FilmStudent

Has anyone heard of them? Used them? It's $13.95 for 3 films out at a time. I'm very happy with rentmydvd.com but competition helps the consumer.

Whadyathink?

DWilson

Unlike you, I've been dissatisfied with rentmydvd lately (Netflix is my main source and I'm happy enough with them), so I'm open for a "back-up" at the very least. I'm giving them a shot, but. so far, I have some trepidations. I get the clear feeling that there's the inventory list they show you ( a huge list that shows everything from box sets, every permutation of a title and box sets) and then there's "reality". They want you to list 20 titles or so to start; I've listed ten or twelve and they tend toward those I haven't found from general sources (I'd love to find a source for Anchor Bay titles). So far, they say they've sent one (my third choice) of the two I'm allowed on the two-week trial. I'm keeping an open mind for the moment....

dkindig

DWilson,

I'm curious where their distribution center is located...

Thanks,
Dennis

Jeraden

What the heck kind of name is Number Slate for an online dvd rental site?

And according to the FAQ on their site, 13.95 only gets you 2 at out, not 3. Its 19.95 if you want 3 out at a time. The FAQ might be wrong, but they make you make an account it seems before you can see the prices/packages for joining so I didn't check further.

FilmStudent

DW...do you currently use 2 rental services? Isn't there a great deal of overlap? How many movies do you watch in a week? Just curious.

DWilson

Actually, I'm signed up for two, and I keep my eye on "Overnight" and I'm not disinclined to using 'Buster (particualrly since their DVD selection has slightly improved). I have one of those 8-at-time deals with Netflix, but I use them mostly for the stuff you can't find at any local renter, -independent films, older films, and catalog titles. Rentmydvd, -until the last two months or so, -was great for picking up titles that Netflix didn't carry (Anchor Bay, for example), or for those titles that were always in the "long wait" status (because if it was listed in their inventory at all, they HAD it, no waiting). That's changed now, and they're close to useless to me. I generally watch one film a day (which is helped by the fact that I don't have HBO anymore, and there's not much on the regular TV schedule that interests me. There's generally 30 new titles a week, and I'll want to check out maybe 10 of those. I sure can't afford to buy them. If I want a new release, there's always the local brick-and-mortars; for the other stuff, I depend on these rental outfits.

DWilson

I had an odd thought about the name "Number Slate", -Could this be a test market operation by Hollywood Video flying under another banner, since one of their symbols is a number slate?

dvde

I would really doubt it, the site is kind of cheesy looking and the graphics aren't all that great. If Hollywood Video launched that site, I would be embarrased if I were them.

Plohish

I am in the process of trying Numberslate.com. At the moment, they didn't ship any DVDs from my 6 item wish list that includes 3 old releases and 3 new. Wait time over 24 hours.

Also, there is no way to figure out what is in stock, all DVDs have "Rent" icon next to them.

To be continued ...

DWilson

I recieved my first title, -return address is in Kansas, -two days after my order. However, nothing else on my 18-item list has shipped. Right now, that's the big problem, -they seem to be using a broad list with nothing much to back it up. Or maybe they're using early requests to fix one up (benefit of the doubt and all). Either way, I need to know what's actually available and what's not, -what's been 'checked out" and what isn't in their inventory at all (this is a familiar problem for anyone who deals with "rentmydvd"). I've gotten an e-mail to increase my "list" since popular items may be checked out, but I doubt that's the problem. If I have to boil it down to "The Mummy Returns" or the Top 20 renters, it'll be kind of a wash; I can get a much better deal elsewhere (now that everybody wants to rent DVDs). It's still a "wait and see" game for me...

FilmStudent

Thanks for the 411.

mr_peepers

I'd personally think twice about joing a service whose website is fraught with programming errors and looks like it was designed by an adolescent. Actually, a child probably would have done a better job!

DWilson

you have a point, of course, -but, then again, we could probably start a "good-looking sites that ripped you off" thread and keep it going for days....

mr_peepers

it's not just the site's look. i got three error pages in about five minutes of surfing their site. of course, if their service turns out to be better than their site, i'm sure everyone would like to know....

DWilson

well, as the saying goes, "your mileage may vary", but I haven't had any of the problems with the pages or page faults, and for the moment they've shipped two of the titles on my list (in my top 5 or so), and they happened to be titles I couldn't get at the other big three "internet renters", and they shipped to me fairly quickly. So they've bought a little time with me. Its tentative for the moment, but right now they're higher on my list than "rentmydvd".

FilmStudent

What are the big "internet renters" (to use someone's phrase) and what do you think of them.

I only know of Netflix (which is notorious for holding disks before they send them) and RentMyDVD (which I like)...

What are the others....

Thanks.

HepDude

I don't know if "big" applies to any site other than Netflix (Netflix has 25-50 copies of some titles that RMD has one copy of).

Other sites are:

DVD Overnight - Note that DVDTalk has a free one disk rental offer if you have not used DVD Overnight (check the top of the DVD Bargains Forum). Located in New York. No "membership".

CafeDVD - Located in SF Bay Area. No "membership".

Both sites are relatively reliable companies. If you find a DVD you want to rent on their site, it's only a question of whether the price is right for you, and where you are in relation to the site (it can take over a week if the site is not near you - but if they are the only place that has that title, it can be worth the wait.)

DWilson

Just updating my "number slate" experience: so far, so good (that's a little phrase I came up with myself, but feel free to borrow it). I've recieved several titles from them now, all in good shape, and all titles I hadn't found elsewhere (that's the kind of thing that'll keep my business!). Luckily, I live in a nearby state so I get my titles in two days (everybody else has gotten twice as slow since the Tower tragedies, particularly DVD Overnight, -(It's not their fault, of course). A couple of notes (not complaints, -just notes): they use envelopes similar to Netflix but much more flimsy, it seems to take at least four days for them to process an incoming envelope (based on estimated arrival, -but I could be wrong), they seem to send out their e-mails for the day around midnight or so, -at least that's approximately when I get them. I still prefer Netflix's want list/ship list system for its immediacy and clarity (we'll not get into the whole "released to ship" thing, -that's a whole 'nother thread). Overall, though, I give Slate the big thumbs up and wish them luck.

FilmStudent

Besides Rentmydvd and Netflix...what other dvd internet services are there....And what's your opinion of them.

Did DVD overnight...operate in NYC?

HepDude

Hi!

It's been 8 days since my two DVD rentals from Numberslate "shipped".

I am not in a nearby state, but DVD Overnight DVDs used to cross the country in 4-5 days.

DWilson - a) how long do DVD Overnight DVDs take to reach you these days? b) what class of postal shipping do they use? First Class? Standard Mail? Media Mail? c) do they ship in the same size packaging as Netflix, RMD or DVD Overnight, ie one that fits in a postal box?

Filmstudent - I wrote a whole message in this thread answering your question.

DWilson

DVD Overnight sends them in a smaller, sturdier package than the others. I assume they send them first class but I don't have a package right in front of me. I used to get them in three days at the most, but with my last two orders, one took nine days, and the last one took six. Not that you asked, but Netflix has gotten weirdly erratic, -I'll get them in a bunch, two titles that are really late (8-9 days) along with some that are essentially "on time" (3-4 days).

HepDude

To DWilson:

Aargh!

I wrote my questions too fast!

The first question was about DVD Overnight, but the others were about Numberslate !

IE what class of postal shipping does NUMBERSLATE use? First Class? Standard Mail? Media Mail? c) does NUMBERSLATE ship in the same size packaging as Netflix, RMD or DVD Overnight, ie one that fits in a postal box?

DWilson

Number Slate sends them first class, best as I can determine (there's a cancelled stamp, -can't make out the price) and the return envelope is marked "Business Replay Mail, -First Class". For all intents and purposes, the exact same size and style as Netflix. Obviously, a lot of the mailing problems are not the fault of these retailers, but the problems with the mail system these days.

DWilson

Just as an update, I must say I'm still very pleased with "Number Slate". Sure, the name's a little clunky, and the envelope's are really flimsy, but they've been supplying the titles! In the last few weeks I've recieved "Withnail and I", "Let It Ride", "Open Your Eyes", "Tales From The Darkside", "Black Narcissus", and several recent Anchor Bay titles. They've all been DVDs that either aren't listed at Netflix, RentMyDVD or Overnight, or are on extremely long "wait lists". There's still a lot of "rough edges", -the site occasionally goes down, particularly on the week-ends, but they haven't done me wrong yet. Of course, I have the advantage of living close to the main outlet so I don't have the mail problems I've been having with RMD and Netflix...

jriems

I decided to check out Numberslate as well, and signed up over the weekend. Since I like anime, I decided to pad my list with LOTS of multi-disk series since RMDVD was moving glacially in their effort to add anime titles, and it appeared Numberslate had almost everything.

So, what I did was pick the first disc from each set and put them all at the top of my list -- this took up the first dozen or so selections. I then picked about a dozen more non-anime movies to put into the middle of the list, and finally rounded out the want list with the remaining discs from all those anime series represented at the top of the list. When all was said and done, I had almost 60 discs on my want list.

I got my shipping notice today, and guess which discs shipped (I'm on the 2-out plan)? The first title that shipped was around number 20 on my list, "Bridget Jones' Diary." So my top 19 wants were out of stock. The second title that shipped was -- get this -- "Evangelion Vol. 7"...sitting at number 54 or so on my want list.

I think this pretty much shows that Numberslate is suffering from the same problems as all the other online rental places, and I'll probably cancel this one after a month. So, for those of you listing multi-disc series in your want list, take my advice and only put in the first volume of each series you want to see -- otherwise you'll find yourself watching volume SEVEN chosen from the very bottom of your want list. Sheesh.

jriems