Netflix V Blockbuster Online

Netflix: came up with the idea, user friendly, has almost every film you might want (and you can ask for films they don't have)... I've never had a problem with them.

Blockbuster: have the ability to exchange films at the store if desired for instant gratification that Netflix can't give you. But they are also Blockbuster.

I have gotten by comfortably with netflix for movies, and I've been doing well with gamefly instead of blockbuster's services--2 games out at any time (and I believe B-Buster hasn't stocked Nintendo DS for rental...yet) and a service called brightspot.tv takes money from my account from ad-watching. Unsure about Blockbuster's videogame rental services. Hackingnetflix.com also has some comparisons. Allllso, Netflix just announced better options for streaming movies (you don't have to return the ones you keep, there's about to be Instant Messaging/movie sharing, compatibility for macs/pcs both), so that's cool too.

I'm confused; what's Brightspot?

Blockbuster has a penchant for sending me movies from the middle of my queue. Very annoying. Considering I don't live near an actual store and can't take advantage of their exchange program, I'm going to switch back to Netflix.

I've had a good experience w/ Blockbuster. I live near a store location so they usually send off my movies right away and I get them the next day. I haven't tried Netflix, but you can always get a free trial subscription to Blockbuster. I'm on my third month and have never paid for the service yet.

I use Blockbuster Online because I live right by 2 different Blockbusters. It's great for me. I spend $18 a month and get 3 movies out at a time. I can then return all 3 to the Blockbuster and get 3 more movies. That basically works out to 6 movies a week.

Plus, with my plan you get a coupon for a free rental every month and that rental can be a video game rental. So assuming 4 weekends in a month, I get 24 movies and a video game. That seems more than worth the money. Plus, it's easier to try to get a new release at the store than it is online and I really appreciate being able to just wander around the store trying to decide what to rent.

That being said, I do get frustrated at their system sometimes. I'm supposed to get immediate credit when I take a movie into the store. Yet even when I take them in on a friday, I don't get the replacement DVD until maybe Wednesday or Thursday of the next week. This week for instance, I didn't get my replacement movie until Saturday, even though I'd returned all of them over the weekend.

Plus, sometimes they just don't send you 3 movies. It can be annoying. Fortunately, I've found that if you just email customer service, they'll email you back some coupons you can use to rent something from the store (again, video games or movies).

Obviously both BB Online and Netflix are great if you're trying to rent HD movies. I think that the way Netflix handles it is better. Basically, you say you have a player that can play certain formats (Blu-ray or HD DVD) and then depending if the movie in your queue has an HD version that you can play, they'll send those out to you instead. With Blockbuster, you have to try to find the movies that have Blu-ray or HD DVD versions and specifically request those. They have a list of Blu-ray or HD DVD movies but it's not complete, it only has maybe 100 titles on it.

brightspot.tv is a site that you sign onto and watch a handful of ads. For every ad you watch (and 2/3 question questionnaire you fill out), they deduct money from your gamefly account. I think they do it with a few other sites, as well. It works, and now I pay less than half of what I regularly do.

I am currebtly using both and I have to say that Blockbuster is the better of the two (if you live near a blockbuster store).

I started off with Netflix when I lived in California and it was good til I moved to South Carolina and then I got like two movies a week. It blew so I cancelled the service and got Blockbuster.

Blockbuster gradually got better. I can get three out at a time and turn them into the store for three free rentals which means my on-line movies ship out faster then sending them by mail. I get one coupon per month which is cool but because your envelopes are coupons too you end up getting more movies then you can handle. Also they do switch out movies for games so you can get either or, or both. To top it off I bought a snack card form the store for like 6 bucks and everytime I go in and rent something, which is like every other day, I get a free snack for $1.99 of my choice. The card paid itself off in the first four days. Not a reward under rental terms but still a great companion piece.

Netflix is shipping my movies faster and they do carry nc-17 titles, not that I rent them anyway, but thats about the extent of the benfit. They have the Watch It Now option which allows you watch movies on your PC but they do not have newer movies and their selections for now suck. Unless you want to see a movie from the 80's or early 90's then its not going to make you do backflips.

If you live near a blockbuster store your better getting BB online. It may vary depending on where you live though. I live in Fort Mill and they have a warehouse in Greensboro so I get my movies next day, usually, unless the title is located farther away which isn't a recurring thing.

The whole purpose of having movies mailed to you is so that you don't have to leave the house. I don't get why anyone would have the Blockbuster service if they are dropping them off in-store. Why not just have a regular Blockbuster service?

I've been a Netflix user since 1999. I have one day turn around, so I'm pretty satisfied. Plus, they have a better selection than Blockbuster, particularly with foreign and independent films. As for instant gratification, Netflix has a "Watch Now" tab on their home page in which you can download movies and watch them immediately.

I disagree. The reason I have BB Online is because I get a wider selection of movies and more rentals cheaper. Blockbuster is ON my way to work or a five minute drive from my house. Getting there is actually almost easier for me than trying to mail something.

That's why Blockbuster is great. You can use it exactly like Netflix if you want or you can totally abuse the service and get an obscene number of rentals out of it.

I'd also have to disagree with this statement. When the CHUD essentials list started, I noticed that I could get both Ilsa and Q: The Winged Serpent from BB Online but people who used Netflix complained they didn't have them.

I think that Blockbuster doesn't have quite as massive a selection as Netflix but I haven't run into something that I've wanted to rent online that they didn't carry.

I use Blockbuster and have never had any major issues. Shipping time has always been fast for me. You don't have to go anywhere to use it, but man, does it make a difference if you decide you want to rent something for that night. You also get free rentals, and special discounts on their in-store used DVD selection which I've taken advantage of a couple of times.

I'm going to have to say Blockbuster is good for you if there's a location convenient to where you live. If you don't or if you have some kind of aversion to their retail outlets then I don't see much difference between the two services.

Blockbuster could have the best movie selection in the history of cinema, and I still wouldn't give them my money.

$15 for 2 movies at a time and $18 for 3 I believe.

Why?

I've had both. I like that Netflix lets me create two queues and divide my allotment between them. And Blockbuster has fucked up my shipments more in the 4 months I have had them than Netflix did in four years.

Netflix starts at the top of your queue and sends you the first available movie. Blockbuster seems to take your numerical list of movies more as a guide, really. They send stuff from anywhere on there.

I think if you can take advantage of dropping off movies at Blockbuster so you can double your at home movie numbers, BB makes sense. But I still like Netflix better. I'm going to switch back soon.

Yeah, that's always been my thinking -- I started Netflix so I didn't have to go to the store. I guess I can understand gaming the system to get more movies, but Jesus, how many movies can you watch? I'm on the three-at-a-time plan now, but am about to scale that back to 2 for the spring/summer months.

Anyway, selection is a major plus with Netflix. I'm not sure how it compares with the online service, but it's far, far better than any brick-and-mortar store I've ever been to.

THANK. YOU.

I have friends and co-workers who were so in the habit of going to the local Blockbuster that they were talked into signing up for Blockbuster Online, even after I sent them a few emails with "1 free month of Netflix" and told the advantages of the service.

Blockbuster was forced into creating their own online service when they lost a vast number of customers to the convenience of Netflix.

Then, like a greedy corporation, they added the unhanded tactic of offering to send people's movies back for them and provide them with more content.

The whole point of the online service was the added convenience of not having to go anywhere and having the movies delivered right to your door.

I live about an hour and a half from the nearest distribution center, so my movies usually arrive back there within a day and I have another title in 48 hours.

Who would want to rent 6+ movies in a week? I imagine a lot of these people don't watch a lot of regular TV programming, though it also means that those that do watch 6+ movies in a week and regular TV just don't have much of a social life.

I recently got the "Watch Now" feature added to my account, though I haven't yet had a chance to take it for a spin.

The only way I might possibly defect to Blockbuster from Netflix (I've been a loyal member for over 5 years) is if they erected a Blockbuster across the street from me and that won't be happening anytime soon, as the closest commericial property is close to a mile away.

Blockbuster Online was fucking slow as all hell over Christmas, but at the moment I've been receiving all my movies within one day.

<shill>
By the way, if you wanna try out BB Online for two weeks for free, and help me meet my numbers for this week while you're at it, just go to www.blockbuster.com/total and enter 17258B as the promo code. It only charges if you keep it past the 2 weeks, and if you have any questions just PM me or e-mail me. Or IM me. </shill>

At the moment, where I am, BB Online works perfectly because I'm already at the store all the time and there are tons of movies that we don't carry. But I have a feeling I'll switch over to Netflix later just because of Blockbuster's retarded and inconsistant policy on NC-17 movies. I just finished the Criterion Man Bites Dog, certified NC-17. But they only have the R-rated Bad Education. They carry Unrated N' Out Of Control dvds, but not Short Bus or This Film is Not Yet Rated.

But right now, I have so much catching up to do that that's fine for me. BTW, if you rent games at all, just do the 5.99 a month plan, since that can give you a free game rental which (at least in my region) costs more than that.

We (my wife and I) use Blockbuster and love it.

We get two movies at a time and because there is a Blockbuster store down the street, on my way to work, its a great setup.

If we want movies immediately then we can go to the store and return the two we have and pick up new ones. Because bring the movies to the store counts as the movie being "returned," we get the next set a day or two after (example: return on Monday and receive on Tuesday or Wednesday).

Or we sometimes just stick the movies in the mail box and get the next set 2 or 3 days later.

It gives us the ability of having all the movies we want to watch, when we want them, with as much convenience as possible.

If we didn't have a store so conveniently located, I'm not sure how much of a benefit it would provide, but the way its set up for us, its great.

I can't possibly join Blockbuster now that they've dropped Alec Baldwin's voiceover from their commercials.

I initially began with Netflix but found that I was being "throttled" rather ruthlessly. I subsequently signed up for BB.

Pros, Netflix definately had the larger selection and Blockbuster's habit of sending movies randomly throughout the Queue is awful. May try Netflix again for it's selection to see if I am throttled again.

I've never had a problem with 'random movies' per sae, but I've had Bloody Birthday at the top of my queue for quite some time now and they keep sending out the 2nd on my list, despite Bloody Birthday being "Availible". Had the same problem with Mondo Cane too.

I've heard that Blockbuster's "In Stock" listing comes from all of their distribution centers but that they usually only mail out the one's that are in stock nearest to you. It can be annoying.

I'm just always annoyed that so many Blu-ray movies are listed as having a 'long wait.' Clearly, if they're being rented by people then it would make sense that maybe there should be more copies of them.

I wish they would just carry a couple HD formats at a local store. I emailed BB corporate and the guy said that they did carry HD movies at over 100 stores throughout the country but that the only way to try to find a local store that had HD stuff was to call up each individual store. Annoying.

Also, I had the complete season of Stella on my queue for about 6 months and never got it. Still, I can't argue with being able to go into the store and rent random movies. That and the low cost make it worthwhile to me.

Holy hell moovyphreak, there's a difference between sharing your experience and evangelizing for a corporation/insulting those who have chosen differently than you. Did someone at Blockbuster pee in your coffee or something?

i did Netflix for a number of years, and was very happy to be done with blockbuster.

but i have recently switched to BB Online, and i am simply devouring films at a much higher rate than with Netflix, and for a couple bucks less. My nearest store is literally across the street, which increases the turn around time greatly.

and whats with the complaining about going to the store? you don't have to do so. only if you want to get more bang for your buck. trust me, Blockbuster would rather you sat on the films and mailed them for slower turn around, hence increased profits for them.

and while i was originally glad to be out of the corporate clutches of Blockbuster, Netflix teaming up with motherfucking SprawlMart made it a TON easier to cancel and switch back to BB.

of course, if i had the bread, id subscribe to both, since each service will have a selection of movies unavailable from the other.

It sucks. The video constantly skips. Selection highlights include The Hitcher 2 and Black Moon Rising. But hey, I'm not complaining. You get what you pay for.

Yeah, I guess if people are really watching 6+ movies a week, the BB service is a good option. I watch 1-2 movies a week via Netflix, but watch other movies via HBO or my DVD collection. In addition, NYC does't have a lot of Blockbuster stores, and the ones they do have don't have a very good selection. I find Netflix better suits my needs, but I concede that for those that watch a lot of movies, BB may work out better.

As for price, because I was one of the earliest members I got grandfathered in during the price change so I'm paying an equivalent price to the BB service.

Really? I haven't tried the feature, but I browsed through the recommendations they put up based on my viewing habits and they were good selections.

Nah, I did work for Blockbuster for about a year and a half while in college, but I am upset that Blockbuster seems to have pulled the rug out from under Netflix with their under-handed business tactics.

Netflix meets my needs for now.

Blockbuster offering a feature that its competitor can't isn't an underhanded tactic. By that logic Netflix was being underhanded when they took the video-rental model to the net in the first place.

Which is preposterous, of course.

I think choosing sides (beyond making recommendations) on an issue like this is a waste of time. The big picture indicates, per usual, that competition benefits the consumer.

Fuck.

I have Netflix. It works, even though I have about a 4-day turnaround for movies. It's no big deal because I only have time to watch DVDs on weekends. The only thing that pisses me off is getting the occasional fullscreen movie. Anyone know how to prevent that? Can I change a preference somewhere or is it just luck of the draw?

I still haven't forgiven them for the whole family-friendly ratings pressure they put on studios and filmmakers back when they were still a monopoly.

And really, I'm very happy with Netflix. Until another business comes up with a significant improvement on the service, I don't see a reason to switch. And saving four dollars a month isn't a significant improvement on the service. When somebody launches the first really viable downloadable movie service, that'll probably do it. Until then, Blockbuster Online isn't offering anything I don't already have.

Ah. Never heard or knew about that.

yet it makes perfect sense, dont it?

they're all scum. but we'll keep fillin their coffers daggummit. cause thats what we do.

If you're getting widescreen from Netflix, it's all that's available. Another area where they beat BB.

Blockbuster gives me twice the movies for the same price. I think over the course of the last few months I tallied up about $400 worth of rentals for $80. And you can get video games too. I don't have the mail service so I can never leave the house, I have the mail service because there's no video stores in Ohio with a suitably wide-ranging selection in-store. And I'm certaily not intrigued by Netflix having a "Watch Now" feature, I don't do movies on the computer.

Blockbuster, at least every store in our region, only carries widescreen.

I haven't ever gotten a full screen DVD in the mail from Blockbuster. I sometimes see them at the store (not often though. I don't even think about it when I pick up a movie to rent).

Ok, I think this discussion breaks down into three camps:

Scenario 1
People who appreciate the convenience of being able to create a queue and just get the movies from that list in their mailbox every week. When they're done, simply mail them back.

In this scenario, Netflix is a better option. It's got better suggestions, a system that handles your queue better, and more distribution centers resulting in faster mail times for movies.

Scenario 2
You want to be able to see more obscure movies that you won't find at your local rental place but you also enjoy being able to walk into the video store and pick up whatever strikes your mood.

In this scenario, Blockbuster is probably the one you'd want to use. Although their queue management is kind of clunky, the fact that every disc you get in the mail is a coupon for a free rental for the local store means that you don't lose that ability to wander around the store trying to find something random to watch that night.

Scenario 3
You watch a frickin' ton of movies and there are so many great movies that you still haven't seen that Blockbuster has in stock that you want to be able to rent a ton of movies in a week.

In this case Blockbuster is a good route to go because you get a lot of movies.

I'll also throw out a mythical 4th scenario ..

Scenario 4

You just graduated from college and you're kind of looking for a real job while you crash at you parents place. Not really though because who really wants to get a job.

Anyway, instead of actually looking for a job, you spend a month straight watching as many movies as humanly possible.

In this case, signing up for an in-store rental plan (not online but one at the store that lets you just take any 2 movies out at a time) is aces. I did this and watched maybe 2-4 movies a day for about a month. It was an awesome way to spend a month.

The best thing about the plan is you can go in 2-3 times a day and get more movies if you want. If you're a college student and you're trying to figure out how to spend your Christmas break, that might be a good plan for you.

I worked for Blockbuster for a year in the early nineties. I know firsthand how they drug their feet when it came to changes that movie fans would want. Even when widescreen, unrated and subtitled versions of movies were available they shied away from them. Their reasoning was either "we're a family-friendly corporation" or "people just don't want to have to read or see black bars on their screens". Blockbuster caters to the lowest common denominator. As a business, they are maximizing their customer base and therefore their profit. More power to them. Netflix, on the other hand, skewed toward my preferences right out of the gate. They have my money and in the three years I've used them I have had zero problems.