Friday, September 22, 2006

Now I Understand the appeal of Netflix

I went to the video store, and in one short visit, I understand why Blockbuster is under attack financially now by Netflix.

It isn't the prices, because that is a given... Blockbuster charges too much, and I can't produce any compelling evidence to counter that.

No, it is selection that I think is really killing Blockbuster in this fight.

You see, I went to my local store, and I left disappointed, as they didn't have any of the movies I wanted. I wasn't trying to rent the most obscure of the obscure independent movies either. I wanted 2 of the following:


Gettysburg

Gods and Generals: I've been playing Sid Meier's Gettysburg
Wargames
The Long Kiss Goodnight
All the President's Men(because All the King's Men is coming out at the theatre this weekend)

I mean, I can see them not carrying 1 or 2 of those titles, but not having All the President's Men? There is something seriously wrong with that. And this was a decent sized store too... it wasn't some little store wedged into a strip mall or the like. So after I came home, I decided to just check if Netflix had those titles... and everyone of them was available.

Then again, I guess Netflix doesn't have to carry 50 copies of the Edison Force or any other straight-to-dvd sequel to a movie that shouldn't have been made in the first place. But I think I would rather have selection than guaranteed rental of a few titles.

So, with that, I am looking into joining the Netflix community. Is there anything I should know from anyone currently using the service?

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

I actually have a blockbuster online subscription - it is pretty good - haven't had any problems so far... been with them for almost 7 months or so. I had netflix couple of years ago so I know the comparison from first hand. The only good thing about netflix over blockbuster is that they somehow ship/process their DVDs much faster than blockbuster does. Customer support and DVD selection - probably about the same for both. I am suprise you said something about the price because it is both about the same - maybe $1-2 difference when i was doing price checks at the beginning of the year. The reason why i went with blockbuster was that for about the same monthly price blockbuster offered me 2 instore free rentals a month - so it was a no brainer to take that. Oh yes, netflix did mess up my order 2-3 times but then again i think it can happen to anyone.

MC said...

Hill: In doing my research, I discovered that Netflix isn't available in Canuckistan just yet, so I am looking into Zip.ca. Thanks for the offer though.

Foo: Well, before I moved and had to start renting at Blockbuster, I used to get new releases for 3 dollars, instead of the nearly 6 dollars at Blockbuster per title. Granted, a BB rental lasts a bit longer, but still... the monetary thing is there. I wasn't comparing Blockbuster Online vs. Netflix, but rather the brick and mortar store to the most popular online service.

Of course, once again, my country of residence is interfering with my delivered DVD content. But you both make compelling arguments, and when these two services become available here, I will have to weigh the benefits accordingly.

KaneCitizen said...

Netflix is THE BEST SINGLE THING that has ever happened to me as a movie lover.

I signed up with them a year ago, and have not rented a movie for myself from Blockbuster or Hollywood video since.

MC said...

I hope Zap.ca brings me the same kind of joy.

Anonymous said...

I think this is one of the great potentials of digital distribution, that the less-than-obvious films actually get a wider audience.

Anonymous said...

Hi,

You can find some really interesting insites comparing Netflix and Blockbuster service here:

For Netflix Reviews:
Netflix Reviews
For Blockbuster Reviews:
Blockbuster Reviews

Overall, I would highly recommend to check out consumer reviews on this site before making any type of purchase decisions

Regards,