Jump to content
[[Template core/front/custom/_customHeader is throwing an error. This theme may be out of date. Run the support tool in the AdminCP to restore the default theme.]]

So long, Blockbuster...


The Captains Wench
 Share

Recommended Posts

..... you’re worthless.

 

They don't carry Battlestar Galactica. :D

 

DJ and I are trying to catch up to season 3 of Battlestar Galactica. It is so addicting and such a mind frak. We've watched the mini series and all but the final disk of season 1 which is at the top of our Netflix list and scheduled to arrive today. So we finished up season 1 disk 3 on Friday and we're left unsatisfied. We can't possibly wait for Netflix to get to us on Tuesday. :D All we need is that last disk, then we have season 2 saved in Tivo.

 

So we drive over to our friendly neighborhood Blockbuster. We can't find it in the television section so we try the front desk. "It's either under Action or Sci Fi." To our utter dismay, they do not carry anything, not even the mini-series.

 

I am so spoiled by Netflix having everything under the sun.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yup. Netflix member since last year. Love it. Been working our way through all our favorite TV shows on DVD. Blockbuster carries maybe 10 TV shows, and they're always out of the disc you need. My local Blockbuster doesn't replace DVDs that get stolen. Somebody stole their copies of the Godfather series, and they never bothered to replace them. How can you call yourself a video rental store and not have The Godfather? Or Citizen Kane, or Casablanca, or most of the other top movies of all time.

 

Even when they do have what you want, half the time my player won't read it because the DVD is so f'd up. I don't know if it's just the area I live in or what, but come on people, don't get your dirty fingers all over the bottom surface of the DVD! I think Netflix must wash them every time or something, they always arrive in mint condition.

 

Then to top it off, about 5% of the time I return a movie to Blockbuster, they fail to scan it in properly. I get a call saying the movie is overdue, I have to come in, find it on their shelves and prove to them I returned it. Not once have I gotten an apology for that in the probably 8 or 10 times it's happened.

 

I was reluctant to join Netflix because I thought the turnaround time was too long, but it takes one day for the returned movie to get to them, and one day for the new movie to get to me. Only once has the turnaround time been more than two days (not including Sunday). If I don't happen to have a movie on a night when I want to watch one (usually because I failed to drop them in the mailbox quickly), I can always go to Blockbuster. Wouldn't you know it though, the last two times I did that my player wouldn't read their disc. They told me maybe I should get a new player, but it doesn't seem to have a problem with Netflix discs.

 

That shut them up.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I can always go to Blockbuster.  Wouldn't you know it though, the last two times I did that my player wouldn't read their disc.  They told me maybe I should get a new player, but it doesn't seem to have a problem with Netflix discs. 

 

That shut them up.

 

1258018[/snapback]

 

 

 

Had exactly the same experience. No problems with Netflix discs, Blockbuster were always freezing, skipping, etc.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I will stand up for Blockbuster on one count. I'm in their online club, and they allow two free video game rentals per month, in addition to the movies they ship. Right now we pay $15/mo for this. With them letting you keep a game up to two weeks out of the store w/o paying for it, this works out pretty well. Vid game rentals are $8 each otherwise.

 

So, for $15/mo, I'm getting all the movies I can watch (we have up to 3 at a time), as well as two in-store coupons for additional movies and/or video games. I think the price goes up a couple bucks come March, we were grandfathered in under the old price structure.

 

From that standpoint, it's not too bad. If it weren't for the game coupons, I might have considered Netflix by now. At this point, I don't play enough to warrant two subscriptions (i.e. one to gamefly and one to netflix). I basically use the BB option to test drive games "for free" before I buy them.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Oooh, nice Phoebe Cates pre-Kevin Kline avatar.

 

Ever see her in Paradise? I almost had an aneurysm the first time I saw a clip from that movie. The one where she's on the beach and she just strips down and jumps in the water.

 

Kevin Kline almost cancelled out everything else he did in his career by taking her body out of the public eye.

Edited by BrainySmurf
Link to comment
Share on other sites

My girlfriend was a Netflix subscriber up until last week. She has been with them pretty much since their inception. She started to notice their shipping times were getting longer, their selection decreasing and most importantly, many of their titles were "long waits".

 

I signed on to Blockbuster a few months ago, and have been generally satisfied. I receive movies in a timely fashion, the selection is fine for me, and there are NEVER "long waits".

 

Girlfriend cancelled Netflix, I'm gonna stick with Blockbuster... and order movies for her. We'll see how they react to the heavier workload, as I only watch 3-4 movies a month. With her, it'll increase to 8-10 most likely.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I will stand up for Blockbuster on one count.  I'm in their online club, and they allow two free video game rentals per month, in addition to the movies they ship.  Right now we pay $15/mo for this.  With them letting you keep a game up to two weeks out of the store w/o paying for it, this works out pretty well.  Vid game rentals are $8 each otherwise.

 

So, for $15/mo, I'm getting all the movies I can watch (we have up to 3 at a time), as well as two in-store coupons for additional movies and/or video games.  I think the price goes up a couple bucks come March, we were grandfathered in under the old price structure.

 

From that standpoint, it's not too bad.  If it weren't for the game coupons, I might have considered Netflix by now.  At this point, I don't play enough to warrant two subscriptions (i.e. one to gamefly and one to netflix).  I basically use the BB option to test drive games "for free" before I buy them.

 

1258051[/snapback]

 

 

 

 

they'll be raising your $15 to $18 very soon....mine went up recently.

 

the 2 free in-store rentals per month is only thing that are keeping me at blockbuster online...the website is crap and I've had several issues with shipping times and availability.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

they'll be raising your $15 to $18 very soon....mine went up recently.

 

the 2 free in-store rentals per month is only thing that are keeping me at blockbuster online...the website is crap and I've had several issues with shipping times and availability.

 

1258118[/snapback]

 

 

 

I'm at $16.15/month. The website's no better or worse than Netflix's. The in-store coupons are great. We've used it a few times; it's great if you feel the need to watch something that night. I have had zero issues with shipping times and availability. I guess it has to do with where you live - I send my discs back to the city just north of me... :D

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I love how many documentaries are on Netflix -

 

1258228[/snapback]

 

 

 

Word. Lots of good obscure stuff. I also like having "friends". There's a couple of friends who have similar tastes in movies.

 

I tried Blockbuster Online. Twice. All of the new releases were no wait. All of the older ones were long wait :D

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Blockbuster will be out of business in less than two years.

 

They once had a self proclaimed value of $8.4 billion. It is down to $700 million. They are paying steep rent on over 4,000 brick and mortar locations. They had a chance to buy Netflix a few years ago for $50 million and passed it up only to invest millions more in their own inferior website. They made a lotta bad decisions and its gonna cost them.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My girlfriend was a Netflix subscriber up until last week.  She has been with them pretty much since their inception.  She started to notice their shipping times were getting longer, their selection decreasing and most importantly, many of their titles were "long waits".

 

I signed on to Blockbuster a few months ago, and have been generally satisfied.  I receive movies in a timely fashion, the selection is fine for me, and there are NEVER "long waits".

 

Girlfriend cancelled Netflix, I'm gonna stick with Blockbuster... and order movies for her.  We'll see how they react to the heavier workload, as I only watch 3-4 movies a month.  With her, it'll increase to 8-10 most likely.

 

1258117[/snapback]

 

 

 

That may be a regional issue. Here it's lightning fast - mail it out, two days later the next one shows up.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've been thinking about joining Netflix.  Thanks for the info.  I do have a question, if you get the three movie deal, can you return the movies individually as you watch them, or do you have to send all three in at once?

 

1259076[/snapback]

 

 

 

Each is an individual entity, send 'em back in the handy dandy envelope they came in and a new one appears. With two, you can just about keep a cycle going, with three you will always have at least one in the house.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I joined Netflix last month and so far I love it. Another pretty cool feature is the multiple profiles that you can set up. I set up a profile for both my wife and oldest daughter, so since I am on the 3 movie deal, we each have our own queue and we can all get our own movie each time we get a shipment in.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

They also have four, five, and six movie deals for about 3 bucks a month each additional movie. Good for when you have kids who also watch lots of movies, so you don't have nights when there's nothing to watch but a kid's movie.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

 Share

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information