Spring Break
Blockbuster Total Access versus Netflix: which is better?
David Breland
Issue date: 8/24/07 Section: Entertainment
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Today more and more people are turning to the Internet for what used to be offline entertainment.
Currently, more songs are sold online than albums bought in stores. Online gaming has soared into the forefront of the video game world and now even movie rentals have eeked their way online.
The two leaders of the online movie rental movement are Blockbuster and Netflix.
Netflix pioneered online movie rentals and at first decimated brick and mortar video giant Blockbuster. With no late fees for rentals, cheap rates and nearly unlimited assortment, Netflix seemed to be the new way people rented movies.
Netflix's initial market gain was countered by Blockbuster's "No Late Fee" campaign when the rental store chain noticed rentals beginning to dwindle. Soon after, Blockbuster launched "Blockbuster Total Access," its answer to online rentals.
Blockbuster also had something Netflix didn't - stores.
Blockbuster combined the best of online and store rentals. Pick your movies online, just like Netflix, and they'll be shipped to you. Simply return them and more will be shipped. Only with Blockbuster, though, can you turn in your online rentals at a store and exchange them for movies from the store for free.
So, which is better?
First, using Netflix and choosing movies is fairly simple. Log in, pick your titles and they're shipped to your address. The movies you pick are put on a list that you can organize. When you are finished watching a movie put it back in its pre-paid envelope and drop it in the mail. When its received back at Netflix the next title on your list is sent.
Netflix's plans are fairly cheap for rentals. Prices range from one DVD at a time for $4.99 a month to four DVDs at a time for $23.99 a month unlimited. Also, Netflix has begun to offer movies online with the $4.99 a month plan you get five hours of online movie viewing, with the $23.99 plan you get 24 hours of online movies. Although, the online viewing selections are not as varied as the DVD selection, of which Netflix has 80,000 titles.
Currently, more songs are sold online than albums bought in stores. Online gaming has soared into the forefront of the video game world and now even movie rentals have eeked their way online.
The two leaders of the online movie rental movement are Blockbuster and Netflix.
Netflix pioneered online movie rentals and at first decimated brick and mortar video giant Blockbuster. With no late fees for rentals, cheap rates and nearly unlimited assortment, Netflix seemed to be the new way people rented movies.
Netflix's initial market gain was countered by Blockbuster's "No Late Fee" campaign when the rental store chain noticed rentals beginning to dwindle. Soon after, Blockbuster launched "Blockbuster Total Access," its answer to online rentals.
Blockbuster also had something Netflix didn't - stores.
Blockbuster combined the best of online and store rentals. Pick your movies online, just like Netflix, and they'll be shipped to you. Simply return them and more will be shipped. Only with Blockbuster, though, can you turn in your online rentals at a store and exchange them for movies from the store for free.
So, which is better?
First, using Netflix and choosing movies is fairly simple. Log in, pick your titles and they're shipped to your address. The movies you pick are put on a list that you can organize. When you are finished watching a movie put it back in its pre-paid envelope and drop it in the mail. When its received back at Netflix the next title on your list is sent.
Netflix's plans are fairly cheap for rentals. Prices range from one DVD at a time for $4.99 a month to four DVDs at a time for $23.99 a month unlimited. Also, Netflix has begun to offer movies online with the $4.99 a month plan you get five hours of online movie viewing, with the $23.99 plan you get 24 hours of online movies. Although, the online viewing selections are not as varied as the DVD selection, of which Netflix has 80,000 titles.
Viewing Comments 1 - 2 of 2
Kenneth Schaefer
posted 8/27/07 @ 3:43 PM EST
Interesting article. However, figures for Blockbuster's prices are out of date. They have changed the deal in the recent months. There are now varying levels of features. (Continued…)
Steve O
posted 8/29/07 @ 1:49 PM EST
My biggest problem with Netflix is the lag time between DVD's. 99.9% of the time, I can get a DVD's from Blockbuster mailed to my place within 3 days of mailing back a just watched DVD(they even mailed out DVD's on Saturdays so you can mailed one back on Friday and get a new DVD by Monday). (Continued…)
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