j-bo

Since CH is getting harder and harder to keep up with and the turn to no new titles being added to the enrollment selections possibly, I'm struggling to not just shut it down and go with netflix.

Cost is one, as netflix plan I'd choose would be $13.99/mth.

Even at an avg. of say $5/dvd at ch. The cost of owning 20 movies is overshadowed by the cost/year of netflix and the possibility of watching plenty more.

I'm finding that we aren't even watching dvd's more than twice now either.

Thoughts of netflix? Never used it, but the unlimited streaming movies sounds interesting.

Thoughts in general?

JakeNeff

I made this decision last year, although for awhile I had switched to Blockbuster. but this year switched to Netflix and it has been a good decision. The WAF is much higher with Netflix than CH, because when I was cycling through accounts constantly, even though I would resell most of what I bought, it still seemed like I was spending a lot of money on discs. I also realized that even my favorite movies, I hardly ever watch, since I have so much other stuff to watch.

There are only two things I don't like about Netflix. You usually can't get re-releases. Blu-Ray has helped, because so far almost everything is the first release on the format. The other disadvantage is you can't go on a sudden binge. You're limited to as many discs as you have at a time. I still buy/resell TV sets, though, so I still always have plenty on hand.

Love the sig.

BobO'Link

For me it's a no brainer. Stay with CH. I do not rent... ever. I'd rather own than rent even if I never rewatch a film. I like the option of being able to watch anything at anytime without having to wait on it to be available. Plus my tastes dictate owning as I prefer classic sci-fi, horror, and comedy films which seem to be in short supply at almost all rental venues.

It comes down to what type viewer you are.

Like recent releases but don't like the higher prices and/or lack the space to store DVDs? You're probably better off renting.

Like more "classic" and/or back catalog titles? Buy.

Giving up cable? Buy.

Like having instant access to your favorites? Possibly both. Buy your absolute favorites, rent everything else.

Space_Monkey

I currently do both. I have Netflix on the cheaper 1 at at time unlimited plan and I buy CH dvds probably once a year.

Netflix is continual throughout the year. DVD in one day, watch and back in the mail the next morning which typically gives me 2 dvds per week. With the kids and my wife's TV shows she likes to watch it works out well. Also I have the ability to watch movies and shows instantly on my PC so if I am up late one night I can watch episodes of Amazing Stories volume 2 for example which is unavailable on dvd. Lastly, I can be more adventurous as I will likely rent movies I think I may not like enough to own.

Columbia House has codes that I use to get maybe 12 movies between the enrollments and the buy 1 get 1 free sales to fulfill. I only enroll about once a year since my back catalog of dvds in my collection is a good size. The result is that it takes quite a while for 12 titles I want to own to be available through CH to warrant a new enrollment and fulfillment. You may have more must haves available for enrollment to warrant doing it more frequently.

I also use the monthly Redbox code to rent a free movie on the first Monday of every month.

Lastly I buy select titles through retail when deals present themselves like the Deep Discount 25% off sales or I have GCs from Amazon or Best Buy.

Since you've never done Netflix and they are running a Friends and Family 1 month free trial so I will PM you a link so you can check it out since it is probably better than their normal 2 week trial. I think it is a referral link but I get nothing out of it and it may not even be linked to my account but to be safe I will PM it since referral posts are not allowed.

Good luck with your decision.

That'sAllFolks

I haven't opened an account all year. It sometimes just doesn't seem worth it.

With all the 3.00 BL deals and closeouts on eBay and Amazon Mktplace, CH has only become a medium deal. I have to admit though that the B1G4 fiasco of last year pretty much exhausted most of my potential cycles.

The p&h raise, the limitation of 2D for enrollment and the general move to blu-ray have also decreased my interest in CH.

Also, I;ve started to buy some stuff used. I've gotten movies for .50-1.00 locally and some are in "like new" condition. If it's just to watch and not "part of what I collect" I don't really care too much about the conditon -- if the price is right.

If I have the time, I may recyle again, but with other venues, it will be hard to get a decent enrollment.

One thing to consider too. Selling most DVDs in "like new" condition will warrant only a fraction of what you can get if you don't break the security sticker. For the most part, the days of buying something (even with all the deals on this forum) and then reselling to get your money back are long gone.

Unless you really want something to keep. Just rent.

lizard

I have the two per month for $5 Netflix account, for watching things I wouldn't otherwise want to hassle with buying and reselling. I found the unlimited accounts, one out at a time and the like, a strain because I would find myself feeling "forced" to watch things "to get my money's worth", when I'd rather watch something in my collection or just read a book. The two per month plan is just right, even though the average cost is more than it is for someone who cycles through lots of Netflix DVDs each month.

But often it is cheaper to buy, watch, and resell if I don't want to keep the DVDs; I have the time and experience to do it. For example, I blind bought the Six Feet Under complete set as an Amazon DotD. Over a number of months I watched the 30 or so discs, didn't like them very much, then resold the set at a ten dollar profit. That's cheaper than renting.

For those of us mostly interested in Blu-ray Discs, Columbia House is probably more hassle than it is worth. Even for those interested in DVDs, do you really want to collect DVDs? I find that I don't watch them very often. Having a number of favorites in my collection is fine, especially at $4.80 each, but anything I want to watch just once, especially blind buys, is usually easier as a rental.

j-bo

This is how I am thinking at the moment. I do a lot of blind buying and mostly it's a "miss" rather than a "hit" as I'm a mainstream guy really and don't care if it's a classic or 3 disc special edition, etc.

I think I'm heading down the netflix road and will only buy sure things that I "must have". I suppose by renting and a pearl comes through, I can always put that on my buy list.

Do many of you use the "stream to PC" and hook your laptop up to your tv/projector? Was just wondering on how the PQ and SQ was. I do have a XBOX 360 and that is one of the "netflix ready" devices that you can use for "stream to TV" but hate to raid the kids playtoy. LOL.

Thanks for the replies folks!

Trevor

I still prefer buying cheap over renting, but I also netflix.

There are some sure that I'm pretty sure I won't want to own, but want to watch once. Plus the streaming is very nice.

My advice to the OP is to do both. Keep Netflix at the minimum rate to enjoy the streaming, i think it is 1 title at a time and $8.95 a month.

j-bo

Welp.. made my last order for awhile at CH with the bogoFS dealio. I've joined netflix for the 1 month free trial. I've purchased the cables and sound card I need for my PC to hook up to my projector so that I can stream straight to the projector. That stuff will arrive next week. So.. we'll see how it goes.

Bye CH for now.

rfduncan

Frankly the amount of work you all seem to put into cycling through movies from CH (buy, watch, resell) seems more work than it is worth to me. I have too much else to do with my life. Yes Netflix has its limitations, but if you have a device that allows you to stream video to your TV (e.g. TiVoHD), you will never run out of stuff to watch.

Welcome to the "club", j-bo.

leeta

Could someone please send me a friends and family code for a free month of netflix? Thanks!

Gobear

Wow, this forum has changed over the past several years! There has been a marked lack of enthusiasm for DVD buying across the board lately, and not just in the CH sub-forum.

I buy from CH and use Netflix although I think this current enrollment will be my last with CH. As has been said, with the $3 BL and the sales elsewhere for sub-$5 DVDs, and with CH's lack of selection and the deterioration of enrollment codes it just isn't worth going through the hassle.

Not to mention that one of the chief reasons I cycled accounts was to get catalog titles at a cheap price, and those have pretty much dried up.

Space_Monkey

Sorry leeta, the email I received stated an expiration of 10/31 for the F & F month trial.

drh4

Wow, hadn't heard of that option lizard. Is that still available? No streaming video with that, right? Would appreciate any details.

lizard

Two DVDs per month for $4.99 is a standard Netflix option but they don't advertise it because they would prefer more expensive memberships. I have never used the streaming video option but it does show up on my account; some titles have a "play" symbol for streaming.

Understand that this is two total DVDs per month and there is no advantage to getting them back quickly. It works for me because I don't have time to watch many rentals and I disliked feeling pressured to watch them quickly to "get my money's worth". But it is a great way to rent DVDs for $2.50 (plus sales tax) each, delivered to my mailbox, and be able to keep them for a week or two. As long as the second one gets back by the end of the membership month (depends on the day one joins, for me it is the 25th) I will get two the next month. The first one ships on the 26th, for me. The second one ships when Netflix gets the first one back. When they receive the second one back I don't get the next one in the queue until the 26th of the following month. I don't have the Blu-ray option, but presume that it would add a dollar or so a month. DVD is good enough for rentals for me.

For a new account, take the free rental period and as soon as your account morphs to one out a month for $8.95 or whatever, just change to the $4.99 plan. I think it still is an option, it certainly is for me. It is just little known and never advertised. It may be that one has to try to cancel a membership to get it, I just don't remember since I have had the plan for several years now.

Needless to say, I first heard of the two for $4.99 plan here at DVD Talk!

Arthur Dent

^The $4.99 plan includes 2 hours of streaming. The $4.99 option isn't hidden: No one really talks about it, but it's in plain sight on Netflix's site.

Personally, I could never go with the $4.99 plan, but I definitely see why it works for you, lizard.

j-bo

So far my move to netflix has been the right one for me. I have 105 dvds in the que and 40 in the instant que, movies I'd probably never buy but wanted to take a chance on to view them. Even if I did want to buy them, that would be over $600 spent on "hit or miss" movies. Of the ones I've watched, I've hit on 3, missed on 5, and the kids have enjoyed viewing instant movies on top of it all.

Turnaround time is fast. 1 day so far. I've gotten 2 a week so far and that's only because I've waited a couple days to watch the dvd the day it arrived.

I hooked up my PC to my projector and am watching streaming that way. Super! Watched a few on my laptop with ear buds, super!

So far, glad I've switched and I think I'll stick to the one out at a time, unlimited plan for $8.99/mth.

Hadeon

I never blind buy anything. That's what Netflix is for. I watch every new release I'm interested in through Netflix and if I like it, I put it on my CH wishlist.

I watch Instant View stuff through TiVo HD. The quality seems to be hit or miss depending on the movie. Or I should say, it used to be. I haven't had any complaints lately.

I have twice hit the 500 DVD limit in my queue and had to go through deleting crap I'm never going to watch. I get on kicks and queue up 30 or 40 movies at a time. Vampire movies. Or '70s exploitation flicks. Or Paul Newman movies. But long before they actually start sending these movies to me, I move on to some other genre.

As far as I'm concerned, Netflix pays for itself just with the TV shows. If you missed season one of a show, but season two looks interesting, season one is on DVD before season two starts airing. You get caught up and are ready to enjoy the season premiere.

AlfB

I know this is a little late but it might interest those with the same question.

http://www.dailytech.com/article.aspx?newsid=17318

lizard

That is interesting. I prefer to wait and never try to Netflix new releases, but it may affect those who do pile on at release day.

It was also interesting to read some of the profoundly ignorant comments to the article. They were talking about pirates just buying their DVDs to copy, which completely misses the point. The studios are worried about the average Netflix customer who rents a DVD and copies it, instead of buying one, not the professional pirates who sell copied DVDs.

zoelightly

wow - that really pisses me off. I've had Netflix for about three years now and I've not received anything from them about this. Seems like that might be something they should tell customers up front. Great PR strategy.

Not that I am not already used to the "Very Long Wait" on new releases ....

I am keeping ch and netflx as well. The choice of old television shows on the streaming video is too excellent to pass up, and I bought that Roku when it first came out and have been mostly happy with it, but I'm not ready to give up getting the new releases quickly. I don't get to go to the theater much and a new release night is kind of an event for me (sad but true, my social life is lacking). When DD used to have their B1G1 free sales, I got some TV sets, but mostly, I'm a movie girl. Whatever happened to those B1G1 Free sales anyway?

-Zoe

zoelightly

I noticed that too. It almost seems like they are grasping at straws.

-Z

BobO'Link

They're still around (or at least were last year) *but* fewer and much longer betwee than in years past.

BobO'Link

But those are the people the "studios" (music and film) have *always* gone after and have been grasping at those straws since affordable home taping came into being. They seem to think "casual" copying cuts way into the bottom line and totally ignore the massive pirating that goes on in "3rd world" countries and foreign markets... where the primary loss occurs. They blame reduced/falling revenue on "casual recording", completely ignoring the fact that most of what they deliver is pure and total crap.

lizard

I disagree. File sharing pretty much killed the music recording industry and the movie studios are worried that the same will happen to their DVD and BD sales as broadband torrent-type file sharing becomes more available. Many people think nothing of stealing music and then rationalizing their theft by telling themselves that they only wanted just one track of the CD, so why buy it? Or they think CD prices are too high. Or they tell themselves that the record companies/recording artists are rich so why not? Or they copy and/or rip a CD and then sell it. (This latter model is what WB hopes to avoid with delaying Netflix rentals.)

The problem isn't just third world pirates, it is Joe Average loading up his terabyte drive with stolen media because "it's out there". A generation has grown up thinking that stealing media is no big deal. And that presents a potential problem for the movie studios who count on revenue from DVD and VOD sales to help pay for the movies they produce.

And saying that the reason DVD sales are falling is due to the studios putting out "crap" would seem to be contradicted by the sheer popularity of the movies released, even genuine crap — according to most reports — such as Transformers 2. More likely it is a combination of the DVD market being saturated, the novelty of building a DVD collection wearing off as people realize that they don't watch them that much, and other viewing options ranging from Netflix to VOD. But if casual piracy of the sort that happened to the music industry ever takes off, the DVD revenue stream will really be hit hard. And that means less revenue to make new movies, perhaps even the ones you like.

The idea that a month delay in being able to Netflix a new release is a big deal baffles me. You were going to rent it, as opposed to buy it, so waiting a few more weeks really matters? As I've said before, I just don't get the "gotta have it NOW!" mentality. Surely there are dozens of other titles in one's Netflix queue to watch in the interim. What is gained by watching a new release during release week? Bragging rights at work/school? I just don't get it.