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[Lil' Dice]

But the longer I keep the service, the worse it becomes. I'm pretty sure they do whatever they can to please new customers, or those on a 2 week trial offer. However after 6 months with them I’ve noticed that their service is starting to slack off.
It takes them 3 day, and sometimes longer to process a movie I return; where at first my turnaround time was 2 days.
Also when adding a movie to your queue I’ve noticed that most of their newer releases have a "very long wait", which was never the case a few months ago.

 

[pnjtony]

I noticed the same thing too....I think I'm just gonna do that Hollywood Video VIP thing and see how that goes.

 

[cubanb]

i usually burn through a queue in a month or two and cancel the membership, reactivating it months later when I find a bunch more movies/tv shows to rent. This keeps the service pretty good for me

 

[Shazapp]

I only have to wait a day for returns to be processed...at most. Hasn't changed for me. (Helps that there's a distro point in Cleveland...where I live. )

 

[Chesapeake Silt]

I don't really rent new releases that often, so the waits aren't much of a problem for me. The service has been slowing down a bit for me too, though. It usually just takes a day for discs to get to and from Netflix, but lately I've seen discs take an extra day or two in transit. Kind of annoying, but it's still worth the money for me.

 

[Coin Return]

I only have to wait a day for returns to be processed...at most. Hasn't changed for me. (Helps that there's a distro point in Cleveland...where I live. )

Same here. Cleveland rules.

 

[sefskillz]

Yea, there's a center in TN as well so its pretty much next day shipping for receiving. Takes 2-3 days for my returns though. I'm enjoying it so far. The friends list feature is pretty weak though.

 

[Gantz]

Netflix's service hasn't changed for me. Living in NYC and having a distribution center in Flushing is a big plus.

 

[Dan]

I've been using Netflix for 3 months now, and I haven't noticed a difference. It can't really get much faster for me given the restraints of the US postal service.

Day 1: I mail a disc back.
Day 2: Netflix gets it and mails me the next one.
Day 3: I receive the new disc.

Helps that I live right by a distribution center, but that's how it goes. Besides, I only have time to go through so much, so it's perfect for me. If it were any faster I'd probably end up spending way too much time watching movies, and I already spend a ton of time watching stuff.

I also rarely have an interest in any popular new releases, so that's not an issue for me.

If I had any real complaint it'd just be that they don't operate on Saturdays like the USPS.

 

[madara]

Great topic, there are many of them on dvd forums out there about this subject. So many in fact that if they all emailed there complaints CS would be in hell for few weeks. Sadly is fact straight from horses mouth that they do punish those with fast turnaround time.

 

[cubanb]

anyone want to let me add them to my netflix friends list? I like to be able to check out other peoples favorites

 

[Brotherman]

Well,

The first real dip in service I had was around Christmas time. I took it as a situation where the huge influx of mail it to blame. Overall though, they still seem to get me my rentals in a timely fashion, though I am waiting for two DVD's that were supposed to arrive yesterday now.

Still a very good deal overall since it's less than $20 dollars. Plus I have a high turnaround when it comes to the rentals.

 

[SKluck]

I've had it since last may and while it was a bit faster earlier on, its still faster than anything else. Honestly I'm kind of thankful. The pressure to watch movies as fast as possible can put a strain on your social life.

 

[Greenpanda]

But the longer I keep the service, the worse it becomes. I'm pretty sure they do whatever they can to please new customers, or those on a 2 week trial offer.

Yeah - new customers get priority.

 

[fart]

i didn't think they increased turnaround times on older users, but there was an informal study slashdotted a while ago that showed that they were probably setting older users farther back in rental queues for most discs. who knows how they're selection algorithms work though. if you're really worried about it, you can always cancel, wait a month then restart your service.

 

[sefskillz]

for anyone who wants to do netflix friends:

sefskillz at gmail dot com

 

[Lil' Dice]

I also live close to a distribution center, maybe less than 40 miles away.
I'm going to write them a complaint e-mail and take it from there.

Also, you can add me to the friends list: trickyd2@sbcglobal.net

 

[Teddman]

I'm thinking about signing up with Netflix this week. I got hit by late fees at my local video shop and have decided I need no more of that noise.

As for the longer waits, isn't it possible that it's because Netflix is getting way more popular these days as a result of their lower subscription price? When Lil Dice first signed up, they were under a different payment plan before their price war with Blockbuster. They've probably added hundreds of thousands of customers in the last couple months.

 

[Teddman]

Check out this study of Netflix's DVD Allocation system

Basically, customers who rent fewer movies receive priority. I'm okay with that, if I don't rent as often, I want to get the movie that I want when I do.

Summary

When the number of customers who have a movie at the the top of their queue is greater than the number of copies available, Netflix must decide which customers to allocate the available copies to.

I have determined that Netflix uses the number of movies you rented in your previous billing period or periods combined with your disc plan (3 out, 5 out, etc.) to determine your priority in getting movies. As your cost-per-disc to Netflix increases due to more frequent rentals, you will have less of a chance of receiving a low-availability movie compared to an individual who has a lower cost to Netflix.

Put it another way, if customer X and Y are both in the 5 disc out plan and X rented 14 discs vs. Y's 11 discs in the previous month, Y would have priority over X when they are both competing for the same movie. A side effect of this is that trial and new customers will have far fewer problems getting movies, especially new releases, versus the majority of established customers. Essentially these new and low cost customers can "cut in line" ahead of other customers.

This report describes how I came to this conclusion using automated data collection on netflix.com. While Netflix initially did not admit the practice, Netflix public relations and some of their customer service representatives are now acknowledging that customers who rent fewer movies receive priority

 

[commish]

$15 Blockbuster Movie Pass = the win. Yeah, you have to drive to the store, but if you are that lazy, then you are pathetic.

This doesn't count Pea Pod service.

 

[Teddman]

But then you are giving money to the devil.

 

[FnordChan]

$15 Blockbuster Movie Pass = the win. Yeah, you have to drive to the store, but if you are that lazy, then you are pathetic.

Unfortunatly, "pathetic" also describes Blockbuster's selection.

FnordChan

 

[Teddman]

Yeah, not to mention they don't stock anything unrated.

 

[border]

Selection at Blockbuster stores is terrible. I can't think of any reason I'd want their unlimited passes..

 

[Lil' Dice]

Check out this study of Netflix's DVD Allocation system

Basically, customers who rent fewer movies receive priority. I'm okay with that, if I don't rent as often, I want to get the movie that I want when I do.

LOL, 20/20 got you too?
I would definitely go the Netflix route, especially at their new price.
The selection of DVD at Netflix KILLS any video store in existence, they literally get dozens of documentaries and indie films in every week.

 

[Ignatz Mouse]

My (urban) Blockbuster has a better selection than most, and is very close by (5 minute walk). I killed my netflix account when they copied the service. And I supplement from the (even closed) art-house-friendly rental place when I need something else.

 

[Teddman]

LOL, 20/20 got you too?
I would definitely go the Netflix route, especially at their new price.
The selection of DVD at Netflix KILLS any video store in existence, they literally get dozens of documentaries and indie films in every week.

Haha, they charged me $10 for a movie that was 2 days late. F'dat.

The only good thing about 20/20 is that they do have Hong Kong/Asian import DVD's that even Netflix doesn't carry. It's how I saw the original Japanese versions of The Grudge, including the TV shows, and also rented Hero before it was even out in the theaters here. Their $1 Wednesdays used to be good, before they made it a minimum two rentals.

But anyway, outside of that, screw them. They have to get rid of the late fees to compete at this point, I can't be expected to always watch movies in a timely fashion. And they still do that "2 night rental" crap for new releases!

 

[commish]

Unfortunatly, "pathetic" also describes Blockbuster's selection.

FnordChan

What's the point of a great selection if you never get them? I am by no means praising BB or its selection, but so many ppl bitch about netflix after a while that I don't see the point.

 

[FnordChan]

What's the point of a great selection if you never get them? I am by no means praising BB or its selection, but so many ppl bitch about netflix after a while that I don't see the point.

Because one of the best reasons I can think of to use Netflix is to be able to rent the sort of films that your local Blockbuster doesn't carry. I live in a town blessed with extremely good video stores, so I've passed on Netflix personally, but I can certainly see the appeal. Hell, even good ol' VisArt can't get everything, so Netflix is still fairly tempting to me.

FnordChan

 

[Teddman]

Just signed up for Netflix. The one thing that sucks about it is that double-disc DVDs with bonus materials on disc two count as a separate movie in your 3-at-a-time membership.

 

[Suikoguy]

No problems here in florida,

Netflix owns for Anime and TV DVD's

 

[Dan]

Just signed up for Netflix. The one thing that sucks about it is that double-disc DVDs with bonus materials on disc two count as a separate movie in your 3-at-a-time membership.

Were you expecting something different? It says you get "3 DVDs", not 3 sets or anything of that sort.

Doing it any other way would just be an inefficient use of the discs as many people will only be interested in a specific disc of a set. I've checked out the bonus materials for films I don't want to watch, and there have been movies I want to see but couldn't care less about the bonus stuff. Mailing out extra discs that aren't being used would be a waste on every level. Same goes for multi-disc television sets and whatnot.

 

[Teddman]

I guess I just hadn't thought of it. Even stingy brick-and-mortar places include both discs for the price of one if they are part of a single film's package, but then I suppose they don't have mailing concerns. I personally always at least glance at a DVD's bonus materials, and having time to watch them was one reason I wanted to switch to Netflix, where I could do so without worrying about incurring late fees.

One interesting thing is that Netflix does not seem to carry the extended LOTR editions, probably partially for that reason.

 

[tedtropy]

I've been a Netflix subscriber for well over a year now, and I can't say I have any real complaints. While you may not find some ultra-obscure stuff on there, there's infinitely more selection then any of the stores in my area and they tend to have all the anime I'm after. About the only beef I had was when they did the short-term price jack thing only to turn around and make the monthly fee even cheaper then it initially was a few months later. I still get the 2 to 3 day turn around I've always gotten, and they've never given me any shit the few times our ever competent postal service has managed to lose a disc. Plus, their website is really well designed and even supports RSS feeds. They look out for their customers, and I appreciate it.

 

[isamu]

Ia m going to sign up for netflix in April.

No problems here in florida,

Netflix owns for Anime and TV DVD's

great to hear

Just signed up for Netflix. The one thing that sucks about it is that double-disc DVDs with bonus materials on disc two count as a separate movie in your 3-at-a-time membership.

Yeah I heard about that. Sucks

Selection at Blockbuster stores is terrible. I can't think of any reason I'd want their unlimited passes..

Yeah, all BBs pretty much suck.

 

[Lil' Dice]

I guess I just hadn't thought of it. Even stingy brick-and-mortar places include both discs for the price of one if they are part of a single film's package, but then I suppose they don't have mailing concerns. I personally always at least glance at a DVD's bonus materials, and having time to watch them was one reason I wanted to switch to Netflix, where I could do so without worrying about incurring late fees.

One interesting thing is that Netflix does not seem to carry the extended LOTR editions, probably partially for that reason.

Cool, add me to your friends list:

trickyd2@sbcglobal.net

 

[CoryCubed]

Why not Blockbuster online? I've had no problems with it. Wait times about the same but if I really needa movie I have the instore rentals tofall back on

 

[Brotherman]

Netflix has still been good for me overall so far. About the only thing missing that I think would be cool is a way to put in a request for DVD's not available on the site. They could have it so that if there is a reasonable about of request, they'll pick up the title. The selection covers most things I'm interested in (more than any rental place I can think of) but there's still room for improvement.

As for Blockbuster online, when I skimmed it last, it just didn't seem to have the selection that Netflix does.

 

[Lil' Dice]

Netflix has still been good for me overall so far. About the only thing missing that I think would be cool is a way to put in a request for DVD's not available on the site. They could have it so that if there is a reasonable about of request, they'll pick up the title. The selection covers most things I'm interested in (more than any rental place I can think of) but there's still room for improvement.

As for Blockbuster online, when I skimmed it last, it just didn't seem to have the selection that Netflix does.

You can request them to carry a certain DVD. They also have a program with which you can ask them to carry your indie film.

 

[Joe]

what are companies offer services simliar to netflix? theres netflix, blockbuster and what else?

 

[Cauliflower of Love]

No problems here in florida,

Netflix owns for Anime and TV DVD's

About 1 1/2 months into my subscription I started getting the delays. I dropped three movies in the mail, they got all three the next day. One shipped out the day they received (recieved two days after "shipped"), the second a day after that(recieved three days after "shipped"), and the third the following day(recieved four days after "shipped"). It kept going like that until I cancelled, cause I'm a broke mofo.

 

[sefskillz]

About 1 1/2 months into my subscription I started getting the delays. I dropped three movies in the mail, they got all three the next day. One shipped out the day they received (recieved two days after "shipped"), the second a day after that(recieved three days after "shipped"), and the third the following day(recieved four days after "shipped"). It kept going like that until I cancelled, cause I'm a broke mofo.

I had a similar issue, just the week after my billing cycle started. I sent a movie back to them on a Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. I didn't have any movies for a week, when all 3 of my next shipment arrived on the next Saturday. Was really disappointed in that.

 

[open_mouth_]

Netflix rules. Haters be damned. These days, DVD's for new movies are released so quickly that when I miss out on a movie in the theaters, I don't mind because a few months later it'll be in my mailbox

I heart Netflix.

 

[FnordChan]

what are companies offer services simliar to netflix? theres netflix, blockbuster and what else?

I've heard good things about GreenCine, which specializes in arthouse, indy, and cult fare. However, they're located in San Francisco, so if you're on the East Coast it may not be as appealing an option.

FnordChan

 

[Teddman]

Netflix is now offering a 4-at-a-time plan for $23.99. So their different plans are:

Netflix Launches New Plans, Pricing

Matt noticed that Netflix has added additional plans and pricing. Here's the new lineup:

# 2-at-a-time (4 rentals per month) for $11.99
# 3-at-a-time for $17.99
# 4-at-a-time for $23.99
# 5-at-a-time for $29.99
# 6-at-a-time for $35.99
# 7-at-a-time for $41.99
# 8-at-a-time for $47.99

Here's Blockbuster's lineup for comparison:

# 3-at-a-time for $14.99
# 5-at-a-time for $27.49
# 8-at-a-time for $37.49

From http://hackingnetflix.com.

 

[sefskillz]

Just upgraded to the 4 at a time plan, service hasn't been too bad lately.

 

[Azala]

I've been a member for a while and it goes up and down. I've had months where I get next day service and there are no waits even on new releases and months where they push the 3 days, even more, and I have long waits on new releases. I think it's relative, and it all seems to even out in the end. I doubt they can predict product flow as accurately as we'd like. But I think they'll get better the longer they are in business.

 

[Coin Return]

I recieved my Full House Season 1 disk 1 in the mail today, and on the unaired pilot there is some douchebag in place of Bob Saget. I demand a refund.

 

[Smiles and Cries]

I'm loving Netflix again I may upgrade need more anime please