Netflix vs. Blockbuster: A heated debate between two extremists
Written by Ryan Carrigg (contact - e-mail) -- March 1st, 2007 |
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I am a devout Netflix user. My coworker, Andy, raves about the new Blockbuster service. For today’s post we were able to take a closer look at the habits of the users of the two online movie rental sites. Using Compete data we created a list of the top 10 most browsed movies on the two competing sites. Using these lists Andy and I will objectively debate which service is better and why. As always, please chime in by commenting. Let us know which service you prefer.
Opening Arguments:
| Ryan Says: Netflix is the perfect example of the “long tail” theory in action (Chris Anderson even said so). While Netflix.com hosts over 2X the people of Blockbuster.com, the top ten browsed movies on Netflix attract a much smaller percentage of total site audience than those of Blockbuster. The reason is the breadth of films available on Netflix is so far superior that users spread themselves throughout the “long tail” which includes hard to find independent and foreign films. Most of these films are not even available at lesser services like….I don’t know…say, Blockbuster. Boom! |
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Digging further into the data we found that Blockbuster users average two sessions per month, compared to three sessions from Netflix users. It seems that I’m not the only one spending less time online looking for movies. |
Andy Says: Confession: I used to be a Netflix member. But that was a few years ago and I like to think that I’ve grown up and become more knowledgeable since then, so I am now a Blockbuster online member. I have to admit that having a Blockbuster store within a few blocks of where I live biases me a little, but with a membership base rumored to be around 43 million households, it seems that at least one of the nearly 6000 Blockbuster stores in America is in a convenient location for a lot of people. The convenience of being able to return videos to the store and browse (a process I fully admit to enjoying) the selection in person has led me to many movies I may have missed, and to less time spent online searching them out.Parting Jabs:
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Moving on, Netflix draws a savvier, more informed client than Blockbuster. Thus I enjoy associating myself with the service, sharing my recommendations, and reading the reviews of others. While my fellow Netflixer is likely to have the thought provoking documentary This Film is Not Yet Rated in his queue, your average Blockbuster user is pumped because he can drop off Employee of the Month in exchange for Snakes on a Plane at their local store on the way back from an all you can buffet at Denny’s. You should be ashamed of yourselves. |
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Did you like that post? You'll love these.
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- Netflix vs. Blockbuster: Q3 Earnings Reports and Digital Delivery Strategies
- “Total Access” helps Blockbuster finally emerge as a credible competitor; catching up with Netflix quickly
- Netflix’s Watch Now Tops the Online On Demand Movie Market
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March 1st, 2007 at 1:11 pm
Im new to the whole online DVD rental business, however, my trial month with NetFlix has been awesome. When that confirmation email appears in my inbox notifying me that my next movie will arrive on or around thursday the excitement is almost overwhelming. With this email I know my backup plan for the weekend is in place.
Im not sure the video store option is an added convenience or a inconvenience. Sure you have the ability to go to the local Blockbuster and exchange movies but you have to go to the video store. Thats not convenient even if you enjoy it. Seems as though that would only be enabling me to waste more of my valuable time on renting movies that I probably shouldnt be watching. For now Ill stick with NetFlix.
March 1st, 2007 at 1:44 pm
Comparing Netflix and Blockbuster is like comparing iPods and Walkmans. They were both change agents, just several decades apart. I refuse to give credit to Blockbuster for copying Netflix and layering in the additional value of walking into their run down dimly lit stores.
March 1st, 2007 at 1:56 pm
1) Crash is a good movie, 2) You may be able to browse in-store for movies with Blockbuster (who does that?), but like Blockbuster online, the # and variety of titles doesnt approach that of Netflix.
March 1st, 2007 at 2:03 pm
Netflix is going to start delivering movies online soon (some members might already have access?). I’m a Netflix subscriber, and I’m slated to get access to the online service - no extra charge - in June.
If their online delivery system works, it has potential to blow Blockbuster out of the water.
March 1st, 2007 at 2:07 pm
Sorry, but anyone who calls the “Descent” a bad movie has not seen it, or the reviews (84% on rottentomatos which is a better site than either of these”. Before you support the corporate greed of Blockbustie, check out how many class action suits have been filed against them, or why they have been sued for limiting independent film distribution because of their economic affiliation with the ‘blockbuster’ studios. I want movies with 8 hot girls battling underground monsters, I want choice, I want the long tail movie selection, and I want to free the people!!! Netflix forever.
Turk 182
March 1st, 2007 at 2:17 pm
There is no conflict of interest here, Netflix is the clear choice. I have accounts with both and found discrepencies in Blockbuster’s business model and customer service dashboard goals when researching a possible investment in both retailers. Netflix’s fundamentals have been robust throughout its infancy and the company presents major potential to introduce a plethora of new products, possibly revolutionizing this market as a whole. You can always judge a company on an impeccable balance sheet, and Netflix has just that.
Not to mention, they are cool and there branding is flawless.
Blockbuster is about as ghetto as there movie ticket stub logo.
Thank you for finally being able to provide me the outlet to get this off my chest.
March 1st, 2007 at 2:32 pm
It seems the Netflix user is pretty defensive. Possibly a hint of fear in Blockbuster’s huge surge the 4th quarter of last year? The two services are nearly identical as far as service, price and satisfaction. Blockbuster having thousands of stores which allow for a free exchange puts them over the top. People want to watch DVD’s on their DVD players, not on their computers. The average joe isn’t going to know how to hook their PC to their entertainment system. The DVD download is doomed from the start. Blockbuster is about to take the 30 - 55 demographic.
March 1st, 2007 at 2:36 pm
I prefer Netflix. I use Netflix. I think Netflix is by far a better service. I’ve had nothing but bad experiences with Blockbuster (long before they decided to go the Netflix online rental route). I don’t like going into Blockbuster stores.
But I voted for Andy. His argument was more sound.
March 1st, 2007 at 2:54 pm
“Descent” was horrible. True Story. Which service will start to provide Blu-Ray disc’s but at the same subscription price and which will have more B.R. discs to chose from?
March 1st, 2007 at 2:54 pm
hey Fabes, once iTV is released you wont have to ever plug your computer again.
March 1st, 2007 at 3:11 pm
Confession: I kick myself for continuing to read this tete-a-tete after one of the master debatees ended his argument with “Boom!”
That being said, it’s next to impossible to root against a company with the gumption to use as their spokesperson one Mr. Alec Baldwin - a man with a voice like caramel mixed with chocolate; resonant, smooth, rich and mellow, but with, as hollywood.com points out, “a relaxed impudence which lends itself equally well to earnest heroes and sexually threatening rogues.”
Bravo, Blockbuster. Bravo.
March 1st, 2007 at 4:08 pm
Andy -
You didn’t even drop the Ace in the Hole for the great online DVD rental debate - Throttling!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Online_DVD_rental#.22Throttling.22
BOOYAH!
March 1st, 2007 at 5:25 pm
Turk 182-
I have a couple if issues with your post…
1. your puncuation. you are not allowed to start with a ( and end with a “. you just can’t.
2. your back of the “descent.” was “from justin to kelly” just knocked out of your top 5 by “kazaam?”
3. your tagging of blockbustie having “corporate greed.” is netflix run by a an married couple in there 80s living in rural ohio? is netflix actually a non-profit org? just in it “for the people?”
4. back to the “descent.” you really think those girls were hot?
leave you parents basement and get to blockbuster.
March 1st, 2007 at 5:30 pm
As it happens the owner of Netflix is my uncle. Hes actually coming to lunch this sunday, but that is beside the point. Blockbuster put my favorite hangout spot, Acton Village Video (a small local video store), out of my business. They are a ruthless corporation with no other care but themselves. My uncle does not roll around nude in piles of money. Netflix also supports independent films and struggling cinema artists.
March 1st, 2007 at 5:35 pm
Another grievance I have with Blockbuster are the new ad’s that have been playing around here. They make the argument that Blockbuster is better than Netflix because they have store, so that you can receive the video in the mail then exchange it for a video in the store. I have no idea what sort of moron would fall for this kind of as, because if you are too lazy to go to the store in the first place, why do you now all of a sudden have the motivation to drive out and exchange the movie? If you are that sort of person please come to my house and I’ll bludgeon you to death for being a waste of a person.
March 1st, 2007 at 5:46 pm
Mr. Cruz-
1. relax.
2. you are an ass.
3. have fun at denny’s with your uncle.
you realize that the “ruthless” blockbuster is giving those in store rentals FOR FREE don’t you? what a great,kind way to treat your customers. what does neflix give out for free?
we have one thing in common though (i am not sure of its relavance… but), my uncle does not roll around nude in piles of money either.
does you uncle work in the kitchen of the denny’s? i am sure he can’t support himself on owning netflix as they make not money because of their lack of corporate greed.
blockbuster…. BOOM!
March 1st, 2007 at 6:03 pm
hey drewski- I have anger issues. (Edited: No curse words please)
The bludgeon thing was a joke, j-o-k-e, get it?
I never said he doesn’t make money, if he had no money why would he own a villa in Italy, a cabin at the base od Park City Mountain and another house in California. Hes just not some corporate dick, if you met him you’d know he’s just a normal guy who had a great idea, a great idea that Blockbuster is now harping off of. But I don’t mind that.
Blockbuster doesn’t have the selection of Netflix.
There’s an expression, “You can’t argue with a simple mind”
I’m not going to be able to sway your ideas about Netflix or your devotion to Blockbuster, honestly I don’t care, I “stumbled” on this site, thought it was interesting that I have a relation to the company.
March 1st, 2007 at 6:19 pm
Mr. Cruz,
Firstly, I don’t believe you. Secondly, you’re going to blame Blockbuster for putting your local mom and pop shop out of business, but praise Netflix? If anyone is responsible for putting them out of business it’s the all powerful with more subscriber netflix. Shame on your non compassionate (Edited: No curse words please) uncle for keeping bob and jane smith from buying that retirement home in Tampa. They didn’t even need a house in California and a villa in Italy, just a small 1-bedroom outside of Tropicana Field to call their own. She wanted a small garden with flowers and maybe a tomato plant, and your greedy uncle killed their dream and desire to live.
You point of being too lazy to go get a movie in the first place is bordline insane. I can’t even think of anything to say, i’m, i don’t even know. Is he a uncle in law, because there is no way you share the same bloodline.
March 1st, 2007 at 6:38 pm
Multi-channel is in. Those internet only cronies “Red Roster” are just like the people they purport to dislike - Brick and Mortar Oldies. One channel is not better than the other…lets try to use both.
Way to go BlockBuster…
March 1st, 2007 at 6:39 pm
Netflix didn’t put them out of business, their were Netflix uses in our town and they were doing just fine. A Blockbuster moved in down the street and a few months later they were out of business. You don’t need to believe me, I honestly don’t care but. But I can tell you that his real name is Wilmot Reed Hastings Jr. his sister’s names are Melissa Cruz, my mother, and Claire “Poonam” Hastings (she married an Indian man). His father Wilmot “Wil” Reed Hastings was a layer. There is also a book about my Great Great Grandfather, called Tuxedo Park, I would appreciate it very much if you wouldn’t criticize my bloodline.
What I said about the commercial was in jest, it’s not as though I really think the commercial is recruiting morons. I was just joking, I just think a little bit different than you, relax.
The story behind the houses- first they lived in a normal sized house in California. The company went public and he bought a vacation home at the base of the mountain in Park City, Utah they are currently spending a year in Italy and either own or are renting a villa there, I never actually listened to the full story of what they were doing. He spends two weeks in Italy and two weeks in the US.
March 2nd, 2007 at 1:21 am
Mr. Cruz,
Are you upset because you are destined to do nothing as significant as what other people in your bloodline have done? And who refers to it as bloodline anyway? Maybe youve watched Underworld one too many times…which isnt necessarily a bad thing, Kate Beckensdale is a godess, but bloodline? come on.
Also the “my houses are better than yours, look how rich I am” doesnt really work when its not your houses you are talking about.
I havent tried either service but will when I do Ill probably go with blockbuster. Andy`s arguements were on the brink of genius.
March 2nd, 2007 at 3:02 am
Simply put: The variety is wider with Netflix. Arguing that Blockbuster is better because it has a base of 43 million households is the same as saying Bud Light is the best beer because it is the most consumed. Granted, Netflix lacks the kind of browsing that is possible with a traditional brick and mortar establishment, but Netflix has a by far superior recommender system to Blockbuster’s, and the technology that enables a person to experience something similar to physical browsing is around the corner. Netflix is much more innovative: soon there will be no difference between your tv and the computer; movies that are DVD quality or even better will be downloaded at amazingly fast speeds using a regulated P2P technology; not everybody is interested in the summer smashes that Blockbuster keeps on hand and many people actually prefer movies that are less commercially successful, showing the value of “long tail” business model.
Further. I personally cannot see the value of an argument against innovation because it makes certain business models obsolete.
Finally, there’s a Blockbuster about a three-minute drive from my house, but I would still rather stick the DVD in the mailbox regardless. I have to check my mail anyway.
March 2nd, 2007 at 8:03 am
Al,
With all due respect, if Bud Light let me take my empty cans three miles from my house and would refill them for free with new beer, it would be the only liquid I would ever drink. At the same time, I think you are confusing Netflix, a movie rental site, with a technology powerhouse. As of this time, they have combined movie rentals with the US Postal Service, hardly a technological wonder. I don’t see what is so innovative that we can expect them to now combine my TV and my computer. They may have to master stamp printing first.
March 2nd, 2007 at 10:13 am
I agree (Edited: No curse words please) that (Edited: No curse words please), however (Edited: No curse words please) but I guess you can’t (Edited: No curse words please)
March 2nd, 2007 at 10:51 am
so.. yesterday I was checking my list of movies at blockbuster.. i had The Departed as my next choice, next to it, and for the first time since I’ve signed up, it read “very long wait”. Tough one.. I just walked to the store and got it off the shelf.. what would you have done with Netflix?
March 2nd, 2007 at 10:52 am
Netflix is far superior to Blcokbuster, unless all you care about are “Hit” Movies, in which case, your’e probably the same sort of person who just loves the dumbed-down, pre-processed garbage on commerical FM radio today. Netflix offers access to a much wider array of movies, and better serves educated, intelligent customers.
The Blockbuster store experience has to be among the worst retail store experiences ever created: crowded, poorly planned, out of everything you want, sleazy marketing of every possible type of junk-food as you check out. Yuck! They deserve to be out of business.
March 2nd, 2007 at 11:18 am
You’ve grown up and are smarter now…so you choose blockbuster????
For a service that has no innovation, pays it’s executives like they are developing a new cancer drug, and generally does nothing to be proactive in it’s business (there are too many examples to list) they sure have gotten a free pass with Wall Street.
Blockbuster is living proof that you can treat the business like a personal piggy bank and then blame the producers of the product you peddle for not making the numbers that are under your watch.
How is that $5 box of sweetarts taste?? You can wash it down with the $7.50 bottle of soda.
Bottom line is that Total Access is nothing more than a stop gap on the way to bankruptcy.
M
March 2nd, 2007 at 11:33 am
Ryan is an idiot and he should consider (Edited: Come on now). He is a pathetic loser who doesn’t know (Edited: You may be right, but no swearing please) about movies and doesn’t have any comman sense.
March 2nd, 2007 at 11:43 am
Ryan is an Idiot!
We appreciate the comments. I had to clean it up a bit but I love the vigor.
As for my lack of “comman sense”; I can’t argue.
Ryan
March 2nd, 2007 at 11:49 am
Mr. Cruz,
You have my undying support. (Edited: Let’s keep it clean)
March 2nd, 2007 at 11:52 am
Mr. Cruz,
(Edited: Let’s keep it clean) Thus, you must realize that aligning yourself with netflix is probably the biggest gamble of your life. I imagine that Blockbuster will crush Netflix in a year or two - but maybe they will get lucky and Blockbuster will help them out. (Edited: Not nice)
March 2nd, 2007 at 11:53 am
Gestock,
What did you think of the “Departed?” Personally, I thought that Jack Nicholson was a little too over the top (cut to scene where he says “don’t come up until you go numb.”) Did you find that girl attractive?
March 2nd, 2007 at 11:57 am
Jeff B. - You mention that Blockbuster is only good for people that like “hit movies.” Give me a break. I bet you are the kind of guy that reads books like the “Fountainhead” on the subway to try and impress people. Sure Netflix has a bunch of independent films … but if they were any good then they would be popular. You are just looking for the most obscure movies you can find (EDITED) so you can impress your friends at parties. I bet you are the kind of guy that likes bands up until they become popular. Also, I imagine you have a rubber band around your wrist and those stupid wire framed glasses. Did you never hear the expression “just be yourself?”
March 2nd, 2007 at 11:59 am
Leave my boy alone.
March 2nd, 2007 at 12:07 pm
Mr. Cruz,
I think you complained about waiting in long lines at the local blockbuster. Maybe you could borrow the Fountainhead from Jeff. B and read it during your wait. That way a large amount of people will see you and be impressed. Oh you can also judge people that rent mainstream movies and talk about how we are all (Edited: No profanity please) sheep.
March 2nd, 2007 at 12:09 pm
http://www.tucsoncitizen.com/daily/local/43554.php
Surprisingly not an Indian!
March 2nd, 2007 at 12:12 pm
Jeff B has been raving about Little Miss Sunshine since 1985. He knows his stuff.
March 2nd, 2007 at 12:18 pm
I love that you people have the time to take a poll on “which video service is better …” there is a WAR GOING ON PEOPLE!
Also, were where all you people when Chris Daughtry needed your vote?
March 2nd, 2007 at 12:20 pm
For Jeff B:
http://www.fda.gov/fdac/features/2001/501_drug.html
March 2nd, 2007 at 12:21 pm
John Bender -
I disagree. Have you ever seen “Heroes”? Claire is not a fat girl’s name. IMHO Claire (in Heroes) is a babe.
http://tviv.org/Heroes/Claire_Bennet
March 2nd, 2007 at 12:22 pm
Don’t vote for me, I use the library to rent VHS.
March 2nd, 2007 at 12:24 pm
All kidding aside, is it me or does “Andy Kazeniac” closely resemble Freddie Ljungberg?
March 2nd, 2007 at 12:25 pm
Underdog231 doesn’t know his spear from a buffalo herd. It’s Dances With Wolves. The Kachina dancers aren’t currently rejoicing with the Canis lupus. What a howl.
March 2nd, 2007 at 12:26 pm
Meat-
Claire Bennett is perfect. Clearly she is an exception to the rule as she is a (edited) SUPERHERO!
JB
March 2nd, 2007 at 12:27 pm
My Name is anthony, and I have a crush on Claire
March 2nd, 2007 at 12:29 pm
Ryan-
Did you lose a bet and get forced to defend NETFLIX or are you actually as illinformed as you portray yourself as? Not only did Andy debate the pants right off of you, the Buster is better. BOOM!
WH
March 2nd, 2007 at 12:33 pm
Name that celebrity. Is it:
a) Andrew James Kazeniac of compete.com
b) Karl Fredrik Ljungberg of Arsenal
http://www.footballdatabase.com/upload/player/ljungberg_f3.jpg
March 2nd, 2007 at 1:22 pm
While I hate to dive into this discussion because I’ve seen these before, I do think that the online/offline combination for Blockbuster has some really valuable things that people miss. What are they:
1. A Blockbuster customer can go to a store & buy a movie.
2. A Blockbuster customer can go to a store & buy a used DVD.
3. A Blockbuster customer can go to a store & buy other accessories (magazines, candy, etc.)
4. A Blockbuster customer can go to a store & rent a video game (never underestimate the power of children to make their parents even spend more money).
5. A Blockbuster customer can also rent online.
As someone that doesn’t rent catalog movies often, I am actually far more interested in New Releases than anything else. Blockbuster has tremendous purchasing power & it is probably far more likely that you will be able to land a new release via one of their channels (something that appears to be an issue for some Netflix customers).
Note: I am actually not a huge fan of Blockbuster in the larger scheme of things. But I do think they have a slight edge by combining an online/offline presence…
March 2nd, 2007 at 1:47 pm
THIS JUST IN! DIRECTOR JAMES CAMERON CLAIMS TO HAVE FOUND THE TOMB OF JESUS CHRIST:
http://featuresblogs.chicagotribune.com/entertainment_tv/2007/03/the_lost_tomb_o.html
Mr. Cruz is already claiming that he is a family member!
March 2nd, 2007 at 1:49 pm
Re : Lost:
but I feel like this past episode was
a “throw away”…I hated how the commercials were like “you
won’t know what everyone is talking about the next morning”
when I feel like everyone would just be talking about what a
let down it was…the back story did nothing for me (we get
it, Hurley was cursed…) I hated how his dad gave him a
candy bar before he left…like Hannibal putting on the
samurai mask…the car did nothing for me…after seeing the
Black Rock pirate ship in the middle of the jungle, the car
was like seeing Pamela Anderson in Maxim after seeing any of
12 issues of playboy…it was just so blah…now again…I
wouldn’t be complaining at all if this was somewhere in the
middle of a regular season of episodes…I wouldn’t even
care if they waited until January to start the new episodes
like they do with 24…(god I hope they do that next
season)…but I don’t know
March 2nd, 2007 at 2:17 pm
Both have their advantages. Netflix has a better website, better recommendations and the watch now feature. Additionally, if you have HDDVD or Blu-Ray (which I don’t yet) they have a better setup for letting you know which movies are available in your particular format (blockbuster’s website = pure garbage and I’ve told their customer svc dept several times) But blockbuster gives me more movies for the same price as well as one free game rental a month. Watch now is a cool feature but I’d rather watch a movie on my 55′ tv than my computer. I personally find more value in additionally movies than I do in a more navigable website and the ability to stream movies to my computer. Just my 2 cents.
March 2nd, 2007 at 2:23 pm
Wow! Thanks for the comments everyone.
Due to a few commenters getting off subject we have decided to moderate the language before it goes live. We will certainly still post all comments that are clean and relevant.
Thanks,
The Compete Blog Team
March 2nd, 2007 at 2:48 pm
Wow. All this vitriolic hate over a Blockbuster v. Netflix discussion? I’m inclined to agree with Grams (#19). Both services offer a solid product that can appeal to pretty much anyone. On top of that, I prefer the existence of two services, since a little friendly competition can only be good for the consumer in the long run.
I will say that I completely disagree with the argument of selection. Granted, I am not a Blockbuster user and so I don’t have serious experience on this subject, but I did search for a particular movie I was looking for on Blockbuster that is unavailable on Netflix, “Barfly”. Unless Blockbuster is pulling my chain, it’s available to “Add”, not “Save”, like on Netflix. So that impresses me. (Note: I will agree that the in store selection can be a bit atrocious if you’re looking for something obscure, but at least they seem to have that base somewhat well covered online.)
One thing that Netflix has that Blockbuster doesn’t, and that is ultimately my favorite “unnecessary” feature between the two, and that’s the whole “Netflix Friends” system. I love it, love it, love it. It gives great incentive for my friends and I to engage in dialogue about movies that might not otherwise come up in regular conversation. It’s an immensely valuable service, at least to this humble subscriber.
Petey (#9): I can’t speak for Blockbuster, but Netflix offers Blu-Ray discs at no extra charge. You simply have to “enable” access to Blu-Ray discs (or HD-DVD, for that matter), to avoid the possibility of accidentally renting an HD disc when you don’t have the appropriate player. It’s a thoughtful system that requires only one tiny, cost-free step.
And to #33: Your argument is just as completely flawed as the one you attempt to refute. “…if they were any good then they would be popular”? I’d hardly call popularity a proper gauge of a film’s quality. And how are you supposed to impress people with a movie you’ve seen that no one else has seen? Presuming that only pretentious people like obscures films is akin to assuming that someone who liked “Ghost Rider” is a follower who only goes to see “hit” movies. And shouldn’t they follow your advice and, to paraphrase, “just be themselves”?
Hits or not, I just want selection.
Cheers.
March 2nd, 2007 at 3:54 pm
I fail to see why browsing a store that has 100 copies of Gigli is an attractive activity.
I’ve subscribed to both Netflix and Blockbuster online services and find the recommendations, selection and speed of service to be far superior with Netflix.
And as for the debate, Andy should be ashamed of himself for wasting his rebuttal on movie reviews. Apparently, he gave up trying to defend Blockbuster.
Dave
March 2nd, 2007 at 6:26 pm
Netflix has proven that it can be successful with this model currently serving over 3 million subscribers. Blockbusters online feature is still rather new and has not proven that once its customer base ramps up it will be able to keep up with demand and provide timely shipments. Netflix has 30 regional shipping centers throughout the US and can handle more than 2.5 million shipments per week ranking right up there with any other e-commerce company. That said only time will tell whether or not Blockbuster can match that service as subscribers increase.
Another reason Netflix is currently superior is their software application CineTech which offers recommendations to subscribers based on ratings collected. 60% of rentals are driven by recommendations and Netflix has over 300 million ratings with over a million added daily. This can provide good feedback and insight to people and can lead to better selection based on your personal taste as recorded by their database. In my mind Netflix currently offers a better service with more variety but as digital TV and TV on the internet continues to evolve both of these companies could at some point become obsolete.
March 2nd, 2007 at 6:50 pm
I am a Netflix subscriber and prefer their service. I do agree that the ability of Blockbuster’s customers to walk into a store and exchange their movies is a good feature, but usually only if you are looking for a new release. If you are looking for a “Blockbuster Favorite” which basically means a movie that didn’t come out in the last 6 months, you are pretty much screwed, looking around a bunch of unorganized dishevled shelves that some woman’s nine kids tore apart while she read the back of “Rumor Has it” wondering if how could Brad Pitt possibly choose Angelina. With netfilx, I can order what I want and the older movies are always available.
And the best part of not going to blockbuster is that I don’t have to wait in some line which unless you live in a small town is usually filled with (I’ll be nice and just say a variety) of god’s creatures of varying backgrounds, aromas and socioeconomic conditions. Do I really want to stand in line next to Flo the fish fry waitress who just got out of work and her drooling 5 year old telling me he loves apples as he picks his ass, all the while glenda the 86 year old baglady pull pennies out of her ass to pay for her 9th rental of Casablanca, because as she tells it, “These hipper hoppers don’t know what a good movie is”.
By the way, can re arrange a cage match between Cruz and Drewski already…we are dying to see it…
I’m pretty sure I’ll be staying with netflix and hell if I find a movie that I want with a “Very Long Wait”, I’ll just run over and pay $4.00 bucks for it…its not like its just that money. And if Netflix is successful launching their plan to send movies online, there will be no competition, no rivalry and no contest…Blockbusters online service will be dead.
March 2nd, 2007 at 11:08 pm
If I want to browse videos I can always walk into ANY rental store (or any store for that matter) and write titles down. Then I add them to the Queue in Netflix. The better selection is really what gets me. Only one movie has ever been missing from Netflix when I was looking for it. The game rental from Blockbuster does seem pretty cool though.
March 3rd, 2007 at 12:45 am
I switched from Netflix to Blockbuster. In our department, we have two people switched. One still sticks with Netflix because there is no Blockbuster store nearby. One uses Blockbuster from the very beginning because it has game rentals for kids; one just joined Blockbuster online because her family used to go to store for rentals. The rest are not a member of neither B nor N but they all go to B’s store if they want for DVD.
Cash is King. I am glad to see the huge free cashflows from operating activities from recent B’s 4Q earnings. But what make me more happy is their online business is very small comparing with its other business. It has great potential!!
But I think, both B & N will grow this year. But to me, B is a clear choice for stock picking.
March 3rd, 2007 at 2:15 am
I started off going to my local Blockbuster store to use my monthly coupon for a game rental. But when I went to check out, they wouldn’t let me rent the game because I didn’t have a major credit card on file. This really pissed me off. I understand that dishonest people have not returned these expensive games, but I shouldn’t be penalized for not **choosing** to have a major credit card. My household income is way over six figures and the only thing that we pay for with credit is our home and a car. Everything else is with cash. Being a Total Access online member with my debit card on file and with reoccurring monthly charges isn’t enough? Denying me a game rental because of this store policy was enough for me to say no more… I may reconsider if this policy changes in the future. But until then, NO
As far as movies go.. I prefer Netflix as I have tried both services. Netflix has more detailed reviews, new releases usually ship immediately once released, and movie turnaround is usually within two days in my area.
March 3rd, 2007 at 2:47 am
look, i’m a big hater of all things big-and-corporate… though that should make me hate blockbuster… their service changes my mind…
i was origonally a netflix customer, but i would get 3 movies at a time, and send them back- then wait anywhere from 1 to 4 days to get my next movie… i could never tell how long it would take… it was so annoying, too irregular….
but with blockbuster i also get my new movie within 1-2 days… plus instead of just putting it in my mailbox, i can go to the store, they’ll send it back to me, and give me free instore rentals-which will hold me over until i get the next movie in the mail… then with blockbuster’s no late policy i can just wait until i get my next online movie and then return it with the instore rental for MORE instore rentals…
final summation- blockbuster is better for someone that want’s movies faster and isn’t completely lazy
netflix is better for the fat lazy slob that won’t leave the house at all…
i don’t see how it’s a hard debate…. netflix would rock if it had physical rental places too…
March 4th, 2007 at 1:09 am
I love Netflix and am currently enjoying the “watch now” feature! I love that Netflix doesn’t make me run to a store to get more movies in between the super short movie turnaround (1-2 days). Also Netflix is not charging me any more for this service. So wow just like that Netflix has given me and additional 15 hours of movie time (hours are based on price plan) or 5-7 movies. What nice people! Ummm, and also I don’t need to know how to hook my laptop to the TV (which I do know how to do) to watch, because I have a nice laptop as do most people who also have good taste in movies (sorry, wide sweeping generalization).
March 4th, 2007 at 1:14 am
Ohhh and did I mention that Netflix now has over 75,000 movies compared to Blockbusters 65,000 movies? I bet in at least half of that extra 10,000 is something worth watching.
March 4th, 2007 at 9:54 pm
I think you have to give Blockbuster the upper hand. Even if Netflix currently has a “longer tail”, it will be easier for Blockbuster to add more titles than it would be for Netflix to open 6000 retail locations, and offer drop off service.
March 6th, 2007 at 3:18 pm
Librarian,
Blockbuster has 65,000 movies. Let’s say 30,000 of them are worth watching, at 1 and a half hours each. That’s 2,700,000 minutes, or 45,000 hours, or 1,875 days, or 5.13 years of non stop movie watching. I hardly think that the extra 10,000 movies will make a difference in your life.
March 7th, 2007 at 4:25 pm
I have both…
I keep meaning to cancel my netflix tho…
anway BlockBuster is waaay better
I get my 3 movies, “watch them” run them to the store and get another 3 for free!
you just cant beat it, I get twice the movies using Total access like $21/month than I do with my NetFlix at the same price.
Die Netflix Die!
March 7th, 2007 at 10:36 pm
I prefer two strong competitors in the online DVD rental market, so I’m glad to see Blockbuster come out swinging.
It’ll be better for us if these two are fighting for our business.
I switched to Blockbuster simply because I get to switch them out for free at the store. As for selection; I got “This Film Is Not Rated” from Blockbuster. Great docu, btw.
More competition = Good. Always.
March 8th, 2007 at 1:27 am
I don’t understand why anyone in their right mind would rent from Netflix. They have the same prices, however Blockbuster Online allows you to rent double the movie. Each time my online movie is mailed to me, when I am done watching it I bring it into my local Blockbuster and I exchange it for a free rental while I am waiting for the next movie from my queue to be sent. Plus you get one coupon per month which you could use on a game. I really don’t understand what the discussion is here, Netflix doesn’t offer any of that. Not to mention when I had Netflix all my movies were always scratched. Oh and did you know Netflix has less distribution centers and not only does Blockbuster Online have more distribution centers but their stores send the movies out as well. Faster movies, so lets be logical here, fast and double the movies or Netflix who has no perks and same prices. You don’t need a rocket scientist to figure that answer to that one out!
March 9th, 2007 at 3:08 pm
I’ve used Netflix for years, its been great. In fairness I have not used Blockbuster, but the concept of local returns definitely is a plus when your in a pinch. Looking at the core markets though, the people who love Netflix probably dont care much about in store returns — they left Blockbuster originally because they either got gouged on return fees or didn’t use it to begin with.
The one problem I have heard about for Blockbuster, is that they won’t be able to keep the concept going — the overhead of having store locations will be too great. They were already hurting as a store before, and now must lower their merchandise costs to compete — Blockbuster may have an improvement on the concept but most likely will fail long term due to high overheads.
March 13th, 2007 at 1:16 pm
Not sure how fair it is for people who haven’t used both services to knock either one of them. Netflix was fine, but out of my circle of friends every one of us who has tried blockbuster has made the switch. I don’t think people who have not used the service really understand the impact of being able to return movies to the store and get free rentals on the spot. With netflix, I would probably get to see 6-8 movies a month. With Blockbuster it is around 12-14 and I love being able to watch movies in between waiting for the ones I ordered online. It’s also more movies for the exact same price. No matter how frequent a viewer you are, the average user will end up with more movies to watch a month with Blockbuster. Also, I have not had any issues finding any movie I have wanted to watch, no matter how old or obscure it was. All this talk about intelligent viewers is just that. People just don’t want to give Blockbuster credit for capitalizing on a Netflix weakness. With Blockbuster, I am never without a movie. You can’t beat that.
There has also been little mention of Netflix’s throttling practices. The company came out and admitted that they cheated “less profitable” consumers by making them wait longer for movies. Basically they screwed their most loyal customers because they were getting too many movies. So much for unlimitted rentals. So let’s step off of the podium and turn down the preaching about what a great company they are.
March 14th, 2007 at 5:40 pm
I have been a Netflix subscriber for more than 3 years but tried Blockbuster for a month when they introduced the Total Access program. My conclusion is that Netflix beats Blockbuster hands down. They have a wider variety of shows, more copies of each movie and a faster turn around time. Shows I wanted were always not available at Blockbuster and it always took two days for a movie I posted to get to Blockbuster and another two days for my movie choice to get to me whereas it always takes just ONE day to get to Netflix and ONE day for a new movie to get back to me. The Icing on the Netflix cake is I have instant movies online 24/7 without having to leave my home when I need a movie fix and my movie is in the mail. Netflix all thw way!!!
March 16th, 2007 at 12:52 am
Neither company controls content or ultimate delivery - therefore, neither is material in the long run. The only material space for either company is with communities that can not access cable or satellite
March 22nd, 2007 at 5:45 pm
Another former Netflix guy. Blockbuster and Netflix are both excellent. But, the option to return movies to the store - picking out another movie, is just plain FUN.
…and, it has DOUBLED how many movies I can see in a month (versus Netflix).
On top of that…I get 2 FREE game/movie coupons every month. Do you know how much it costs to rent a 360 game??? about $8.50…after tax. I get two every month for FREE.
Netflix online downloads is Netflix’s answer to BBs instore solutioin…and it will fail. XBOX 360, Amazon UNBOXED DVDs services - are far more mature for that. Apple TV is also a raising star. But, only the 360 service has actually been making any money with this type of service.
That said: If I didn’t have a BB store nearby - I’d go with Netflix. It’s a no brainer.
March 23rd, 2007 at 11:55 am
Uhm…what I meant to say:
Blockbuster is better than Netflix…if you have a BB store nearby (that’s a no brainer)
Netflix is better than Blockbuster if you DON’T have a BB store nearby (that’s debatable)
April 2nd, 2007 at 5:21 pm
Netflix is a far better than BB. I am a netflix customer. I was also a BB customer for about one month because I thought they had the better deal but end up having nothing but problems with them. My movie took forever 3-5 bussiness day compared to Netflix’s 1-2 bussniess day. Some movies in my query at blockerbuster showed “not avalable” for the entire month i was with them. When they do sent out the movies out, twice I had the wrong title being sent to me. Sure I got my free store rental, but that got old because I had to drive to the store. BB movies selection is pretty bad, b/c they don’t have any classics, musical or educational dvds. Don’t ever use blockbuster it’s a wast of time and engery trying to get the movies you want in a resonable amout of time. I was dumped into thinking that BB was the better choice because of Total access and free in store rental, but trust me it’s not worth it compaired to Netflix. Also there customer service is a joke, I emailed them about the wrong titles they sent me and I am still waiting for a reply.
April 5th, 2007 at 10:54 pm
Here is the deal. I am both a Netflix and Blockbuster subscriber. I have a Blockbuster store 3 minutes from my house. Both the Netflix and Blockbuster distribution warehouses are 1 hour away (movies are delivered in 1 business day). I believe this allows me take full advantage of each service. Bottom line is there are pros and cons to each service. Blockbuster has movies Netflix doesn’t and vice versa. The Netflix site is easier to navigate and it offers more in depth information about the movies I rent. Adding DVD sets such as full seasons of shows is much easier with Netflix opposed to Blockbuster. Netflix allows me to have individual DVDs from a DVD set much more difficult to do with BlockBuster. But I can’t just knock BlockBuster. BlockBuster has some awesome perks. For one I got a 10 dollar PapaJohns card with my 2 week free trial. E-coupons are awesome if you rent games, which I do. As far as returning to the store goes, this is a huge benefit for people with a store near by and if they watch mainstream movies. For those of us that dig the documentaries, indie, and foreign films, you might as well just mail the movie back and get what’s next.
For people looking to make a choice. Make an informed one. Ask yourself, where is the nearest disribution warehouse? Is there a BlockBuster near by? What kind of movies do I watch? You may want to browse the movies selections at each site before making a decision.
I feel that most of you, although claiming to have used both services, have given an unfair review. I watch close to 30 movies a month. I cannot say I am dissatisfied with either service. Just do your research first and weigh your options.
And for you haters of the corporate world. Yes Blockbuster is stepping into Netflix territory and it is unlikely that Netflix will build stores, but for you as a consumer this is a good thing. With more competition comes lower prices and better benefits.
April 9th, 2007 at 10:31 am
Tim, thanks for your objective, no-name-calling comments. Can I ask for some succinct calm opinions?
We about-to-be grandparents want to get a subscription as a gift for our about-to-be-stuck-at-home kids who are expecting their first baby. They live outside a large city - Baltimore.
They like action movies, some chick flix - basically a wide variety of movies. My son-in-law loves video games, especially sports selections. They’re a little impatient and a little disorganized, so the no-late-fees idea is perfect for them. Their nearest Blockbuster store is about a mile and a half away.
Opinions please on the best value/convenience for the money. Thanks!!
April 12th, 2007 at 11:22 pm
Barb, Blockbuster would probably be a great option in your case. They can return to the store and double up on movies. Plus they will get a coupon for one free game/video rental per month. Blockbuster has the chick flix and the action movies, they also have a great kids selection. I live in Maryland myself and both the Netflix and Blockbuster distribution centers are not far from Baltimore. It seems Blockbuster’s availability list flucuates a little more so than Netflix so you really aren’t sure what movie you might receive from Blockbuster at any given time. This may cause for a dvd series to be delivered out of order. In this case I would still go with Blockbuster. Same price as the Netflix plans with the return to store option, plus the free game rental a month. Hope this helps. Best wishes to you.
April 23rd, 2007 at 5:34 pm
I signed up with Blockbuster in Feb. The idea of getting bonus movies by returning them to the store was appealing. But the closest store is about 10 miles away - not good. Selection in the store - obviously not as many selections as online - so “newness” appeal wore off rather quickly. But the killer was the fact that Blockbuster does not allow you unlimited movies although they tell you they do. When you start returning movies the day after you’ve received them, they started increasing the turn around time. Repeated calls to customer service and emails all denied this, but nothing changed - except for a one time apology and 2 additional movie credits. I canceled after incurring a one month fee — I felt like I had given them adequate time to go through a reasonable performance cycle.
I can understand that they don’t want to send you more than about 12-15 movies per month, but why not be honest about it. At first I received 3 movies at a time, watched them, and returned them — got my next mailing in about 2 more days. The last week of the 2 week trial the turn around was more like 4-6 days. I’ve also read somewhere that Netflix will do the same thing if you try to get more than a undisclosed number of rentals per month - so I haven’t tried Netflix as yet. Currently going to the local library for free - but very, very limited selection. Maybe one of the big two will get real and publish their real rules - not just their initial marketing BS.
May 18th, 2007 at 11:35 am
I’m a huge propenent of Netflix, but am not so diehard that I cannot see that Blockbuster has done what they’ve needed to do to compete in the online DVD rental market. However, that doesn’t make them a superior company. As Ryan (and others) have noted, Netflix has a better business strategy through for many reasons including its use of the “longtail” and other low cost strategie, along with a superior selection and customer service. Is Netflix perfect? Not hardly, as its use of throttling has also been noted.
When Netflix originally came along, it didn’t just hurt Blockbuster through competition in DVD rental, but it attacked its profit structure that relied on late fee profits. From statisics in the late 1990s, Blockbuster was making almost 17% of its profits from late fees. Netflix not only hurt that structure by offering a no late fee service, it also changed the culture of movie rental by making the customer ask “why should I ever pay late fees”…in other words, it made the use of late fees almost a crime in consumer minds. The customer was willing to wait for a mail order service in exchange for not paying those fees.
Blockbuster has started to make use of its biggest albatross in profitability: its brick and mortar establishments. Blockbuster has been hugely unprofitable in the past few years because of their enormous infrastructure cost. So they have to try and get those establishments profitable again. Blockbuster is offering the free in store rentals in hopes to entice the consumer to purchase their other services, like used DVDs, concessions, etc. It has not worked so far. Their subscription service is currently operating at a loss due to the drag from their unprofitable stores. At some point, Blockbuster is going to have to start charging for the added service of instore returns and rentals. Will their subscriptions continue to rise as they are today… That remains to be seen.
June 24th, 2007 at 7:48 am
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June 28th, 2007 at 10:59 pm
I believe you can break it down pretty easily after reading much of this (disclaimer: former Netflix member and not a completely informed non-member of Blockbuster)…2 similar but a bit different services.
As a former Netflix member, I loved the ability to find new movies or documentaries based on more “mainstream” movies. I would go back to my list and find a documentary on an old blues singer who studied and competed in a Tuvan throatsinging competition in Malaysia (sorry, I forget the title). I think I got this because I rented a documentary on making Pink Floyd’s “Dark Side of the Moon”. Very cool! If you’re into music…
Then there’s Blockbuster. Seems like they are catering to those who will want the latest and greatest (according to reviewers), and want to have it delivered. Bonus if you can rent something else by taking one back to your local store. There were a few times that I wish I could have done that with Netflix, because by the time I received another movie (which might have been on my list for a month, I might not care about watching it).
So here’s how I see it…if you’ve got to have the latest, newest, biggest, most expensive actiondramadyorrorscifi flick, go to Blockbuster…you don’t have to wait…if you want stuff you can’t find anywhere else, based on choices you make, and you don’t mind waiting a day or two (two in my former tenantship in Bangor Maine), then Netflix is the service for you.
P.S. Shame on Netflix for trying to patent an “idea” that any company should be able to work with…bad PR Netflix! Monopolies suck!!!
July 13th, 2007 at 4:09 am
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July 26th, 2007 at 4:02 am
I have Blockbuster now and the turn around time is terrible and I don’t send the movies back right away. It takes a minimum of four days to get new movies and I live only 30 miles from one of the distribution centers. Everything I want to see has a long to very long wait even for the older less popular TV shows or movies. I don’t care how much free crap Blockbuster offers because they get new video games releases late anyway and have very little if any selections in their stores for TV shows. This month I got 6 movie rentals in the mail and the shows were Stargate Atlantis which was a long wait; come on how many copies do you douche bags carry anyway. Within the four months I have had this garbage service I have had at least one or two times a month had to tell these idiots that they sent the wrong movie or it was scratch so badly that I could not watch it. Blockbuster blows!!
August 3rd, 2007 at 5:00 pm
okay bottom line is that blockbuster you can take your movies that you rented online and exchange them at the store. good idea bad exacution. i’m a loyal netflix customer but unfortunetly have kids and movies are a must. i had a block buster account but when i would go into the stores to find a movie they were all gone. it didn’t happen just once but hundreds of times. the only thing the employees would is sorry maybe we will have one later. the problem is that blockbuster is wasting my hard earned gas. so i say forget blockbuster and say hello to my little friend netflix. oh by the way the movies that you stream from netflix is by far easyer then getting in you car and diving down to the local butt monster, i mean blockbuster. oh it is pretty simple to hook a tv up to a computer.
August 14th, 2007 at 2:56 am
CD Player vs Walkman, Plasma TV’s vs B/W TV’s, Brick and Mortar business vs The Long Tail of the net etc etc etc the analogies go on.
But as an average customer with no philosophical aligmments or loyalties with either service (since I dont own stock in either :-) and being a Netflix customer for the last 8 years I feel that the Blockbuster service is Netflix + In Store exchange. Its same service with more flexibility (in store) at the same price. All you Netflix customers, think of all the times you wanted to change a movie in the evening or over a weekend and had to instead go rearrange your queue.
I feel that more folks stay away from Blockbuster because they are pissed that they were charged all these late fees in the past. Once they get over that hangover and compare the services realistically BB comes out tops, atleast for now.
http://netflixblockbuster.blogspot.com/
August 15th, 2007 at 1:18 pm
I was a Netflix customer for about 2 years, and a “5 DVD per month” subscriber. At first, all of my DVDs were shipped from a warehouse local to me, and I was getting DVDs very quickly, usually next day, and they were received by Netflix the day after I mailed them. Everything was fine until Netflix determined that I was watching too many DVDs per month. Suddenly, my DVD deliveries were being sent from the other side of the U.S., and they weren’t being “received” by Netflix for many days after they were returned by me. Ultimately, it was taking me 5 to 7 days to receive each DVD. When I called Netflix, they even had the nerve to lie to me about when the DVDs were being received by them, and when they were being mailed to me. The “customer representative” was very evasive and rude.
Clearly, Netflix still engages in “throttling”, notwithstanding the class action suits filed against them. They will limit the number of DVDs you can receive, by their own admission, thereby making their claim of “unlimited” DVDs a sham. This was definitely a deal-breaker for me with Netflix, and I will never go back to them. If you spend a lot of time watching DVDs, don’t plan on getting what you pay for with Netflix. So far, I haven’t had a problem with Blockbuster, and since I can go into the store to pick up a new DVD for free, “throttling” will never be an issue with them.
August 22nd, 2007 at 1:00 am
All i know is that BB sends me my DVD’s on the queue the next day and it arrives the day after they mail it, while NF mails me a DVD and sometimes it takes 2-3 days (and sometimes longer). I watch far more movies monthly paying for 2 at a time unlimited with BB than with NF and the prices are about the same now.
August 23rd, 2007 at 10:24 am
I have never used netflix and decided to go with blockbuster because of the return in the store option and get a free game or movie. Wonderful concept. Blockbuster also gives you a free e-coupon once a month also. But before I declare blockbuster the winner or superior service, I had to deal with the customer service and I have to say it sucks. Blockbuster just increased its prices and when I raised a request I got a generic email response that they are submitting to everyone I bet. I responded to that email and can you guess what happened. That’s right I got the exact email again, word for word. Very nasty customer service in my opinion. I will have to take my business over to netflix and see how that works out.
August 23rd, 2007 at 11:52 am
Considering that Blockbuster has a history of censoring the movies they rent.
I will stick with ANY other service.
August 23rd, 2007 at 12:35 pm
I have netflix AND blockbuster. Blockbuster WAS better. Now they aren’t. They changed their policy and now I’m dropping them. The reason they were better was because they gave you coupons each month for a free game, and since I have a PS3 it was a free rental every month. You could even keep the game for up to 40 days total and only get charged 1.50. It was sweet.
August 25th, 2007 at 7:37 am
Your debate has nearly nothing to do with the actual quality of either service. You merely compared (and quite inaccurately at that) a little bit about the demographic of people using either one. What would have been more useful is a comparison of selection of movies available, speed of delivery, and perhaps a price comparison as well. Who cares what the most browsed movies are of either site?
August 25th, 2007 at 10:31 am
We had Netflix a while back and decided to switch to blockbuster when the service first became available because it was cheaper. We took our Netflix queue and put it into blockbuster and out of the 50 some movies we had only 2 were available now and the rest had long waits or very long waits. I also disliked the in-store movie rental - yes it’s great you can return the movie to the store and get a new one, but you have to return the movie to the same store. I think it would be better if you could drop that movie into the mail instead of having to get it back to the store. The times that we used our walk in movie getting ability we always ended up returning it late and being charged a late fee.
We went back to netflix and have been quite happy. They’ve lowered they’re rates, included the ability to watch movies immediately and they have a decent blue-ray selection.
August 26th, 2007 at 9:28 am
I decided to never ever use Netflix again when it hit me how many freakin websites have Netflix pop up adds. I HATE POP UP ADDS!!! I even have pop up blockers and the first one to start coming in when they the popups start to bypass my blockers is those damn Netflix adds (this also tells me to run spybot and adaware again). I refuse to ever give any sort of consumer money to a company that has been pushed in my face and annoys me each time I see them. They have over marketed and I have talked people out of their Netflix subscriptions because of it. Bummer for them.
August 27th, 2007 at 7:49 am
I’m sorry, but Blockbuster is trying so desperately to get Netflix out of the way, they’ll say anything.
Not only does the price go up a few weeks after BB’s sign up date, but it has copied Netflix’s genius idea, but still stays off copyright laws by adding the store option (which is horrific and time consuming) to its list.
August 27th, 2007 at 9:40 am
First of all, while Ryan was trying to make some valid points for Netflix, it seemed as though Andy was only interested in bashing Netflix, from “I’ve grown up and … am now a Blockbuster online member” to attacking the top movies of Netflix users. The only valid point he made for BlockBuster, was that he prefers to be able to browse a physical selection, which, yes, would be a great benefit over Netflix. I’ve never taken a side in an argument where little more was done than bash the opponent.
Another point he tried to make was that BluckBuster has a user base of 43 million households. Well, 45 million adult Americans smoke (as of 2005), and you don’t see me jumping on that bandwagon. The simple reason, I have a mind of my own. In a way, it’s funny he bashed Netflix because their users show interest in movies that got reviews. In my opinion, this shows that Netflix users, instead of going by reviews, actually try the movies and base their own opinions on them.
Not only that, but Blockbuster blatantly ripped of Netflix’s service. I’ve always stuck with the original over cheap copies.
My only complaint with Netflix is their advertising. Someone else has already said they use annoying pop-ups. I can’t confirm that, as I usually close the windows before they load, and I don’t even see what the ad was for. However, their TV commercials have gotten extremely annoying. Props to BlockBuster for at least making their ads bearable.
August 28th, 2007 at 5:13 pm
Doesn’t blockbuster limit how many you can return to the store in a month now? So that severely cripples blockbusters plans in my eyes.
August 29th, 2007 at 2:26 pm
Blockbuster has essentially been the Great Satan for years now. There late fees exorbitant, their policies asinine. They sent me multiple notice for a 14 cent late fee (which was incorrect to begin with) at about thirty cents a pop postage. After years of being the big boys on the block and shutting own every decent independent video rental store they want my business back? No thank you. And don’t think that I have forgotten that they caved in to religious groups and started renting movies which were edited for “offensive” content.
Blockbuster, bite my ass.
Netflix rules!
August 29th, 2007 at 9:44 pm
Personally, I think they are both pretty lousy.
I have a different way to rent videos: I walk into my local independent video store, I look around at the very large selection, and I grab a movie that I’m actually in the mood for at the time.
It really doesn’t take that much time.
August 30th, 2007 at 10:54 am
Actually, I didn’t have either Blockbuster or Netflix until about a month ago. I did some shopping and at first thought that I Blockbuster was a better deal since they were a bit cheaper than Netflix and I could walk to the BB 5 minutes from my house. But look — there’s fine print:
Total Access In-store exchange: In-store exchange of online DVD rentals is good for free movie rentals and discounted game rentals only. Some plans limit the number of in-store exchanges per calendar month. Exchanges for discounted game rentals count towards monthly exchange limit. Online DVD rentals must be presented at the checkout counter of a participating BLOCKBUSTER® store in the return mail envelope provided by BLOCKBUSTER Online. In-store movie rental or discounted game rental must be taken in same transaction as online movie return. Separate, complimentary in-store membership required. In-store rentals are subject to store rental terms and conditions, including due dates and charges which may apply to rentals not returned by the due date. Your store membership account must be in good standing for you to use your free or discounted in-store rentals, including coupons (if any) and BLOCKBUSTER Total Access exchanges. If your account is not in good standing the store may not allow you to rent until your account is brought back into good standing. You may still return online rentals to a participating store. See store for complete in-store rental terms and conditions. In-store rentals must be returned to the store where they were originally rented. See your receipt for store location and due dates.
**Value Message: Based on a member renting and returning two sets of DVDs in one month on the 3 out plan (with 5 in-store movie exchanges) for a total of 6 online rentals. Five (5) online rentals are then exchanged in-store for a free movie rental under BLOCKBUSTER Total Access, valued at the average in-store movie rental price of $4.00 each, totaling $20 in one month. Adding that to the base membership fee of $17.99 for the 3 out plan gives you a total monthly value of $38. Actual value may vary depending on usage and actual in-store rental price.
Wait — there’s a limit on how many time I can pick a DVD in the store? That sealed the deal and I’m a Netfix customer now. Not to mention finding a copy of all the indie movies I was looking for :-)
August 30th, 2007 at 12:22 pm
I use neither why wait for your rentals when you can hook up your PC to a huge LCD TV and stream all your content thru http://joox.net or other great sites like such.
I would like to pay for what I watch on these type of sites, but alas Hollywood needs to catch up to the tech geek savvy kids who run these sites, from Sweden - LoL! Got to love Sweden!
August 30th, 2007 at 3:58 pm
So it takes 24 hours to get a movie, then there’s the time to send it back, then you get another movie in 24 hours after that?! No thanks, I’ll just press some buttons on my remote control or stream movies. Netflix only allows you to steam for as many hours as you pay in dollars per month. This means that for a $4.99 account, you only get to watch 5 hours of movies per month!!! This averages out to 10 mintues per day. $16.99 per month STILL isn’t enough to watch a movie per day. I’m sticking with Starz/HBO/Cin/Sho on demand and sites like joox.net where you get UNLIMITED time and RIGHT WHEN YOU WANT IT. The funny part about all this is they seem PROUD to take 24 hours to do what takes on demand and web sites a few seconds, I’m glad they are serving movies and not dinner!
This whole thing reminds me of people paying by the minute to go online from companies like AOL years ago. I didn’t fall for it back then, and I’m not falling for this now.
August 30th, 2007 at 5:15 pm
I like Blockbuster better simply because I have the option of returning the movie in the store. And I get a free rental when I do so. If I didn’t like going to the actual store, I would go with Netflix.
September 2nd, 2007 at 11:31 am
I have a blockbuster card and if i ever want to rent a movie that just came out i go their. To me being able to exchange movies if your a blockbuster total access member is stupid. First of all Blockbuster only carries current movies. So if you want an old movie you have to get it via mail. So why pay $17.99 when you can pay 16.99 for the same via mail service, a wider selection of movies, and the ability to watch a movie right from your computer by choosing Netflix. So what’s the reason you would join Blockbuster total access if you can get the movies instantly through Netflix without moving from your house. If i want to see a movie that just came out on DVD, i don’t have to worry about it being sold out. I can watch it instantly from my PC. The obvious choice Netflix.
September 19th, 2007 at 12:36 pm
I am a few months late finding this but I am a devout Netflix user and I have a Blockbuster I could walk to if I wanted.
The problem with Blockbuster? There are never movies in the store! So why would I want to pay more to go to a store that has nothing to offer me? I did have a friend say it is good for parents who have a child who watches the same movie for three weeks or some such stuff but I still prefer Netflix!
The wonders of Netflix? The independent films, the foreign films, the old films, the vast plethora of movies that takes me hours (when I should be working) to surf to find more upon more movies I wish to see! For someone who watches an average of 5 movies a week this is euphoria!
I confess I used to go to Movie Gallery (is cheaper than BB) and rent if I was “in between” movies or didn’t have one at the house from Netflix I wanted to see but that has stopped since they started their “Watch Instantly”
They have thus created more reason for me to retain my devotion :)
I am glad I found your post :)
September 19th, 2007 at 12:37 pm
Of course the single biggest reason not to do business with Blockbuster is that they are a terrible company with a horrific record of customer service. They are overpriced and their in-store selection is abysmal. But my real gripe is that they
#1. send me to COLLECTION over a $1.25 late fee I had no knowlege of. Yes kids, that will in fact show up on your credit report for a few years.
#2. outright stole money from my bank account. You know how you have to give them a credit card? Well I turned a film in pretty late and tried to get a receipt from the manager. This dude couldn’t find the movie in the database anywhere, but still INSISTED I turn the movie in. Not thinking about it, I just gave him the movie, and two weeks later get charged for the cost of the DVD ($20 for a pre-rented DVD, that is pretty much rape). When I take the bill back to the same manager and show him my receipt for the film, the bill, and remind him about what had transpired, he denied all responsibility and tried to make me call corporate to solve it! What a great business practice! I didn’t even want a refund, I just wanted the damn copy of the movie I had PAID FOR.
I will never, ever again spend one dime with that crappy company and any of you inbred idiots that actually shop there deserve paying too much to see your Dane Cook films. Netflix 4-Ever.
September 19th, 2007 at 5:00 pm
Blockbuster guaranteed the loss of my business each time they charged me those outrageous late fees!! I’m been a Netflix member for a couple years now and would never go back. And yes, the online movie viewing at Netflix is awesome! Netflix scores again by giving us what we really want!
September 21st, 2007 at 1:37 am
Um… is it just me or are you Blockbuster supporters jerks? I’ve read through these comments, and it seems to me as in life that those who really feel inside that they are wrong and don’t have anything to back themselves up start insulting and putting the other argument down. Wow. By the way, the person who said BB is great because they get instore movies “free” seems to not get his/her monthly credit card statements. Does Blockbuster fan=Bush supporter?
September 21st, 2007 at 1:20 pm
I started off with Blockbuster. I wasn’t going to do the online thing at all, but I got a free program out of it. And it was great, for a little while. Then, after just a few weeks, the turnaround time for the movies got to be ridiculous. And the in-store exchange…great if I wanted to see the latest release, but selection just wasn’t all that. And then they raised the prices, and limited the number of in-store exchanges. Not to mention, I ended up with this long list of movies in my queue categorized as “very long wait”. But only the ones that I really wanted to see. So I started looking at Netflix… Oh, the selection! I’m into more obscure movies, and they’ve got ‘em. The turnaround time so far has been extraordinary, and I am content. Besides, I can’t help but feel that Blockbuster will only offer good deals on their program until they have a significant market share, then will go back to screwing consumers. The watch-now option that Netflix offers is another plus for me. I’ve got my computer hooked up to my television, but with a large, flat-panel widescreen monitor, and much better sound, I don’t mind watching movies on my computer at all. It just depends on if I’m watching with friends or alone. I’m for Netflix all the way.
November 21st, 2007 at 7:39 pm
I agree, Netflix is Superior to Blockbuster. Best yet, No late fees. I can even calibrate how much I gave to Blockbuster in late fees alone. It’s a lesson for Blockbuster, don’t bite the hand that feed you.
November 22nd, 2007 at 4:29 pm
I’ve benn a member of both Netflix and Blockbuster. Both are a scam. They both begin by fulfilling their part of the deal, but when you return movies “too soon” then they begin to throtle their shpments and blame the post office. Now insteqad of receiving two movies at a time, you get one (if at all). Try doing this and you will see.
November 24th, 2007 at 2:56 pm
I belong to Blockbuster, but have had several problems with them.
1. Poor in store selection. I go to the store to exchange a mailed movie, but they are all out of anything that’s any good. All the good games are gone too. This negates any advantage of exchanging the mailed rental for an in store rental.
2. For same reason as #1 the free in store rental coupons aren’t any good.
3. Many of the movies I’m interested in are either “long wait” or some other kind of “wait”. I thought Blockbuster was a nationwide distributor. What’s with the short supply and the long wait? They’ve even cancelled one of my selections because somehow they ran out of it! What kind of selection is that?
4. None of the stores in my area will honor the “no late fee” policy. They make up their own rules and tell the customer to go get screwed. When I complained to Blockbuster corporate they just said that the franchise can do whatever it wants. So what kind of deal is that for the Blockbuster customer?
5. Blockbuster is slow to accept returns and mail out new DVD. Even though I’m now turning in the DVD directly to the store, they take 2 to 3 days to credit the return. Mail is worse by one or two days. Then it sometimes takes a week to get the next movie.
6. At first it was unlimited store exchanges. Now it’s limited to 1 or 2 a month. Of course, since they never have anything in stock I guess it doesn’t matter.
November 24th, 2007 at 3:01 pm
Oh, i forgot to mention one more thing about the franchises. Blockbust used to have this “guarunteed to be in stock or it’s free” promotion. Supposedly if you whent into the store and they didn’t have the guraunteed rental as advertised on their website, you got a coupon to get it free later. Well, when I asked for a free coupon, the employee said “Oh, that ones not on the list”. So I showed her the printout from the website. So then she says “Well, we’re a franchise and we don’t honor that”. So first she lied and then she refused to honor the agreement. Of course when I complained to corporate they didn’t care. I am definitely considering netflix
November 25th, 2007 at 9:08 pm
I have to say that since I subscribed to netflix I won’t deign to enter a Blockbuster ever again. A) They’re depressing and falling-apart pieces of crud, B) when I went to a blockbusters last time (while waiting for my birthday so I could start my netflix subscription, a gift from my mom) they didn’t even have a classic like ‘The Colour Purple’ or ‘Cabaret’. Their selection is so bad.
C) Blockbuster is really expensive. D) With my netflix (2 movies out at a time), we could have 4-6 movies in ONE week. And we don’t pay extra. D) With netflix you can get collections of tv-show dvds that most places, especially not blockbuster, wouldn’t have. So instead of buying a very expensive set of ‘All Creatures Great and Small’ dvds of the BBC program base on James Herriot’s books, I can order them online. And I don’t have to pay through the nose.
November 25th, 2007 at 9:31 pm
Re:Shep
I have to disagree– I subscribe to 2 netflixes and I get two at the same time. They arrive anywhere from 2 to 3 days after we send the ones we had in. That’s pretty good if you ask me. And two movies always arrive–I’ve never experienced what you have. Maybe it’s your area or somethign.
Albert–
Switch to netflix. Drink the koolade.
:D
Oh, and to all those who complain about the popup ads, just use firefox adblock. I use it and I had no clue that netflix even had popups until i read the posts.
November 25th, 2007 at 9:42 pm
The former blockbuster-customer-turned-netflix-afficionado posts read like alcoholics anonymous confessions. LOL.
Luckily many have seen the light and turned to NETFLIX!
November 25th, 2007 at 10:14 pm
I signed up for blockbuster mainly because Netflix does not let Mac Users view movies on their computers. Which if they did i would have signed up for Netflix
Everyone keeps whining about how blockbuster stores are dirty and nasty? The one by my house is always clean and always has the movies i want. and no i dont watch all the new releases.
Also i can get three movies out at a time, and five free rentals in the store, which because movies are so overpriced these days, easily makes out to be way more than what i pay a month for everything. Maybe thats what appeals to me.
Netflix has been accused of intentionally putting people at the end of the list for movies when they return them too quickly. Since they loose money when people do this.
I do however think Blockbuster should clean up it’s act and get better selection
December 7th, 2007 at 2:54 pm
The problem with blockbuster is the fact that if you return a movie at a store and rent a new one right away, you can’t return that one in the mail. You have to bring that one back to the store.
December 8th, 2007 at 7:16 pm
well i have to say that i have been a member of netflix for a while and enjoy it fully, the main thing i like about netflix is that they have movies from around the world, not just from America. not to say that blockbuster doesn’t they just don’t have the same selection of out of country movies. Now not to say that i have an urge for a movie every once and a while, cause i do, and i want the movie then. so i always have my trusty blockbuster card, and it works perfectly.
December 9th, 2007 at 4:21 pm
Blockbuster is better. More convenient to pick something up from Blockbuster- example: omg you haven’t seen ghostbusters?! (talking to a friend coming over) Dad stop by Blockbuster so we can get it. Netflix you have to wait for the mail. With blockbuster there isnt any waiting. Who cares if they copied netflix by also being able to order online. blockbusters better.
December 10th, 2007 at 5:18 am
The three closest Blockbusters to me have shut down in the year. So it’s not even remotely convenient for me. I’m not mister suburbanite looking for a movie to shut the kids up on a friday night. I live in a city, I don’t have a car, and I’m not taking a damn bus to rent a movie, not when I can get one delivered to my home. If I had a Blockbuster within walking distance (one year ago I did) then I might go. But I don’t (anymore). Whether this is good or bad is not really for me to say. Simply put, I don’t need Blockbuster. Technically I don;t need Netflix either, but I need Blockbuster less. Though you have to commend them for trying to adapt, you also have to accept that they are, in fact, Johnny-come-lately’s. Doesn;t Netflix have a feature now where you can stream a movie on your computer? It’s time to move on. Personal preferences have little to no impact on reality. Deal with it.
December 10th, 2007 at 3:30 pm
so what do you guys with netflix do when you get a cracked disc in the mail? Oh yeah…that’s right…wait all that time to send it back and have another one sent to you later on. Blockbuster customers just have to throw it back in the envelope, report the problem, and go to the store to get a replacement.
and for all of you who are have a little fit over “late fees”. here’s the story. if you listened to all the underpaid employees who had to tell you exactly how the “no late fees” policy worked for 3 months when it first started, you wouldn’t have any problems.
and for the jerk who is whining about a 1.25 going to the collections agency. if you showed up at the store more often than once every 6 months….you wouldn’t have to worry about it going to collections. OH, and you wouldn’t have had that charge in the first place if you hadn’t kept your movie for a whole WEEK longer than what you rented it for! imagine that…turn your freaking movies in on time!
And for the rest of you who whine about there never being any new releases? Thank the guy that I was just talking about. it’s the morons who keep a brand new movie for 3 weeks who keep you from getting the movie you want.
one last thing….if you ever have any issues with your blockbuster online account…go into a store and talk to a manager. and if that manager/employee can’t help you, get the number for their corporate office because it’s stores that don’t know their rear end from a hole in the ground that make my store look bad (and i’m sorry about the franchises. they’re jerks)
December 10th, 2007 at 3:54 pm
I have to say I like the Blockbuster online service more than Netflix. On the nights I watch all the movies I have I can easily drive down the street and pick up some more. If I had netflix I would be movie-less until I got the next shipment. Unacceptable!
December 11th, 2007 at 5:13 am
Hello peoplec7a3be95d1f174a729e5b5c76cc8e7b7
December 20th, 2007 at 10:36 am
I’ve been trying to decide which service to get for a few weeks now.
After reading many testimonials here and on other sites, it’s Netflix for me.
December 20th, 2007 at 11:44 am
Blockbuster doesn’t treat their customers very well at all. I signed up for their online service when it was pretty new. I got a plan that allowed 1 at a time by mail, unlimited in store exchanges and 1 rental coupon per month which was good for games as well as movies, all for $10/month.
Then Blockbuster started to get comfortable and decided to change their plans and rates. They upped the monthly subscription costs and put limits on in store exchanges unless you paid for an even higher premium plan. “Oh no, this won’t effect our existing customers. This is just for new members. You’re plan is locked in. Don’t worry!” they said.
Then they took away my monthly free rental coupons. “Shenanigans!” I cried. This was one of the best features since their game rental prices are absurd. ($8 for a game? Come on!) I voiced my concerns with their customer service staff which is near impossible to actually get on the phone. They couldn’t figure out their own story. They told me it was a mistake and they’d add it back, then that they couldn’t help me, and finally that there was a system problem and they should have it back the way it was the following month. Months went by and no fix was made.
Now they’ve decided they are going to up my monthly rate from $10 to $12. Apparently they aren’t getting enough money out of me. Honestly, I can see them doing this little by little until my rate matches their new rate plan for unlimited in-store exchanges for $17. Why should I believe anything they say from here on out, when they can’t keep their promises they’ve made in the past?
This is unreal. It’s the classic bait and switch and I’m fed up. Is this how a company treats its loyal customers that were there from the start helping them to get their online service off the ground? Netflix may have a new customer.
December 23rd, 2007 at 5:29 am
Yhanks you140490a7a45b20d231997edfa5e8240b
January 18th, 2008 at 10:06 pm
I really like Blockbuster for awhile. We got the 2 movies out at a time option, and it was great to drop the movies off at the store and immediately get (free) replacements for them. We also got an extra coupon a month from the website. Awesome!!! Then, something strange happened. I took my mailers in and was told I had reached my exchange limit for the month. Questioning this, I was told that the online rentals were no longer unlimited exchanges - we had up to 5 each month. This happened in December. So, all right, I figured that wasn’t too bad - the price was still reasonable, and really, do I have time to watch more than 10 movies each month? But then in January, I took some movies back & was told (again) that I had reached my exchange limit. I was pretty flabbergasted by this - after all, I’d only turned in two previous movies in the month. Turns out, they changed their policy again and now I only had 3 exchanges a month - this on the heels of them raising their rate $2 a month. I went home, canceled my online subscriptions & signed up with Netflix. Love it!! I know what I’m getting (1 movie at a time, unlimited exchanges, PLUS unlimited online viewing time) and I know what I’m paying for it.
For me, no contest. Netflix it is.
January 27th, 2008 at 8:34 pm
I was a member of blockbuster when you got a free movie each time you took your online movie back. Then after a couple of months of that it cost me $10 more for the same plan. That was bad enough but then when I took dvd’s back to some of the stores they would hold on to them for several days and at the end of the month it would take a week to get one movie to return. Everytime I would contact blockbuster online they would back up the store and did not check into the problem. Also, since I like to rent classic and foreign movies instead of the most popular movies I would have to wait and wait and rarely could I watch the movies I really wanted to. So before I switched to netflix I checked all the movies that were “long waits” and found 95% of them were available at netflix. Also the receive my movies either the same day I mail them or the next day. The service and availability has been superior to blockbuster. I hope this helps you in your evaluation.
January 31st, 2008 at 6:04 pm
I find it hilarious that people are this passionate about this argument. This is the equivalent of arguing the Coke is better than Pepsi or vice versa. Both services are more or less the same. I personally use Netflix because it came out before Blockbuster online, but if I did switch, I’m guessing it wouldn’t have very much impact on my movie-watching…
February 1st, 2008 at 4:40 pm
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February 24th, 2008 at 12:37 am
Are you people for real? Cursing, flamming,….This started out to be a nice debate between two men turned into rubbish. Oh I would like to thank the few people that had something real to say minus the cursing and flamming.
May 12th, 2008 at 1:30 pm
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May 23rd, 2008 at 1:31 am
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May 28th, 2008 at 12:22 pm
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Your blog makes for very interesting reading. Im sure others will think so too I look forward to reading their comments…
June 3rd, 2008 at 2:38 pm
I have BB online and I’m getting ready to switch to Netflix. At first BB was great, I did the 3 at a time unlimited plan, I got my movies within two or 3 days and it stayed that way the first two weeks. i would send them back one at a time every other day so It would be nicely spread out and I would always have a movie to watch. Then it started taking 4 days, then 5…I’ve sent all three movies back, which takes me 6 days, and the first one went back over a week ago and I haven’t gotten anything yet. I’ve called the corporate/customer service number and got nothing but ‘you should have your three movies right now. We show that you do.’ On my movie list page it doesn’t even show that they’ve recieved the three I sent back! My sister has Netflix and has never had a problem with it, longest turnaround on her DVDs was 3 days between sending out one and getting a new one. So sorry BB, but if I’m paying you $20 a month of my hard earned money I expect better customer service and a slightly faster turnaround time. If there’s a movie I HAVE to have right away I might go to a BB store, but no BB Online for me.
October 6th, 2008 at 9:14 am
I am having the same problems everyone else has had with blockbastard. They ship fast for the first 2 weeks free trial, once you have paid the they ship slower and slower. Then I canceled because of the slow service and they just stopped shipping my movies. I paid for the whole month, but have another 11 days paid up!
They claim you will receive your movies in a 1 or 2 days. That is far from being right. This is what I have come up with.
Movies in 1 day 10%
Movies in 2 days 30%
Movies in 3 days 40%
Movies in 4 days 7%
Movies in 5 or more days 3%
I told them I do not renew and cancel my account when the monthly fee runs out. They shut my account off 9/29 I still had another 11 days left to receive at least 3 more, but no. They said the month ends at the end of each month. I did not pay for a partial month, that was not an option. If you start up with them during the month, they have found a way to steal from you. They owe me $6.33 for the unused portion and will NOT send me anything. The emails I receive trying to get my movies or money back are just unbelievable, they are just down right stupid.
Even when blockbastard receives a movie it takes them almost 48 hours before they ship the next one out - if you sign-up with blockbastard, you should receive 3 movies a week and that is it!
Go with Netflix, All the movies I have received from them are next day except for one that shipped from New York and that was 4 days. You should recieve 6 a week with Netflix.
Never again blockbastard!!!!
December 12th, 2008 at 2:15 am
Blockbuster Sucks. I reactivated my blockbuster account 3 day ago Have over 500 in my queue & they Have shipped nothing. I planning on canceling very soon.
netflix is the best at least they deliver what the promise.
December 24th, 2008 at 12:13 am
It Really Comes Down to Just One Thing:
And that’s whether or not you like the convenience of in store returns. BB has made it very easy for in store renters to try out the occasional online rental. Netflix edges them out in most online rental areas (except the throttling of new releases), but can’t compete with the physical locations of BB. I’ve used both and am a current Netflix user, but finding myself at Redbox a couple times per month when I really want to see a movie.
Found another good overview here:
http://www.joefission.com/2008/02/movie-rental-death-match-blockbuster-online-vs-netflix/
I’d love to see an alliance between Netflix and Redbox. I’ve used both BB and Netflix and am a current Netflix user. But BB has recognized their strength and their newest plans cater to folks who are primarily instore renters, and might dabble online. I love Netflix, but often find myself at Redbox for rentals. Netflix with any kind of physical presence could be the nail in the coffin.
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May 19th, 2009 at 3:38 pm
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July 8th, 2009 at 7:23 pm
Netflix offers more movies online and through mail. Blockbuster costs more only offering a limited number of in-store exchanges per month. Netflix was also the first to offer such services while Blockbuster was charging late fees. Mega-company Blockbuster also copied Netflix’s business model.
October 12th, 2009 at 3:08 am
I have BOTH Netflix (6 A-A-T) and Blockbuster (T-A). And I can tell you that the Netflix plan pays for itself better than the blockbuster plan.
Netflix turns around in 4 to 5 days so that is 36 movies (approx.) a month.
Blockbuster turn-around is more than a week (3 come in mail, take those to instore for 3, then wait 3 to 4 days for them to clear and send the next three). This equates to 12 to 15 a month at the most.
The real kicker is the number of movies that end up in the WAIT status. Using the same amount of queued (approx 100) and the same time period of release (70’s to 80’s).
Netflix has approx 12% in the Wait status.
Blockbuster has over 80% in the Wait Status with 60% of those being in the LONG or VERY LONG Wait status.
The movies in the Netflix Wait (excluding the Short-Term Wait) will move to the available in 4 to 5 months (yes, they really mean LONG wait).
The ones on blockbuster never seem to move out of the LONG-TERM Wait. I have had ALL of them in that status for over two years and they are STILL in that status. This leads me to believe that they use the WAIT status to also hold titles that users have purchased and so are no longer available for rent.
Bottom line. if you want a single on-line rental source, go with Netflix, it will usually satisfy you. But if you are like me and enjoy those older movies, then you will probably use both services because there are movies on one that are not on the other (Example: Farscape Season 4 on BBO. But it is also in the LONG WAIT status and has been there for one year, 7 months in my queue).
Lance
November 5th, 2009 at 3:09 am
These two video sites are quite good and have there own unique features. The two of them couldn’t be compared.