I just switched from Blockbuster to Netflix...did I make the right choice?

Pro-Netflix: Instant online
Pro-Blockbuster: Local Store

If one of them adds video games to the package then I'll go with them. I'm surprised neither has...they could put game fly completely out of business..

3/15/2009 9:03:14 PM

i used Blockbuster for about 8 months and used the in-store exchange system to get up to 10 DVDs/month from the store (until they capped it at 5/mo), and ripped/stored them all. Then when I realized the store had no more DVD's I was interested in, I switched to Netflix. With netflix, I was happier with the overall experience, with the queue management and the Watch Instantly. I don't miss blockbuster total access at all

3/15/2009 9:19:22 PM

my friend tried to argue that blockbuster was a much better deal because, if he wanted to, he could watch six movies in the same day (even though he'd only be able to get one out at a time).

my response is of course: who the fuck wants to drive to blockbuster six times a day? or watch six movies for that matter?

[Edited on March 15, 2009 at 9:24 PM. Reason : I'm not sure if I'm thinking of blockbuster online, this package involved games too]

3/15/2009 9:23:58 PM

^ well, with certain BB Total Access plans, you can trade up to 3 mailed movies at a time with 3 in-store rentals. Then when you drop off the 3 mail movies at the store, you will get 3 more in your mail within a day or two. Which you can then take into the store and trade for more in-store rentals. etc, etc

of course, this would be most useful if you were ripping the DVDs, not watching them

3/15/2009 9:35:23 PM

Blockbuster has changed their policies yet again.

Beginning a week or two ago, you are no longer getting a due date on an in-store exchange. This means no late fees! However, you will not receive your next mailer until you return the movie you checked out at the store. After finding this out last week, I cancelled Blockbuster Online. I may go to Netflix, or I'll just scrap it all and watch the movie channels we have on cable.

Blockbuster used to be great about in-store exchanges about a year ago. You could return a mailer at the store level as much as you wanted, and even if you kept it for a few weeks you didn't get a late fee. Plus as soon as you exchanged it in-store, they'd ship another mailer from your queue. Then they started limiting how many you could exchange in-store. Then they started charging late fees again, and your mailers started taking two to three days to leave the warehouse after you exchanged it in-store. Now they're not shipping your mailer until you return the rental that you exchanged for? Pssh, fuck that. Buh bye Blockbuster.

[Edited on March 15, 2009 at 10:20 PM. Reason : .]

3/15/2009 10:20:02 PM

^Beat me to. They have changed the Total Access plans. Previously you could return your movie at the store, pickup one instore while you were waiting for your movie to arrive in the mail.

Now they have changed it where when you pick up one instore, it counts to your total available, meaning they won't mail you shit until you return that one from the instore pickup.

In any case Netflix is WAY better in my opinion. I started with them because no Blockbuster was within 30 miles of my home or work. Now I work right across the street from one and have no desire to switch. My wife and I love having seperate queues, so we can each pick our own movies and share the plan, we love the watch instantly and the turnaround time on movies is usually like 1-2 days, tops.

[Edited on March 15, 2009 at 10:22 PM. Reason : ]

3/15/2009 10:20:59 PM

Any chance Netflix will start renting out Wii, PS3, and 360 games? I would be willing to pay a little extra to get them as opposed to paying a whole seperate fee for game fly (i would never pay a monthly fee for just gaming, but if it was included with movies i'd take full advantage of it)

3/16/2009 12:30:28 AM

^Slim to none on games through Netflix. There was a quote on the Hacking Netflix site a few weeks ago about that.

3/16/2009 10:20:03 AM