Unlimited Rentals at Blockbuster

[JohnnyCNote]

I got this e-mail today from Blockbuster:

Unlimited Rentals are a great way to watch movies, especially when you can keep them as long as you want. And now is a great time to try out the BLOCKBUSTER Movie Pass™, because for a limited time you can get it for only $14.99** for the first month. Normally priced at $24.99** a month, you'll save $10 right away.

With your BLOCKBUSTER Movie Pass you can take home up to 2 movies at a time - including the hottest new releases - and return them when you're ready. Not a day sooner. So now you can just kick back and watch what you want on your schedule. But this is a limited time offer, so don't wait. Come in today to get your BLOCKBUSTER Movie Pass - there's no better way to watch movies.

This looks different from the 'Net based program others have discussed....

[jek]

I've had it for almost two monthes now. I like it but there selection sucks compared to netflix. On an average I rent about two to four a day with the plan. Jay

[JohnnyCNote]

I was renting from Blockbuster very frequently earlier this year and last fall when I was laid up with a broken ankle, but I haven't been there in a month or so. Since then, I got both a PVR from Dishnetwork and a DVR, so I'm getting most of my movies off the satellite.

Mostly I've been rebuilding my gangster film collection on DVD. Turner Classic Movies and Fox Movie Channel, among others, are really good for that. The only downside is if there's a really heavy storm the signal will go out for a bit, but compared to cable service in this area, that's a minor inconvenience....

[Safesurfer]

On an average I rent about two to four a day with the plan. Jay

Two to four a day... ! I hope that couch has some strong springs . I dread to think how many you watch in the Winter months.

[ggrussell]

Walmart has a great DVD rental system similiar to Netflix, but has 3 levels-- 2,3, or 4 DVDs at a time. Walmart has a great selection. Blockbuster and Hollywood doesn't have TV series like ST Voyager on DVD.

[JohnnyCNote]

I tried Walmart's free trial, along with these: CafeDVD, DVD Barn....

[Tom81]

Basically, outgrew movies by the time I was 20. Since then I view 2 or 3 a year. The Hollywood product is extremely low quality, essentially they remake the same movies over and over again. No creativity, no values, about the only films I've seen that were worth watching in the last 10 years are the Mel Gibson productions.

[EricS]

Yes, I have also found I have outgrown the rather plebian comfort many take in Hollywood's dismal moving pictures. My time is much better spent enjoying tea and crumpets with other folks of high standing such as myself. I have visited the cinema a few times in the last decade in order to view adaptions of novels I found particularly enjoyable. I have been severely disappointed each time. I found the portrayal of the hobitts in the Return of the King to be particularly atrocious - they were not nearly gay enough. Also, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets was certainly nowhere near as captivating as the novel.

But, we must leave the commoners their enjoyments - we all can't be the upper crust, eh Tom?

Sincerely,

E

[Ames315]

You'd have to watch a lot of movies to take advantage of those monthly fee deals.

What I've found works best is rental time-shifting like this:

I rent 5 - 8 DVD movies at once on one of the cheap package deals. Take them home and copy them onto my hd in DivX format, return the DVDs to the store the next day.
Then I watch the movies whenever I want by streaming them to the TV (or you could burn a temporary DVD-RW if you don't have TV output). Erase when through with them to make room for more next month. Cheaper than pay-per-view on the satellite, and I get to see the movies I want when I want. I don't really have much desire to keep copies of these movies at home in a permanent collection.


"Time shifting" rights exist only for TV programs / Pay Per View events. The rental system based on the fact that you pay ALL the days you hold the discs you rent. So, by doing this you telling us here,you "steal" the rental shop. Plus, the forum rules here are very straight about rentals. So....
You are in breach of the forum rules and are being issued with a formal warning.
/ Moderator SatStorm

[indolikaa]

You'd have to watch a lot of movies to take advantage of those monthly fee deals.

What I've found works best is rental time-shifting like this:

I rent 5 - 8 DVD movies at once on one of the cheap package deals. Take them home and copy them onto my hd in DivX format, return the DVDs to the store the next day. Then I watch the movies whenever I want by streaming them to the TV (or you could burn a temporary DVD-RW if you don't have TV output). Erase when through with them to make room for more next month. Cheaper than pay-per-view on the satellite, and I get to see the movies I want when I want. I don't really have much desire to keep copies of these movies at home in a permanent collection.

Oh my... I'm beginning to see yellow...

[Grimey]

Me too...it's already been reported too

[indolikaa]

Me too...it's already been reported too

So, who's your dime on? Craig Tucker, or offline?

[Rookie64]

The Hollywood product is extremely low quality, essentially they remake the same movies over and over again. No creativity, no values,

It's called formula - those are the safe types of investments.
Creativity, originality and values are big risks - Hollywood likes to play it safe when it comes to turning a profit.
They are well known for turning down good and original ideas and scripts.

Venture out a bit into the Independent and Foreign sections...maybe take in some documentaries and/or music/concert categories.

Lots of things to choose from...it's not limited to Hollywood.

[SatStorm]

You all loose....

[bdf24]

Yes, I have also found I have outgrown the rather plebian comfort many take in Hollywood's dismal moving pictures. My time is much better spent enjoying tea and crumpets with other folks of high standing such as myself. I have visited the cinema a few times in the last decade in order to view adaptions of novels I found particularly enjoyable. I have been severely disappointed each time. I found the portrayal of the hobitts in the Return of the King to be particularly atrocious - they were not nearly gay enough. Also, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets was certainly nowhere near as captivating as the novel.

But, we must leave the commoners their enjoyments - we all can't be the upper crust, eh Tom?

Sincerely,

E

OMG! The hobitts may not have been gay enough. But you sure as hell are! A little to gay I think! LOL

[onewaypockets]

Walmart has a great DVD rental system similiar to Netflix, but has 3 levels-- 2,3, or 4 DVDs at a time. Walmart has a great selection. Blockbuster and Hollywood doesn't have TV series like ST Voyager on DVD.

I tried the Walmart DVD club on the free trial. The movies arrived so slowly (once it took 6 days) I switched to Netflix, where they often arrive the very next day. I think Netflix has "distribution centers" that are closer to members homes.

Netflix also has tons more movie titles. Additonally many of the movies in the Walmart club also showed "long wait" or "short wait" while Netflix all the same movies show "available now". I think Netflix not only has more titles, but more copies of each movie. I can give you an example...I am a fan of "The Dead Zone" TV show on USA network. Walmart rentals has "the complete second season" for rent, but that's it. Netflix has this too, but also "the complete first season" and the orginal 2 hr pilot (never shown on TV). The list goes on...

[handyguy]

I already paid for months for that BB deal, but went in the store & asked for ten dollar credit cause the price is ten dollars cheaper the first month. They knew all about it & gave me the ten bucks in GCs.

[Byronleehk]

I was on their video game plan and had gotten away with 30+ games

Now I'm on their movie pass thingie :P

[gshelley61]

Blockbuster Rewards plan. $19.95 per year membership fee; MON-WED rent one, get one free. Plus, 1 free rental coupon each month. On top of that, rent 5 or more in a month, get another free rental. Everything is tracked for you automatically, too. They remind you when you have free rentals built up.

[OldeMan]

I cancelled my Wal$art plan, the DVD turnaround time was totally unacceptable. Selection was ok, but avg 4-5 days to get movie and 3-4 days to return. Timing was completly erratic.

Signed up for BB movie pass, go once per day. Selection of older movies is very limited but ok for current stuff. works for me so far.

[gitreel]

I had the movie pass for one month. I wish my wife would let me go back to it. She wanted digital cable though.

When I had it, I rented movies everyday. They figured up how much money I saved while on the pass and it was well over $250.

[adam]

Before buying into one of these plans you folks should check with your local library, you just may be suprised. If you live in a decent sized town your library may have one hell of a selection of DVDs. My library has a much larger selection then BlockBuster or Netflix, will deliver your holds to any library in town that you want, you get them for 5 days or longer if you renew, and of course its completely free. I haven't paid for a DVD rental since I moved here.

[RabidDog]

Haa! my library has about two hundred films, charges £3.50 per day(thats about six yankee dollars) with 0.50p per day late fees . Basically a total pile of crock! and more expensive than BB or Apollo . Screenselect (uk) gets my vote... online.. quick..and reasonable prices .. but a bit mingy on the Tv series like CSI etc.

[JohnnyCNote]

Blockbuster Rewards plan. $19.95 per year membership fee; MON-WED rent one, get one free. Plus, 1 free rental coupon each month. On top of that, rent 5 or more in a month, get another free rental. Everything is tracked for you automatically, too. They remind you when you have free rentals built up.

I signed up for this and get a coupon for a free rental a month, although they're not valid for new releases. Still, the plan paid for itself...

[ViRaL1]

I wonder how many movies you can rent a month before they cancel your membership.

[jr_vol]

Not sure how big your Library is but I can hardly believe it has as large a selection as Netflix. Netfilx has a great selection, fast turnaround, and they are quite reasonably priced.

[BobV]

I like my netfix for $23/month. I average 18 movies in any 30 day period and have been seeing movies I would have never seen renting from Hollywood Video. The turn around has been great, but I understand it differs alot depending on your local.

[adam]

Ok, I guess I exaggerated. I now see that Netflix boasts about 20,000 titles and my library only has about 5,000...but my library has only started collecting DVDs 1 year ago. They have every major DVD released in the last few years and they are progressively working their way back in time, adding like 20-30 DVDs a day. I've yet to find a DVD I wanted to check out that they didn't have. Anyway, its free and they deliver to a library which is within walking distance from me. Its great. I mentioned this to a friend of mine who lives in another state. He went to the website of his library and found that they had a similar selection.

[MOVIEGEEK]

Blockbuster Rewards plan. $19.95 per year membership fee; MON-WED rent one, get one free. Plus, 1 free rental coupon each month. On top of that, rent 5 or more in a month, get another free rental. Everything is tracked for you automatically, too. They remind you when you have free rentals built up.

I signed up for this and get a coupon for a free rental a month, although they're not valid for new releases. Still, the plan paid for itself...

Me too,it's perfect for me because I rent 4-6 movies a month.I like that you can keep the older titles for one week but the two day limit for new releases is too short...no big deal my Blockbuster is less than a mile away.

[mstone321]

Canadian residents may want to check out www.zip.ca for a Canuck
version of Netflix. The closer you are to Ottawa ON the better. I'm
about as far away as you can get- Victoria BC...so...

Matt