Now I Never Need To Leave The House Again
Written: Dec 12 '01
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The Bottom Line
If you rent several DVDs a month, NetFlix is a convenient service well worth the price.
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| Full Review |
Since I joined NetFlix, I’ve been able to completely eliminate the 11:45 p.m. dash to Hollywood Video to return movies. It’s sad, but true, that no matter how long the video store lets you keep the movies, I wind up keeping them to the last minute. And rest assured that at 11:45 on the night the videos are due back, I will be looking like something my cat dragged up over the wall and in through the back door. In the rain.
For a mere $20 a month, this Internet-based DVD rental service lets you rent as many movies as you want, three at a time. It’s all done through the mail, with DVDs delivered right to your mailbox without you ever having to leave the house. There are no due dates. Here’s how it works: you set up a list of movies you’d like to watch, in the order you’d like to receive them. Netflix mails them to you three at a time. You return a movie, and they send you the next movie on your list. It couldn’t be more simple.
They do a terrific job keeping you posted on what’s been mailed and what’s been received, all via e-mail. Their web site is easily navigated. The only confusing part of the experience, initially, came after I set up my list of movies. I kept looking for something to click on to get some confirmation of my selections, but could find nothing. After 10 minutes spent searching through their FAQs, I finally decided there wasn’t any “submit” or “confirm” button and took my chances.
I would like to see a better “new releases” page. I’m used to this section in the video store, along with a board by the cashier listing what’s just come out and what’s soon to be released. Clicking into the “new releases” area of NetFlix doesn’t display all new releases, and often returns movies which have been out long enough to be moved out of this area. I’d like to see something devoted to soon-to-be released DVDs, which you can sign up for prior to their release (when you find them). I resorted to checking out Entertainment Weekly’s page to get a list of new movies, then ran the titles through the NetFlix search to find them and place them on my shipping list.
So far I’ve had only one problem DVD, and that was due to a smudge of dirt which was easily cleaned up.
NetFlix allows you to rate movies and supposedly uses this information to tailor your selections based upon what you liked before. So far, I’ve rated 13 movies and if they’re using my ratings in this manner, it’s so subtle that I don’t notice. I’m not entirely sure I like this idea as I enjoy a wide (and often eclectic) range of movies, and I’m not so sure I want someone trying to foist my selections upon me. I am curious to see how they can figure out a pattern on a viewer who liked Pearl Harbor almost as much as La Femme Nikita.
Overall, I think NetFlix has a fantastic idea. Who doesn’t want to rent movies without leaving home? The more casual movie renters out there might want to add up their monthly charges and see if the convenience is worth it. For those of us regularly spending over $10 a week, it’s a great deal.
Suddenly, returning a movie isn’t so annoying. The first time I sealed up a DVD in a postage-paid return envelope and stuck it in the mailbox, a gentle feeling of peacefulness descended upon me. It was the knowledge that with a credit card and a computer, I might never leave my house again. Especially not at 11:45 at night.
Recommended:
Yes
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About the Author
Member: Terrisa Meeks
Location: Las Vegas, NV
Reviews written: 12
Trusted by: 6 members
About Me: Fortune favors the bold.
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