Scoop The Dirt

Hey y’all!

It’s been some time since my last blog entry, but with summer well upon us I have been enjoying the slower-than-usual pace around these parts.

Over the past week I have been doing some extensive reviewing of two products from two very different companies, Blockbuster, your familiar neighborhood video chain with that jagged-edged ticket stub, to Netflix, the online-only red-faced competitor.

Now I will admit that as a Blockbuster Online subscriber for the past three years some might find my reporting bias, but I will have you know that I was one of the first early adopters to online video rentals and was previously a member of the Netflix family.

Working in Student Affairs means that many of my co-workers are Netflix subscribers. I have come to appreciate that my life isn’t easily scheduled and thus conveniences such as online video rentals with no specific return policies and god-sends such as TiVo are much needed in the quest to keep my sanity. Nevertheless, each of these products comes with a price. And with that being said, let’s take a closer look at both of these product offerings.

Blockbuster Online (also known as Total Access)

B.O. (not to be confused with a pungent pubescent odor), has been around since 2004. I became a member of the service that the summer of ‘06 and have been a solid subscriber ever since. Over the past few years, relatively little has changed except some terms of agreement (ie: late fees on free rentals), the amount of movies allowed per month per rate plan, and of course price. I originally started off with the lowest rate plan, receiving a mere three movies a month via the mail and an exchange in store for each online envelope I returned to a brick and mortar Blockbuster location. When I started my subscription, the economy was great, children were happy, and Dub-yah was still in office. The monthly price was also only a mere $6.99–an incredible value at the time and far from comparison to the more pricey Netflix option.

Many people ask me why I’ve stayed with B.O. for such a long time and the simple answer to that question is same day satisfaction. I’m not a patient man and I know that, especially when it comes to my leisure time. I want to be able to watch a movie that night—not three nights from now. At the time Netflix was still waging a war on delivering movies within what could be considered a “reasonable” time frame. I also like being able to walk through the aisles and select a movie in person. Sure, it is great to be able to create a large queue of movie selections online, but how often do you overlook or forget to add a movie you wanted to see only a few weeks earlier?

With this in mind, the two roads begin to quickly diverge.  I have been fortunate enough to weather the inflation of the service throughout 3 moves and multiple (see shady) attempts to knock me out of my grandfathered status at a monthly rate of $7.99. Blockbuster Online has also subsequently reduced the number of online rentals per month for each plan and right now I currently get 2 online rentals a month plus 2 in-store exchanges AND a free coupon for a rental or game on the house. This still is quite the value for me considering one rental (new or otherwise) at the big B will cost you almost $6!!

The current rate plans start at $12 for the Total Access package which allows you to return movies at a physical Blockbuster location and get another rental the same day. Alternatively, you can try their mail-only option starting at $8 a month for 1 DVD at a time. Blockbuster Online also has a convenient iPhone app that I find to be particularly handy when I want to add a movie to my rental queue on the go–In comparison, I was unable to find a similar official application for Netflix.

It is also important to note that although Blockbuster has an On-Demand service that was recently released for TiVo, your computer, and other select devices, the service is not connected with Blockbuster Online and will cost you an additional per rental fee each time you use it.

Netflix

As I mentioned previously, I have had a here-and-there relationship with Netflix for as long as I can remember. And for almost as long they have been haggling off their mailers with free promotional codes advertising a two-week trial. Some of the benefits of Netflix are apparent from the start—they have been doing this much longer than many of their competitors, they have a much more established infrastructure and more shipping warehouses, and do not have as much overhead to deal with due to the lack of a physical retail supply chain. These factors also, for the most part, fall into the favor of the consumer with lower prices and more selection (i.e.: indie films & special interest). With that being said, Netflix isn’t just a walk through the park with freshly-blooming daisies everywhere. There is still the lack of that same-day satisfaction and a missing link with being able to physically browse a diverse array of entertainment options. Some would say that the instant-streaming feature clears up these problems, and although I am mostly sold on the concept, it still isn’t quite there yet.

Now before my Netflix-loving readers get out their pitchforks and implements of destruction please let me elaborate. The instant streaming feature HAS come a long long way. Only a year ago it was unable for Mac users and many with older computer systems. Currently the service is available on the Wii (which rocks), the iPad (double rockage), and about two dozen other platforms that other services currently do not cover.  Unfortunately, the one hiccup here was that it is unavailable for my TiVo model (currently only the TiVo® HD, TiVo® HD XL, Series3™, Premiere and Premiere XL boxes are supported). And there is that large asterisk next to ‘limited availability’ to discuss. Netflix is only able to offer a limited amount of movies through instant streaming so the selection is not comprised of their comprehensive rental options you may see online. For those available, you will either see a “play” or a “add to queue” option beneath the placeholder. I was still delighted with the array of options and quickly ran through Star Trek 1-3, several new releases, and some classics from my childhood in only a matter of days. Netflix instant streaming does for movies what my TiVo does for my television shows.

Netflix plans start competitively at $8.99/month. You get 1 DVD out at-a-time which you can exchange as often as you want. Plus, you can instantly watch online on your PC or Mac or right on your TV via an Internet connected Netflix ready device. Instantly watch as often as you want, anytime you want.

The Verdict

As much as I wanted to end this review with a sure fire answer for all of you readers out there, I simply cannot outrank one service versus the other based on offerings alone. This is a blog about saving money after all!

So, with that being said both services average out to be about the same cost when you really put it to paper. One fee that many people might not think about is the additional charge for blu-ray rentals. Netflix charges an extra $2/month for this feature whereas Blockbuster Online does not. As a result, you would end up paying $1 less a month for Netflix over the lowest comparable B.O. rate package. For someone like myself who has yet to make the leap to blu-ray, Netflix is still cheaper by almost $3 but has limited instant options and still requires you to wait a day or more for rentals via mail. Blockbuster and Netflix both offer unlimited rentals via mail but realistically how many folks will rent more than 4 or 5 per month after accounting for shipping times? I often found I could barely get through 3 movies a month during busier times of the academic year, which more often than not resulted in one movie each weekend. Blockbuster also caps the number of in-store exchanges to 5, so even if you could get 4 rentals on-line each month, you likely would be able to rent only eight movies a month with your online rentals and in-store rentals combined. Still, considering the high cost of just one rental at B.B. these days, this is an incredible value.

At the end of the day it is all about preference. Are you someone like me who prefers to get out and browse the store itself? Do you mind making semi-frequent trips to return movies? Are you near a post-office box to return those clever little sticker-flapped wonders of the modern age on a regular basis? Do you want to be able to discuss a movie with friends and watch it moments later in all of its glory?

For now my friends I will leave the ultimate decision up to you but alas you will not leave empty handed. Both services currently offer free trials of their services. You can cancel anytime online and owe nothing (as long as you cancel prior to the end of the trial period).

Blockbuster trial:  (2 weeks)

Netflix trial: (1 month)

Happy watching!