Online DVD Rentals? (1 Viewer)

[Chris Huber]

Anybody use them? I was thinking about signing up. We have been renting movies atleast once a week these days, if not more.

I have a question, how do they handle new releases? Are they available from day 1? Do they all get mailed out to other people so you might not get it for a week or so? How does that work?

Just let me know your experiences with them...

 

[Chris]

I've used netflix for years. When I do request a "new" flick from them, I do so in advance, and if it's coming up and one I really want, move it to the #1 position.. I normally get them the day/date of release. But, the fact that they have a bigger library of titles is what keeps me.

 

[Chris Huber]

Cool. Can you do that with Blockbuster too?

 

[Jon_Are]

I do Netflix as well. When you're new to the service, they send you new releases right away - you often get them on the day of release.

After a month or so of this, though, you're no longer a priority, so your new releases - even if they're at the number one spot in your queue - won't arrive anywhere near release date.

For example, I've had Ladder 49 ranked #1 on my list since before its March 8 release date. You've guessed it: I still have not received it.

Still, though, I love Netflix. You can't beat the convenience, nor the selection. It may not be for you if you have to have the new releases as soon as they come out.

Jon

 

[Chris]

Wow. In the more then 2 years I've been with netflix, I've never had something at the top of my list that didn't hit me damn close to release date. Then again, now that they have a distribution point here in KC, I get almost everything pretty quick

 

[Mike Slade]

I've been with Netflix for about 2 years too and there's only been one or two times I didn't get a new release the week it came out. And that only happened because I didn't have something get back on Monday or Tuesday of that week. I've been very happy with their service.

 

[Philip_G]

I switched from netflix to blockbuster to save a buck, now I'm switching back.

BB doesn't rent NC17
BB takes at least 2 days, netflix is always next day, ALWAYS! (they both have a depot in denver)
BB can't seem to deliver all 3 movies at once, they trickle in one at a time though they're all shipped the same day
the top 15 movies in my queue were shot/long/verylong wait

BB does give you 2 free in store rental coupons, good on games which are about 6 bucks each, so if you rent two games a month normally I figured the service paid for itself, but it's just too shitty.

 

[Rob Gardiner]

Does anyone have any experience with NicheFlix? I am interested in it for 2 reasons:

1) They rent many foreign films, imports, and non-R1 discs

2) They are an HTF advertiser, and clicking on their banner benefits the forum

How does their selection compare, overall, with NetFlix?

 

[todbnla]

I am on netflix too and have encountered the same thing too with new releases as Jon, I also noticed that if you clear your que out lets say on Sunday morning of every movie you want, except the hot new releases, you are more likely to get those hot new releases closer to the release date! If not, the new releases just float out there until they have it back in stock again. Example; "The Incredible's" took me 3 weeks to finally get. I luv their service though, much better than driving to my local BB. Priced gas lately...

YMMV

 

[Ben LG]

Youve just convinced me to try out Netflix Gets me pissed off when they deliver the dvds one by one, for example if Im waiting for a tv series sometimes I get disc 3 before disc 2. Too bad Netflix price is not the same as BB though.

 

[LanieParker]

Does netflix carry tv on dvd? That to me would make it worthwhile.

Right now we are doing the blockbuster thing (not online. The biggest problem for me is they don't have a HUGE selection and their tv on dvd is really slim pickings.

I've been wanting to rent Felicity and 24, but they don't carry Felicity and 24 is always out.

 

[Chris]

Absolutely. I've been through all of Mork & Mindy, Highlander Seasons 1-5; Greatest American Hero, etc. all through Netflix.. can't find them at all @ Blockbuster or local..

Right now going through Doogie Howser, MD.

You know, the show is corny, but of all the shows I remembered that I wanted to see, it's one of the few that was close to the way I remembered it. I always thought Mork & Mindy was one of the funniest things I had seen as a kid, watching it now, it was like watching fingernails down a chalk board.. got tired real fast.. (Highlander was as I remembered it, except I guess I stopped watching somewhere in Season 5, because dear god, does the finale of Season 5 and all of Season 6 suck)

 

[Todd_B]

Same here. I'm a Netflix guy again

Todd B

 

[Chris_Morris]

Netflix:
If I have a spot open and put a new release at the top of the queue, it always has shipped on the Monday of release week. Now, I get it 99% of the time on Tuesday, with the rare Wednesday. Netflix used to only ship new releases from San Jose, and I'd get them anywhere from Thursday-Saturday. It is much faster now that individual centers get X number of copies. This is after 2 1/2 years with them.

TV on DVD is the main reason I am staying with them

The only anomaly I see is that I receive discs in one day, yet it takes two days for them to get back to the same distribution center. :shrug:

*EDIT* I had Nicheflix confused with Greencine. I did have Nicheflix, but don't remember too much about them.

Greencine:
I had this for awhile. They are based solely in California, so back and forth to the East Coast was slow. Their selection consists more of independant and out of the mainstream releases, along with anime. I dropped them after getting several Hong Kong movies that were advertised as originals, but ended up being Miramax/Dimension Films dubbed and cut versions. Their excuse was that they use an outside source for the disc information.

 

[Eric Peterson]

You find the selection that good? When I was trying to determine services, I weighed several and Netflix didn't even come close to offering the titles that I was looking for (Then again, I'm not one for the big blockbusters). I use Greencine.com and they have a very deep catalog including documentaries and Criterions.

I've been with Greencine for over a year now, and I don't think they have as fast a turnaround since they're out of SanFrancisco, but it's worked quite well for me, and I get to see movies that would be impossible to find any other way, except through online purchase.

 

[Ted Lee]

netflix user myself. i switched to blockbuster, but hated their selection so switched back to netflix. what really irritated me was that many new releases (i mean in the theaters) didn't come up when i tried to search bb. at least with netflix, you can pull it up and put it in the 'save' category. also bb's search function sucked.

i'm pretty sure i'll stay with netflix till i die...

-----

does anybody here use netflix's friends function? seems like it'd be interesting to see what others are watching, rating, etc.

 

[Haggai]

I think Netflix's selection is quite good, with one occasionally annoying flaw: they often carry an older version of a DVD and don't update if a better one comes out. For instance, it doesn't look like they have any of the Criterion Cassevetes discs, since they were out on some crappier (so I've heard) older versions earlier from different companies. Occasionally, they break their own rule and update, like with the multi-disc SEs for (to name two titles at random that I've noticed this with) Heat and Gone With the Wind, but a lot of the time they don't. But, still, their selection seems quite solid to me.

T. Love, I also use Friends on Netflix, if you wanna swap e-mails.

 

[Ted Lee]

cool haggai. i may go for it...i'll send you a pm if i do!

 

[Dick]

I like Nicheflix. I subscribe to them for a few months at a time, then quit for a while until they accumulate enough new titles I am interested in seeing. There are scores of DVD's out there, some in NTSC format that will play on any region-free player without pull-down distortion, that are available only outside the U.S. Many others are PAL.

SWORD AND THE DRAGON (ILYA MUROMETS) (LBX, subtitled)
SOLDIER BLUE (uncut, LBX)
WHISTLE DOWN THE WIND (LBX, with Hayley Mills commentary)
LAUREL AND HARDY - many titles not available here
THE QUATERMASS EXPERIMENT
TWINS OF EVIL (LBX)
VAMPIRE CIRCUS (LBX)
THE STING (LBX)
THE LAST UNICORN (LBX)
DR. TERROR'S HOUSE OF HORRORS (LBX)
JOURNEY OF NATTY GANN (LBX)
WITHOUT A CLUE (LBX)

...They have these and many more. Worth checking out. I believe he now offers a two-week free trial.

 

[Greg*go]

Go to the website, and see for youself. I believe they now have over 35,000 titles. I started with them in October '04 and they were advertising over 15,000. So they have definitely been expanding their library over the past 6 months.