Netflix used to be good when I 1st started using them... fast turnaround. I ship it out, they get it the next day and ship out a new movie the same day. That was for the 1st two months...

Now, I ship movies back... it takes 2 days for them to receive even though there is a distribution center in the same damn city. Then it takes them 1-2 days to ship me a new movie. Screw that.

Also, new movies take weeks to months to get.. even though I put them on my queue WEEKS before they're out.

Walmart is cheaper but we'll see about their service. I'm getting some Best Motoring DVDs from Walmart which Netflix doesn't have... woot. 4 dvd plan for the price of netflix's 3 dvd plan. 1 mo. free trial for the 2 dvd plan or the price difference for 3/4 dvd plans.

If Walmart ends up sucking, I'll switch to greencine.com since they have LOTS of indie flicks + mainstream and they're local (SF) I like to support local vendors.

 

keep us posted. i'm was about to subscribe to netflix based on old reviews I guess. I thought they were really fast around these parts.

 

they are fast until you start renting a LOT... then they try slowing down cause they're losing $$.

 

yeah they have always shipped out the same day they received one, but suddenly today the received one then it said shipping tomorrow for the next one. thats pretty messed up. if this continues i will cancel and try something else

 

can you rent from walmart online, or does it involve actually stepping foot into an actual walmart?

 

it's online... same exact concept as netflix.

 

I just tried CinemaNow and MovieLink...streaming or downloaded movies via broadband internet. Works nicely, decent prices per movie or can do monthly unlimited, can start viewing movie 5 minutes after beginning the streaming download, no trips to the video store or mailbox for that matter.
Cons: need broadband, picture better than VHS but definitely worse than DVD, so-so selection.

 

i'm using blockbuster right now...$25/month for unlimited rentals. if you're unemployed and have a blockbuster near your place, it's the way to go. it basically comes down to how many movies you can *watch* in one day.

 

I have Walmart's dvd rental service. It takes about 1-2 days when you send back the dvds that they'll send you another from your list. When that dvd is shipped, it takes anywhere from 2-6 days to send (I had one take 7 days to send). Usually it averages about 3 days shipping. So as for shipping time and speed, they're not much faster.

About netflix, usually when you sign up, you'll receive first priority than other members for long waiting list dvds. This is just to make customers happy. Also if you don't rent that many dvds a month, you'll also be first in priority. If you rent a lot of dvds per month, you're not as profitable to the company as opposed to a person who doesn't rent that much or who are new to the service. There's some sort of algorithm or formula and you start receiving last priority. I'm sure Walmart uses a similar formula, but they have less customers so getting the dvd you want seems to be less problematic than with netflix. But then again, I've only been a customer with Walmart for 1.5 months, so we'll see later on if things begin to change. It really does suck sometimes though, when you have to wait 3-5 days for a dvd to arrive.

For more info, check out this site:
http://dvd-rent-test.dreamhost.com/

 

walmart is teh antichrist.

 

werd

 

I am using movielink and I like their selection and the prices are ok. Espically their monday to tuesday 99c special movie of the day. Though I didn't relize that they have a monthly unlimited, so I need to look into that. But no mailing no traveling to the store, (being up in boulder creek can be combersom to rent movies) and I have found that the quality is DVD quality. I also have a Windows Media Center 2004 that has movielink and cinimanow built in so I can just rent the movies from my couch and watch them on my TV.