NetFlix Profiles

I discovered today that our new NetFlix subscription already has one of the features that I had always wished for with BlockBuster Online. NetFlix allows you to create multiple profiles, each with their own queue. You can assign the number of DVD "slots" assigned to that queue, so that the movies can be divided up between family members. Once a movie from that queue is returned, the next movie from that queue will be sent.

We always had trouble with BlockBuster when Eric ordered something like the entire season of "24" because it would send all three of the DVD's at once! Since each disc had several hours of shows to watch, it would take Eric a few days to get through each disc. In the meantime, no one else had any movies to watch, since the queue was tied up with the entire season. We tried to order each disc of the season individually, but then BlockBuster could never manage to send them in order, so you'd have to wait for the next one to come, so that you could watch it first...

I was glad to see that NetFlix has provisions for this, we'll see how it works... I entered the 34 movies that had been in my queue at BlockBuster into my NetFlix queue today. Then tonight I got several emails from BlockBuster saying that they had sent the next three movies, even though I cancelled my subscription yesterday! I guess that it is still active for another week or two...

Switching to Netflix

Blockbuster has blown it again, at least for me... For the second time in two years, Blockbuster is closing the store closest to us, and at the same time they are raising their rates another couple of bucks a month!

We have been using the Blockbuster online service for the past year or so, and had been pretty satisfied with it... We got three movies at a time, and after we watched them we could turn them in at the store and get a free rental. By the time we were done watching we got from the store, the next movies would arrive in the mail.

The store that we used to go to a couple of years ago was only a couple of blocks from us, basically at the corner of our subdivision. When they opened a new store in Highlands Ranch, a couple of miles away, they closed the store by our house. While this was irritating, we adjusted to it after a short time. It turned out that our doctor moved their office to the building across the street from the shopping center where the Blockbuster was located, and we switched to a bank that had a branch located there as well.

The remaining locations that are near us are all about 5 miles away, with pretty heavy traffic to contend with... All are inconvenient enough that we wouldn't just want to run by them on a whim to check out movies.

Add to this the rate increase. We had been paying about $18/month for unlimited movies, with three out at a time. As I mentioned above, we could also turn them in at the store for free rentals, so we were able to watch lots of movies. With the price going up about $25 more per year, this was the last straw!

We have already started a trial subscription with Netflix, and have been pretty impressed so far. The leadtime to have movies mailed seems a bit faster than Blockbuster, typically only two days. Netflix is also nearly $5/month less than Blockbuster's new higher rate...

So, we're saying "Auf Wiedersehen" to Blockbuster...