Netflix Vs. Blockbuster Online - Which Service is Better?
Posted: Tue Jul 31, 2007 11:49 amBoth Netflix and Blockbuster offer similar packages. Depending on the package you order you get a certain number of movies sent to your house at a time (that you've preselected and are stored in your queue). Both sites are now pretty comparable with their bells and whistles and both site have comparable prices (Netflix does offer more packages, although what they offer that Blockbuster doesn't are the more pricey packages that are probably going to be less appealing to most subscribers. The way it works is that you store a number of movies in your queue, your sent a certain number at a time (in the most popular case, three) they come in an envelope you can use to return it and when they are returned you are sent another movie per return. There are no late fees, only one monthly price, and you get more rentals for the price the faster you return them.
Netflix does offer one service that Blockbuster doesn't, you can stream movies (not download) and watch them on your PC. This is limited to up to 17 hours of movies for the most popular plan. So if you want to watch movies as you stream them on your PC, then this might interest you. If you have a slow connection or you aren't interested in watching movies on your PC, this isn't going to do you much good (and you can't watch these on your iPod because you can't save the files).
Blockbuster has an advantage as well. They have about 9,000 stores nationwide. For both services, when you ship your movie back, you have to wait for the movies to arrive before a new one is sent. With Blockbuster, if you return your rental to the store you get a free rental (any movie or game) at the store plus, your next selection will be mailed right away, you don't have to wait for them to be mailed back. This doubles the number of rentals you get for the price plus cuts the turn around in half. The in store rentals still need to be returned by a certain date (although Blockbuster has a week grace period after the due date now before charging a fee and as long as you return the movie withing a month of the time that the grace period is up, you will only be charged $1.99 for what Blockbuster calls a restock fee). On top of that Blockbuster gives you e-coupons that you can print from your computer and can be used for more free rentals in the store (the number of e-coupons depend on your plan). So if you want to watch a lot of movies, live near a Blockbuster location, and get the most bang for your buck, Blockbuster blows Netflix away. However, if you don't watch movies very fast, don't need more than three a week, don't live near a Blockbuster, or find it really inconvenient to go to the store, this advantage isn't really going to make a difference to you.
If you watch a lot of movies and live near a Blockbuster store, then Blockbuster is far and a way the better deal.
If you want to stream movies, Netflix currently is the only one of the two that offers that service.
If you're only looking to watch the number of movies on DVD that your plan sends you per your plan, it probably doesn't matter which service you want. In that case, I'd review both sites, if there are any more obscure titles you are interested in, find out which service carries more of what you are looking for, and make your selection that way.
Personally, I always hated Blockbuster growing up. I'd build up late fees and then I'd avoid going back because I knew the fees were waiting for me (besides this, I saw it as more progressive to shop at the local video stores, which I still like to support, however there are none in my neighborhood these days). When I first looked into an online rental service I saw very little noticeable differnce between the two packages (this was before Blockbuster incorporated their stores into the program) and I chose Blockbuster because they had movies I was looking for that Netflix didn't (that isn't to say that Blockbuster has a better selection, they just had what I was looking for). The service has not been without its bumps. There are times when for whatever reason their is a delay shipping the next movie (although I've heard this complaint from Netflix users as well). But this issue has gotten a lot better, the responses to problems has gotten quicker, and I'm even happier going to the stores now because I can keep the movies for a looong time without fees and even when I do get a fee it is very small. Because I rent frequent movies I'm really happy now that Blockbuster has incorporated the stores. So in my case, Blockbuster is a much better deal. That said, I'm not sure everyone watches movies as frequently and as fast as I do. But on the flipside, I'm not that interested in streaming movies and I don't know how many people are so I don't know if the Netflix advantage is gives them an edge or not.
From what I can see, Netflix, as a business, has the biggest advantage becasue they have the name recognition and because Blockbuster's old days of late fees has soured their reputation. But competition has forced Blockbuster to make adjustments and in doing so the the stores have become more serviceable and when returning online to the stores, the online service offers more bang for the buck than Netfix is able to.
Please feel free to leave your feedback with your experiences.
Netflix does offer one service that Blockbuster doesn't, you can stream movies (not download) and watch them on your PC. This is limited to up to 17 hours of movies for the most popular plan. So if you want to watch movies as you stream them on your PC, then this might interest you. If you have a slow connection or you aren't interested in watching movies on your PC, this isn't going to do you much good (and you can't watch these on your iPod because you can't save the files).
Blockbuster has an advantage as well. They have about 9,000 stores nationwide. For both services, when you ship your movie back, you have to wait for the movies to arrive before a new one is sent. With Blockbuster, if you return your rental to the store you get a free rental (any movie or game) at the store plus, your next selection will be mailed right away, you don't have to wait for them to be mailed back. This doubles the number of rentals you get for the price plus cuts the turn around in half. The in store rentals still need to be returned by a certain date (although Blockbuster has a week grace period after the due date now before charging a fee and as long as you return the movie withing a month of the time that the grace period is up, you will only be charged $1.99 for what Blockbuster calls a restock fee). On top of that Blockbuster gives you e-coupons that you can print from your computer and can be used for more free rentals in the store (the number of e-coupons depend on your plan). So if you want to watch a lot of movies, live near a Blockbuster location, and get the most bang for your buck, Blockbuster blows Netflix away. However, if you don't watch movies very fast, don't need more than three a week, don't live near a Blockbuster, or find it really inconvenient to go to the store, this advantage isn't really going to make a difference to you.
If you watch a lot of movies and live near a Blockbuster store, then Blockbuster is far and a way the better deal.
If you want to stream movies, Netflix currently is the only one of the two that offers that service.
If you're only looking to watch the number of movies on DVD that your plan sends you per your plan, it probably doesn't matter which service you want. In that case, I'd review both sites, if there are any more obscure titles you are interested in, find out which service carries more of what you are looking for, and make your selection that way.
Personally, I always hated Blockbuster growing up. I'd build up late fees and then I'd avoid going back because I knew the fees were waiting for me (besides this, I saw it as more progressive to shop at the local video stores, which I still like to support, however there are none in my neighborhood these days). When I first looked into an online rental service I saw very little noticeable differnce between the two packages (this was before Blockbuster incorporated their stores into the program) and I chose Blockbuster because they had movies I was looking for that Netflix didn't (that isn't to say that Blockbuster has a better selection, they just had what I was looking for). The service has not been without its bumps. There are times when for whatever reason their is a delay shipping the next movie (although I've heard this complaint from Netflix users as well). But this issue has gotten a lot better, the responses to problems has gotten quicker, and I'm even happier going to the stores now because I can keep the movies for a looong time without fees and even when I do get a fee it is very small. Because I rent frequent movies I'm really happy now that Blockbuster has incorporated the stores. So in my case, Blockbuster is a much better deal. That said, I'm not sure everyone watches movies as frequently and as fast as I do. But on the flipside, I'm not that interested in streaming movies and I don't know how many people are so I don't know if the Netflix advantage is gives them an edge or not.
From what I can see, Netflix, as a business, has the biggest advantage becasue they have the name recognition and because Blockbuster's old days of late fees has soured their reputation. But competition has forced Blockbuster to make adjustments and in doing so the the stores have become more serviceable and when returning online to the stores, the online service offers more bang for the buck than Netfix is able to.
Please feel free to leave your feedback with your experiences.