Unlimited Rentals at Blockbuster

[anubis13]

ok so time shifting rules don't apply to rentals but what about a rental of previously broadcasted material such as tv shows or ppv sporting events. would the time shifting agreement predate the current state of the material?

also if, in theory you recieve 3 or 5 netfix movies and rip them to your HD, send them back that day and view them with a software dvd decoder over the next few days while the next batch is in transit, would that also violate the time shifting rules since you can technically keep the movies as long as you want. provided that you erase the rips after viewing, it doesn't seem like you would be breaking any rules.

personally i would rather watch my movies on my 42" tv than my 17" monitor

[ViRaL1]

Since there are no late fees...why not keep them until you have time to watch them?

[adam]

ok so time shifting rules don't apply to rentals but what about a rental of previously broadcasted material such as tv shows or ppv sporting events. would the time shifting agreement predate the current state of the material?

No. Time-shifting is a very specific exception to copyright which only applies to broadcast signals which you recieve on your very own hardware. The whole concept of a rented medium completely flies in the face of the rationale on which time shifting is premised. If you want the full analysis and rationale for it then read the entire holding in the Sony v. Betamax case. Its been published on the internet hundreds of times, so a google search will quickly find it.

also if, in theory you recieve 3 or 5 netfix movies and rip them to your HD, send them back that day and view them with a software dvd decoder over the next few days while the next batch is in transit, would that also violate the time shifting rules since you can technically keep the movies as long as you want. provided that you erase the rips after viewing, it doesn't seem like you would be breaking any rules.

Rented mediums will never qualify for time-shifting. The whole idea of time-shifting is that you receive more broadcasts then you could possibly watch, and some of those broadcasts are received at inconvenient times, yet you still pay for them all. As the customer, you have a right to watch those broadcasts and time-shifting simply grants you reasonable control over when you receive that signal (ie: by viewing the backup you are simply replaying the broadcast, as if it were being broadcasted for the first time.) With rentals, you already have this reasonable control because you choose, roughly, when you receive the rental and you get to keep it for some specified period of time.

[handyguy]

My library no have dvds. They have VHS.

[noki]

Our library has about 1200 titles. Great free source! friend has the BB plan (2 per time, $25 a month). he rents about 45 per month when he has the plan active. If he has a busy (work) month he cancels, and resigns when he and his kids have "downtime".

[SatStorm]

You are Lucky !
Our libraries here, work only once a week and rent books at least 10 years old...
VHS / DVD or any other media than books are not part of our public libraries
School / college / university libraries are also only about books.

I would love to have libraries with DVDs and VHS or even LDs! There are things like music videos, or cartoons that you won't see any other way. They releasead once and then end.

[anubis13]

The whole idea of time-shifting is that you receive more broadcasts then you could possibly watch, and some of those broadcasts are received at inconvenient times, yet you still pay for them all. As the customer, you have a right to watch those broadcasts and time-shifting simply grants you reasonable control over when you receive that signal (ie: by viewing the backup you are simply replaying the broadcast, as if it were being broadcasted for the first time.) With rentals, you already have this reasonable control because you choose, roughly, when you receive the rental and you get to keep it for some specified period of time.

ok so I have a tivo. once i store a broadcast on the tivo does that use up my time shifting rights or do i still have the right to, say, copy the show from the tivo to a vhs or dvd for later viewing.
in the same vein, if i use something like an AIW and store the show on my HD do i have the right to burn it or just watch it since the storing of the show on the HD now gives me reasonable control.

if I understand this correctly, it would be illegal to rent and rip something like C.S.I crime scene investigations episodes, but i could record the same show(rerun)on my HD, create a DVD and that would be legal.
am I correct

[adam]

You can record the signal any way you want, either via Tivo or directly into your computer. You can back this recording up onto DVD or any other medium you want. You can keep this disk for as long as you want. But, technically once you watch it you are supposed to erase it/destroy it.

Your conclusion regarding the C.S.I example is correct. That's exactly how time-shifting is intended to be used, except after watching the DVD you are supposed to erase it/destroy it. I don't think anybody really realizes this, or thinks that its a fair requirement, but for the majority of people it happens that way anyway. Most time-shifting is still done using the good ole VCR and people typically just keep the tape, after watching it, until they need to record something else on it.

[handyguy]

"Since there are no late fees...why not keep them until you have time to watch them?"

This brilliant idea hasn't been thought of by the majority of people yet

[SatStorm]

Keep your recording safe and unwatched, untill it fails to Public Domain (USA only - in E.U. there is no such thing).
Then distribute it, and gain money....

[FCPguy]

Adam the cyber janitor Man, maybe you should tell us what neighborhood to move into!! Sounds like you've got a great setup. My library is nowhere near this lucky. We have old ass- no one wants us DVDs in their collection. Like 100 DVDs but most are on history and travel locations (like Iowa not Hawaii!! ) Oh well! I tried!

[adam]

Move to San Antonio.

[JDShaffer]

I was hoping someone could answer a Netfix question. If you rent the first season of a tv show do you get all the dvds at once? Or do they break it up.
I am considering joining but am curious how they handled this. I am also hoping to rent the Monty Pyton Flying Circus set. In the stores it sells as a 14 DVD set but I doubt I would get all 14 DVDs at once from Netfix.

[sillyfaget]

Nope, all discs are separate, so you'd have to rent all 14 separately. Even DVDs with a special features disc are shipped separately (such as Bad Boys 2 and the Special Edition of Shrek). The only rare times that a movie will be shipping 2 discs at once is if the movie is split between two discs, like Gangs of New York and some Stephen King movies. It's still worth it, though, in my mind.

[GizmoTheGremlin]

Move to San Antonio.

Libraries here in Cleveland have a great selection of DVD's too. Almost all of them are only available in full screen though. I personally prefer widescreen, but it's free so beggers can't be choosers.

They stock on average 10-15 copies per movie and even with that many I often have to reserve the new releases to get a chance at seeing it.

Another problem is that people don't seem to take good care of them. About 20% of the movies I rent from the library end up skipping at some point in the movie. I've only had one movie ever skip on me that I've gotten from bockbuster. granted I don't rent much.

[ViRaL1]

You'll see a few but not many bad discs from BB. There's a small video store in my area with rentals that are cheaper than BB and another big video store, but a lot of the discs I get from there are scratched (and Full Screen ). The larger stores do more to make sure they don't put out unplayable discs, because it costs them money and sometimes customers. I also think people (on average) take better care of things they pay more for, even if they're just renting. Most of my Netflix discs were in pretty good shape. Only twice have I had to send a movie back because I couldn't watch it and only one of those times was it because it was badly scracthed, the other time the DVD was physically cracked in on place from the inner ring all the way to the outer ring. I blame that on USPS. They still don't seem to get that these are DVDs and just cram them in the mailbox anyway they can get them to fit.

[smearbrick1]

One thing that really irritates me about blockbuster is this: They buy like 37 copies of a certain new release, half of them widescreen, half of them fullscreen. Everytime I try to rent one of these, all they have is freakin' fullscreen!!! I asked the manager when he was going to pull his head out of his ass and realize that the only movies being rented were the widescreen and if he would take this into consideration when ordering the next time. He simply stated, "no". "I believe there are quite a few people around here that really want fullscreen, and it doesn't appear that the widescreen dvds are that much more popular." Is this guy blind? Of course, he's a lot brighter than the other genius they had working there originally. I had asked him if they were going to start getting widescreen dvds instead of fullscreen dvds and his answer was this..."Most people don't have widescreen tv's which are necessary for the widescreen dvds, so we won't be getting any in the near future." WTF!!!!

I too have the BB movie pass and am getting more and more frustrated with it. I WANT NETFLIX BACK!!! (I'm yelling at my wife.) They have barely any episodic dvds (except sex in the city... yawn. ) and their "blockbuster favorites" section leaves alot to be desired. I had to beg the manager to replace their copy of "Joyride". If you are into lame-ass 80's slasher flicks and lame-ass 90's teen flicks... BB is the way to go.

[ViRaL1]

Yes, you can always count on Blockbuster Video (do they still have BB Music stores, or did someone buy them out?) for a large selection of "B"-quels. Where else are you going to find films like...
...and...

[Rookie64]

If you are into lame-ass 80's slasher flicks and lame-ass 90's teen flicks... BB is the way to go.

I like their music selection - Netflix has a very limited selection on those.

BB also carries special editons and bonus material of stuff Netflix doesn't...and yea, BB also has more choice for B-movies and cartoons.

I rent from Netflix, BB and Walmart - they'll each have something the other doesn't have.

[handyguy]

Bobv, they have netflix in Mozambique??

[ViRaL1]

Isn't Mozambique a suburb of Detroit?

[kirpen]

Move to San Antonio.

I need to go to ugly red moster and see whats its about.

[victoriabears]

Just thought was worth a mention from a fellow Victorian.
I use Zip, see the return labels are now Vancouver, other than sending me back EXACTLY the four dvd's I sent them, back a day later, great service.

send me pm if you want to connect for techno swaps or whatever.

[Supreme2k]

Here's a technical diagram of Walmart's delivery system:

[flyers2thecup]

i've recently been a member of both netflix and walmart.

walmart's prices are obviously better. but saving $3 doesn't make up for the fact that the turn around is slow (as stated by many on here), their selection isn't near that of netflix, and they do not rent the EXTRAS disc in a 2 disc set. before i signed up, i sent them an email and asked this very question and was told that if it was a 2 disc set, i would receive both discs. BOLD FACE LIE! in my two months of membership (i canceled yesterday) i've rented at least 8-10 movies that are 2 disc sets. never received 1 extras disc.

netflix is a bit more expensive, but the selection makes it worth while. they are the only RENTAL place that i've found that offers the entire 14 disc set of MONTY PYTHON'S FLYING CIRCUS.

i think i might sign up for blockbuster monthly plan to see if i can get my monies worth.


as far as a storefront rental store....i can't think of anything better than FAMILY VIDEO. this is a national chain and stores are popping up all over the states.

NO MEMBERSHIP FEE or CARD (use drivers lisence)
15% discount for first month.
accept ALL coupons from competitors (i've used them on wrong days and expired).
mon-thu rent one "new" release, get "old" release for free.
$2.50 for new releases for one night.
$3.00 for new releases for three nights.
If you're there when the store is closing on monday (12:01 am), you can rent new releases that come out on tuesday.
can buy movies for under $10 (this is typical at any rental place)
TONS of games (not sure of hte prices....don't rent games)
also have ADULT titles.

not to mention they're always hiring and they advertise that managers start at $30,000.00.....not bad when you consider all the FREE rentals you'd get on top of that!

[handyguy]

If you're picky, you can get a $6 discount on a 2 week trial at BB by using fatwallet.com cash back program. I know it sounds weird but thats the deal.
Also if you cancel your trial some people say they get a new 6 month rate of $15.99.

[Madz]

Here's a technical diagram of Walmart's delivery system:

Your "tecnical diagram" is messing two things: a puddle of molasses and a calendar on the month of January!

Seriously, I haven't tried Wally World myself, but I know several people who have and can agree there.

Regarding the FS vs. WS issue @ BB, my local store gets all their new releases in WS. But they really need to supplement a ton of aging VHS copies in the "favorites" area w/ DVDs. <-- Reason I didn't bother w/ the Moviepass (although, I may try the online rental if they really CAN beat Netflix in selection).

There's also another video store called West Coast Video (smaller more localized chain) down the street. They largely get all their DVDs in FS , so I rarely go there (unless I have freebie coupons or whatever). They also have an Adult "backroom" to the right of the entrance & checkout counter.

[kjbrack]

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

Non it is unlimited, I rented 70 in one month

[spiderman2k1]

It sound good on paper but me and my friend went to block buster and i want to rent spawn. The did not have it. It was not out the just did not have a copy in that store. If you want some like this Netflicx is way better.

[noki]

not all blockbusters have the same titles (old ones that is). one did not have Naked Gun and NG 2, but another one did. As far as limit of rentals if you go the walk-in route versus the mail delivery route you can rent titles like it's going out of style. Walk-in route is $14.99 for the first month. $25 after that. Friend rents about 45 a month ( the 2 per time plan). BTW you can quit after the initial month; no commitment.