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Netflix to Lower Online DVD Rental Fees by $1
breitbart.com — SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - Online DVD rental pioneer Netflix Inc. is lowering the price of its two most popular subscription plans by a $1 per month, relinquishing millions of dollars in revenue in an attempt to regain the upper hand in a cutthroat battle with rival Blockbuster Inc.
mvanhorn- 1573 diggs
- digg it
- tinker123, on 10/10/2007, -49/+7It would be great if they didn't insult their customers who use linux by supporting them
- reed311, on 10/10/2007, -8/+53The five or six of you should get together and start a group or something.
- TheTaoOfBill, on 10/10/2007, -17/+2I've got a great idea for it's name!
Digg.com - jjed824, on 10/10/2007, -4/+4Well it's not just linux users there insulting. They insult anybody who doesn't use internet explorer. It's just especially insulting to linux users for whom ie isn't an option.
- DangerMouse9, on 10/10/2007, -2/+3Really? I've never had any issues with their site using FireFox.
- Ryosen, on 10/10/2007, -2/+1Same here. I've never had an issue with FF. Been a netflix member for 4 months now.
- Disfnord, on 10/10/2007, -0/+6He's talking about the new watch online feature. Windows XP + IE only.
- Badman996, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1I think he might also talking about the drag and drop feature in the queue section.
- DangerMouse9, on 10/10/2007, -2/+3Really? I've never had any issues with their site using FireFox.
- byronm, on 10/10/2007, -8/+114happy netflix member here.. i'm just glad they're agnostic and let me watch what i want to watch on any format. Now they're a buck cheaper too!
- LiquidChimera, on 10/10/2007, -8/+2I assume you are referring to BB announcement of Blu-Ray support, that is only in store. You can rent whatever format you want online, as you must be used to from using netflix.
- Optic7, on 10/10/2007, -3/+14Interesting comment. It can be read to have multiple meanings if you consider Blockbusters' "censorship" practices (no NC-17 or unrated movies, pressure on studios to pre-edit versions that they sell to BB), as well as how Blockbuster was supposedly founded by Mormons.
- enola, on 10/10/2007, -0/+6Well, it is a private business, rather than a public service. I don't like it, but they have that right.
- Optic7, on 10/10/2007, -0/+2Absolutely true. However, the public and particularly their customers also have a right to know about Blockbuster's practices and make their own decisions on whether or not they want to financially support those practices.
- locojones, on 10/10/2007, -1/+2I've rented plenty of unrated videos from Blockbuster. So I have no clue what you're talking about.
- PoeticExplosion, on 10/10/2007, -0/+2What? If I got blockbuster I couldn't rent Requiem for a Dream? That's just messed up.
- heavyd14, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1Requiem for a Dream: http://www.blockbuster.com/catalog/movieDetails/141102
Of course, that doesn't totally disprove censorship is being practiced.
- heavyd14, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1Requiem for a Dream: http://www.blockbuster.com/catalog/movieDetails/141102
- kete00, on 10/10/2007, -3/+2That comment is a huge insult to Mormons.
- RexMaxus, on 10/10/2007, -0/+3If you haven't felt personally insulted, you haven't spent much time on digg.
- kete00, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1I meant it as a joke. That whomever you say is responsible for creating Blockbuster should be offended since Blockbuster sucks so bad.
- RexMaxus, on 10/10/2007, -0/+3If you haven't felt personally insulted, you haven't spent much time on digg.
- enola, on 10/10/2007, -0/+6Well, it is a private business, rather than a public service. I don't like it, but they have that right.
- logicalnoise, on 10/10/2007, -8/+16I've had 1 or 2 problems with netflix in my time(compared to the few dozen with BB). I'm on the 3 movie a month plan which I'm unsure if it qualifies. Either way good news for netflix. I now have all the movie disc formats and netflix handles each one terrifically.Plus they still have the best selection.
- andreo, on 10/10/2007, -1/+5Not to mention the online movie viewing. I tried it last night and it worked great.
No big recent big name movies on the list for online viewing. But still a good selection. Things that I may want to see but not want to waste que space for.
But I have to admit. When I heard on the radio this weekend about them lowering the prices I was surprised. At the end of the story they said that the price drop was $1 I died laughing. Oh wow, a whole buck. But it's better then a price increase. So carry on Netflix.- SpacemanSpiff, on 10/10/2007, -0/+7That's a 6% discount for me. A dollar may not seem like much, but it almost adds up to getting one month free each year. Seems like a good deal to me.
- andreo, on 10/10/2007, -1/+5Not to mention the online movie viewing. I tried it last night and it worked great.
- bmatherlyjr, on 10/10/2007, -14/+5Now all Netflix has to do to remain competitive with the likes of Blockbuster is buy a chain of movie rental stores; turn them into Netflix rentals and con various cable / satellite compaines (ie: Cox Cable, Dish Network, Comcast Cable) to launch Netflix Rent Per View channels to rival PPV channels. Instead of being able to just rent the newest films you would by way of a remote control be able to search and rent from the Netflix library.
Just my thoughts.- Korexz, on 10/10/2007, -1/+2Netfilx should just buy Family Video. I think they are pretty mid-west centric... there are a ton of them in the suburbs of Chicago.
- Suplyndmnd, on 10/10/2007, -3/+56Woohoo! I will now save 12 more bucks a year. Happy Netflix customer for about 2 1/2 years now. And am I the only one happy that they got into a business that had a very well established and huge company (Blockbuster) that is now having to play catch-up to them? My only question is, do I now get 1 less hour of streaming video now? I hope not.
- Pilot85, on 10/10/2007, -5/+3Yeah, I was wondering about that, as well. I use a lot of that streaming video on ma HTPC.
- daleeburg, on 10/10/2007, -0/+6From the netflix site
The $17.99 monthly plan is reduced to $16.99 and provides unlimited DVD rentals with three DVDs out at a time and the ability to watch 17 hours of movies and TV series instantly on a PC.
http://www.netflix.com/MediaCenter?id=5408- CiXeL, on 10/10/2007, -9/+1i gotta say though. i cancelled my netflix subscription.
i did it because i wasnt watching movies but was paying on it monthly.
it felt OBLIGATED to watch and return movies because i was paying for the service.
it almost seemed free so i valued it less.
with blockbuster although the rentals are more expensive there is implied value in something that costs more.
its like how windows nt didnt really take off until they raised the price.
if i can return it whenever i want there is no urgency and ill delay watching the movie forever. - ShaffeyBoy, on 10/10/2007, -0/+3Time to learn a little discipline? If I'm watching a the same movie for less then I was before then I"M HAPPY!
- CiXeL, on 10/10/2007, -9/+1i gotta say though. i cancelled my netflix subscription.
- irni, on 10/10/2007, -1/+2You don't have trouble just trying to find 18 hours of content to watch through the watch now feature? The selection is piss poor at best. If their entire selection was available for the watch now thing that would rock. Until then I pretty much ignore the section. I may find 1 thing to watch each month.
- ChromaVita, on 10/10/2007, -19/+9I don't think a dollar is really going to cut it... So many people are switching over to Blockbuster's plan. They need something more drastic.
- logicalnoise, on 10/10/2007, -0/+10source? BB has shown growth in online subscriptions yes but there's no evidence Netflix is losing customers.
- tlogank, on 10/10/2007, -1/+3I don't have any sources, but I can speak for myself and about 6 friends. We all switched to BB online service because of the in-store returns to get more movies, plus they are just as fast as Netflix now, AND BB has started to get some exclusives that NetFlix doesn't.
- joebaloney, on 10/10/2007, -3/+3Enjoy. Once douchebags like you run Netflix off, it'll be back to the old blockbuster... $5 bucks for 1.5 days with no grace period. So everytime you rent a movie it'll cost you about 15 bucks once you pay off the late fees from the last time.
or maybe you never used blockbuster before Netflix came along?
- joebaloney, on 10/10/2007, -3/+3Enjoy. Once douchebags like you run Netflix off, it'll be back to the old blockbuster... $5 bucks for 1.5 days with no grace period. So everytime you rent a movie it'll cost you about 15 bucks once you pay off the late fees from the last time.
- miriv365, on 10/10/2007, -1/+2I agree. Used to be a Netflix customer for 2 years.... then they started throttling me, so that just got on my nerves. I like being able to take the movies into the store and getting new movies, while I wait for the ones in my queue get delivered by mail.
- Ryosen, on 10/10/2007, -0/+3I don't really see how driving to a Blockbuster store is a convenience. When I'm done, I just drop it into the mailbox. How is BB better than that? I really don't understand the backlash against Netflix. And throttling? You don't think that BB will start doing the same thing? They're service is still relatively new, they're losing money, and they've stated that they are going to start taking action to reverse their losses. You'd better believe BB will start throttling.
- tlogank, on 10/10/2007, -1/+2Are you serious? Do you not understand that whenever we take them back to the store that they give us in-store rentals AS WELL AS they mail out the next movies in our online queue? I don't understand what you aren't seeing? Of course it's better, we get 2 movies from the store while we wait on our next one's to arrive in the mail.
- Ryosen, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1Ok, I didn't know that it was an additional rental. However, you're really not gaining as much as you think you are. BB still wins out on this arrangement. Consider: there's no postage for them and you're incurring a cost for the gas and time (I assign a dollar value to my time - don't you?). The main reason for this promotion, however, is to get you into their store where they can upsell you, getting you to purchase additional items and rentals.
They're really not doing you any favors.
- Ryosen, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1Ok, I didn't know that it was an additional rental. However, you're really not gaining as much as you think you are. BB still wins out on this arrangement. Consider: there's no postage for them and you're incurring a cost for the gas and time (I assign a dollar value to my time - don't you?). The main reason for this promotion, however, is to get you into their store where they can upsell you, getting you to purchase additional items and rentals.
- tlogank, on 10/10/2007, -1/+2Are you serious? Do you not understand that whenever we take them back to the store that they give us in-store rentals AS WELL AS they mail out the next movies in our online queue? I don't understand what you aren't seeing? Of course it's better, we get 2 movies from the store while we wait on our next one's to arrive in the mail.
- tlogank, on 10/10/2007, -1/+3I don't have any sources, but I can speak for myself and about 6 friends. We all switched to BB online service because of the in-store returns to get more movies, plus they are just as fast as Netflix now, AND BB has started to get some exclusives that NetFlix doesn't.
- houndeyex, on 10/10/2007, -1/+2I don't know if Blockbuster has anything to do with it, but their stocks are sucking it up: http://finance.yahoo.com/q/bc?s=NFLX&t=1y
- Ahnteis, on 10/10/2007, -2/+5Something like online movie watching -- where I don't even have to go to the store!
- CornStarch, on 10/10/2007, -2/+3I find watching a movie on a computer lessens the experience.
- atticus8, on 10/10/2007, -0/+2Try to acquire a 24 inch or larger, 16:9 screen. You'll find the experience delightful (assuming a high-res source).
- logicalnoise, on 10/10/2007, -0/+10source? BB has shown growth in online subscriptions yes but there's no evidence Netflix is losing customers.
- neel360, on 10/10/2007, -6/+3So if I'm already on one of the plans that is being reduced in price, do I get a discount too from now on, or is that only for new customers?
Netflix better not go cellphone company on me...- Fejerro, on 10/10/2007, -1/+2No, you'll get the reduced price too. I'm on one of the plans that got reduced in price earlier this year. They sent me an email letting me know that I was being charged less. You should be getting one soon.
- chamblah, on 10/10/2007, -0/+3from netflix site http://www.netflix.com/MediaCenter?id=5408 :
Netflix members are not required to do anything to receive the price reduction. Their new lower price will automatically be reflected on their next bill, on or after July 24, 2007. Anyone wishing to try Netflix at no obligation may do so with a free two-week subscription at www.netflix.com.
- mikeyeah, on 10/10/2007, -30/+24I've been using Blockbutser Online for almost a year now. It's a great service, and I think it's better than Netflix for one big reason. With Blockbuster Online, after you receive your movies in the mail and watch them, you have the choice of either returning them via mail, or taking them to your local Blockbuster and exchanging them for a free rentals. So if I order two movies and watch them, I can get two free movies from in-store while I wait for the next movies on my list to arrive.
If your looking to start using an online movie rental service, I would recommend Blockbuster Online. And no, I don't work for Blockbuster.- logicalnoise, on 10/10/2007, -4/+23I for one despise having to go to the BBS store. Yes it helps to willing to plan your movies but I still loathe having run to blockbuster just to return a movie.As for BBonline I messed around on their site for a free trial and it left a lot to be disred as far as reccomendations and queue management. /two cents
- venvision.org, on 10/10/2007, -3/+8In my area there's a Hollywood video, but the nearest blockbuster's two towns over, Netflix was one of the best services we've ever signed up for.
- daleeburg, on 10/10/2007, -2/+2At the time that i was looking at online movie services, BB had some glitch where they had not sent out any movies in the past 3 weeks, and they would tell you they didnt have a problem online, but if you called an operator would tell you there was a problem.
Wasnt sure if i wanted to deal with that kind of customer service. - MindStalker, on 10/10/2007, -2/+1Except my town is one of the ones that still charges late fees at Blockbuster. And as I hate returning movies on time such an "exchange" feature would cost me big time.
- CornStarch, on 10/10/2007, -2/+6I have BB too and I'm happy with it. Even if you don't rent at the store if you return the movies to there then they clear from your Q' faster than mailing them.
- toekneebullard, on 10/10/2007, -5/+2I completely agree with Everything mikeyeah just said...but can't digg it because he sounds way too much like a corporate shill.
- DangerMouse9, on 10/10/2007, -1/+6The only problem is Blockbuster's in store selection sucks ***** ass. They have very little of anything over 6 years old and most of their movies they do have are basically a "why did they even make this movie?" Their online selection may be mostly comparable to Netflix, but with Netflix pretty much all the movies I had in my queue were "Available Now" while at Blockbuster the same movie either had "VERY LONG WAIT" or "SHORT WAIT" and on a few occasions where the movie had been out for a few weeks it said "COMING SOON".
If you're trying to decide which one to go with (I currently have both) go to the Blockbuster store, look around and see how many movies you can find that you want to see. The only nice thing about Blockbuster is being able to easily get the new releases without having to wait, but for anything other than that their selection usually blows.
- footodors, on 10/10/2007, -6/+21my sister uses blockbuster and says they can be sloooooow!!! I use netflix and it's fast. $1 cheaper makes it even better.
- natefisher, on 10/10/2007, -2/+12Honestly Blockbuster mailing can be a day slower than Netflix, but with the store offering free rentals for mailers dropped off directly at the store Blockbuster is a much better value. I have the Blockbuster 1 movie plan + store drop off and I can watch just as many movies a week as I could with the Netflix 2 movie plan. Much cheaper.
- beepsy, on 10/10/2007, -1/+2I have to agree with the in store trade, for those who don't know how it works
You can take the movies that you get from blockbuster online, return them to a store and immediately exchange them for another rental, the next item on your queue gets sent immediately (not after the in store rental is returned) so on a 1 movie plan you can easily have 1 movie from the online service, 1 from the store at the same time without any additional cost.
My only complaint with blockbuster online right now is they don't seem to adhere to the queue very well, I have a queue of around 12-15 titles and every time they send me one its often #8 or more on the list. I suspect its due to the quantities of movies I watch a month, but I've heard similar complaints about netflix. - skankyBacon, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1I use Blockbuster and it's been great so far. Like the posters above have said, you get a free rental if you return the movies in-store, and living only a couple blocks away, I take advantage of this feature frequently. I've only encountered two mishaps: 1) I got an e-mail stating a movie was being sent, then a couple days later got one saying they received it. Obviously there was some mail mixup, but it was easily remedied...I just re-added it to my queue. 2) I got a cracked disc. Also easily remedied...I just took it into the store and traded it in for a free rental; in this case the same title. Can't do that with Netflix.
- chicoer2001, on 10/10/2007, -6/+4What ever happened to the class action settlement. I've never heard of them honoring it.
- logicalnoise, on 10/10/2007, -2/+2there was a program set up for it. I forget the details but tehre was a FP story on Digg for it.
- setabs, on 10/10/2007, -1/+3They settled the case and came up w/ an agreement. The agreement was if you are currently a customer you would get upgraded to the next tier service for one month for the lower price. And if you are no longer a customer you could get the 3 out at a time for one month for free.
The last I heard the Judge threw the agreement out the window because it did not return your service to what you had before. There by allowing netflix to get more money from people who forgot to switch back after 1 month
- Blackscorpion, on 10/10/2007, -1/+14New price plan chart.
http://www.netflix.com/MediaCenter?id=5408- Djerrid, on 10/10/2007, -0/+5Looks like one less hour per month I can watch online. Thanks for the link.
- toodiesel, on 10/10/2007, -6/+28until throats are actually cut, lets refrain from calling it a "cutthroat battle". That way, when awesomeness starts happening, we can use the word without remorse.
- tdale, on 10/10/2007, -1/+1You win the internet, sir.
- Doorfingers, on 10/10/2007, -12/+2i thought the commercial said that the movies were a dollar a piece.
does this mean they are free? - Djerrid, on 10/10/2007, -1/+53This is why I like competition in the marketplace. Here's to hoping one of them doesn't buy out the other.
- NinjaBoy, on 10/10/2007, -0/+26I hope netflix buys out game fly. It would be really sweet to get all my entertainment from one company. And maybe the Que system wouldn't suck is netflix owned them.
- logicalnoise, on 10/10/2007, -0/+5not to mention the fact netflix has almost 50 warehouses across the country and gamefly has only 2.
- beepsy, on 10/10/2007, -0/+6I couldn't agree more, I want one company to get both games and movies. Part of the reason I went with blockbuster over netflix was the monthly coupon good for a free video or game rental from one of their stores. Far cry from ideal but 1 free game a month is better than none.
- apexified, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1I don't think either of them has the finances to pull that off... good thing.
- NinjaBoy, on 10/10/2007, -0/+26I hope netflix buys out game fly. It would be really sweet to get all my entertainment from one company. And maybe the Que system wouldn't suck is netflix owned them.
- 0xbaadf00d, on 10/10/2007, -0/+8With netflix, the turnaround on movies is pretty quick. If I send them back monday, I always have the new ones by wendesday. Can anyone with Blockbuster tell me if they are as fast?
http://netflix.frogcircus.org/- brstilson, on 10/10/2007, -4/+1see my post below
- raze888, on 10/10/2007, -0/+3Blockbuster isn't as fast. Most likely Blockbuster has fewer mail processing centers than Netflix. With Netflix, my dvd's only had to go across town where with Blockbuster they're going to the largest city in my state. The only reason I switched from Netflix to Blockbuster was because of being able to return online movies to one of their stores for free. It's a great deal, but I'd have to say that the Blockbuster experience isn't as good as Netflix. I had queues set up for my daughter with Netflix, very easily separating her movies from my own. The Netflix website is much cleaner and user friendly, Blockbuster's feels like they put theirs up in a week.
- green67, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1and don't forget....their(BB) "free" return and exchange service actually costs you an extra buck a month!.......but...you're "free" to use your own gas to get there and "free" to deal with the brain trusts that work there........free should mean FREE!!......I switched to Netflix to get away from BB!!....and I'll stick with Netflix......over 4 years and not one problem....
- kinseyincanada, on 10/10/2007, -0/+2saying that its not free because you have to pay for gas is like sayin digg isnt free because your 'free' to use your internet.
- green67, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1and don't forget....their(BB) "free" return and exchange service actually costs you an extra buck a month!.......but...you're "free" to use your own gas to get there and "free" to deal with the brain trusts that work there........free should mean FREE!!......I switched to Netflix to get away from BB!!....and I'll stick with Netflix......over 4 years and not one problem....
- toekneebullard, on 10/10/2007, -1/+5You return you movies on Monday and get new ones on Wednesday. I return mine on Monday, and I walk out of the store with two new ones right then and there, and they're completely free.
I really enjoyed Netflix when I was on it, but I live just down the street from a Blockbuster, and it's just stupid to not use it.- DangerMouse9, on 10/10/2007, -1/+0Unless you want in-store selection. :)
- nonymous666, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1Block buster is a couple miles down the road from me. About 45 minutes round trip through suburban sprawl hell. And at least a gallon of gas. So, the money I'd get for the 'free' DVD would get eaten up by the gas.
- Kostadinos, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1I have the BB service and I always get my new movies within 1 to 3 days of returning my old ones. It may be because I live in a large metro area (Chicago) or perhaps the have a distribution center close to my house. In general you can’t beat the convenience of the service; I always have a few movies laying around ready for me to watch, with the option of going to the brick and mortar location to swap them for new ones.
- unculturedswine, on 10/10/2007, -0/+0I used to get it that fast, but then they throttled me. I'd drop it in the mail Monday, and have replacements on Friday. Now they're getting them back by Thursday.
I don't know how happy I am anymore. The slow down on my deliveries was a big hit, and now I can't do streaming video because I have a Mac. What major company can only develop for ONE browser. I want a price discount because I CAN'T watch movies, as right now I'm paying for a service that I cannot use. - acid0426, on 10/10/2007, -0/+2I give mine to Blockbuster on Monday, walk out with three movies for free, and get my movies on Wednesday. I get to watch twice as many movies. for one dollar more.
- beepsy, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1The turn around time depends entirely on how close you live to one of the shipping centers. Personally for me I live very close so its rare to have more than a 2 day turn over if I return by mail, if I return it to the store I often get my next movie by mail the very next day, not to mention the free in store rental to tide me over for a while.
- sinrtb, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1I think it is a case by case basis. I dropped Netflix for the same reason you dropped Blockbuster and the times were about the same 3-4 days for Netflix and 1-2 days for blockbuster. Half the time if i turn in my movies at a Blockbuster location my Q'd movies get to me before i finish watching my physical location movies.
- Dgen_X, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1for me blockbuster was NOT faster...with the stuff I rent (usually television shows on dvd) many of them had to be shipped from the west coast (I live in Detroit MI) which just baffled me, but even the stuff that came from the local shipping would take a while, which was Lansing MI, about 4 hours drive from me.
it was usually 5-7 days between movies, and I drop my stuff off early at the local post office
With Netflix, I started wondering if the post office has some way of scanning my movies there, because I will drop them off at 8 am on the way to work, and nearly every time, get a confirmation email later that night saying they had received my disc. - skankyBacon, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1Blockbuster isn't quite that fast for me. Around 3 days seems to be my personal average. However, the ability to return them in-store for a free rental sort of makes the point moot. By the time I'm finished watching it, I have my next mailed one anyway. Also, having the plan that allows for 2 movies at a time, if you stagger them, you get one every other day or so, not including the free in-store rentals.
- SideShowMel0329, on 10/10/2007, -16/+1Yes I am a Blockbuster employee, but all bias aside (I'm really not biased towards Blockbuster....at all), that $1 price cut is not enough to keep up with BBV's service.
- natefisher, on 10/10/2007, -5/+6 I had Netflix for over 2 years before switching to Blockbuster. I really liked Netflix but the problem is certain movies I want to watch the day they are released. With Blockbuster (1/2 mile from my work) I can take my mailer to the store and get the movie I want to see on the day it is released for free. Plus another movie is mailed out to me the same day. Basically I can get use Blockbuster's 1 movie plan and watch 2 movies a week. So if you use the store Blockbuster is a much better value than Netflix. The main problem with Blockbuster is movies like, Shortbus, are not offered and they do not offer HD-DVD.
The only way Netflix can counter this is by increasing the ability to download movies. They should of done a deal with the XBox 360 and let their service by offered by the 360. Of course the only problem with that is there is a lag between the day a DVD is released and when you can download it or get it On-Demand. I heard that companies are trying to make it where a movie is available for download or On-Demand on its release date. Of course if that happens that will be the end of Netflix and Blockbuster. Why you would go to the store or wait for it in the mail if you can just watch it on On-Demand or download? (of course if you don't have cable or board-band this could be an issue)- joebaloney, on 10/10/2007, -2/+1You must be one of those guys who bought a PS3 for $3000 bucks off ebay becaues you JUST HAD to have it first.
Try this... Wait a couple of days...- sinrtb, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1I think you are missing the point. Nate made it as will I. There is absolutely no reason to wait. It is not like paying $3k for a PS3 its like paying Retail for a PS3 at walmart because EBgames wont get their shipment until Thursday and Wal-mart gets theirs on Tuesday.
- natefisher, on 10/10/2007, -0/+2Sorry never owned a PS since the first one. Plus who are you to tell anyone to wait a couple of days? Because you are trying to be cute you missed the point. If I want to watch 300 on its release day (next Tuesday) I can for free with Blockbuster. If I had Netflix I couldn't. Once OnDemand starts offering movies on release day Blockbuster and Netflix will not be able to compete with that.
- toekneebullard, on 10/10/2007, -1/+2I would have dugg your comment until you basically said that watching a streaming movie on your PC is the same as watching on your TV. My couch is SO much more comfortable that my computer chair.
- natefisher, on 10/10/2007, -0/+2I agree with you. I never watch movies on my PC. My point was closer to something like the XBox 360 or Apple TV or TIVO service with Amazon. Right now I can download movies to my 360 and watch them on my big screen while on the couch. That is closer to my view of the future. TVs will come with build in harddrives and you download the movies to them.
- CornStarch, on 10/10/2007, -1/+1Q. "Why you would go to the store or wait for it in the mail if you can just watch it on On-Demand or download?"_____________________ A. Because most people don't have their PCs hooked up to their big screen TVs and would have to use their likely crappier monitor and watch it by themselves because the room with the computer in it more likely than not does not have a couch. If I wanted to watch movies on my computer I would download them they day they came out in theaters on bittorrent, but that takes away from ambiance.
- natefisher, on 10/10/2007, -0/+2Ok OnDemand is a cable service? When I was talking about downloading I was talking about to the box hooked to your TV or a TV with harddrive (which all TVs in the future will have). I do use my 360 to watch movie but I know you can use TIVO from what I understand with amazon rental service to download movies now. I would never watch a movie on my PC. So I agree with you there. But really digital downloads either straight to a cable box, tv, game console, tivo box, and so on is the way of the future. This is one reason why Blueray and HD-DVD will not win. Why pay for a player when can just download a HD movie to your TV or box?
- ChristPissed, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1Walking into a Blockbuster store is like walking into one of the lower levels of hell in Dante's Inferno.
No thank you for their in store teaser rentals. - trogdor8667, on 10/10/2007, -0/+0See, I've used both Netflix and Blockbuster. Started with Netflix, switched to Blockbuster for their two week trial, ended up sticking with Blockbuster for two months before switching back. Netflix has a shipping facility in my city. Blockbuster has one an hour away, next to the second-closest Netflix facility for my area. Netflix can get me a movie from either one in a day. Blockbuster got me two movies within 2 days during my two months. Most of them took at least a week to get to me. I reported most movies as missing since they almost always arrived after their due date. I actually had one movie that did finally arrive, over a month after it was shipped to me, three weeks after I had cancelled my Blockbuster subscription. I really got a kick out of that. That doesn't even begin to describe how bad returning them could be. If I took them to a store and exchanged them, their facility wouldn't receive them for another 4-6 days after they had been dropped off. I emailed Blockbuster about this once, and they told me that my local post office was the definite source of the problem. I could see this being possible, if Netflix couldn't pull it off in my area perfectly. So, I'm glad you had a good experience, but I definitely could not stand Blockbuster for their horrible shipping times, and bad customer service. I'm happy to go back to Netflix (and hope I get the price drop).
- joebaloney, on 10/10/2007, -2/+1You must be one of those guys who bought a PS3 for $3000 bucks off ebay becaues you JUST HAD to have it first.
- GunbladeVIII, on 10/10/2007, -0/+57I'm a Netflix customer, but I'd like to thank BOTH Netflix and Blockbuster. The competiton between them is resulting in big time yields for both of their customers: new features like Watch Now for Netflix and Total Access for Blockbuster, and lower prices for everyone. Sweet.
- streetstealth, on 10/10/2007, -0/+10Just imagine how fast the internet might be if telcos had to compete like this!
Netflix vs. Blockbuster = how capitalism should work.
- streetstealth, on 10/10/2007, -0/+10Just imagine how fast the internet might be if telcos had to compete like this!
- m2paper, on 10/10/2007, -10/+2What ever happened to the class action settlement.
I've never heard of them honoring it. - mattkapp, on 10/10/2007, -6/+18I'd rather Netflix just keep the dollar to further their bottom line. I don't need a 12-dollar-a-year price drop to keep me using it.
- apexified, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1I agree. But if Blockbuster wins, we all lose.
- pianonotes1010, on 10/10/2007, -6/+4Having used both services, both have their ups and downs. However, I tend to favor Netflix more, due to their somewhat larger movie database. I wrote an article comparing the two services at associated content.
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/304843/blockbuster_online_vs_netflix.html - ejfisher, on 10/10/2007, -2/+14I am one of the few I guess that Blockbuster Online works well for. I get one coupon a month for a free in store video or game rental...and use it for a 5 day 7 dollar game rental. Then, I get at least 2 movies a week through the mail, and return them to the store for more movies, including new releases. I am getting about $25 worth out of it a month for $10.16 including tax.
- Amigaice, on 10/10/2007, -0/+2The video Game rental is the Kicker for me. Plus BB just started renting DS games. Every time I go into BB we rent like $20 worth of stuff so we will get our moneys worth with the online deal.
- brstilson, on 10/10/2007, -3/+34I've tried Blockbuster and Netflix's service and actually prefer Netflix. The turnaround time is much faster. Even if you return the Blockbuster movies to the store, they don't acknowledge it for 1-2 days (wtf?), then the movies take another 2 days to get to me. Netflix always receives my videos the day after I mail them, and then I get more DVDs the next day, 3 day turnaround as opposed to Blockbusters 4-5. Sure, I can get an assload of instant free rentals at the store with BB, but the store's selection tends to be ***** and I quickly run out of movies I want to watch.
Netflix's recommendation system is also superior. I almost always find a movie that I haven't seen/heard of through it. There are far more independent/interesting titles than Blockbuster.- givinupthefight, on 10/10/2007, -0/+2I've been a BB customer for some time and I've realized that its not necessarily Blockbuster online that is the reason they don't acknowledge your in store return right away. I would travel back and forth between school and home, sometimes dropping off mailers in blockbuster near home, other times near school. When I dropped them off near home, I was always alerted that my new movie was shipped the next day. Near school however, it would often take 2 to 3 days. I don't have proof, but I'm guessing the store employees must check them in (besides just scanning them as the coupon) and some stores are probably more responsible with this than others. Also, though the movie isn't acknowledged as returned for 3 to 5 days sometimes, it is still "checked in" and your new movie is shipped before the old clears as returned.
- UTChris, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1BB employee for the summer. We bring up an online screen after going into your account to scan the mailers and the movies. If you don't want your free movies we can do a regular check-in with the mailers without bringing up an account. Both ways, in my experience, have showed as "Received at store" less than an hour after they were scanned. Make sure you hand your mailers to an employee, don't drop them in the drop boxes, and tell them your intent ("I don't want free movies could you just scan these for me please").
- givinupthefight, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1Interesting but yeah I have always taken my free movie so I have always handed my mailers to an employee. Don't know why it has taken so long for me then at this one store then. Thanks for the input though.
- sinrtb, on 10/10/2007, -0/+2My local store actually refuses to take the mailers unless I am getting movies. So i just randomly grab movies do the trade in and drop them in the drop box on my way out of the store.
- brstilson, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1I did hand them to employees and I'd usually get movies with them. However, I wouldn't get the e-mail from Blockbuster until 2 days later, and then my next movies wouldn't be shipped out until the following day, then take 2 days to get to me. The whole process was a consistent 4-5 days with Blockbuster. I was on the 3-at-a-time plan, and I'd get 2 DVDs 1-2 days after shipping, and then the 3rd DVD 1-2 after that.
Going to the store is a nice feature but I'm the kind of person that hates going there, so that feature is useless to me.
- UTChris, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1BB employee for the summer. We bring up an online screen after going into your account to scan the mailers and the movies. If you don't want your free movies we can do a regular check-in with the mailers without bringing up an account. Both ways, in my experience, have showed as "Received at store" less than an hour after they were scanned. Make sure you hand your mailers to an employee, don't drop them in the drop boxes, and tell them your intent ("I don't want free movies could you just scan these for me please").
- Philter, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1I am also a Netflix user that tried the Blockbuster service and found it lacking. In my case Blockbuster's system somehow created 2 accounts for me and the system seemed to randomly decide which one to use when I logged in. I would log in to find different movies in queue each time. After I notified customer service they deleted both of my queues and canceled my account. On top of this I was seeing a 5 day turn around on mail in movies compared to Netflix's 2 days. Needless to say this made up my mind rather quickly.
- givinupthefight, on 10/10/2007, -0/+2I've been a BB customer for some time and I've realized that its not necessarily Blockbuster online that is the reason they don't acknowledge your in store return right away. I would travel back and forth between school and home, sometimes dropping off mailers in blockbuster near home, other times near school. When I dropped them off near home, I was always alerted that my new movie was shipped the next day. Near school however, it would often take 2 to 3 days. I don't have proof, but I'm guessing the store employees must check them in (besides just scanning them as the coupon) and some stores are probably more responsible with this than others. Also, though the movie isn't acknowledged as returned for 3 to 5 days sometimes, it is still "checked in" and your new movie is shipped before the old clears as returned.
- AgarwaenUmarth, on 10/10/2007, -4/+14Capitalism strikes again!
- tim507, on 10/10/2007, -4/+12I < 3 Netflix
- natefisher, on 10/10/2007, -5/+3@Oxbaad the problem is I can take a Blockbuster mailer to the store and get the movie I want right now for free and before the end of the day the next movie will in my queue will be mailed to me. So with BB's 1 movie plan is more like a 2 movie plan. So for the value Blockbuster is better as long as you have a store close.
Only problems I have with Blockbuster are they don't carry HD-DVDs or movies like Shortbus. Still the value wins out (I was loyal Netflix customer for at least 2 years before) in favor of Blockbuster.
Once they offer movies on OnDemand or to be downloaded on the day they are released on DVD it is over for both Netflix and Blockbuster as major companies. Cable companies want that piece of the pie. Netflix should partner with the XBox 360 or something to download their movies directly to it.- toekneebullard, on 10/10/2007, -0/+2Do you not know how the reply system works buddy?
- natefisher, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1I know I double posted. Sorry.
- CoronaVegas, on 10/10/2007, -2/+10I have used both services and have been "throttled" by both as well. However, with Blockbuster Total Access, if I really need to see a new release, I can bring an envelope to the store and get a free exchange. Also, I can use my monthly free e- coupon to rent a video game. Now, if my local Blockbuster would just get Blu-Rays in the store. Sorry Netflix, not really into watching movies on my computer.
(my 2 cents)- hasslinthehoff, on 10/10/2007, -5/+0So, which Blockbuster do you work for?
I've used Netflix for years, and I love it. And, I don't work for Netflix. And, no, I've never been throttled. - Techneaux, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1But they do throttle, hasslinthehoff.. they admit it right on their website.
- FearlessFreep, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1Depends on your usage pattern. I just staggered my returns awhie ago so that now even though I can almost see a new movie every night; I usually have a DVD for a few days, which means I avoid the throttling.
- beepsy, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1The customers shouldn't have to worry about staggering their returns and holding things in order to avoid throttling, it sucks. However both blockbuster and netflix do it there isn't much of an option right now.
- FearlessFreep, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1Depends on your usage pattern. I just staggered my returns awhie ago so that now even though I can almost see a new movie every night; I usually have a DVD for a few days, which means I avoid the throttling.
- Optic7, on 10/10/2007, -0/+3Yeah, it's too bad that there's no way to output video from a computer to a TV. I wish someone would invent a device like that.
- bloominoctober, on 10/10/2007, -1/+0Blu-Ray is coming to EVERY BlockBuster store ... just hang in there.
A lot of people don't realize that with the BlockBuster Total Access plan, you can actually have out twice as many movies as you are paying for. If you're on the 2-movie-per-month plan, you can take your 2 movies to the BlockBuster nearest you and exchange them in-store (which, in case you haven't noticed, is a MUCH faster turnaround than NetFlix - though the downloading is a cool option). Then, when the BlockBuster store sends your movies back to the distribution center, they ship you the next 2 movies from your list. So, even though you're paying for 2 movies per month, you're getting 4 (not to mention the free rental coupon that can be used on video games - which now run $7.99 for 7 days). I think BlockBuster wins hands-down (for now).
- hasslinthehoff, on 10/10/2007, -5/+0So, which Blockbuster do you work for?
- Holocaust, on 10/10/2007, -4/+2Netflix FTW!
- Van3ck, on 10/10/2007, -2/+12Although I am thankful for the price cut, if they really want to impress me, they should take the "Watch Now" feature to the next level.
As it stands now, the selection of their "Watch Now" section is very limited, and also does not support Firefox.
Other than that, I am a happy Netflix customer, and will never go to "Blockbuster". It was Blockbuster's poor in store movie selection, high prices, and late fee's that made me go to Netflix in the first place.- FearlessFreep, on 10/10/2007, -0/+2"Other than that, I am a happy Netflix customer, and will never go to "Blockbuster". It was Blockbuster's poor in store movie selection, high prices, and late fee's that made me go to Netflix in the first place."
Same here. If I ever felt the need to go in-store, it would be Hollywood Video or a local store. NEver BB again - bloominoctober, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1BlockBuster does not have late fees.
- skankyBacon, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1I believe they do, but they seem to be pretty lenient about applying them. The last time I turned in a movie late, they pretty much just mentioned that such-and-such movie was late. I said something to the effect of "Oh." and the guy canceled the fee.
- FearlessFreep, on 10/10/2007, -0/+2"Other than that, I am a happy Netflix customer, and will never go to "Blockbuster". It was Blockbuster's poor in store movie selection, high prices, and late fee's that made me go to Netflix in the first place."
- socialidiocy, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1For the first two years I really enjoyed Netflix while living in Austin. I have since moved to a town about an hour away from Indianapolis. Sometimes my movies are returned to Indianapolis and sometimes to Louisville, KY (about 3 or so hours away). This has increased the turn around time and in turn is getting frustrating. I wonder if with the new price point they will be increasing this practice? Has anyone else had this problem?
- Barbarino, on 10/10/2007, -3/+5I tell everyone, dump your dumb movie channels and get netflix. 70,000 movies! I watch so many old movies that you could never rent in a store. Last week it was Dog Day Afternoon with Pacino Bananas with woody Allen and The Deer Hunter, which for odd reason features the longest wedding scene in history..
A little unknown tip for NF users, you can add movies currently in the theater to your que, when they come out, they show up!- CornStarch, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1I tell people the same thing, although for me it's got BB. Even the shows come out on DVD so there's no real excuse unless you're so impatient you'd rather pay the extra money every month than wait for the show's DVD release.
- dubled, on 10/10/2007, -6/+1Netflix is the better company. Unfortunately they can not compete with the Total Access system BB has been running. They have fallen to second place and will probably be there as long as the BB keeps the total access return system.
- Barbarino, on 10/10/2007, -0/+3I disagree. BB lost money and it costs a whole lot of dough to keep stores open and staffed verse just mail centers for NF. NF has a better business model for profits if you ask me.
- logicalnoise, on 10/10/2007, -0/+2like barbarino said BB is getting choked to death by all their brick and mortar leases.
- FearlessFreep, on 10/10/2007, -0/+2What's with the analysis in the article? They talk about how much this is costing NetFlix, like they are just dropping their prices for nothing. The reason for the price drop is to gain/retain more customers. So the drop in revenue by dropping everyone's plan by $1 is offset by the increased number of customer versus not making that cut
- DCstewieG, on 10/10/2007, -0/+2From a business perspective I don't see the point, and from a current subscriber perspective, I still hardly see the point. I mean, yeah thanks, but really? A dollar? They could have increased by a dollar and I'd have barely cared. The shareholders hate it: NFLX down 10% today.
- MISking, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1From a business perspective, would you consider the pullback in the stock price a buying opportunity? The financials look good, although a net profit margin of only 5% seems weak. There's a lot of people out there that like the Blockbuster service so unless there's a rush of new subscribers this would be bad for the company.
- WaltJay, on 10/10/2007, -1/+7I had Netflix for awhile, but Blockbuster Total Access is too much to compete with. I pay $8/month for the 1-at-a-time, 3 max per month plan. I exchange those 3 movies in-store for another 3, then get a free movie or game rental per month. 7 movie rentals for $8/month sounds like a good deal to me. I don't have the time or desire to watch more than 7 movies per month, so it works well for me.
- famewolf, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1Our local Publix Grocery stores have started carrying "the new release" kiosk's which charge $1 per rental per night...in the north many mcdonalds have Red Box DVD kiosk's with similar pricing...with those and the local library which also has plently of dvd's to checkout for free do you really still need these subscriptions? I'd have to rent 17 movies a month consistantly to break even on their average unlimited rate plan and with queue's and send/receive time thats harder to do then it sounds. It's easy for me to get the dvd, dump it down to my replaytv, return it and still watch it when I want to watch it.
- givinupthefight, on 10/10/2007, -0/+0The argument for both BB and Netflix over the library and kiosks is you don't have to leave your house for the services, movies come to you in the mail. It may be easy enough for you to get to a kiosk, rent a movie for a buck, and get it back before it charges you another dollar, but thats not feasible for a lot of people, and I don't know about your library by mine has pretty ridiculous late fees for movies ($2 per day I believe it is). Also, though I doubt this is hugely significant, you are spending money on gas (unless you walk to these things) that subscribers to the services don't pay. It might work for you but it hardly does for everyone, so yeah there is still a need for the subscriptions.
- Notyavgkat, on 10/10/2007, -1/+2another tip for netflix, is if the return envelope is for a town that's further away, than the shipping center that's closest to you, simply scratch out the farther address and scratch in the closer one. I do it all the time, for some reason they will send you a return envelope, that is not the closest to you sometimes. Overall, I fully enjoy netflix, screw BB!!!
- sgtawol, on 10/10/2007, -4/+2Am I the only person that got scratched discs almost constantly from netflix? I couldn't watch about 10% of the episodes from all the sopranos discs I got. Same thing for Scrubs, Entourage, and any other shows.
That is the only reason I cancelled. I loved everything but the disc quality.- civperc, on 10/10/2007, -0/+3Out of probably 500 discs, I've had 1 that was scratched. Netflix rocks, Blockbuster stinks.
- Philter, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1If you have issues with disk quality in the mail it might be the post office's treatment of it in your area. For me I've rented probably 200 - 300 disks and I believe I've returned 3 disks as unreadable/broken. Two of those were broken in half when I got them, and after submitting damage reports I received a replacement within 2-3 days. During my Blockbuster trial I had 2 different disks that were unreadable on my PC, where I watch the majority of my movies.
- civperc, on 10/10/2007, -3/+6Netflix > Blockbuster :-)
- PDelahanty, on 10/10/2007, -1/+3Video or it didn't happen.
...or a DVD...in the mail. That would work too. - cloudyprison, on 10/10/2007, -4/+2Netflix is way better then Blockbuster.
I dropped BB after losing count of how many times they told me I still had a movie out that I had returned and the evidence was sitting on their shelves. - notman, on 10/10/2007, -1/+1I wish they would start offering game rentals like GameznFlix(http://www.gameznflix.com/).
It's nice to see the competition driving down prices though, as long as the price drops don't kill them. I think it's a good move that may drive in more customers. - fgarcia10, on 10/10/2007, -1/+0I hate BB and their late fees, I will stay with NetFlix
- apexified, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1... Their history of late fees? Yes, we should all remember the late fees and not be so quick to let the millions of dollars we all lost be overlooked. I think five years free of the 4-out plan might cover it - but I don't negotiate with terrorists. ;/
- tizle, on 10/10/2007, -2/+0Netflix is faster than BB but with BB you can go to the store and get movies anytime you like, that's the advantage. Plus you get one free game rental a month, so overall i like it more. but i'm glad there is so much competition between the two. It makes it better for us consumers. we keep getting better deals. :)
- timd1969, on 10/10/2007, -1/+0I am not sure that this is such good news. I hate to see Blockbuster drag Netflix into a battle to the death. If either one of them succumbs, prices at the survivor will go up by more than $1. The cost of setting up warehouses, etc. is a pretty significant barrier to entry for a new competitor. Even Walmart threw in the towel. Of course, I hope that if one of these two goes under, it's Blockbuster. I, for one, have not forgotten all of the late fees that I paid them.
I also wonder if Blockbuster's plan isn't losing some of its luster as people try to take fewer trips by car to save money on gas and to minimize their carbon footprint. I am certainly not a green activist, but I find myself consolidating errands just because it seems the right thing to do. It hardly seems worth the time and fuel to make an extra stop to return a video. I don't mean to sound smug, but it just seems more sane to send DVDs through the mail since my mailman comes daily anyway. - tuqqer, on 10/10/2007, -1/+1I don't get how they make any money. At least at the rate we view movies.
- Philter, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1That would be why they throttle. There's a very slim profit margin. They know the exact number of rentals at which point it ceases to be profitable for them to keep sending you movies for your subscription price. Therefore as you approach that limit they throttle you back.
- chokeaduck, on 10/10/2007, -0/+6Competition is always a good thing. I have had experience with both services, and I think Netflix has the upper hand, and should they choose to offer videogame rentals, that will be the end of blockbuster.
- m00z, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1I refuse to use NetFlix based on the fact that about every popup I find hiding unde other windows is from them, I would rather not deal with a company that engages in that type of advertising.
- temporalbassist, on 10/10/2007, -0/+0I'd rather Netflix sent me multiple movies at a time in one envelope and keep the dollar. Great service, but if I return three movies in one envelope, why can't I get them back the same way? Save on the packaging costs as a bonus.
- kahrytan, on 10/10/2007, -0/+1I use Blockbuster. And I get 1-2 day turn around with In-Store returns and new DVD is sent out next day. It doesn't matter if old DVD is not registered as returned for couple days, new one still goes out next day. DVDs are sent and sent from the capital in my state that is 1-2 hours away.
Blockbuster has made the deal more enticing. The envelopes double as discount coupons for Game rentals. Blockbuster also has deals on previously viewed DVDs from time to time that are exclusive to total access members. - tanner4105, on 10/10/2007, -1/+1"For an additional $1 per month, Blockbuster gives online subscribers the flexibility to return and check out some DVDs in its stores at no additional cost."
That doesn't make any sense, it costs an extra $1 a month. -
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