Movies, movies everywhere
Written: Jun 05 '04
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So, you like to watch movies, but you hate going to the local video store and having to find the time to return the titles the next day. And you still have to pay late fees if you can’t get back. Have I got a service for you. Netflix is an online DVD-rental service. It works just like Blockbuster, except the movies arrive and are sent back through the mail. Depending on which plan you sign up for, you can get anywhere from two to eight titles at a time and keep them out for as long as you need to. (I’ve keep titles out for a month.) When you’re done, you use a postage paid envelope to return the movies. Each title comes with its own, so there’s no need to order them.
All you need to get started is a DVD player, an address to send the DVDs, and some way to get online, whether its through your own computer or at the library or a friend’s house. (If you’re using a public computer, you have to log out manually. There’s no way to have the computer not automatically log you in, which I don’t like.) Once you sign up, you’ll put in your information like your name, address, and credit card information. (You get a two-week trial period, but they still need the credit card stuff for security purposes.) Next you start selecting your titles. I’d recommend at least 10 or 15. It shouldn’t be hard to find titles. Anything on DVD is fair game, although there are a few titles I haven’t been able to find. I’m going to write in and suggest them.
You can search by title if you know the movie you want to watch, but if you’re having trouble, you can also search by actor or director and you can also look through the categories like comedy or action/adventure. Once you get started, you can rate and review movies much like you do on Epinions. This will allow the site to make recommendations based on what you like and don’t like. My mother doesn’t really like using the system; so instead, she finds movie guides or looks in the paper to find titles. You’re not limited to their method of finding movies.
Netflix has 20 distribution centers, so you should see your first batch of movies within a few business days. (Since movies are sent by mail, Netflix is limited by the Post Office’s schedule.) When you return movies, the postage-paid envelope has the nearest distribution center, which cuts down on the time you’ll have to wait for your next selection. (If one of the envelopes gets damaged, don’t worry. You can send two discs in one envelope.) You can log on to the site to see if Netflix has gotten the movies and when they expect to ship out your next selection once they have.
Now, you’re probably wondering what all of this will cost you. Right now, the basic plan, which allows for 3 movies at a time, costs about $20, but prices are going up soon, so you’ll have to check with the site if you want to sign up. There are also currently three other plans, all of which have varying prices. The economy plan, which is currently about $14, allows you to have 2 selections out at a time and 4 selections out over the course of a month. (This is the only plan that limits the number of selections per month.) This is great if you’re living alone and don’t really have the time to watch a lot of movies, but want the convenience that Netflix offers. There are also plans that allow for 5 and 8 selections at a time. This is great if you watch a lot of movies and have a large family.
There are also some other things to consider. First, there are a lot of movies out there that have two discs, such as X-Men 2. You don’t have to rent both, but if you do, it will count as two selections. This means that each disc will occupy its own spot in your queue and when you get them, it will be like having two separate movies. You’ll have to return one to get the next movie. This is great if you want to get a TV series, like Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. If you can’t seem to catch that one episode, you can rent just the disc that it’s on. I’m also going to rent the entire first season of The Dead Zone. Since each disc is a separate selection, I have the advantage of being able to distribute them however I want throughout my queue. I have the 5-disc plan, so I can have out one of the Dead Zone discs and 4 movies if I want or I can keep them together and just go through them as I want.
Once the movies are sent, there’s no changing it, but you can alter your queue as often as you want. This way, if your sharing a subscription, you can send back the movie you’re watching and move up your next title. Also, if you have several TV series, such as The Dead Zone, Highlander, and In Living Color, you can make sure that you’re getting one disc from each series without having to guess when you’ll be done with each disc. Should you get a disc that doesn’t work, you can send it back and get another disc of the same title. You won’t have to rent it again.
I know this review may have rambled on a bit or seemed disjointed, but there’s a lot of information to get across. I’d definitely recommend this service to anyone that has a DVD player. It’s a great service for someone that’s stuck at home for any reason or doesn’t have a rental store like Blockbuster nearby. It’s also great for anyone fed up with Blockbuster or who simply doesn’t like having to go to the store twice for the same movie.
Recommended:
Yes
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About the Author
Member: Brian Kuhl
Location: Biscayne Park, FL, USA
Reviews written: 1294
Trusted by: 160 members
About Me: I'm rewriting many of my old reviews. Please see my profile page for details.
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