Netflix?

[cicer]

I am one of the last holdouts, one of the people who has never used Netflix. But right now, there a really a lot of DVDs that I'd love to see that I have no other way of getting ahold of. And I'm really not willing to shell out the money to buy these things, because a) that's way too expensive and b) I'm not even sure I'll like them that much. So I'm thinking about signing up.

I'm a little uncertain about this, so I'm appealing to those of you who are or were members. Did you like it? Would you recommend it? Is a it a good deal, a good service? Let me know.

Comments

[indelicateink]

^^ I find their service is... pretty good. It is a convenient way to get some titles you otherwise have no access to (yeah, outside of purchasing to own).

Netflix's selection isn't perfect, and depending on where you live, they're not always terribly quick about delivery. (And the turnaround time can be hella slow around the holidays when, I guess, /everyone else/ is focusing on their Netflix rentals.) Sometimes discs arrive TOTALLY SHATTERED or horribly scratched, but you just send them right back and receive a replacement. Sometimes discs go missing in the mail, but as long as it's not a regular occurrence, they won't bill you--they just chalk it up to poor mail service, and get on with sending you your next film.

Netflix doesn't have a lot of competitors, does it? ^^; Though I think Blockbuster's now finally offering the same service? (I used to get some great foreign, anime and rare/indie films through the company GreenCine, which was FABULOUS... if you didn't count the incredibly long waiting list for some films, and the slow mailing time (they're located in San Francisco, I live in Texas). If I had infinite money and patience, I'd still be a customer, because it really is a great company and site.)

But feel free to ask me any questions you have about Netflix... I've been a member for a couple of years now. :)

[cicer.livejournal.com]

Thank for sharing your opinions. I've heard about people getting DVDs that were damaged, which kind of worries me. Also, have you experienced the thing other people have mentioned, with having the service really slow down after a few months? That kind of troubles me, because I really don't want to be spending a set amount of money each month if the turnover time is sluggish.

[telophase.livejournal.com]

I think you have to work out what you're paying per disc, even with the slowdown. If you end up watching 2 movies per week, at 8 movies a month, and pay $17, that's a bit over $2/movie. Can you get a better deal than that renting locally? (substitute your own numbers - that's pretty close to what I average, and it's more like $3/disc plus a lousy selection around here.)

There's also a number of different plans - you can go for the cheapest and get 1 movie at a time, all the way up to 8 movies at a time.

[octopedingenue]

Yeah, even with the big slowdown I've experienced, it's still cheaper and more convenient for me to rent from Netflix, especially since I get a lot of anime that isn't available for "physical location" rental nearby. Netflix is a better idea for customers of my type than for the person who's going to rent The Mummy Returns and keep it for a month.

[telophase.livejournal.com]

Yup. I can get all sorts of anime and foreign films here that I can't get in town. The only place I know of that rents a decent selection of anime is way over in Dallas. Five minutes away from my previous apartment, 45 away from my current one - I didn't bother with Netflix until I moved.

I still occasionally go to Blockbuster if I'm in the mood for a movie immediately - it fulfills my ... blockbuster needs. And their new "no late fee except that we'll charge a restocking fee and charge the movie to your credit card after ten days" policy has helped.

[cicer.livejournal.com]

Good point. I'd probably only be wanting about 4-5 movies a month. If I did the cheapest plan, that would only be about $2-2.50 per movie, which is a decent price. The rentals at my local place are between $3-4 for new movies, and about $1 for older movies. Still, since the titles I want I can't really find anywhere else, it would almost definitely be worth it.

[indelicateink]

hee--*points up to response to octopedingenue's comment*--yep, totally. They do slow down, and you notice it, because discs once arrived so promptly. :P But at the beginning, it's great. Quick turn-around time, fairly decent selection.

Overall I find it's still worth it, if only to score some anime/films you can't rent locally. ;)

sorry for the double post; hakkai meant to giggle!

[cicer.livejournal.com]

That's the main bit, yes. If I want to see these anime titles, I really only have the option of buying them or using Netflix. So it might be worth it, especially because I can, theoretically, just cancel in a couple months once I see all the things I want to see.

Hee! That's a cute icon of Hakkai!

[indelicateink]

Thanks!

They do have a decent anime selection--that's hard for me to get locally, too. (And I agree--no late fines: SO. NICE.)

Hot-off-the-press NEW anime is harder to get... usually they tell me there is a "wait" (I see now that's because I'm a longtime customer, and no longer have priority). But Netflix is a great resource for working your way through older, complete series. (*g*, Netflix's selection of hentai, yaoi, and older/"classic" anime is anemic/nonexistent; places like GreenCine have a better selection.)

Oh. And if you have trouble getting the Tokyo Babylon OVA, I apologize in advance. I keep renting it, and they keep sending it to me broken on the first try. ^^; Dude, their stock must be getting low by now. XD

[octopedingenue]

There are several online DVD rental places that serve exclusively anime, but I haven't used them myself and don't know anyone else that has so I can't recommend any specifically myself.