Nextflix or Blockbuster Online? I’m looking to replace my cable upper tier with a rental account, so I can see what I want instead of what gets served up. So - I’m into sci-fi, documentary, and some foreign stuff - mostly anime, kaiju, samurai flicks.
Which is the better selection and service? I’m sure there are people who have used both here and lived to tell about it.
I thought netflix had a better selection and more items available for shipping. That was when blockbuster was just starting out, so maybe they have gotten better, but netflix has given me no reason to change.
They each have a 2 week trial, just give them each a try. If you can’t find the 2 week free trials let me know.
Chet
I’ve tried both. Started with Netflix, quit, tried Blockbuster, quit in disgust and went back to Netflix. My problem was with delivery times. With Netflix it’s a two-day turnaround in my location (East Bay Area). Blockbuster was taking up to 5 days there and back.
Also, selection is similar, though Netflix seems to have more really obscure stuff…but Blockbuster may have improved there, no idea.
Netflix.
Never tried Blockbuster, but I’ve been a satisfied Netflix subscriber for years. They’ve had a 2-3 day turnaround time for me both in the SF East Bay and also in the Sacramento area. Good selection, including obscure westerns, foreign films, and documentaries. No complaints here.
I recommend Netflix. Blockbuster actually drove me to them by never having anything in stock at their stores and constantly pushing their rental plan on me. So basically I went Netflix out of spite, but I’m really happy with the service nonetheless.
Also never tried Blockbuster. Been a satisfied Netflix user for a while now. Amazing turnaround, when I remember to mail the movies back.
Netflix. Been very happy with it for the last year.
That can’t be a serious question. That’s like asking, “Angelina Jolie, or Hitler?”
I use Blockbuster. Fast turnaround for me, two days, and you get free in-store coupons every week. Selection is the same from what I can see, and my friend recently switched and rebuilt his huge queue of mostly small foreign type stuff, but neither he nor I are into anime.
Netflix also has this thing where if you send too many movies over a course of time they will start to extend your turnover. I don’t think Blockbuster does that, but I only watch 5-6 a month. I don’t think it affects 99.9% of people.
In fairness, it’s more like asking Angelina Jolie or Rosie O’Donnell?
I’m not sure if you’re saying Rosie is as bad as Hitler, or if you’re just keeping the female theme.
Precisely the reason for my debate, rather than rushing right into netflix. Blockbuster seems to be too much like “the man”, but the issue with Netflix throttling you if you’re turning around more movies than they like in a month, and the free coupons for brick-n-mortar are in BB’s favor.
Do the two services differ in how many movies you can have in-house at a given time? I think it’s like 3 or so. With turnaround of 3 days, I’d say I could watch 3 in 2 days, so basically rotate every 5 days, for 12-15 movies in a hot month. Will netflix bury me for that?
I’m quite happy with Netflix, but I think it depends on your turnaround time. I get about one day on my returns so it’s great for me.
I’m a Netflix “heavy user” - I have a 5 disc account, and I probably go through about 15 discs a month, give or take 5. I have always enjoyed a 2-3 day turnaround. I think one time it took 4 days, but who’s counting since I have so many movies on hand at any given time I don’t notice.
Ok… netflix won.
Damn… and I see that they don’t have “Walken Talk”. Pewp.
I’ve used both, Blockbuster came out on top for us. The turnaround was faster for Blockbuster, and new releases were in stock more often. If you like obscure titles though, Blockbuster is not the way to go.
Walkentalk isn’t in print on dvd, Aszurom. Sorry.
I used to be on the 5-at-a-time plan from Netflix while my best friend literally down the road from me (within walking distance) was on Blockbuster. I would rent the obscure stuff, he’d rent the blockbusters and all was well. I have always had 1-day turnaround times with Netflix, even when I was a really heavy user. I think this was mostly because I would literally drop my netflix envelopes off at the post office which was the last stop before the distribution center and I lived maybe five miles away from it. This makes a big difference in comparison to someone who lives a couple hundred miles away from their local distribution center or even in a very, very large, very, very busy city.
Anyway, even when I was watching 20 movies a month I never got throttled. I’m not sure what to say, honestly. Even if I was throttled I never noticed. I have too many damned movies to watch at any given time and if Netflix was late we’d just go to the local video shop and rent something for $1 a night or go to the local used shop and buy something for $5. Seriously, I mean, I hate throttling as much as anyone and if Netflix starts throttling me something harsh (I never even noticed it on a 3-at-a-time plan) then they can go fuck themselves and I’ll start pirating movies or buy them used exclusively (or work at a video shop… again).
Until then I’m going to continue to happily watch movies and not even notice if I’m being throttled. If it even actually happens to the degree which people say it does and I’m not so sure it does. I would drop a movie off around 4:15 before the last pickup at that post office, drop one off at 7:30am (on my way to work) the next morning and both would be received that same day with my next dvds being sent out the day later. What’s the problem with that?
I was going to post this earlier but some folks are vehemently OMGWTF DIE NETFLIX when it comes to this issue. I’m totally against throttling but for me Netflix is totally worth it. My turn-around time is second to none (it’s easier and faster than going to Blockbuster’s real brick and mortar stores or even using their online services) and the netflix selection makes it an easy choice for me. If all you are watching is new releases then Blockbuster online or their MVP unlimited in-store rentals or Hollywood’s MVP unlimited in-store rentals is probably the way to go.
If you want to watch something that you won’t just find in some Wal-Mart dump bin then you have to go netflix. Netflix is also great because you can set the little envelopes on your bookshelf so that people at lan nights will notice them and then you can introduce the curious gamers to really kick-ass Steve Buscemi movies like Living in Oblivion.
I’ve heard that rumor before, but it’s never been an issue for me. I’ve always turned my movies around rapidly, and yet my turnaround times have been rock steady. Maybe the trigger level for that issue is very high; if you watched all 3 movies the day you got them, then sent them back the second day, and reliably received (and watched) your next set on the fourth day, then you could crank out 30 movies a month. I consider myself a heavy user, but I probably only average 12-15 movies a month, so maybe I don’t qualify for the enforced slowdown.
A friend of mine got throttled by both companies. Of course he was turning three movies around in a day.
I’ve tried both and am with blockbuster right now just because of the instore coupons that work on games as well as movies. We have a store a mile away from our house, so it ends up being quite a bit cheaper then netflix.