Comments on: Blockbuster Modifies Their Online Movie Rental Service

By: MITBeta

MITBeta — Sun, 19 Aug 2007 01:18:02 +0000

I’ve been a Netflix customer for over 7 years. Once Blockbuster bought up all the mom & pop rental outlets you could only find the new releases in their stores. Netflix offered a much better selection and still does. I could see through Blockbuster’s in store return gimmick months ago and predicted it would either fail or it would bring down Netflix and then you would only be able to get the new releases…

I will gladly pay a couple of dollars more per month for Netflix then whatever gimmick Blockbuster is offering today…

By: Ron

Ron — Sat, 18 Aug 2007 22:05:24 +0000

I, for one, will be switching to Netflix. I had the one-at-a-time plan with unlimited store exchanges plus 1 in-store coupon. That same plan has now increased to $16.99 and they dropped the free in-store coupon as well. I refuse to give them an a 70% increase!

By: devil

devil — Sat, 18 Aug 2007 19:51:17 +0000

When Netflix first hit the scene, they were the only game in town and had terrible service. We quickly canceled.

Then Blockbuster started the dvd ship-to-rent thing and Netflix really had to clean up their act.

Now, years later, Netflix has great customer service and keeps their prices low.

I, too, am looking forward to the interesting times ahead.

By: Tab

Tab — Sat, 18 Aug 2007 19:37:08 +0000

You also get a number of hours of online movie viewing from Netflix. However many dollars per month you pay for your plan with them is how many hours per month you get, no extra charge (so far).

Granted, the selection online is not as extensive, but it’s kinda fun to randomly pick a documentary like American Mullet or whatever on a Sunday afternoon.

By: nickel

nickel — Sat, 18 Aug 2007 14:27:03 +0000

Heh. Old fashioned with Tivo and Netflix?

By: Eric

Eric — Sat, 18 Aug 2007 14:25:21 +0000

The real winners will be the consumer – hopefully! I may be old fashioned, but between Tivo and Netflix, I am pretty happy.

By: B Kisse

B Kisse — Sat, 18 Aug 2007 13:32:26 +0000

No surprise that Blockbuster did this as they have been really bleeding red ink.

The competition between them and Netflix has gotten really ugly lately and it’s been fascinating to watch both of them “notch it up a bit”.

This is the first sane thing that Blockbuster has done to try to limit their costs, but it has certainly has angered all of us.

I’m waiting for the inevitable DVD burn-on-demand that WILL be offered in virtually any street corner retail outlet – just wait and see.

Where will all this end for Blockbuster vs. Netflix?

Who knows?

What with the real competiting coming from RedBox and DVDPlay Blockbuster and Netfix SHOULD be worried.

Let’s face it – you either want to rent the “top 20-30″ hits or are looking for the more obscure or less-popular titles.

The top 20-30 can always be had quickly and easily at a vending machine, more obsure can be found at a brick-and-mortar store like Blockbuster, but they only have SO MUCH real estate where they can store titles.

Not to mention on-demand from Comcast.

Interesting times ahead in the entertainment business, and who will be the real winners here?

By: Firebyrd

Firebyrd — Sat, 18 Aug 2007 10:21:13 +0000

I have tried Blockbuster not once but twice. Both times the service was atrocious. They took forever to send movies out despite them being listed as available, they’d randomly take forever to acknowledge that I’d sent something back (one took something like a month after I’d canceled before being noted as returned).

My mom just tried a two week trial with Blockbuster in the past month or two. She waited nearly the whole two weeks, and despite the movies in her queue being available, they never sent her a single one. I convinced her to try Netflix instead and she loves it, much as I do. Neither of us have ever had any problems with it, and I’ve been a member on and off for years.

So very strange that we apparently have had opposite experiences with the same businesses.

By: Sestos

Sestos — Sat, 18 Aug 2007 08:58:58 +0000

Netflix still has better selection of movies, blockbuster tends to focus on US films, but if your looking for foreign, art house, little known films or anything that would carry NC-17 etc.. rating Blockbuster is not going to have it.