag yourself out to a mailbox to return one lol. They also have had every miscellaneous movie Ive ever wanted to order, which is another plus, so their inventory is huge.

I like Netflix alot, I have no plans to drop it any time soon.

[Fremen]

I use Netfix, as well. I really enjoy the service, although I wish they had Adult (X-rated) movies.
The increase is only a recent thing. It was the same price for a year or more, that I know about.
It was because they added all the new distribution centers, is what I heard.
There shouldn't be another increase for quite a while yet.
Don't quote me, though.

[powerclown]

Good to know about the price increase thing not being a monthly thing...thanks Fremen.

There is a pretty lengthy discussion about various adult dvd rental companies here.

[Pellaz]

I've had netflix for a long time now. Love it. Massive selection, shipping times have dwindled to excellence, and very few problems.

[Polyphobic]

I also have had netflix for quite some time. It helps that one of their distribution centers is located right here in Denver. Basically, I return a DVD and receive a new on 1 business day later. Ex: mail it back on Monday and receive a new one Wed.
All in all netflix is a great idea. Rental outfits are a rip off

[Cynthetiq]

I have had netflix for over 4 years, and a good friend of mine over 6 since before the AYCE model

I have been able to get returns in 24 hours if I get the first mail truck out in the morning here in NYC.

I love Netflix and have about 400+ movies in my queue.

[KMA-628]

I agree. I have had netflix for over two years and I get my movies fast. (I am in Denver like Polyphobic).

Every now and then you get a bad disk but they replace it right away with no questions (same goes for missing discs)

[ibis]

I've been wanting to sign up for one of these. I'm currently looking at the Walmart version because it's 21.95 for 4 movies at a time.

Anyone used their service? Or should I stick to Netflix?

[crewsor]

Looks like the concensus is NetFlix. I think I may give it a try when I get back from vacation.

[Derwood]

I have Netflix. Only one movie i've tried to get that they don't have ("Hoop Dreams").

I've seen a ton of older movies that i had never gotten around to seeing, which is fantastic.

[rekinom]

Post removed.

[espi]

Originally posted by Derwood
I have Netflix. Only one movie i've tried to get that they don't have ("Hoop Dreams").

According to Amazon Hoop Dreams hasn't been released on DVD yet. Which is a damn shame because it's one of the finest sports films/documentaries ever made. Maybe a petition is in order...

I've been a NetFlix member for about 1.5 years now, and I've never had any problems with it. Like others have stated, I usually get new movies about 1 business day after I drop old ones in the mail. I've never had any problem finding any movies that are available on DVD; I'm not looking for particulary obscure titles, but I know the selection is a lot better than my local Blockbuster/Hollywood Video.

[ibis]

I decided to take the plunge with Netflix. I'll let ya'll know how it goes.

BTW, for those interested, Netflix has a one month free deal going on right now.

[Polyphobic]

Good choice. Much better than being stuck in blockbuster induced hell. Also, they have a distribution center in Dallas.

[John Falcon]

I've used Netflix and Hitflix. Which is better?

Netflix is awesome, fast and all the titles you can think of.

Hitflix has a slow turnaround, but has 'adult' titles.

[Polyphobic]

I've only used netflix. They are rated number one in the online dvd rentals. I'd guess netflix. However, if it had adult dvds I would be much better. And maybe some video games. Hopefully, they branch out a little.

[sashime76]

Used Netflix trial but decided to go with Walmart, the distribution center is in Terre Haute, I live in Indianapolis area so I can get as many as 20+ movies a month! I also subscribe to ehit, for Asian flicks.

[Jimellow]

I'm going to bump this instead of starting a new thread..

I noticed Blockbuster now has an online DVD online rental service. $17.99 a month, and 3 DVDs out at a time, as well as free in-store rental coupons throughout the month. The website with details/info can be found HERE.

Seems like a pretty nice deal, but I am curious if anyone here at TFP has signed up with Blockbuster, and how the results have been?

[Grancey]

I signed up with Blockbuster a few months ago when the first month was free. I requested a film that was not immediately available. I waited until the last day of the free month, never received the film, then I canceled.

[Jimellow]

Originally Posted by Grancey

I signed up with Blockbuster a few months ago when the first month was free. I requested a film that was not immediately available. I waited until the last day of the free month, never received the film, then I canceled.

Interesting, thanks for the reply.

I haven't been to the movies much lately and as a result, there are a bunch I'd like to rent, but I am not sure I would watch enough movies to make a monthly rental service/fee worthwhile.

Then again, if I did subscribe, I am sure I would rent a lot, and take advantage of the service, knowing that I am paying for it..

From what I gather, the Big 3 are Netflix, Blockbuster and Intelliflix. I found a website that compares the three providers HERE, but would appreciate some more personalized feedback from those that have used any of the rental services.

Also, to those of you that do subscribe: Do you find yourself still finding and receiving good, enjoyable movies months after you initially signed up? I like watching movies, but I'm curious if there comes a point where it is just too much and there isn't much left to see?

EDIT: I just thought of another related question.. Do these rental services offer sitcom seasons on DVD.. Monk, Scrubs, Rockford Files, to name a few..?

[trickyy]

how are the out-of-region inventories in these services?
i've heard nicheflix mentioned before. i'm not really into out-of-region at the moment, but i can see myself getting into it if i had an account with one of these companies.

[snowy]

Originally Posted by Jimellow

EDIT: I just thought of another related question.. Do these rental services offer sitcom seasons on DVD.. Monk, Scrubs, Rockford Files, to name a few..?

Yes! Netflix has lots of TV shows. The only problem is that 1 DVD of the set=1 DVD in your queue, so you have to watch them 1 DVD at a time. Usually that isn't a problem for us, because we don't really feel like watching six hours of Stargate at a stretch (for example), and with 3 DVDs out at a time, the turnaround is usually fast enough that we have a new set of shows to watch by the time we're done with the first set.

I love Netflix.

[Grasshopper Green]

We had netflix for awhile, but cancelled because we just didn't feel like we were using it enough. Then we decided to go to Blockbuster the past two weekends, and every movie we wanted to see was gone. I miss Netflix ; I have a feeling I may be re-signing up for it soon.

[Jimellow]

After talking with mom I have a few more questions..

Does Netflix have Simenon movies? He is a Belgium mystery writer, and those movies are not readily available for rent here. This would be a big deal for my mom, as she enjoys reading his books and would like to also watch the movies.

How does Netflix's availability and selection compare to a trip to the video store? I imagine/hope it is broader and more diverse, but it seems you have to sign-up before you can access the list of movies available.

Of the "big" two, Netflix is seeming like the better choice. Our family has a negative opinion of Blockbuster through in-store rental experience, and the posts here about not receiving movies and always being out of stock are not too promising.

I figure the monthly fee of $20 (approx.) is worth it if we rent 4-5 movies a month at the video store. After accounting for late fees, it is easily worth it, providing it is taken advantage of from month to month.

My main question and concern relates to movie selection and availability. For instance, SAW 2 is a movie I am really excited about seeing on DVD. I held out on the discount cinemas to watch the movie with dad on DVD, and its going to be released this month. How readily available will SAW 2 (or any new release) be upon its initial release?

And secondly, is the movie availability list pretty impressive? Are there movies that you want, but aren't available? If yes, how many? Selection is important to me, because if the potential is there to be watching 3 movies a week, the "New Releases" will be cleaned out and watched pretty readily, leaving room for deeper delving into other, less popular, releases.

[Psycho Dad]

I did a Netflix search of Simenon and it did not return any hits.

[Jimellow]

Originally Posted by Psycho Dad

I did a Netflix search of Simenon and it did not return any hits.

Thanks for checking.. After doing some brief Google searches, I am thinking his name may not be mentioned in the movie title or description..

For instance, THIS SITE lists Simenon movie posters, and when I scroll down to the titles and directors, I don't see any mention of Simenon at all..

For instance, the New York Times has a list of his movies HERE, and it seems they are all in French.

Again, I know nothing about Simenon, Google searces aside, but it seems there have been quite a few movies made of his novels, and I guess that is what my mom is interested/curious about.

Would you be willing to do a search for 'The Clockmaker'?

Originally Posted by NY Times Website

The Clockmaker is based on the Georges Simenon story L'Horlonger de Saint-Paul, which was also the French title of this film.

[snowy]

Originally Posted by Jimellow

Would you be willing to do a search for 'The Clockmaker'?

They have it, and as far as I can tell they have Red Lights too.

[amonkie]

Blockbuster has The Clockmaker available for online rental.

I was originally with Netflix, but ended up switching to Blockbuster because for the same monthly price, I was also getting coupons for instore rentals.

I just got an email from Blockbuster yesterday saying that they were providing me the option to have 2 coupons good the entire month, or 4 coupons each good for a week apiece. I went with the 4 coupon/month option, and so that means I have unlimited 3 at a time movies, plus 1 weekly instore rental for those "I gotta watch it NOW" urges, or if something is taking a while to come in via the online que but the stores have many copies.

I am a happy customer.

[Jimellow]

Thank you both for checking.. It's good to hear they have the movies available.

I read somewhere that Blockbuster is going to be incorperating it's 4000 stores into online rentals in the future.. Do you have any idea how that will work?

The in-store rentals with Blockbuster is nice, because if I am correct, they can also apply to gaming rentals, which are not available online, and I am starting to play video games occasionally again. Also, as amonkie said, it's neat to have a "right now" rental for movies that you want to pick up and watch immediately..

Is it tough to get new releases, or do the companies stock enough to cover the higher demand?

Thanks again for checking. I'm thinking we will likely subscribe to one of the providers, I will just have to think and decide on which..

I've read a few posts of negativity here regarding Blockbuster, but does anyone have similiar experiences with Netflix?

[amonkie]

I'm not sure exactly what they plan to do - but I think they are trying to boost instore circulation with the coupons - they also have the previewed movies for buying, snacks, etc - by getting you in the store for the free rental they're hoping you'll get distracted, heh.

I checked the website, and the coupons are only good for movie rentals. However, they now have GamePass, which is an unlimited rental for 21.99 a month for games, and you have 1 game out at a time. That requires going into the store to pick them out.

[Jimellow]

Originally Posted by amonkie

I'm not sure exactly what they plan to do - but I think they are trying to boost instore circulation with the coupons - they also have the previewed movies for buying, snacks, etc - by getting you in the store for the free rental they're hoping you'll get distracted, heh.

I checked the website, and the coupons are only good for movie rentals. However, they now have GamePass, which is an unlimited rental for 21.99 a month for games, and you have 1 game out at a time. That requires going into the store to pick them out.

Ahh ok. Thanks for clearing that up.

I guess games are more valuable in the sense that they cost more retail and are also more expensive to rent.

Are new releases able to be rented readily, or do you generally have to wait for them to be rented out and returned? I know the stores run "Guaranteed to be there" promotions, but I am curious about how readily available new releases are when ordered/qued online.

Also, can you que "Coming Soon" movies and have them automatically shipped when they do hit the streets?

Again, many thanks for all these answers.

[amonkie]

You can que the Coming Soon movies - once they are released, they are shipped out when the movies you currently have out are returned. That is mostly where the delay lies - getting the movies out once you've sent them back in the mail.

It really depends on the specific movie, but I had no problem getting most of my movies - there has been a short wait on maybe 3-4 movies in the year I was with Netflix. With Blockbuster, I have only been with them for a month so really don't feel qualified to say at this point, but I am not disappointed with their service.

[Jimellow]

I opted to go with Blockbuster.. The free rental coupons were the deciding factor, and by my math, a free rental a week for four weeks comes out to just under $20, and that is just about breaking even before accounting for the "meat" of the deal, which is the delivered movies.

I used this week's coupon on The Wedding Crashers, and have que'd a few movies that will ideally be sent out early this week.

This seems like a really nice, and worthwhile deal to me. I would never rent 3 movies a week for $12-15 a bunch, but with this online and coupon method, I expect to take full advantage and also broaden my exposure to movies in general.

Believe it or not, I did have a few more questions..

If I have 3 open que spots, will Blockbuster send them all out at once, or do they generally only send one movie per day?

Also, in a given week, what has been your experience with receiving new movies? Providing you ship three movies back on Monday, is it realistic to expect to have 3 more by the weekend? Or is that pushing it?

[ratbastid]

Another--much lesser known--player in the online dvd rental space is <a href="http://www.greencine.com">GreenCine</a> (pronounced "Green Scene"). lurkette and I have been with them for six months or so and they're AWESOME. Same principle as Netflicks, but a much deeper movie selection. Fast shipping, plenty of copies of popular titles. They rule.

[djflish]

I use ScreenSelect, it's just like NetFlix, but British.
I like the fact that I don't know which film is coming next, it makes getting the mail exciting!

[Psycho Dad]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/11262292/from/RS.3/

Frequent Netflix renters sent to back of the line
The more you use, the slower the service, some customers realize
The Associated Press
Updated: 3:37 p.m. ET Feb. 10, 2006

SAN FRANCISCO - Manuel Villanueva realizes he has been getting a pretty good deal since he signed up for Netflix Inc.'s online DVD rental service 2 1/2 years ago, but he still feels shortchanged.

That's because the $17.99 monthly fee that he pays to rent up to three DVDs at a time would amount to an even bigger bargain if the company didn't penalize him for returning his movies so quickly.

Netflix typically sends about 13 movies per month to Villanueva's home in Warren, Mich. — down from the 18 to 22 DVDs he once received before the company's automated system identified him as a heavy renter and began delaying his shipments to protect its profits.

The same Netflix formula also shoves Villanueva to the back of the line for the most-wanted DVDs, so the service can send those popular flicks to new subscribers and infrequent renters.

The little-known practice, called "throttling" by critics, means Netflix customers who pay the same price for the same service are often treated differently, depending on their rental patterns.

"I wouldn't have a problem with it if they didn't advertise `unlimited rentals,'" Villanueva said. "The fact is that they go out of their way to make sure you don't go over whatever secret limit they have set up for your account."

Los Gatos, Calif.-based Netflix didn't publicly acknowledge it differentiates among customers until revising its "terms of use" in January 2005 — four months after a San Francisco subscriber filed a class-action lawsuit alleging that the company had deceptively promised one-day delivery of most DVDs.

"In determining priority for shipping and inventory allocation, we give priority to those members who receive the fewest DVDs through our service," Netflix's revised policy now reads. The statement specifically warns that heavy renters are more likely to encounter shipping delays and less likely to immediately be sent their top choices.

Few customers have complained about this "fairness algorithm," according to Netflix CEO Reed Hastings.

"We have unbelievably high customer satisfaction ratings," Hastings said during a recent interview. "Most of our customers feel like Netflix is an incredible value."

The service's rapid growth supports his thesis. Netflix added nearly 1.6 million customers last year, giving it 4.2 million subscribers through December. During the final three months of 2005, just 4 percent of its customers canceled the service, the lowest rate in the company's six-year history.

After collecting consumer opinions about the Web's 40 largest retailers last year, Ann Arbor, Mich., research firm ForeSeeResults rated Netflix as "the cream of the crop in customer satisfaction."

Once considered a passing fancy, Netflix has changed the way many households rent movies and spawned several copycats, including a mail service from Blockbuster Inc.

Netflix's most popular rental plan lets subscribers check out up to three DVDs at a time for $17.99 per month. After watching a movie, customers return the DVD in a postage-paid envelope. Netflix then sends out the next available DVD on the customer's online wish list.

Because everyone pays a flat fee, Netflix makes more money from customers who only watch four or five DVDs per month. Customers who quickly return their movies in order to get more erode the company's profit margin because each DVD sent out and returned costs 78 cents in postage alone.

Although Netflix consistently promoted its service as the DVD equivalent of an all-you-can eat smorgasbord, some heavy renters began to suspect they were being treated differently two or three years ago.

To prove the point, one customer even set up a Web site — dvd-rent-test.dreamhost.com — to show that the service listed different wait times for DVDs requested by subscribers living in the same household.

Netflix's throttling techniques have also prompted incensed customers to share their outrage in online forums such as hackingnetflix.com.

"Netflix isn't well within its rights to throttle users," complained a customer identified as "annoyed" in a posting on the site. "They say unlimited rentals. They are liars."

Hastings said the company has no specified limit on rentals, but "`unlimited' doesn't mean you should expect to get 10,000 a month."

In its terms of use, Netflix says most subscribers check out two to 11 DVDs per month.

Management has previously acknowledged to analysts that it risks losing money on a relatively small percentage of frequent renters. The risk has increased since Netflix reduced the price of its most popular subscription plan by $4 per month in 2004 and the U.S. Postal Service recently raised first-class mailing costs by 2 cents.

Netflix's approach has paid off so far. The company has been profitable in each of the past three years, a trend its management expects to continue in 2006 with projected earnings of at least $29 million on revenue of $960 million. Netflix's stock price has more than tripled since its 2002 initial public offering.

A September 2004 lawsuit cast a spotlight on the throttling issue. The complaint, filed by Frank Chavez on behalf of all Netflix subscribers before Jan. 15, 2005, said the company had developed a sophisticated formula to slow down DVD deliveries to frequent renters and ensure quicker shipments of the most popular movies to its infrequent _ and most profitable _ renters to keep them happy.

Netflix denied the allegations, but eventually revised its terms of use to acknowledge its different treatment of frequent renters.

Without acknowledging wrongdoing, the company agreed to provide a one-month rental upgrade and pay Chavez's attorneys $2.5 million, but the settlement sparked protests that prompted the two sides to reconsider. A hearing on a revised settlement proposal is scheduled for Feb. 22 in San Francisco Superior Court.

Netflix subscribers such as Nathaniel Irons didn't believe the company was purposely delaying some DVD shipments until he read the revised terms of use.

Irons, 28, of Seattle, has no plans to cancel his service because he figures he is still getting a good value from the eight movies he typically receives each month.

"My own personal experience has not been bad," he said, "but (the throttling) is certainly annoying when it happens."

I've thought I noticed this, but chalked it up to my imagination. But it doesn't surprise me if it happens. There was no doubt that when we were in the free trial period that movies came at a much faster rate than they do now. I also notice that when I return three movies at one time, I often get two back and then a third one up to three days later.