Blockbuster's "Movie Pass" Goes National (1 Viewer)

[PatrickMD]

Blockbuster has recently expanded it's Netflix-like service "Movie Pass" to all of its stores. For $24.99 a month you can keep 2 movies for as long as you like. They certainly won't have the selection of Netflix, but with the greater convienence (of not having to wait for movies in the mail or deal with lost discs) and the fact that Netflix just raised prices, do you think this will affect your Netflix subscriptions or even your DVD buying?

 

[Jeff Whitford]

You would have to rent an awful lot of movies to make that a good deal.

 

[George See]

I apparantly was in one of the test areas for the pass as i've been using it for little more then a year now.

I did indeed quit netflex the instant gratification of just going to the store and grabbing some movies to watch is better then mail order...i do miss the netflix selection though.

It hasn't affected my dvd buying habits at all.

It has affected my watching habbits though, in general I watch a lot more movies then i used to...and since i'm not paying for each indvidual rental I rent a lot of stuff that i've never heard of just because it looks interesting.

Interesting that the national program gives you 2 rentals...i get 3 rentals at a time with my pass. The store is so close to my house that it wouldn't really matter to me either way but I guess 3 wasn't working out for blockbuster.




Not really you'd have to rent 6 a month to break even. That's not too much. And no late fees ever.

 

[streeter]

I haven't seen this at the stores in my area yet.

 

[PerryD]

I've done this 3 separate months, and after taking a few months off, just started again for the fourth time. This time, I'm doing the 3 out program for $29.99, the extra movie has made the process much easier, minimizes trips and allow me to rent a kids title without denting into what I want to watch. I've watched at least 50 movies in a month during the program (my best Netflix month was 14 movies I think), and am on pace for around 60 movies this month.

My Blockbuster used to have a terrible selection of DVDs, but now has nearly everything I want to see, including a large selection of independent and foreign films. Movies I've rented recently include "L' Auberge Espagnole", "American Splendor", "Spellbound", "Girl with a Pearl Earring", "Swimming Pool (Unrated)", "Elephant", "Storytelling (Unrated)", "Thirteen", "Lost In Translation", "21 Grams", "In America", "Buffalo Soldiers", "In the House of Sand and Fog", "Pieces of April", "Secondhand Lions", "Murderous Maids", Owning Mahoney", "Shape of Things", "Love Liza", "Suicide Club", "Ichi the Killer", "Talk to Her", "Raising Victor Vargas", "Crime of Padre Amaro", "Pumpkin", and "Movern Callar". And I haven't even included the more mainstream movies and kids movies I've rented during the same time period.

 

[Jon Martin]

I've been a member of Netflix for a few years and even though I have a Blockbuster on my way home from work, I don't think I'll be switching.

First, it is more than Netflix (shouldn't it be less? They don't have postage costs) and they do have a pretty lousy selection. I think I even have a bigger selection than my local BB.

If it were half of what Netflix is, it might be worth trying. But at this price, it isn't.

 

[Jon Martin]

Actually, those are all very mainstream releases by major studios. You should see if your BB carries the new Bresson's or some of the Criterion titles, not to mention documentaries.

 

[richardWI]

yeah it takes way too many rentals a month for this to pay off and be worth my while.

 

[George See]

My blockbuster usually gets the Criterion titles not 100% more like 85%. But selection is definitly the biggest downer, however most of the really off the wall stuff that I could rent with netflix but not with blockbuster I usually buy anyway, even when I did have netflix.

 

[Kevin_Wadsworth]

I have a Discover credit card, and one of the things you can use your Cashback Bonus for is to get a Blockbuster movie card. It costs $20 to get a card good for 10 rentals. So for me, I would have to watch 14 movies a month to make the Movie Pass option worthwhile.

While I've thought of joining Netflix for the selection and convenience, there's no way I'll go with this plan.

 

[TonyD]

yep, my store just went on with this past tuesdy.
not a good offer.
after a month or 2 of renting 50 or 60 a month, i would have a hard time finding alot of movies to use the pass for.
sure there are new titles every week. usually only around 5 or 6.
sometimes as many as 10.
at least 3 of those are movies you would only watch if you had a coupon or a moviepass.
other wise no one really rents those things.

i've worked at this store for 18 months and we get 5 free rent a week.
i usually use them for the pre streets.
like now i have monster, catch that kid, my baby's daddy,
eurotrip,starship troopers 2.
3 i would not have rented without the freebies or a pass of somesort.

so unless they went to a rent online and return to the store(this has been rumored)then i would not fire netflix.

this program is not targeted at casual renters or even those who rent alot.
it is targetted at people who late fees all the time.

 

[Jeff Whitford]

Blockbuster rentals here are $2.49 so at $24.99 thats more than 10 to break even.

 

[PerryD]

My Blockbuster rental price is $4.29 each, and for videogames it's a ridiculous $6.49! I never rented at Blockbuster without a rent 1 get 1 free coupon, but now with unlimited rentals, I get a much better deal, and I break even in around 3 days, and the rest of the month is gravy.

 

[Dick]

BLOCKBUSTER and HOLLYWOOD, etc. could make a program like this more enticing by continuing to build its catalog titles. A couple of years ago, our local HOLLYWOOD was sent hundreds of great classics and foreign titles. But they have not added to either category since. Same old titles every time I go in. I am not necessarily into "Brand loyalty." If one company starts getting a better selection and has a better offer, I'll go to them. But I truly do not like BLOCKBUSTER - they are the McDonalds/Wal*Mart of video companies. Therefore, I will not step foot through their doors. I will remain with Netflix which, as mentioned, has an enormous inventory. They have been trying hard to improve and are in financial straits (thus the price increase), and I will patronize them any day over the people who try to control movie studios and aspect ratios and who cater to the lowest common demoninator.

 

[ZacharyTait]

No thanks. I'll stick with Netflix, solely for their much wider selection.

 

[john mcfadden]

same here , ballbuster sucks ass ... always has ..always will....

 

[Kirk Tsai]

I used this for a month, and I believe the best way to maximize the deal requires a different strategy than Netflix (which I've also used before, along with Filmcaddy and Walmart's services). If you are willing to watch a lot of movies, then this becomes a much better deal than Netflix because of the time you save in between the shipping.

For me, during the first three weeks of the service, I almost frequented BB everyday. The selection is not as wide, but there are far too many movies in BB I haven't seen anyways. I think I came out with 46 dvds watched in that one month. That's a little over 50 cents for each rental. Of course, I had a lot of spare time on my hands, so I could watch so many.

After that month, my time became more limited. If you do have time, and are willing to consider this service as a month to month service (instead of a constant renewal), this is really quite a deal for binge watching, if you will.

 

[Chris*K]

I used this deal with my local blockbuster for a couple of months. I used it when I was catching up with the first 2 seasons of 24 on DVD, then I stuck with it for a bit to watch come movies that I've always meant to watch but never have. It was awesome for that purpose. Instant gratification, which really is needed when they leave you with a cliffhanger, as almost every episode of 24 does. I could just run to the store and get my 24 fix.

That said, I don't think I'd stick with it month-to-month. However, if I was going to watch another TV series on DVD (I've been considering Buffy for awhile, as I've never watched it), I'd definitely pick it up again for another couple months. It's great that they don't make you commit for a year, etc.

ck

 

[Terry H]

Not worth it to me, closest Blockbuster is 14 miles away. However I bought their "rewards" card ($8 here) so I always get 2 for the price of 1 mon thru wed, plus 1 free rental per month and 1 free for every 5 rented per month. They have a "drop box" in the little town where I live so I can return them locally.
Interesting to see the various prices. Locally, "Hot New" releases are $3.99 (2 days)and all others including "New" releases are $3.49 (7 days). Takes about two weeks (varies from a week to a month) for a title to move out of "hot" status.

 

[TonyD]

oh, yea, good one.

anyway, my store is very limited in the tv on dvd we get.
so fay all 24, and csi except the first season.
alias first season, and a few others.

in living color, richard pryer show.
all the sopranos' and sex and the city.
no shield tho'.