Netflix?

Beethoven

Member
Oct 10, 1999
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0
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Does anyone use Netflix to rent DVDs?

I figure I already spend at least $20 a month on movie rentals, so why not try it. The only question I have is how fast to the movies come? If I return two on Monday, will I have the next movies by Friday to watch Friday or Saturday?

Thanks!
 

Viper GTS

Lifer
Oct 13, 1999
38,107
433
136
I used to have it, but I cancelled it maybe 6 months ago.

The movies come relatively quickly, but you aren't likely to have them by Friday. I typically got three shipments a month if I watched all of them over the weekend following when I got them, & then returned them the following Monday.

My biggest complaint was the lack of spontaneity - In other words when I go to a video store I usually don't know what I want to rent. I walk the aisles until something catches my fancy, be it action, thriller, etc. With Netfilx you're stuck with whatever comes in the mail. In short I found myself renting from Blockbuster nearly as often as I would before Netflix.

So, I cancelled Netflix.

Viper GTS
 

pulse8

Lifer
May 3, 2000
20,860
1
81
I use it and love it.

Since their shipping center was first in San Jose, and it seems they now have one in Santa Ana, I get all 3 movies by the weekend if I send them out on Monday.

I've had them for 2 months now and have had 3 movies each weekend without any problems.

My sister lives in Miami and it takes a long time for her to her her movies. If they are REALLY fast, I can have another movie in about 2 days since they are only about an hour away from me.
 

Apollyon

Member
Feb 7, 2002
98
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I used to subscribe to them but like Viper I prefer the on the spot rental. I can drive not 5 minutes to Blockbuster and pick up a dvd. Netflix, you have to wait. Plus, I'm lazy. I would hold on to rentals for weeks, I think they make their money off people like me who don't use it much. The novelty wears off.
 

RudeBoie

Platinum Member
Feb 28, 2000
2,017
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They're very good no matter where you live. They actually use unstandard (not in a bad way) ways of shipping to make sure all states get their mail relatively fast.
 

crawford

Golden Member
Jan 23, 2002
1,425
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i thought about it, but then i browsed the site and i found that they didnt have the newest releases. correct me if im wrong but i dont think they get new movies for a week or two after blockbuster.
 

calpha

Golden Member
Mar 7, 2001
1,287
0
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Their shipping office is in CA. They might use Non-standard shipping for equal shipping, but I damn sure didn't get a movie back by the weekend if I mailed one in on Monday (I live in NC). I cancelled, and I told them why (not fast enough) and the rep told me if I ever wanted to subscribe again to Mail the movie in and the next day declare it as lost in the mail, which meant they would send me the next movie that day. I never tried that, but I still suppose it wouldn't be here by Friday. I was paying $20 for about 4 movies a month.

Other than the spontanaiety Viper Mentioned, it was a good service in general, if you know what you wanted to watch. As far as new releases, they had a reservation system that was pretty easy to use so you could TRY to make sure you got one when it was released.

I dunno if they got them after BB though.

If I lived in CA, I might try them again, but not here in NC. Besides, I have a DTV/TIVO and watch too much TV now anyways.
 

DaveSimmons

Elite Member
Aug 12, 2001
40,730
670
126
I use them even though I have cable, because I like the subtitled stuff -- Anime and samaurai from Japan, sword & sorcery and gun opera from Hong Kong, Wim Wenders, Krzysztof Kieslwoski, etc.

I buy some, but there's a lot of anime and Hong Kong that I don't like enough to own.

Here in Bellevue, WA round-trip time from sending a title to getting a new one back is about 8 days.
 

WW

Golden Member
Jun 21, 2001
1,514
0
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I like it. It probably wouldn't be good for you if you only want to watch the new 'big' releases...every blockbuster has that. What it is good for is its large library of DVDs. I like being able to build up a long list of movies that I always wanted to see, but never got around to, or couldn't find in a blockbuster type store. This is good if you enjoy 'classic' films, foreign films, etc. We watch a lot of Hindi (from India) movies, and they have a surprisingly good selection.

If you take the option where you can have three dvds out at a time, you usually have something on hand to watch. If you want to watch dvds all day, they have an option for eight out at a time :).





 

neomits

Diamond Member
Aug 18, 2001
3,228
0
76
I've had it for over a year and LOVE it. I got a 6 month gift certificate for Xmas and then continued for 6 months then this Xmas got another 6 months. It makes me a popular guy at college :)
 

Mustanggt

Diamond Member
Dec 11, 1999
3,278
0
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I used them for a little while but after awhile it gets so your just renting movies to keep them moving even if you dont like movie. I had trouble getting new movies allways had to wait few days they were allready out. all in all its good service
 

Beethoven

Member
Oct 10, 1999
91
0
0
Thanks for the info!!!

I'll have to think about this a little more. There's a place down the road from me that has a huge selection of DVDs, and it's rare to find something that's not in stock....and if I can't get movies back by Friday, I guess Netflix wouldn't be worth it.

Too bad they don't have a midwest shipping center. ;)
 

MrBond

Diamond Member
Feb 5, 2000
9,911
0
76
You're located about as far from California as I am (Toledo), shipping was very slow for me. We'd get maybe 4 movies a month (on the plan where you could have 2 out at once). Took us a week to get the movies, then another week for them to get them back. The DVD's aren't protected at all, we got one that was split in half (but a quick call to netflix got another one on the way).

And new releases seemed to be out of stock all the time. Don't have that problem at my local video shop (one good thing about living in the sticks, not many DVD player owners).