pros and cons of Blockbuster total access vs netflix?

[RAMd®d]

where sending or receiving was buggered by our friends at the post office

Odds are the problem was with NetFlix, not the Post Office, given the time frame you mention.

My queue has been throttled from time to time. The PO has been really good to me. My DVDs get back over night if I get them in the PO by 4:00pm. Getting them back from NF is another story.

There have been a few broken DVDs, but that again is NF's fault, using thin envelopes. BB uses a padded envelope that works much better.

A buddy does both NF and BB, and his experience with NF has been much better than BB. The latter tends not to credit his returning DVDs to the local store, and the selection is nowhere near as good as NF, especially with foreign, NC-17, and Unrated movies. Also, they don't seem to be able to get the new releases out as fast, compared to NF.

He gets free coupons for two free rentals from the B&M every month but has tired of walking around to see what's available.

So far, around here the nod goes to NF.

[Filliam H. Muffman]

I will second what RAMd®d said. It might be a positive feature for BB if you have kids but they do not have as many "directors cut" / unrated films as NF. I was looking into starting one of them and found about 50 movies that BB did not have after a search.

[Racer X]

RAMd®d, I have yet to see a padded mailer from BB on-line. Thewy are always the outer envelope, and the tyvek sleeve with the printed label about the movie. And the description of the movie is often wrong, FWIW, but the movie inside is the correct one.

BB online is rather slow to get some stuff into their catalog. Their search options, and the results that it kicks back out can be a real pain.

Example. I wanted to see Stargate SG-1 season 8. They had seasons 1-7. After about 8 months after it released, and after 3 e-mail sessions with their help people, someone actually told me that they had had it all along. If you search for Stargate SG-1 and look at all the returns, it isn't there, but if you did a specific search for Stargate SG-1: Season 8, it would show up. (absolutely must be a space between the : and Season 8 too)

[weapon]

use the promotion code: friends at blockbuster.com for a free month.

I love blockbuster and have been a free member for over a year. Free is always better than paying.

I only get TV series, anime and older movies from the service. When I return my movies instore, that is when I get the new releases. Trying to get new releases through the mail is stupid. Rent 3 old movie you want to see again, then take those back to the store and get your 3 new releases.

I have had both and for the shear numbers BB wins, for obscure titles I would have to say netflix is better.

Anyone know if Netflix has the extended directors cut of HelLboy?

[SteveJobs]

how can you be a free member for a year?

[weapon]

multiple credit cards, different email address, sign up with one address and then change the shipping address back to your house.

Remember the credit card and email address is what they track you with. People change adresses all the time.

[Racer X]

I started with a free account, closed it, and opened a new one with my wife's name, and a different CC and e-mail address. I then changed the CC and e-mail address back after a month or so, and they never said a word.

They then wanted me back on the original account, so I closed the second one, went back to the first one for a free month, and did it a third time about 4 months later. I think I have had 4 free months in the last 18 months.

[Maddog]

Don't know about BB for sure, but have been a happy netflix customer for a couple of years. In general, I have avoided BB as much as possible. I don't reward dubious business practices and screwing of the consumer by then giving them my business. They would still be screwing everyone over for every late fee and jacking their prices if they could. Instead, people started to really hurt their bottom line by going with netflix. They are the microsoft of the movie world and, I suspect, in cahoots with the movie studios in their ongoing quest to screw you.