A co-worker mentioned that he uses Red Box a lot and I decided to check it out. Red Box operates those kiosks you see in the grocery store and rents DVD's for $1/day. They claim no late fees, they just charge $1 each day.
I compared this to my current Netflix plan which is $8.99/month. These DVDs tend to sit on top of the TV for a while, so at $1/day, I'd probably be paying $10-$20 a month. Of course I could delay picking up until I was ready to watch and could return sooner (even on Sundays), so maybe I'd be at the low end of that. And there's no driving with Netflix, it's all done through the mail.
Out of curiosity, I took my Netflix queue and checked it out on Red Box (you can reserve movies ahead of time). To my surprise NONE of the top 5 movies were in Red Box. Now a lot of my Netflix queue is "older" movies (2-5 years old) that we never watched the first time around. So I guess this is understandable. But it doesn't make me want to switch DVD providers
What do you think? Netflix or Red Box?
11 comments:
That is timely! I was just about to scale our Netflix subscription down to 1-at-a-time instead of 2. We just don't watch many movies, especially with the main movie watching daughter moving out recently.
Based on what you wrote, I'd stick with Netflix. They are really fast here. I drop the movies off in the mail at work and they are received the next day, and the day after that one comes in the mail.
I tried netflix, but I dont have alot of free time to watch movies, so i found where i wouldn't get to a movie for a week..or two..and I've always struggled with remembering to mail things...so I cancelled netflix.
When I lived in SC we would use the DVD kisok in BI-LO a good bit...
I've used redbox a time or two...the one at my walmart is a little out of the way, but had some new releases that i wanted to see...
There's one at walgreens- outside - that is more pratical and I'll probably use it next time- I pass it at LEAST 10 times a week.
I will stick with Netflix for all the reasons you mentioned.
I like the flexibility of Netflix. Considering this summer I kept a movie all summer because I kept forgetting about it...it was nice to only pay $9.99 instead of $40. :)
Sounds like this is one of those things that depends on your point of reference. Neil (4simpsons), likes Netflix and so does Kayte, but Bugaboosmommy prefers the DVD kiosks and it fits her better.
We'll stick with Netflix, but depending on our schedule, may belly up to a kiosk once in a while.
We are two at a time Netflixers and there is a rare time when we might not have a movie at home, then a Redbox or supermarket kiosk might come in handy. But with our movie tastes you can't beat Netflix.
Netflix! I tried the Red Box one time. Didn't read the fine print. I thought you rented it for $1. Didn't realize it was $1/day. By the time I returned it, I owed $20+. Customer Service was nice and let me off the hook, but I'll never do that again. Reason: I simply don't have time to return movies anymore. I barely have time to put them in the mailbox!
I've never used Netflix, so can't comment a ton there. Though it certainly looks convenient if you watch a lot of movies. Plus their selection seems to be quite large.
I've used redbox though. It's nice, but does have its limitations. It's really only for new releases and doesn't have that great of a selection. Too often the dvd's are scratched and either pause or jump.
It's biggest positive is that they have codes you can find on the internet that make rentals free. I've used that feature a number of times.
So, it seems from all these comments that if you're a regular DVD watcher, Netflix is the way to go. Convenience and price are good. The co-worker I spoke to rented from Red Box, copied the DVD for later viewing which is at the very least questionable.
If you're only an occasional DVD viewer and you like the current DVD's Redbox is the way to go.
Cameron, How can I get in on those free rentals? A good solution for scratched or dirty DVD's is Windex. Get a soft paper towel and clean it like glass.
Google "red box codes" and you'll find a few sites that have them. Some are one time use only, some are only for redboxes at Walgreens, or Wal-Marts etc. And some just don't work. So I usually jot down 5 or 6 codes on a scrap paper and head out hoping one will work.
I vote Redbox. It works particularly well with my DVD ripper, and only costs $1. Then I can watch it anytime I want, and I make sure I return the movies the next day.
Thanks G-Man and welcome to my blog. I see from your profile that you're a patent attorney. I wonder about the legality of ripping a DVD for later viewing. The co-worker I mentioned does that and has built a library of a lot of DVD's.
Bottom line, I can't watch that many DVD's...
Hope you continue to read my blog.
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