Competition at its finest

[Handruin]

I just got this e-mail a few minutea ago:

Over the last five years, we've grown the Netflix community to over 2.2 million satisfied members. We appreciate your business, and our goal has always been to provide you great service.

Since our price increase in June, some of our members have expressed concerns about the new pricing. We've listened to this feedback and are pleased to inform you that we're lowering the price of your Netflix 3-at-a-time program from $21.99 per month to 17.99 per month.

You don't need to do anything. Your membership will automatically move to the lower 17.99 price. The lower price will appear on your next bill on or after November 1, 2004. You will still get the same great service and convenience, but now you will pay less for it. So please sit back, relax and enjoy your movies!

-Your Friends at Netflix

Interesting as now Blockbuster offers similar services for $17.49 per month. Hopefully netflix can stay in business.

 

[sechs]

Netflix has something that a lot of the dot coms did not -- a system that makes money. As long as they can continue to offer the flagship service of its class as a competitive price, then they should be fine. The problem with this is that their would-be competitors have deep pockets and could, theoretically, price Netflix out of the market.

 

[BooST]

The blockbuster service is HORRIBLE... Takes over two weeks turnaround. Netflix is a week or less. I've been hearing ads for Blockbuster DVD trade in... They're trying to get more DVDs so they can open more shipping depots. Go figure. I doubt they'll be able to keep that 17.49 if they get as large as netflix with the depots and shipping/recieving.

 

[Handruin]

Typically for me it takes less than a week to turn around a dvd. It's usually 4 days. So far I've had zero problems with netflix and I'm not motivated at all to support blockbuster with their stupid pricing schemes (and I'm not referring to their online business). If many others were like me when signing up for netflix, block buster hasn't seen a dime from me in over a year.

That's interesting to hear that blockbuster's service is horrible. I've noticed them wanting to trade in DVD's, but I didn't know it was to gain inventory...creative of them.

Sechs, I was worried about the same thing regarding them being priced out of the market. I regard block buster as the "walmart" of movie rentals, which leads me to mentioning that I've heard walmart is considering an online DVD rental service. If that happens, they'll probably have the deepest of pockets, and I'd rather not support their evil empire.

I hope netflix stays strong, and I'll continue to give them my business as long as they don't degrade in service. I watch enough movies to make it worth my money, compared to renting from blockbuster.

 

[BooST]

Typically for me it takes less than a week to turn around a dvd. It's usually 4 days. So far I've had zero problems with netflix and I'm not motivated at all to support blockbuster with their stupid pricing schemes (and I'm not referring to their online business). If many others were like me when signing up for netflix, block buster hasn't seen a dime from me in over a year.

That's interesting to hear that blockbuster's service is horrible. I've noticed them wanting to trade in DVD's, but I didn't know it was to gain inventory...creative of them.

Sechs, I was worried about the same thing regarding them being priced out of the market. I regard block buster as the "walmart" of movie rentals, which leads me to mentioning that I've heard walmart is considering an online DVD rental service. If that happens, they'll probably have the deepest of pockets, and I'd rather not support their evil empire.

I hope netflix stays strong, and I'll continue to give them my business as long as they don't degrade in service. I watch enough movies to make it worth my money, compared to renting from blockbuster.

I started my Netflix service when Merc mentioned it to me, I thought it was the coolest thing ever, the only reason I got blockbuster was for FreeiPods.com, and I found Blockbuster's service to be terrible. I absolutley hate blockbuster, espically because of their ridiculous in-store rental prices. How can you offer a unlimited, shipped to your door rental service for $18/mo, and it cost $18 to rent 4 or 5 movies. That, coupled with the Netflix / TiVo upcoming streaming video service, I'll be a Netflix customer for a very long time.

 

[Mercutio]

I note they haven't changed the price of the plan *I'm* on.

 

[BooST]

I note they haven't changed the price of the plan *I'm* on.

When you're getting 8 DVDs a week, I think your price is fair :lol:

 

[Mercutio]

It can be 24 DVDs a week, if I try hard enough. I notify them of return the day they ship out and with the one day turnaround to the Chicago shipping center, I get movies three times a week.

 

[sechs]

Holy cow. I rarely rent movies. How can you chew through so many?

 

[mubs]

Strong teeth?

 

[blakerwry]

Holy cow. I rarely rent movies. How can you chew through so many?

That's what I'm thinking.. just seems crazy to go through so many, where here I haven't been to a video rental store in over a month...

Does netflix have a good anime selection? I tried searching their website and Anime is not listed as a genre... however if I search for some well known anime they appear to have an "anime and animation" catagory...

They also don't seem to have Japanese anime, only American releases.

wish there was a better way to browse.

 

[blakerwry]

http://rentanime.com -for the anime freak in fushigi and I

 

[Fushigi]

http://rentanime.com -for the anime freak in fushigi and I

I mostly just buy. Nowadays I wait for series to be released as box sets & pick it all up at once. Takes some patience, but the prices are usually cheaper & the packaging denser. I measure my collection in linear feet; density matters!

Before I buy I'll generally sample a series by watching some of the digi fansubs.

 

[Mercutio]

Holy cow. I rarely rent movies. How can you chew through so many?

I enjoy movies. As I said, I *can* get 24 in a week, if I'm sufficiently motivated. Usually it is just 8 or 16, plus maybe another 8 from wantedlist.com (for, uh, the other kind of movies I like).

But for example I could grab a couple series' worth of Star Trek or the X Files in a week, and I've done that before.

I pretty much combine screwing around on a computer with watching movies or listening to music. Those are things I can do at the same time.

 

[sechs]

There are rumours that Amazon.com is in talks to buy Netflix.... Not likely to happen according to the folks from CNBC.

 

[CityK]

Update:

http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20041223-4483.html

 

[Handruin]

If blockbuster dropped to $7.99 I might consider switching. I'll stick with netflix even though they cost more. I've had superb results with them so far, and I've never really liked BB. Time will tell...

 

[CityK]

I regard block buster as the "walmart" of movie rentals, which leads me to mentioning that I've heard walmart is considering an online DVD rental service. If that happens, they'll probably have the deepest of pockets, and I'd rather not support their evil empire.

I hope netflix stays strong, and I'll continue to give them my business as long as they don't degrade in service. I watch enough movies to make it worth my money, compared to renting from blockbuster.

The line between the evil empire and the shinning knight just got blurred.

 

[Handruin]

The article sounded as if walmart threw in the towel at online video renting. I read neflix will promote purchases through walmart, but that's not a concern to me (yet).

 

[CityK]

Competition eases in online DVD Rental Mkt