• Hi, I am the owner and main administrator of Styleforum. If you find the forum useful and fun, please help support it by buying through the posted links on the forum. Our main, very popular sales thread, where the latest and best sales are listed, are posted HERE

    Purchases made through some of our links earns a commission for the forum and allows us to do the work of maintaining and improving it. Finally, thanks for being a part of this community. We realize that there are many choices today on the internet, and we have all of you to thank for making Styleforum the foremost destination for discussions of menswear.
  • This site contains affiliate links for which Styleforum may be compensated.
  • We would like to welcome House of Huntington as an official Affiliate Vendor. Shop past season Drake's, Nigel Cabourn, Private White V.C. and other menswear luxury brands at exceptional prices below retail. Please visit the Houise of Huntington thread and welcome them to the forum.

  • STYLE. COMMUNITY. GREAT CLOTHING.

    Bored of counting likes on social networks? At Styleforum, you’ll find rousing discussions that go beyond strings of emojis.

    Click Here to join Styleforum's thousands of style enthusiasts today!

    Styleforum is supported in part by commission earning affiliate links sitewide. Please support us by using them. You may learn more here.

Video rental

Bergdorf Goodwill

Distinguished Member
Joined
Dec 7, 2004
Messages
1,223
Reaction score
6
So I've had this Blockbuster Movie Pass for a couple of months -- I felt as though I was missing out on a big part of shared culture because I had rejected passive entertainment for so long, so I've been renting whatever I stumble across there at a rate of $15/mo.

The problem I've run into is that their selection is fairly dire.

Predictably enough, I like pretentious artsy ****. I also like documentaries quite a bit. Last three rentals have been Bright Future (Japanese), Blind Shaft (Chinese), and Primer (American independent).

Do any netflix (or similar) users have insights to share re: the selection and timeliness and general quality of their service? I'm in Ohio, if it matters. I've browsed their website, but it's sort of confusing on occasion whether or not they actually have a movie available -- I assume upon becoming a member, you're given access to a better database.
 

petescolari

Senior Member
Joined
Oct 14, 2004
Messages
224
Reaction score
2
I am not sure if I can draw any comparison between the selection of Netflix and Blockbuster. I have been a member of Netflix for over two years. Any time I wanted to watch a movie and add it to my queue, it was available. My selection varies all over the place from mostly indie to mainstream documentaries. I ran through many of the Kurosawa films recently.

As far as turnaround time, Netflix is unbelievable. I live in Cambridge and my distribution center is in Worcester. I have mailed movies back at 5 at night and arrived at work the next day and received an email notifying me the movie was received. Netflix's website lists 30 distribution sites. Most likely there would be one in Ohio.

The only drawback I have ever experienced with Netflix is scratched dvds. Only a couple have been to the point of not playing. You can ask for a replacement on your account and they will send it to you before you return the damaged one to expedite the problem.

In re: to out of stock movies. I have 30 movies in my queue and only 1 (Motorcycle Diaries) is not available.

Netflix is constantly offering one month trials. You could do that for a month and see how it goes compared to Blockbuster.
 

hopkins_student

Distinguished Member
Joined
Jul 8, 2004
Messages
3,164
Reaction score
176
This is off topic from your discussion about the selection of Netflix compared to Blockbuster, but now that Blockbuster is offering an online service similar to Netflix, I've always thought that they could get a big leg up on Netflix if they would allow you to return your movies to the local Blockbuster store so that the movies could be checked back into the system, and your next movies would go out from the distribution center without the one day lag each way for the mail.
 

RJman

Posse Member
Dubiously Honored
Spamminator Moderator
Joined
Dec 10, 2004
Messages
19,159
Reaction score
2,086
A friend using the Blockbuster service pointed out that they will keep their prices low long enough to beat Netflix, should that occur, and will then raise them. Wal-Mart also has this DVD service, but I refuse to give them my money and have heard rumors they (and perhaps (.) Blockbuster) censor some of the DVDs.

The Netflix selection is very good. I recommend them. They seem to be expanding the selection all the time. I'm still hoping they get Performance with Mick Jagger, or Qui etes vous Polly Magoo, but they really do have excellent selections in foreign films and a decent art house selection.

Full disclosure: I detest Blockbuster having dealt with their high rental prices, crappy selection and generally incompetent staff.
 

Mr Checks

Senior Member
Joined
Mar 17, 2005
Messages
221
Reaction score
0
Wal-Mart also has this DVD service, but I refuse to give them my money and have heard rumors they (and perhaps (.) Blockbuster) censor some of the DVDs.

I think they are pretty open and proud about the special edition media they have at Wal Mart.   I think Eminem stood up to them, but most 'artists' cave in and offer a self-censored version.
I think I heard it on PBS, and Uncle Ted and I believe everything that's on PBS.
 

mxb95

Active Member
Joined
Oct 8, 2003
Messages
42
Reaction score
0
Count me as a satisfied Ohio Netflix subscriber.  Turnaround time has been excellent, although it likely depends on proximity to one of the distribution centers (don't know where you are in Ohio, but there is a center here in Cleveland).  As others have mentioned, availability of the films in my queue has not been an issue.  The selection is fairly broad; at least it is better than that of the local Blockbuster or Hollywood.
 

Brian SD

Moderator
Joined
Feb 5, 2004
Messages
9,492
Reaction score
128
(TheRookie @ April 27 2005,18:37) How did you like Primer?
I absolutely hated it, but I was pretty tired/sick while I was watching it.
Thanks for the warning
smile.gif
 

Bergdorf Goodwill

Distinguished Member
Joined
Dec 7, 2004
Messages
1,223
Reaction score
6
(orbitingio @ April 27 2005,21:02)
Originally Posted by TheRookie,April 27 2005,18:37
How did you like Primer?
I absolutely hated it, but I was pretty tired/sick while I was watching it.
Thanks for the warning
smile.gif

Don't necessarily let me dissuade you from giving it a chance -- it's gotten good reviews, etc. The entire premise is the old Ray Bradbury time traveling deal, wherein something minor in the past changes things in the future, etc. I thought it was poorly executed and really, really confusing for the sake of confusion. There's the whole idea of confusion vs. mystery, how they're essentially the same thing, just different expressions thereof... This definitely struck me as a film in which the director was going for mystery and fell into a whole heap of confusion. The guy who made the movie did it on a $7,000 budget and won the Jury Prize at Sundance, though, and from interviews I took a look at (trying to alleviate my confusion to no avail) he seems like a good guy. I dunno... All I can say is that when we watched it (me and a female friend who has no aversion to headfucker movies like this), we were annoyed and felt cheated by the end.
 

Carlo

Distinguished Member
Joined
Aug 22, 2003
Messages
1,021
Reaction score
5
Our general impression with Netlix has been very good - we've gotten a few scratched discs but no worse than the video stores.

I lack the administrative gifts that allow some folks to rent 100 movies and get around to returning them on time so Netflix was a real godsend.

Haven't used the BB version but the option of returning and getting more RIGHT NOW with no time limit on returns is appealing since there is a blockbuster a mile from here.

I'd say give Netflix a try. There must be a distribution center here in Dallas or close by because we see a very fast turnaround.
 

Ambulance Chaser

Stylish Dinosaur
Supporting Member
Joined
Mar 7, 2002
Messages
13,935
Reaction score
10,021
I am quite happy with Netflix for the most part, although they employ one extremely annoying tactic: To slow down my rentals, they will occasionally send me disc 2 of a TV series ahead of disc 1, even though disc 1 is ahead in my queue. This happens when they receive two returns the same day.
 

DocHolliday

Stylish Dinosaur
Dubiously Honored
Joined
Apr 21, 2005
Messages
16,090
Reaction score
1,158
Originally Posted by RJman
A friend using the Blockbuster service pointed out that they will keep their prices low long enough to beat Netflix, should that occur, and will then raise them. Wal-Mart also has this DVD service, but I refuse to give them my money and have heard rumors they (and perhaps (.) Blockbuster) censor some of the DVDs.

I made the mistake of renting Y Tu Mama Tambien from Blockbuster, to show my girlfriend. The cuts butchered the film, completely changing the ending and making it largely incoherent.

I've been very happy with Netflix. Lately I've been watching old episodes of the Avengers. Rental fees would quickly add up for that type of thing.
 

Featured Sponsor

How important is full vs half canvas to you for heavier sport jackets?

  • Definitely full canvas only

    Votes: 55 35.5%
  • Half canvas is fine

    Votes: 60 38.7%
  • Really don't care

    Votes: 17 11.0%
  • Depends on fabric

    Votes: 27 17.4%
  • Depends on price

    Votes: 28 18.1%

Forum statistics

Threads
505,186
Messages
10,579,229
Members
223,895
Latest member
amylguardinfo
Top